"Worse!" uttered Hannah. "What do you call worse? I wonder what my lady will say when she hears about it!"
"Never mind that to-night, help him in," said Arthur. And then he tried to rouse Adrian, while Hannah went back to fetch the money to pay for the cab. Lady Mary was not at home, but Hannah expected her every minute, and hoped she would arrive before the cab left, and to give her time, she did not hurry, hoping my lady would pay the fare. But when she came back, the cab stood there and the man beside it, while Arthur was trying to rouse Adrian from his sleep.
"I am not going to pay you to take the other back to the town," said Hannah, when the cabman said his fare was five shillings.
"All right! I dare say I can walk." And Arthur got out of the cab, and the man jumped on the box and drove off; when he had helped Hannah to half-drag, half-carry Adrian into the house.
"It will be better for you to walk, Mr. Arthur," Hannah called after him, "and then, if you meet my lady coming along the road, you can tell her all about it."
"If I see her," answered Arthur, but he made up his mind that he would avoid doing anything of the kind, and to make sure of this, he crossed the road.
Whether he would have been able to walk all the way home is doubtful, but fortunately he was not put to the test, for at the corner of the first road the cabman had drawn up his vehicle, and when he saw Arthur coming, he called out: "Hurry up, sir! I am waiting for you. You ain't fit to walk, and you may just as well go in the keb as for me to take it back empty. I've 'driv' your father many a time, sir; money weren't no account to the Murrays in them days, but I hear as how things have altered lately, and so, if you like to consider that this here journey was paid for in them old days, why, so be it."
"Thank you!" said Arthur, with some emotion, for he really was thankful for the man's thoughtful kindness, as he was still feeling weak and unnerved, and he knew his sisters would be alarmed at his long absence from home.
So he got into the cab and curled himself in the corner without a thought of Lady Mary, or what she would think of the affair. He was not long in reaching home, and of course, before he could get to the street door, after wishing the friendly cabman good-night, it was opened by Annie, while Molly's anxious face appeared beside her.
"Oh, Arthur, where have you been?" exclaimed both in a breath.