"My horses were startled by the storm. I jumped out and was endeavoring to extricate my niece when this wretched boy got in the way."
"Uncle," protested the girl, "you closed the door on me, and the boy——"
"Shut up!" he growled, curtly. "Go inside the house!"
But his niece shared with him at least one characteristic. She possessed the family temper.
"I will not go away and let you say things which are untrue. Listen to me, Mr. Policeman. Lord Vanstone did close the door because he thought the carriage would turn over on top of him. For some reason the accident did not happen immediately, and the boy ran round to the other side and helped me out just in time."
"Confound the brat! I think he was the real cause of the whole affair. Why was he hiding in my doorway?"
Lord Vanstone was more enraged than ever by the girl's obstinate defense of her rescuer and her insistence on his own seeming cowardice.
"I was not hiding. I only took shelter from the storm. I tried to help you because the footman was struggling with the horses. I do not claim any credit for simply opening a door and helping the young lady to alight, but I lost both my dinner and my papers in doing so."
Everyone experienced a shock of surprise at hearing the boy's elegant diction. The policeman was puzzled. He instantly understood the facts, but dared not browbeat an earl.
"You do not bring any charge against him, my lord?" he said.