“And have you been searching long?”
“No, not long—though it seemed long. Are you too tired to go up the Peak? Because if you are we can send Jabez up to say so.”
“Tired? No. But is there time? I should hate to have to go home and own that I had not been up the mountain after all,” said Mrs Stone. “I do hate to be beat when I set out for anything.”
“There is plenty of time, and they will all be disappointed if you do not go. I must signal to Jabez first, however. He must be somewhere within sight or hearing, I should think.”
So he was, and came rushing down through bushes and over rocks and stones, at a headlong pace.
“Well, I declare! I knew pretty likely somebody would get into a scrape in the course of the day. But I didn’t think of its being either of you.”
“You were to make us your special care, you remember, Jabez,” said Mrs Stone.
“Yes, you promised Eunice,” said Fidelia, laughing. “What became of you? Did you think about us at all?”
“Why, yes! I thought about you more than once. But there were other folks missing too, and I expected you’d all turn up together,” said Jabez, giving a glance toward Dr Justin.
“If we are going up the Peak, the sooner we start the better,” said Dr Justin.