“Don’t talk of us when that poor lad may be dying,” she cried. “You must ride with him and watch him.”
“Yes, and send my chaise back,” said the doctor eagerly. “Or—one moment; this would be better, if you would not mind riding on the box.”
“Oh, pray, pray think of him!”
“I am thinking of him—and of you,” said the doctor firmly. “We will not waste time. Let me help you up, and then I can drive this lady in my chaise and keep close by and have an eye to my patient as we go.”
Anna Deane needed no assistance. She sprang up beside the driver, while her aunt was helped into the chaise. Then a thought struck her, and, taking out her purse, she emptied it into her hand, and beckoned to Joey, who came up, followed by Smiler, whose face had never looked so pleasantly full of admiration before.
“Will you pay all the men? Share it, please,” she whispered. “Thank you, thank you so very much for what you’ve all done!”
The party of labourers followed till they had passed the little roadside inn, where they stopped and stood watching till chaise and waggonette had passed a corner of the road.
Then Joey turned to his companions, and opened his hand to count over the coins.
“There’s four-and-twenty, Smiler,” he said.
“And there’s eight on us,” said Smiler.