"I suppose I must issue the warrants," sighed the squire.
"Well, then why don"t you do it? Take time by the forelock, sez I. There ain"t no time to lose, I tell you that! For, you know, though I interslipted the challenge, and my scamp took a blank in place of it, that won"t stop the duel; it will only put it off a little while; it will be fought, all the same, unless them young rascals of ours is took up!"
"I think Miss Sibby is right, squire. I see no way to prevent mischief, except by arresting the two young men and holding them in custody for a while. You need not send them to the common jail. You can keep them here,"
urged the rector.
"I will do it. There is not a constable nearer than Benedict. I do not like to trust the warrants to a servant to take to the officer, because I wish to give some private instruction with the instruments. You will excuse me, Dr. Peters, I hope, if I ride to town and leave you for a few hours? Mrs. Force and the girls will be happy to entertain you until my return."
"My dear friend, I was about to ask you to order my horse an hour ago, when the arrival of our good neighbor stopped me. It is absolutely necessary that I return to the rectory to meet an engagement this morning."
"Then we will ride together as far as our roads go in the same direction."
Mr. Force rang a bell, which was answered by the entrance of Jake.
"Saddle the rector"s horse; also saddle Samson for me, and the brown horse for yourself. Bring them around to the side block. We shall have to ride to Benedict to-day."
The man bowed a.s.sent to his master"s orders, and left the room.
"You will stay and spend the day with the ladies, I hope, Miss Sibby?"
said Mr. Force.
"Well, I reckon I will--if you"ll tell the man, when he comes back with the horses, to have my mule put in the stable and fed."
"Certainly."
"And now I"ll just go and find the ladies. No, don"t stir! I know where to find "em, and I can denounce myself, too! I haven"t any call to stand on ceremony, as if I was one of them upstarts as have got rich suddenly on spectoration! Not I!"
So, gathering up her riding skirt, the old lady left the office and went up the hall to the door on her right hand, where she stopped and rapped.
"Come in!" the gentle voice of Elfrida Force responded.
And Miss Sibby opened the door and entered the room, to be received with acclamation by Wynnette, Elva and Mrs. Anglesea, all of whom were present.
Meanwhile, Mr. Force, seated at his desk in his office, with Dr. Peters by his side, filled out two blank warrants for the arrest of Leonidas Force, of Greenbushes, and Roland Bayard, of Forest Rest.
By the time he had completed them, Jake appeared and announced that the horses were at the door.
"Very well. We shall be ready in a few minutes. Go and tell some one to take Miss Sibby Bayard"s mule to the stable."
"I done put that beast up and fed it more "an an hour ago, sah! I knowed Miss Sibby was going to stay all day, "cause she allers does. So I "tended to her animal right off."
"Quite right. Bring me my riding boots."
The servant did as he was bid, and the squire and his guest got ready for their ride.
On their way out to the hall door they stopped at Mrs. Force"s parlor, to bid good-by to the ladies sitting there.
The rector gravely shook hands with every one.
Mr. Force merely nodded and smiled his adieus, and said that he should be back in the evening in time for tea.
Then the two gentlemen went out, mounted their horses and rode away, attended by the groom--the minister to his parochial duties, the squire to find an officer to serve his warrants.
CHAPTER x.x.x
THE BRIDEGROOM"S NEXT MOVE
Meanwhile the two visitors in Mrs. Force"s parlor had a pleasant time of it.
Mrs. Force, seeing that the gossip between Mrs. Anglesea and Miss Sibby Bayard would be sure to turn on the character and antecedents of the gallant Col. Angus Anglesea, and thinking that their discourse would not prove very edifying to her young daughters, sent Wynnette and Elva with a message to Miss Meeke, and gave them an intelligible hint that they need not return.
"You never let on a word to me that you was the wife of that man who was going to marry Odalite Force--no, not even when we was all a-talking about the wedding!" said Miss Sibby, reproachfully, before she had been many minutes seated in the parlor.
"Woman alive, I was afraid to tell anybody, for fear the secret would get out, and put him on his guard, and spoil my fun!" exclaimed the lady from Wild Cats".
"How spoil your fun?"
"Why, this way--prevent me from doing what I wanted to do."
"What you wanted to do?"
"Yes!"
"And what was that? Anything more than stopping the wedding?"
"Yes, indeed! It would have stopped the wedding days before it did if I had let on to you, or to any one else, that he had a wife living, and I was she! Why, the very hint of the thing would have stopped the wedding!
But I wanted to put him to a public shame, and make an example of him! I wanted to give him rope enough to hang himself. And to let him pile up wrath against the day of wrath! And so I laid low, and said nothing to n.o.body until I found him at the altar, with the bride by his side, and then I denounced and disgraced him, in the great congregation of the people!"
Just at this moment a servant entered the room, and handed a note to Mrs.
Force.
The lady changed color as she recognized the handwriting, and opened the envelope.
These were the contents:
"I have been waiting and watching for two days, with the patience of a determined man of set and immutable purpose, to get an opportunity for a private interview with you. The opportunity has now rewarded my vigilance.
Meet me at once, in the house or out of it."
There was no signature.
Mrs. Force put the note into the fire, saw it blaze and consume in an instant, and then arose, saying to her guests:
"You will excuse me for a few moments?"