"What a funny fancy," laughed Elsie; but she gave the girl both her hands to hold, and for a minute or two the girls were left to themselves, while the rest were busy around Tom, who was reviving rapidly under the milk and brandy that was being given to him by Mrs. Murray and his mother.
By the time the doctor came upon the scene, the boy was able to sit up, and was preparing to walk home with his mother and sister.
"This should be a lesson to you against fighting," said the curate, as he was leaving.
"But that big fellow knocked him down first," said Mary, who heard the remark. "I think he did quite right to stand up and let Bill Crane know he could not bully everybody."
"Mary, Mary, you must not get so excited over this," said her mother, in some alarm.
But Elsie pressed the thin, nerveless fingers in thanks for the words spoken on Tom's behalf.
And the understanding between the girls was so far established that before Elsie went, Mary asked her to come and see her soon. "I am generally alone in the afternoon, because mother has to go to her sewing-class at the school, so if you could bring your sewing and sit with me for an hour, I should be very glad."
Mrs. Murray made some remark about Mary being kept quiet, but she could not second the girl's invitation. And so Elsie walked home feeling that Tom's fight might have some consequences not altogether unpleasant to herself, whatever they might bring to Tom.
For the present he was simply feeling a little weak and stiff, and he readily promised to go to bed as soon as he got home, and let them bring a meal to him after he had rested for an hour.
Beyond a few bruises, that were nothing to Tom, all the effects of the fight were over by the next morning, so far as Tom's health was concerned. And it would soon have been forgotten by Tom, or thought of only as other schoolboy battles were, but for what followed some weeks later.