"'E 'ired me to ride hit," cried Tom, indicating Scarsdale.
"And what right have you to it, sir?" blustered the mayor, turning to that gentleman.
"I don't know," replied Scarsdale.
"I consider this most unsatisfactory," continued his worship. "I think I may define the actions of those who have had a hand in this affair as—ahem!—contradictory and open to question. I shall telegraph Lady Melton, and pending her reply I must detain you all as suspicious characters."
So it came to pass that the nine, gathered together in the chief parlour of the inn, with a constable on duty, awaited for some hours a response to the mayor's telegram. It arrived finally, embodied in the person of Aunt Eliza, who had gone to Melton Court that morning, and was now fresh from an interview with the mayor, which had resulted in the freedom of all concerned.
The old lady looked the couples over through her eye-glasses, and gave vent to an expressive "Humph!"
To her niece alone did she deign to express herself more fully, nor did she scruple to mince her words.
"Well, Mabel," she remarked, "you ought to be ashamed of yourself. I gave you a first-class recommendation only two days ago, as being well fitted to plan and carry out a honeymoon, and look what a mess you've made of it! Where did you come from last?"
"From Winchester," replied her niece, "where I was looking for my husband, who had been arrested for impersonating Mr. Allingford's brother," and she pointed to Dick, who joined the group on hearing his name mentioned.