“It’s not my affair,” said Hugh, “and they’re safe enough. You had better go and help her across.”
As Hugh spoke, rather irritated by Arthur’s fancifulness, as he considered it, another little brown rabbit started out of the ferns.
“I’ll have that one!” he said.
“Don’t fire,” said Arthur. “Look, you’ll startle Mysie.”
“Nonsense, it’s too far off,” answered Hugh sharply, and fired.
They saw the white figure start and reel, then vanish from their eyes. With a loud shout of horror Arthur flung aside his gun, and leapt down through the bushes on to the path, pursued, almost outstripped, by Hugh, who sprang right into the water, as Alice’s screams brought her father and the doctor both at once to the spot.
Arthur stopped short on the brink, as nothing but the blank water met his eyes.
“She fell in here!” he cried, clutching Alice’s arm.
“Oh yes, sir; yes—off the gates! Oh, where is she?”
“She must have caught her dress in the gate!” cried Wood.