Swiftly she passed through the gate. Swiftly, a blind thing seeking its mate, she passed up the lane. Figures hurried by her. She did not see them. She saw Ronnie--Ronnie in wig-and-gown; Ronnie pleading her cause before the law.
Swiftly she passed under the archway. Swiftly, unconscious of one hurrying behind her, she made the tiled passage which leads to Pump Court. Ronnie--Ronnie would not plead for her. Ronnie, knowing the truth, would know her for what she was. For a woman who had belonged to two men. On such, man's law had no mercy. She could go no further--no further. Better the river! Better the river than man's law!
Slowly, she turned away--away from the vision of Ronnie. It was all dark--dark. Darkness and the sound of feet. "Clop," went the feet, "clop clop, clop clop." The feet stopped; and a voice--a known voice--hailed her out of the darkness.
"Alie!" hailed the voice. "Alie! Is that you?"
Still dazed, she could not answer. The voice, close this time, hailed her again. "Alie! Is that you, Alie?"
"Yes. Who is it?"
"Your father-in-law."
The feet clopped again; and now--her mind all confusion--she recognized, within a yard of her, the trim, old-fashioned figure, the vast beard of Rear-Admiral Billy.
"Good God!" panted the admiral. "Good God--I've never run so fast in me life." And, without another word, he gripped her by the arm, steering her rapidly through the dark passage into Pump Court, out of Pump Court, past the Temple itself, and across King's Bench Walk.
"Billy!" she managed to gasp. "Billy, where are you taking me?"