"A fine dog, poor fellow," said Edmund to the latter.
The keeper shook his head. "I don't deny it, sir, but there are fine lions and fine bears, too, sir, that are kept locked up in the Zoölogical Gardens." Evidently the gardener and the keeper were of one opinion in this matter.
Presently Sir Edmund was so clearly all right that the men, after being tipped and having all their further offers of help refused, went away.
Edmund and Molly were left alone.
"How well you run!" he said, smiling.
"Yes; even without a ferocious dog behind me I can run fairly well," she said. "But I wish you had let me get over that wall alone. And I wish they could have spared that splendid animal."
"After all, he would have been shot whether we had been there or not," said Edmund. "My only bad moment was listening for the crash of broken glass and thinking that you were cut to pieces."
"You are sure that you have not hurt yourself?" Her grey eyes were large with anxiety.
Edmund, laughing, held up his hand, which was bleeding.
"I see I have sustained a serious injury of which I was not aware in the excitement of the crisis."