Mr. Drelincourt considered for a few moments. Then he said: "As it seems to me, the proper thing to do will be for both of us to put in an appearance in the morning before the Sunbridge magistrates, when you can depose on oath to the truth of what you have told me here tonight. What will happen after that I cannot tell. The joint wisdom of our friends on the bench will decide that point for us."
After a little further conversation, the housekeeper was summoned, and Mrs. Jenwyn given into her charge. Breakfast would be on the table at nine, her host told her, and at ten the brougham would be in readiness to drive them into Sunbridge.
The arrangement made by Drelincourt overnight was duly carried into effect next morning. The brougham conveyed Mrs. Jenwyn and him into Sunbridge, where they presented themselves before the bench of magistrates.
At Drelincourt's request he was sworn first. To recapitulate his statement would be superfluous, what he had to tell being known to us already. Then came Mrs. Jenwyn's turn, the nature of whose evidence is equally known to us. After that the magistrates retired to their private room in order to consult together, with the result that the case was adjourned for a couple of days to allow of their taking legal opinion in the interim, bail being accepted for the reappearance of Drelincourt and Mrs. Jenwyn.
At the adjourned inquiry no charge was preferred against the former, but the widow was committed for trial at the autumn assizes, on the count of being accessory after the fact to the murder of the first Mrs. Drelincourt. That such a charge, bearing in mind the peculiar character of the case, should involve any more severe penalty than a very limited term of imprisonment was what nobody believed or expected. Meanwhile, Mrs. Jenwyn was released on bail, the surety for her appearance at the assize bar being no other than Felix Drelincourt.
Long before this the latter had told everything to his wife. With what passed between them on the occasion we have nothing to do. This, however, may be said; that, woman-like, Mrs. Drelincourt thought far more of the lack of confidence in her as a wife which her husband's confession revealed than she did of anything else he had to tell her.
When the Sunbridge autumn assizes came on, Mrs. Jenwyn failed to put in an appearance, nor was she anywhere to be found. As a consequence, Mr. Drelincourt's bail was estreated, for which he was by no means sorry. He would rather have forfeited the amount twice over than have had the details of poor Anna's unhappy story related in a court of justice.
Some time before this Gumley had been released under an order from the Home Office.