But even as she spoke, in tones that trembled with alarm, while yet her beautiful face was white and her blue eyes full of tears, there came one of the swift changes that gave her beauty its greatest charm.  A vivid blush dyed her cheek, the long, wet lashes suddenly unveiled a coquettish glance, there was a dazzling smile, her hands went up to put her blown hair in order, and she drew on the forgotten gypsy bonnet which was hanging by its strings on her arm.  She drew closer to the boy, but she looked at the doctor over her shoulder.

“Who is this gentleman, David?” she faltered.  “And how—­”

Paul Colbert spoke for himself, telling her his name.

“I am a doctor—­the new doctor of the neighborhood,” he said, adding with a smile, “I beg your pardon.  There was no other way.  This young gentleman—­who came with me—­saw you.  We had been trying for an hour or more to reach you.  We were afraid to lose the first chance to get you out of that dangerous crush.”

His voice was drowned by a sudden roar which lifted the frenzy higher and brought it nearer.  The color and smiles fled again from Ruth’s face, and she clung to David in greater alarm.

“Take me home.  Oh—­oh—­isn’t it terrible!  I can’t wait to find William.  I must go now.  I wouldn’t be afraid to go alone with you, dear.  Not in the least afraid.  Take me—­take me!”

“Come, then,” said David.  “The pony’s over here.”

“But I don’t know where my horse is.  I don’t know where William tied it.  I am so turned round that I don’t know anything.”  She was beginning to smile again at her own bewilderment.

“The pony can take us both,” said the boy.

She was turning away with him when the doctor interfered with hesitating eagerness:—­

“If you will permit me—­I would suggest that your friend who came with you may be anxious.  He will naturally try to find you.  Not knowing that you are gone, he must be alarmed.  If I knew him by sight, I could find him and tell him—­”

Again his voice was lost in the rising roar of the multitude.  The girl buried her face against the boy’s shoulder, shudderingly and trembling, and burst into weeping.

“Tell me what to do, David!  I can’t bear this any longer,” she sobbed.  “Take me away.  Tell me what to do!  Oh!  Oh!” putting her shaking hands over her ears to shut out the dreadful sounds.

The doctor touched her arm.  “If you would allow me to take you home, perhaps this young gentleman could stay and find the person who came with you.”  He turned quickly to the boy.  “You know him?”

“Yes,” David replied unwillingly.

His heart had begun to beat high.  Here was a better chance to prove himself a man than he had dared hope for.  And now this bold stranger was trying to rob him of it.  He struggled with himself for a moment, before he could give it up.  But Ruth was crying and trembling and clinging to him.