“I shall bring her back with me,” said the elder man.
“I am sure that you will,” replied the younger.
The carriage drove off, and Le re-entered the house, muttering to himself:
“Let them wait for my coup!”
CHAPTER XVII
BEFORE THE JUDGE
Mr. Force with his party drove directly to the City Hall.
It was still raining hard, when they arrived—so hard that when the carriage drew up before the broad flight of steps leading up to the main entrance of the building, Mr. Force, upon alighting upon the pavement, had to take out one lady at a time, and lead her under the shelter of a large umbrella up into the hall.
They found Wynnette, Elva and Rosemary, with the three younger Grandiere girls, all under the escort of Roland Bayard, waiting for them in the vestibule.
When all the party were assembled, they mustered quite a formidable company—eleven in number.
“I never was in a courthouse in all my life before! I feel just as if I was going to be tried for murder or larceny, or something, myself! I know I shall never be able to hold up my head again!” whispered Elva, in a frightened voice, to Wynnette.