"Oh, I beg your pardon!" she exclaimed in a tone of great dismay, and hurriedly began gathering the coins. Her mind was preoccupied with the accident involving the goldfish, which kept running through her thoughts. She believed that the coins must be collected quickly and returned to the jury-box to prevent them from dying.

This moment reveals Alice's concern for the living objects she has handled and her sense of responsibility. It also highlights the peculiar and whimsical world she finds herself in, where even inanimate objects like coins and goldfish seem to need her protection, emphasizing the fantastical nature of Lewis Carroll's story.