“Oh, Gerard, Gerard! thank God you’ve come,” sobbed she.
Gerard looked down at her for one second, and then again at the two men.
“What is all this?” said he shortly.
“Very sorry, sir. We’ve got a warrant for the arrest of the lady,” said the man who had taken the most prominent part in the affair, the man in the policeman’s boots.
“Upon what charge?”
Audrey, even at that moment of intense excitement, was amazed at the perfect calmness which Gerard showed. She had expected an outburst of indignation on his part, an angry repudiation of the insult put upon her; but instead of that, it seemed to her that he took the matter as coolly as if he had expected this to happen and had been quite prepared for it.
“On the charge of being concerned in the disappearance of a woman known as Madame Rocada, otherwise the White Countess,” said the man.
Gerard looked down at his wife, who was still clinging to him without uttering a word.
“This is serious,” said he.
“Oh, Gerard, surely——” moaned Audrey in a husky whisper.