Lydia again bid him "Good-day," and Nalla putting out his trunk for her, regained her place upon his broad back.
As they were departing, Vigilant called them back. It was all well enough to bring his steed back to life, and set him upon his feet again, but now that he had dismounted he was quite unable to remount without assistance.
"Sure enough!" smiled Lydia in response to his excited request. "I might have thought of that. Nalla will be happy to do you that slight service, won't you, Nalla?"
Nalla waved his trunk in token of assent, and then extended it towards Vigilant. The dog kept perfectly still while the wonderful appendage that could do almost anything, picked him up in the most careful manner, and deposited him upon the back of the horse.
Then the whole party withdrew, and the next moment Lydia reappeared to proceed with her song. But the other actors in the little scene were in such high spirits that they could not permit her to have the singing to herself.
First, Vigilant lifted up his voice with great energy. Then Steady, to whom Lydia had given a lump of sugar, whinnied his satisfaction in an insistent fashion, and finally Nalla joined in with his deafening and by no means melodious trumpeting, swinging his huge head from side to side, and completing a quartet, whose music, while it stunned the ears of the audience, was certainly ridiculous enough to make the most morose smile, and win a laugh from the most dignified.
This concluded the entertainment, and the spectators, thoroughly well pleased with what they had seen and heard, began to disperse. Madame Pradère went forward to congratulate Nadine, and to invite her and Lydia to come and see her next morning before they left for another place. The Mayor and the Colonel also signified the pleasure the performance had given them, and in a little while the whole gathering had vanished.
When they were by themselves in their van the young Tambys made haste to reckon up the receipts of the evening with beaming countenances.
"It can't be so much, Nadine!" cried Cæsar on his sister announcing the total. "You are surely mistaken!"
"Well, let us go over it again, Cæsar," rejoined Nadine with a happy smile, and accordingly the white and brown coins, among which kind Madame Pradère's gold piece glittered conspicuously, were once more carefully counted.