“It’s a riot, isn’t it?� asked Diana, listening.
They heard, even then, the voice of it shake the still hot air. Then, quite suddenly, a bugle sounded sweetly, clearly.
“The militia,� said the colonel, in a tone of relief. “I reckon we can go home now.�
“You can go by the back way,� said Caleb quietly; “stay here a moment and I’ll see that some one gets your carriage through the inner gate. The troops will drive the mob out of the square.�
He had started to leave the room when Colonel Royall spoke. “Is—is Yarnall really quite dead?�
“Killed instantly,� said Caleb, and went out.
Diana covered her face with her hands; she had been braving it out before him. “Oh, pa!� she cried, “how dreadful! I was almost frightened to death and—and I always thought I was brave.�
“You are,� said the colonel fondly; “I was a brute to forget you—but—well, Diana, it was tremendously shocking.�
Diana’s face grew whiter. “Pa,� she said suddenly, “where—where is Jacob?�
The colonel understood. “God knows!� he said, “but, Diana, he wasn’t in the court-room!�