Toney shut her eyes a moment.
"Gracious stars!—I forgot—I thought I was going down and down, and the fire was running after me! Oh, all saved! Maud! I am glad. Where's Trick?" At this moment a poor, singed, bedraggled animal made a bound and was on Toney's couch, licking her face and half wild with joy.
"I was so afraid we should never get aunt out! Trick, Trick, you gave the first warning; you're just a hero! Let me get up, Dr. Latham; I'm quite fit—is my study burnt?
"No, all that wing is safe; the wind carried the fire the other way, and the engines are keeping it down. Lady Dove and Miss Grossman have been driven to Waycott Hall; she revived wonderfully, but you were not ready to go off with them."
"The maids were saved first," added Maud; "fortunately, they were on the roof, and very visible, but till Miss Grossman appeared we could not locate where you were. Mr. Russell has done wonders. Oh, it was dreadful!"
Toney's colour began to return; she insisted on getting up, and Maud fetched a great ulster for her to keep her warm.
"We must telephone to Uncle Evas at once," she said; "he's at Charing Cross Hotel." To herself Toney thought, "Lewis Waycott will know I did my best before he goes." Then she shook herself to make sure her legs were her own.
"Now I must go—where's Jim? Oh, Maud, I couldn't have held on a second longer without him!"
The two girls went out to the front of the house. It was four o'clock now, and a great glare and volumes of smoke made lurid light, but every now and then the water conquered the fire. All the villagers were working with a will, carrying pictures and valuables to safety, and, strange to say, most ably directed by Plantagenet Russell. He seemed to forget entirely his own personality, and thought only of saving all that was precious in the best possible way. Every now and then a cheer was heard, when something was brought out through the danger zone. It was on this scene that Toney appeared, and again there was a shout that drowned all other sounds. The old men and women gathered round her, the others were working for all they were worth.
"Miss Tonia! Miss Tonia! Thank God! thank God! You gave us such a fright, that you did! when you stood up there. Jim wouldn't wait; he did his duty, did Jim. There wasn't time to wait, though the fireman said there was—— Here, Jim, stop a bit, and come and see Miss Tonia!" Jim, looking like a sweep, touched his hat.