"You must, you must." Toney dragged her a few steps, but fear had paralyzed her; at this moment Miss Grossman had reached the door and realised the danger of opening it more than once. A dull roar was heard.
"Are you coming? For God's sake, I cannot go alone——"
"Go," cried Toney, "you have time—I think. Aunt Dove, come, for Uncle Evas' sake come—pull yourself together. In a minute we——"
The door was opened by Miss Grossman, whose muffled voice again called out, "Come, come," then she shut it again, and Toney was left alone with her aunt. A terrible column of smoke had rolled in, and she noticed that one tongue of fire tried to pierce the smoke in the big chamber.
"Toney, I can't—I can't walk. Don't leave me—air—air—open the window!"
"Yes, it's too late for the door, Aunt Dove, we must come back—I'll open the window and call. Oh! they must be trying to save us now—don't leave go—stick tight to me: they will hear us." Toney felt a terrible weight on her; would her aunt give in? Here was one of the windows, the red curtain drawn across it, she pulled it back, a sofa was against it, she managed with superhuman effort to get her aunt on it, but it was terribly difficult.
"Aunt Dove, I'll open now or we shall be suffocated—only—there is danger—the draught—you know! I'll not leave you. Hold my jacket whilst I open." The window was locked, she could not find the bolt with that weight impeding her, she wrapped her hand round the towel and smashed the glass. Oh, the relief of the air! all danger seemed for a moment swallowed up in that relief. She was even able to unbolt the latch and pull up the sash.
"Help! help! Jim, ladders—help!" She saw a crowd below, some holding lanterns, some torches. She heard a fire engine gallop up, she even saw a shoot. "Here! here!" she called. Were they saved?
"Aunt Dove, they are coming. Put your head out of the window!" Toney said this because the roar behind them was increasing. She saw the tongue of fire very plainly now. Was there time? The engine was there. A great jet of water was playing on them, no, above them, they had not yet located the fire and it was coming, coming. Oh! the heat, the terrible heat! but now the fire escape was there, it was placed against the wall.
"Oh, Aunt Dove, don't give up—here they are!"