"The charge is one of the gravest; the position of the parties involved in it is high in the social scale; the evidence already elicited is of the most convincing and convicting character; every circumstance would seem to point to the expediency of evading the trial by flight, or any other means. In view of all the circumstances of the case I feel it my duty to demand a very heavy bail. I fix the bail, therefore, at the sum of twenty thousand dollars," said the magistrate.
"It might be twenty times twenty thousand dollars, and I would enter it for him. A man of honor, like Mr. Lytton, falsely accused of a base crime, does not fly from trial. On the contrary he demands it for his own vindication," said Joseph Brent, earnestly.
Alden Lytton turned and grasped his hand in silent acknowledgment of his noble friendship. Then, addressing the magistrate, he said:
"I am ready to enter into a recognizance with my esteemed friend here for my appearance at court to answer this charge--this charge as ridiculous as it is monstrous."
The magistrate nodded and directed his clerk to fill out the proper forms.
When these were completed and signed the accused was discharged from custody.
He bowed to the magistrate, and even to the others, and was about to leave the office, followed by Mr. Lyle and Mr. Brent, when Mary Grey darted swiftly and silently to his side and hissed in his ear:
"I swore that I would take you in the hour of your greatest triumph and strike you down to the dust in dishonor! I have done so! I will send you to the penitentiary yet--felon!"
"I think that you will find yourself there, madam, before many months have passed over your head. There are severe laws against forgery, perjury and conspiracy," answered Alden Lytton.
Outside of the office the three gentlemen consulted their watches. It was now six o'clock in the afternoon.
Then they looked about them.
They had come to Wendover in the deputy-sheriff's carriage. That had gone. And there was no conveyance waiting to take them to Blue Cliff Hall.
"We must go to the old Reindeer and hire their hack," said Mr. Lyle.
"Excuse me, Lyle; let us walk to your parsonage first. You must give me house-room there for a few weeks, for I do not wish to stop at the hotel to be stared at, and--I shall not return to Blue Cliffs, or enter the presence of my pure and noble young wife, until I shall be cleared from this foul charge," said Alden Lytton, firmly.
"Not return to Blue Cliffs? Why, Lytton, you will break your wife's heart if you keep her from you in this your day of sorrow!" exclaimed Mr. Lyle.
"Her heart is too heroic to be easily broken. And a little reflection will convince you that, under the peculiar circumstances of this accusation, it is expedient that I should absent myself from her and from her dwelling until I shall be cleared. Now if the charge against me were that of murder, or anything else but what it is, my wife might be by my side. But being what it is, you must see that I best consult her dignity and delicacy by abstaining from seeing her until after my acquittal. No, I shall neither see, speak, nor write to her while I suffer under this charge."
"I see now that you are perfectly right," said Mr. Lyle.
"Yes, that you are," added Mr. Brent, as the three walked out toward the minister's cottage.
"I only wish you to install me, Lyle, by explaining to your good old housekeeper that I am to be an inmate of the parsonage during your absence, so that she may not take my presence as an unjustifiable intrusion," said Alden Lytton.
"She would never do that in any case," answered Stephen Lyle.
"And when you have installed me I wish you and Brent to return to Blue Cliffs and rejoin your brides at once. And you, Lyle, must break this matter to my dear Emma as delicately and tenderly as you can. She does not need to be told that I am entirely guiltless of the crime that is laid to my charge; for she knows that I am incapable of committing such an one. Nor does she require to be assured of my undying love and faith.
She is assured of that. But tell her to be of good cheer, to bear this temporary separation patiently, and to wait hopefully our speedy meeting in happier days. Will you do this, my friend?"
"Most faithfully," answered Mr. Lyle.
"And then I wish you to start at once upon your wedding tours. They must not be further delayed on my account."
"Look here, Lytton," said Stephen Lyle, earnestly. "I speak for myself and also for Brent, who feels just as I do. We start upon no bridal tours until you are out of this trouble. We could not leave you in your trouble. And our girls, I am sure, would not leave your wife in her sorrow. So that is all over. What I have to propose is this: That I bring our Laura home here to-morrow. And that we remain here to keep you company, while Victor--I mean Brent--and Electra stay for the present at Blue Cliffs as the guests of Mrs. Alden Lytton."
"I hope you approve the plan. We talked it over and settled it all while we were in the magistrate's office attending the examination," added Joseph Brent.
They had by this time reached the gates of the pretty cottage.
Alden Lytton stopped, turned around and grasped a hand of each faithful friend. For a moment he could not speak for the strong emotion that choked him.
"God bless you!" he said, at length, in a half suffocated voice. "God bless you both! I have surely found one 'precious jewel' in the head of this 'toad'--the priceless jewel of your friendship!"
CHAPTER XLVII.
HOW EMMA HEARD THE NEWS.
An angel guard-- Chariots of fire, horses of fire encamp, To keep thee safe.
--MRS. ELLET.
It was eleven o'clock that night when the Rev. Mr. Lyle and Mr. Brent reached Blue Cliffs on their return from Wendover.
Of course all the guests of the bridal reception had long since gone away. The house was closed and all the windows were dark except those of the library, where the gentlemen found the two brides and their hostess sitting up and awaiting their return.
"Where is Alden? Is he not with you?" anxiously inquired Emma, coming to meet them.
"Our friend might certainly have come back with us if he had chosen to do so; but he deemed it better to remain at Wendover to-night, and we agreed with him. He is at my house," answered Mr. Lyle.
"You have something painful to tell me. I beg you will tell it at once,"
said Emma, turning very pale, but controlling herself perfectly and speaking with calmness.
"Something ridiculous, if it were not so outrageous, I should say, dear Mrs. Lytton. Is there a light in the parlor?"
"Yes."
"Then come with me there and I will tell you all about it," answered Mr.
Lyle, speaking cheerfully, as he offered his arm to Emma.
They left the room together and went to the parlor, where a lamp was burning low and shedding a dim light around.
Mr. Lyle led his hostess to a sofa, where he sat down beside her.
And then and there he told her the whole history of the charge that had been brought against her husband, as it came out upon the preliminary examination.
Emma listened in unspeakable grief, horror, amazement and mortification.
Yet with all these strong emotions struggling in her bosom, she controlled herself so far as to preserve her outward composure and answer with calmness.
"And Mary Grey claims to be _his wife_? I should think the woman were raving mad, but for the plausible testimony she has managed to bring together. As it is, I am forced to look upon this in the same light that you do, as a base conspiracy, in which she has found some skillful confederates. Of course it must be only the embarrassment and mortification of a few days and then the whole plot must be exposed.
Such a plot can not, certainly, bear a thorough investigation," she said.
But though she spoke so confidently, and believed all that she said, yet her face continued deathly pale and her hands were clutched closely together on her lap.