“But, good heavens, man, you must not detain us. It is necessary for us to drive fast in order to reach old Trinity for a wedding ceremony,” expostulated Noel.
“Wedding or no wedding, all three of you must come to the station house with me,” answered the policeman, who was both surly and dull-witted.
Laurier suddenly aroused himself to the situation, and united his expostulations to Noel’s, but all to no avail.
The policeman would not hear to letting them go. He said to himself he would “teach them young bloods a lesson.” He did not credit at all the story of the wedding party waiting at the church.
Laurier, suddenly realizing the situation, and thinking of Cora’s anger and mortification at having to wait for him so long, grew frantic.
He whispered to Noel:
“Would it be any use to offer him a bribe to let us go?”
“No, he is so malicious he would get us indicted for trying to bribe him in the discharge of duty.”
Laurier turned to the stubborn policeman, asking politely:
“Could you not take our names and let us report to the police court to-morrow?”