‘My dearest, I shall be able to confront this charge,’ answered John Treverton. ‘I have no fear of that. I made a miserable mistake in not facing the difficulty at the time. The business may be a little more troublesome now than it would have been then, but I am not afraid. I would not ask you to go to London with me, darling, if I feared the result of my journey.’ ‘Do you think I would let you go alone in any case?’ asked Laura. She was thinking that even if this trouble were to end in the scaffold, she would be with him to the last, clinging to him and holding by him as other brave women had held by their loved ones, face to face with death. But no, it would not come to that. She was so convinced, in her own mind, of his innocence, that she could not suppose there would be much difficulty in proving the fact in a court of law. ‘You will take your maid with you, of course?’ said Treverton. ‘Yes, I should like to take Mary.’ ‘Where am I to be during this inquiry?’ asked Treverton, turning to the detective. ‘At the House of Detention, Clerkenwell.’ ‘Not the most desirable neighbourhood, but it might be worse,’ said Treverton. ‘They are surely not going to put you in prison, John, before they have proved anything against you?’ cried his wife, with a look of horror. ‘It’s only a form, dear. We needn’t call it prison; but I shan’t be exactly at large. I think, perhaps, the best plan would be for you to take quiet lodgings at Islington, say in Colebrook Row, for instance. That’s a decent place. You’d prefer that to an hotel, wouldn’t you?’ ‘Infinitely.’ ‘Very well. You had better put up at the Midland Hotel to-night, and to-morrow morning you and Mary can drive about in a cab till you find a nice lodging. I shall write a line to Sampson, asking him to follow us as soon as he can. He may be of use to us in London.’ Everything was settled as quietly as if they had been starting on a pleasure trip. The brougham was at the door in time to take them to the station. Celia, who was ready dressed to drive to the meet, was the only person who appeared excited or bewildered. ‘What does it all mean, Laura?’ she asked. ‘Have you and Mr. Treverton gone suddenly mad? At eight o’clock you send up to tell me you are going to take me to the meet; and at nine I find you are starting for London, with two strange men. What can you mean by it?’ ‘It means very serious business, Celia,’ Laura answered quietly. ‘Do not worry yourself about it. You will know everything by-and-by.’ ‘By-and-by,’ echoed Celia scornfully. ‘I suppose you mean when I go to heaven, and look down upon you with a new pair of eyes? I want to know now. By-and-by will not be the least use. I remember when I was a child, if people told me I should have anything by-and-by, I never got it.’ ‘Good-bye, Celia dearest. John will write to your father.’ ‘Yes, and my father will keep the letter all to himself. When will you be back?’ ‘Soon, I hope; but I cannot say how soon.’