This story gave me a peculiar shock.  I could not have imagined that that charming and apparently light-hearted young woman at the Holly Sprig had ever been crushed down by such a sorrow as this.  But I did not ask any more questions.  The young girl by my side probably knew no more than she had already told me.  Besides, I did not want to hear any more.

“‘Royal’ goes along just as if nothing had happened,” she said, admiringly regarding the horse.  “Now, I wonder if it will be safe for me to drive him again?”

“I should be very sorry,” I answered, “if my thoughtlessness had rendered him unsafe for you; but if he could be led up and down past the place where he saw the bear until he becomes convinced that there is now nothing dreadful in that spot, he may soon be all right again.”

“Do you know,” she said, suddenly turning towards me, “what I would like better than anything else in this world?  I would like to be able to stand in the middle of the road and stop a horse as you did!”

I laughed and assured her that I knew there were a great many things in the world which it would be much better for her to do than that.

“Nothing would please me so much,” she said, decisively, “not one single, solitary thing!  There’s our gate.  Turn in here, please.”

I drove up a winding road which led to a house standing among trees on a slight elevation.  “Please let me out here,” she said, when I reached the end of the porch.  “I will send a man to take the horse.”

CHAPTER X

THE LARRAMIE FAMILY

I think I did not have to wait ten seconds after her departure, for a stable-man had seen us approach and immediately came forward.  I jumped down from the cart and looked in the direction of the road.  I thought if I were to make a cross-cut over the lawn and some adjacent fields I should get back to my bear much quicker than if I returned the way I had come.  But this thought had scarcely shaped itself in my mind when I heard the approach of hurrying feet, and in the next moment a little army had thrown itself upon me.

There was a tall, bright-faced man, with side whiskers and a flowing jacket, who came forward with long steps and outstretched hand; there was a lady behind him, with little curls on the side of her head; and there were some boys and girls and other people.  And nearly in front of the whole of them was the young lady I had brought to the house.  Each one of them seized me by the hand; each one of them told me what a great thing I had done; each of them thanked me from the bottom of his or her heart for saving the life of his or her daughter or sister, and not one of them gave me a chance to say that as I had done all the mischief I could not be too thankful that I had been able to avert evil consequences.  From the various references to the details of the incident I concluded that the young lady had dashed into the house and had given a full account of everything which had happened in less time than it would have taken me to arrange my ideas for such a recital.