He took every step fully alert, absolutely on his guard.
They were almost within sight of Holborn when a cry from the bystanders caused them to look away into the middle of the road.
Laverick only cast one glance there and abandoned every instinct of curiosity, thinking once more only of himself and his own position.

With the constable, however, it was naturally different.
He saw something which called at once for his intervention, and he immediately forgot the somewhat singular task upon which he was engaged.

A man had fallen in the middle of the street, either knocked down by the shaft of a passing vehicle or in some sort of fit.

There was a tangle of rearing horses, an omnibus was making desperate efforts to avoid the prostrate body.

The constable sprang to the rescue.