Some neighbours were walking together in the cool of the day, watching
the fall of the twilight, and talking of this and that; and as they
walked, they saw at a little distance a light, as it were a house on
fire.
"From the direction, that must be our neighbour William's house," said
one. "Ought we not to warn him of the danger?"
"I see only a little flame," said another; "perchance it may go out of
itself, and no harm done."
"I should be loth to carry ill news," said a third; "it is always a
painful thing to do."
"William is not a man who welcomes interference," said a fourth. "I
should not like to be the one to intrude upon his privacy; probably
he knows about the fire, and is managing it in his own way."
While they were talking, the house burned up.