"Your boy is all right, Mary," he said gently. "See, there he is in Mr. Fry's arms! He's a bit done up, but no harm has come to him."
As soon as the farmer placed Jack on the ground, he ran to his mother's side. She turned to him and kissed him with tender affection, thanking God in her heart for her darling's safety.
"Come into the house, Mary," Mr. Barton said, striving to speak steadily, but his voice trembled in spite of his efforts to control it, "and then I'll tell you all I know. I'm in great trouble about Theodore!"
At that point Jane interposed. She had been standing by in bewilderment, scarcely realising at first that her master had not brought home Theodore as well as Jack; but now she came forward and enquired, in tones of strong emotion:
"Isn't Master Theodore here?"
"No, Jane," Mr. Barton replied. "I hoped you might have had news of him, but—"
"Where is he?" Jane cried wildly. "You don't mean to tell me you've left him on the moor—to die maybe! Oh, sir, forgive me if I forget myself, and speak as I ought not, but Master Theo's dearer to me than my own life! It was I who took him from his mother's arms, remember! And during the lonely years which followed, it was I who loved and cared for him! Oh, if anything has happened to him—"
"Hush, Jane!" Mr. Barton interrupted in moved tones. "Come inside with us, like a sensible woman, and we will talk matters over."
He led the way into the house, and into the parlour, where the household assembled to know what had become of Theodore; and many were the exclamations of dismay and consternation which greeted his story of the boys' adventures. When he spoke of Theodore's accident, Jane could not restrain her grief; she sobbed aloud, and would not be comforted. But when Jack went to her, and throwing his arms around her neck, mingled his tears with hers, she seemed to realise the folly of her behaviour.
"Oh, Master Jack, how wet and muddy you are, and as white as a sheet, I declare!" she cried, drying her streaming eyes. "I will put you to bed at once!"