His bravado was suddenly attacked from an unexpected source.
“You’ll go into court with him, all right,” declared Mrs. Vance, “all of you! And if you don’t want him to catch you,” she cried, “you’ll clear out, now! He’s coming here any minute.”
“Who’s coming here?” demanded her husband.
“Winthrop,” returned his wife, “to see Vera.”
“To see Vera!” cried Vance eagerly. “What about? About this morning?”
“No,” protested Mabel, “to call on her. He’s an old friend—”
In alarm Rainey pushed into the group of now thoroughly excited people. “Don’t you believe it!” he cried. “If he’s coming here, he’s coming to give her the third degree—”
The door from the hall suddenly opened, was as suddenly closed, and Mannie slipped into the room. One hand he held up for silence; with the other he pointed at the folding doors.
“Hush!” he warned them. “He’s in there! He says he’s come to call on Vera. She says he’s come professionally, and I must bring him in here. I’ve shut the door into the parlor, and you can slip upstairs without his seeing you.”
“Upstairs!” gasped Rainey, “not for me!” He appealed to Gaylor in accents of real alarm. “We must get away from this house,” he declared. “If he finds us here—” With a gesture of dismay he tossed his hands in the air. Gaylor nodded. In silence all, save Mannie, moved into the hall, and halted between the outer and inner doors of the vestibule. Gaylor turned to Vance. “Are you going to tell her,” he asked, “that he is to be there tonight?”