“Oh so now you have a newspaper” chirped his love.
“Yes” said Mr. Withersq hortily “and as it is we have seats in the front.”
Truly pleased by this thoughtful and lucky idea Selia fell to and despatched her food after which they stepped into a taxi and rode to the law court.
It was a dark forboding place somewhat square. A crowd of poor jostled without. [85] ]The photos of Selia and her Harold were taken as they left the taxi to enter, at which Selia bridled a little but not her Harold. For a flash he feared they were mistaken for the guilty partys but it was not so only his fame.
Inside was a great dark hall like church and the ten comandments in frames at the top, between which sat a juge in scarlet and ermin with a white wig, who was on a carved chair, with lawyers on one side in a row and jurys on the other in a pew and the lawyers were all lean and busy with papers, but the jurys were all plump and did nothing but sit.
A stir occurred as our heroes entered and were led by a beadel to the front row at which the judge beat his little hammer on the desk of his throne and cried “Ordre” very stern for all present were twisting and craning to get a better view of our pair, more so the ladys of whom there were many with lunsheon baskets seated around.
[86] “This is not a school of poetry,” said the judge aside and drew a laugh, so Mr. Withersq knew at once this must be the famous Judge Crop the well-known wit. So they both sat down and settled.
The buss died down and silence came as a door at the side opened and amid a murmur of pity the partys to the divorce were led in, pale-faced and dismally clanking the handcuffs on their wrists, and the injured husband led the way. There were three in all, the lady and the villian with meek look following after, and the lady was very soberly dressed in black coat and skirt as befitted her position.
A policeman led them to stand in a row before the Judge, and they all three stood mum while the lawyers began to rise one by one and muter and muter and rasple their papers, and bow now and then to the Judge who seemed to sleep nevertheless he opened an eye from time to time.
[87] Selia was a bit vexed for she found it dull and it was very hot, and they were so squashed, so she laid back a good bit against her Harold, and attemted to list.