"It's shorter in the long run," she thought, then she cautiously opened the door of her small room at the top of the house. The passage had smoke in it too, thicker smoke than in her room. For half a second she paused to think as she snatched up Trick in her arms. "Maids up here—the men in the other wing—bother, the telephone is down in my room—worse luck!" Then she dashed along the passage to the maids' rooms, opening each door as she passed, and shouting, "Get up! Fire! Quick!" At the end of the passage the cook opened the door, she was dressed, having also been awakened by the smell of smoke.
"Oh, Miss Tonia! It's fire—God have mercy on us!"
"All right, ring a bell out of the window, the men in the other wing will hear it. Shout Fire!—and, look here, tell the maids to dress first, it's safer in the end."
The elderly cook felt that Miss Tonia was right, her words acted like a strong restorative and brought back her presence of mind as the half-dressed maids crowded into the passage.
"Dress all of you girls, thick jackets, it's cold; we are safe at present." Toney paused.
"Yes, all safe at present, take wet towels with you. I'm afraid it's on the first floor, and these stairs don't look inviting!"
A volume of smoke rolled up now, and for a moment hid them from each other. Toney wrapped her wet towel round her head and shoulders and once more called out,
"Keep together—shout loud—try the other stairs, not these. I'll go and explore, but you had better not. Try the leads, you'll be safer there. Good-bye!"
"Miss Tonia! for God's sake don't go down those stairs, it's madness, stay here," cried the cook.
"I can't, Aunt Dove and Miss Grossman, but look here, Rose, take Trick and hold him tight, he will want to follow me and I must have my two hands," then suddenly Toney disappeared in another volume of smoke. The maids shrieked and wrung their hands, but the cook had happily regained her senses.