n brought round, the
ball was drawing to an end. Carriages and motors were driving away,
filled with tired but happy guests, who little guessed that their host
and his son were also being driven away--but to a police-station.

Outside the Castle gates the inspector stopped to dismiss two or three
plain-clothes officers who were awaiting him, telling them to return to
London by the first train.

"I would suggest," he said quietly, as the car rolled through the quiet
country lanes, "that we wait together in London until the court opens;
and when I have delivered up my charge, you can go before the
magistrate, and obtain bail, in whatever amounts are required. Mr. Leroy
would then be able to return to Barminster until the actual trial--if,
of course, such should be necessary."

"A very sensible idea," agreed Shelton. "Thank you, Inspector. When this
matter is satisfactorily cleared up, you will not lose by your sympathy,
nor by the way you have conducted the business."

Lord Barminster was also pleased at this suggestion, and, on their
arrival in London, the whole party went straight to Barminster House for
breakfast, after which the four walked down to the court, where
application for bail was made and accepted in two sureties of ten
thousand pounds each from Lord Barminster and Mortimer Shelton; then
Adrien found himself free until the day of trial.

They returned to their town house, where his father telephoned to the
family solicitors. Within half an hour the head of the firm arrived, and
was put in possession of such meagre details as Adrien could furnish,
without disclosing his doings on the fateful date, the twenty-second.
The lawyer's face was very grave as he listened.

"It will not be an easy task, my lord," he ventured to say to Lord
Barminster as he took his departure, "but I will do my best, and will
have opinion of the highest counsel obtainable."

They were soon ready to undertake the return journey, and before parting
with the kindly inspector, Lord Barminster very warmly thanked him. All
felt that they had been spared a great deal of humiliation by the way he
had so far conducted the case. At the Castle they found that nothing was
known of the affair. Miss Penelope had retired to her own rooms to
recover from the fatigue of the ball, while Constance was quite serene,
strong in her loving faith in Adrien and content to ask no questions.

Jasper Vermont had also left Barminster, but had sent a note i