Their long crape veils covered her and her mother entirely, and between the two black figures, Paul left the boat among the first and walked across the pier lined with curious spectators, to whom he bowed and smiled in his old familiar way, noticing the expression of their faces and thinking how sorry they were for him and Clarice. She did not see them, but it was impossible that the intense feeling pervading the crowd should not communicate itself to her in some small degree, and she was very nervous by the time the Ralston carriage was reached. Tom Drake was standing there, more alarmed and anxious than he had ever been in his life, as he saw the people pressing around Paul, who was coming towards him with a smile on his face as if glad to be home. Standing close to the carriage steps was Max Allen, the young constable, new to the office, which Paul had helped him get by giving him money for the campaign. He was shaking like a leaf and scarcely able to respond to Paul’s cheery “How are you, Max?” Now was the supreme moment for which the gaping crowd were waiting and over it there fell a hush of expectancy,—a silence so profound that Paul looked round inquiringly and saw those on the outer edge of the jam elbowing their way nearer to him. “This is attention with a vengeance,” he thought. “I dare say Clarice will feel gratified when it is over and she has time to realize it, but it must annoy her now.” It was anything but gratifying to the young lady when she felt her black bombazine dress stepped on behind and herself pulled back with a jerk. “This is too much. Let’s get out of it,” she said, grasping the skirt of her dress and springing into the carriage before her mother and without Paul’s help. He was offering his hand to Mrs. Percy, when Max touched his arm and with a thickness of speech which made his words nearly unintelligible, began: “Mr. Ralston, I want to speak with you a minute. But no,—I’ll be darned if I can now. Take the ladies home first, and come back to the church. I’ll wait for you.” “All right,” Paul said, wondering what Max had to say to him, and why he was so excited. Entering the carriage and taking off his hat he bowed right and left to the people, feeling some like a conquering hero as he drove through their midst, knowing for a surety now that they were there to see him and Clarice. “Careful, Tom, you’ll run over somebody,” he said, as Tom gave the horses a smart cut, which set them into a gallop. “I wish I might kill ’em,” Tom muttered, slackening his speed when out on the avenue and away from the crowd. He was in no hurry to get back to it again and sat very patiently while Paul accompanied the ladies into the house and said a few loving words to Clarice, who sank down in a fit of sobbing, saying she could not bear it.