“What a fool I am!” thought the young doctor, whose sympathies were aroused by this great display of interest; “I am throwing away an interesting patient.”
“Anna, my dear, this is very dreadful!” cried Miss Deane, senior. “Let us drive on at once!”
“Yes, aunt dear—no, aunt dear! I know!” she cried excitedly. “The men could lay that wooden thing upon the seats of the carriage, and he could be driven gently right into the town.”
“Anna!”
“Hush, aunt, pray!” cried the girl decisively. “Do you not see it is a case of life and death? Now, doctor, move him at once! Aunt, come down out of the carriage!”
Miss Deane, senior, uttered an indignant sob, and descended into the dusty road. Then she not only made a virtue of necessity, but felt her own sympathies aroused.
“I wish I were a soldier and had shot myself,” thought the doctor, as he directed the men, and had the hurdle carefully lifted into the waggonette, where, with a little management, it rode securely enough, while the girl watched every step of the proceedings, with her fingers twitching as if she longed to help.
“But you?” said the doctor now.
“Oh, never mind us; we can walk,” said Miss Deane; and her aunt suppressed a groan.
“But it is a long distance,” said the doctor.