"Why, bless me, sir," said the chemist, as he helped to lift her, "she—she's surprisingly heavy!"
"Yes," gasped Leander, over her unconscious shoulder; "when she goes off in one of these sleeps, she does sleep very heavy"—an explanation which, if obscure, was accepted by the other as part of the general strangeness of the case.
On the threshold the chemist stopped again. "I'd almost forgotten the ring," he said.
"I'll take that!" said Leander.
"Excuse me," was the objection, "but I was to give it back to the lady herself. Had I not better put it on her finger, don't you think?"
"Are you a married man?" asked Leander, grimly.
"Yes," said the chemist.
"Then, if you'll take my advice, I wouldn't if I was you—if you're at all anxious to keep out of trouble. You'd better give the ring to me, and I give you my word of honour as a gentleman that I'll give it back to her as soon as ever she's well enough to ask for it."
The other adopted the advice, and, amidst the sympathy of the bystanders, they got the statue into the cab.
"Where to?" asked the man through the trap.