“Out of my sight!”
He rushed from the room, leaving his wife still upon her knees, with her arms outstretched appealingly. When the door slammed behind him, she uttered one despairing moan, and fell forward on her face, sobbing hysterically.
Her hands clawed at the carpet in her agony, yet she could not bring herself to make any effort towards the rehabilitation of her son’s honor. Her thoughts flew again to her father—the greatest sinner, as she regarded him—and the flash of hope 311 that had so elated her in the afternoon again blinded her. She struggled to her feet, still sobbing, and looked at the clock. If John persisted in his determination to denounce her at evening service, there was at least a three hours’ respite—time enough to go to her father.
The rector, in the hall, had met an officer coming down the stairs, who explained the situation to him—that a doctor’s certificate would be necessary, and that officers must remain in and about the house to keep watch on their prisoner. The rector listened to them with his mind elsewhere, as though their communication had little interest for him, and his lips moved with his thoughts. But, before they left, he pulled himself together, and addressed them.
“Officers, I beg one favor of you: that you will not make this matter public until after the service in the church this evening. You have arrested the wrong culprit. The real forger may possibly come to you at the police station with me to-night, and surrender.”
“Was that the meaning of the young man’s cheek?” wondered the officer, eying the pale-faced, distraught clergyman suspiciously. He had arrested defaulting priests before to-day, and was half-inclined to believe that the rector himself was the culprit indicated. However, he didn’t care to hazard a guess openly. 312
“There is no objection to keeping our mouths shut for an hour or two, sir,” he answered.
“I am obliged to you for the concession. Until after the evening service then; after that you can do as you please.”
The rector picked up his hat, and walked out of the house without another word, leaving the policemen in some doubt as to the wisdom of allowing him out of sight.
Mary heard the talking in the hall, and her husband’s step past the window, and was paralyzed with terror, fearing lest he might already have betrayed her to the police. The easiest way to settle the doubt was to go into the hall, and see what had happened. To her infinite relief, the officer allowed her to pass out of the front door without molestation.