"Silence!" he cried. "Do you want to alarm the house?" "Oh no, no!" she panted; "but you frighten--you horrify me!" "Hush! Be silent!" "No, no!" cried Gertrude, struggling, as he again seized her in his arms. "Oh, help--help--help!" Volume 3, Chapter II. POLICE BUSINESS. Dick Millet became quite the military officer as he reached the police-station with his father, and proved that, if he possessed a very small body, it contained plenty of soul. He was staggered at the charge brought against his brother-in-law, that of being a party to a serious attempt at burglary on the previous night, and soon found that there was nothing to be done till the next day. He listened to Huish's asseverations of innocence very quietly, but said nothing till he exclaimed: "Why, Dick, you cannot believe me guilty of this monstrous charge!" "I can only believe one thing just now, John Huish," he replied; "and that is that you are my dear sister's husband, and that for her sake everything possible must be done to help you out of this dreadful scrape." "Yes," cried Sir Humphrey feebly, "of course--of course. And, John, my boy, I always liked you; it's a cursed impertinent lie, isn't it?" "It is indeed," cried Huish earnestly; "unless--unless--" He stopped, gazing from one to the other in a curiously bewildered fashion. "Unless--unless what, my boy? Why don't you speak out?" "Let it rest to-night, sir," said Huish, in an altered voice. "I am confused--shocked. Get me some good advice to-morrow, Dick, and when the examination comes off, you will, of course, find bail." Dick nodded, but did not shake hands. "I'll do everything I can," he said sternly. "Won't you shake hands?" "No," replied Dick, "not till you are cleared. Huish," he said in a whisper. "I shall work day and night to clear you, for Gerty's sake; but I've heard some blackguardly things about you lately. This, though, is worse than all." Huish turned from him, looking dazed and strange, to shake hands with Sir Humphrey, who began protesting to and scolding the inspector on duty. "I--I--don't believe a word of it," he cried angrily. "You--you--you police fellows are always--yes, damme, always making mistakes of this kind, and--and, confound me, if I don't have the matter brought before the House of Lords. Good-night, my dear boy; make them give you everything you want, and we'll be here first thing in the morning.-- It's--it's--it's about the most disgraceful thing I ever knew, my dear Dick," he said as soon as they were in the street; "but if you don't take me on to the club and give me some supper I shall faint." "You must be sharp, then, father. Gertrude will be horribly anxious." "Yes, yes, poor girl, she will; but it will be all right to-morrow. I'm not so strong as I was, and this has upset me terribly."