At the street door they stopped for a moment and listened. No sound came from the street, but they heard once more at a little distance the crackle of rifle fire. The Doctor seemed satisfied. He opened the door slowly, then suddenly swung it wide. The street was empty, the eating-house across the way shuttered and closed, the dim light over their own door shone only on rain spattering in puddles on the rough road. "We are fortunate," said the Doctor. "Now keep close together but don't walk too fast." They closed the door carefully and noiselessly behind them. They stood still while the Doctor looked cautiously up and down the street, but still they saw nothing and heard only the vast, diffused sound of rain. "It seems almost too good to be true," he murmured. They started slowly down and quite suddenly Miss Minton slipped on the wet step and fell thudding her whole length to the sidewalk. She fell without a word, as completely as though she carried out a rehearsed part, and lay there with her head turned from them. They looked at her, unwilling to believe she had actually fallen. Doctor Strike stepped down and picked her up. He held her for a moment, and her eyes were congested, astonished, her mouth half open. "I've hurt my ankle," she said hoarsely. The smallest child began to cry once more, and Miss Minton was not able as before to muffle her sobs. They stood and looked at Miss Minton, even Doctor Strike looked at her for a moment, as though she had deliberately betrayed them and they were aghast at her duplicity. The smallest child went on sobbing. "Hush, darling, do hush," whispered Megan. She wiped its streaming eyes and nose with her handkerchief. "Oh, I've hurt my ankle!" Miss Minton's voice had become a groan of anguish. The Doctor bent and examined it while Miss Reed held her up. "It isn't broken," he said. "You will just have to walk on it somehow. I'll help you." They redistributed the children and the baggage, the Doctor put his arm under Miss Minton's arms. "Try now," he insisted. "You've got to do it." She limped forward, her breath coming in explosive groans at every step. The youngest child began to cry more loudly. "Hush, darling," said Megan and, when she did not stop, shook her slightly. "You really must hush," she said sharply.