‘Ah,’ said the doctor quickly, ‘did she say that at once?’
‘No,’ said Vivian; ‘at first she lay quite still, with her eyes half-open, and then she got up and said she wasn’t hurt, and then she got awfully white and sat down again, and said that about her head; then Ronald came, and we all went home.’
‘Did you run home?’
‘No, we didn’t. Claude and I wanted to run, but Isobel said she couldn’t, for her legs felt as if she were going to take pins and needles, and she had jumpy pains up her back.’
‘Thank you,’ said the doctor, rising. ‘You have told your story very clearly.’ Then he glanced at Aunt Dora and said gravely, ‘I am afraid that this explains a great deal.’
CHAPTER XII.
THE DARK SHADOW.
THE doctor’s prophecy proved true, for after a game of hockey on the Heath with Ralph and Ronald and one or two other lads whom they met, and whom Ralph knew, Vivian felt like a different boy. Indeed, all three boys felt better for the game, and more disposed to look on the bright side of things, and they were returning home for dinner in fairly good spirits when Ralph stopped short with a sudden exclamation.
‘Hallo! What on earth is up now?’ he said. ‘There’s a policeman walking off with our Joe. Surely they don’t think that it was he who stole the silver?’