At last, after having consulted their watches for the hundredth time, they began to stroll down the great central aisle, towards the main entrance. Suddenly Mrs. Scarsdale clutched the Consul's arm, and pointed before her to where a messenger-boy, with a look of expectancy on his face and an envelope in his hand, stood framed in a Gothic doorway. Then they made a wild, scrambling rush down the church, the bride reaching the goal first, and snatching the telegram from its astonished bearer. "For Mr. Allingford," he began, but she had already torn open the envelope and was devouring its contents. For a moment the words seemed to swim before her eyes, then, as their meaning became clear to her, she gave a frightened gasp, dropped the message on the floor, sat down hard on the tomb of a crusader, and burst into tears. Allingford gazed at her silently for a moment, and meditatively scratched his head; then he paid and dismissed the amazed boy, and finally picked up the crumpled bit of paper. It was from the station-master at Basingstoke, and read as follows: "_Parties mentioned left in second division for Southampton and South Coast Resorts. Destination not known._" It was incomprehensible, but he had expected it. If Mr. Scarsdale had remained at Basingstoke he would certainly have telegraphed them from there at their first stop, Salisbury. Evidently he, too, had been carried away on the train; but where? It was some relief to know that his wife was not wholly alone, but he did not at all like the idea of her going off into space with another man, and the fact that he had done the same thing himself was no consolation. Then his mind reverted to Mrs. Scarsdale, who still wept on the tomb of the crusader. What in thunder was he going to do with her? To get her back to her aunt in London at that time of night was out of the question; but where else could he take her? This point, however, was settled at once, and in an unexpected manner, by the lady herself. Drying her eyes, she remarked suddenly: "I'm a little fool!" "Not at all," he replied; "your emotion is quite natural under the circumstances." "But crying won't get us out of this awful predicament." "Unfortunately no, or we should have arrived at a solution long ago." "That," remarked the lady, "is merely another way of making a statement which you just now disputed. I _am_ a little fool, and I mean to dry my eyes and attend strictly to business. Tell me exactly what this message implies." "It means," said the Consul, "that it is impossible for you to rejoin your husband to-night." Her lip quivered dangerously; but she controlled herself sufficiently to exclaim: "But what are we to do?" "Well," he replied, "I should advise remaining here. There is a good hotel." "But we can't. Don't you see I must not remain--with you?" She spoke the last words with an effort.