“Yes,” he quietly said to her, “it’s all right.  You’ll have it back to-morrow.  ’Twon’t cut love if you don’t.”

At that the gay din redoubled, but Flora, with the little grandmother vainly gripping her arms, flashed between the two.

“Anna!” she cried, “I don’t bil-ieve!”

Whether it was true or false Mandeville cared nothing, but—­“Yes, ’tis true!” he cried in Flora’s face, and then to the detective—­“Doubtlezz to phot-ograph it that’s all you want!”

The detective said little, but Anna assured Flora that was all.  “He wants to show it at the trial!”

“Listen!” said Flora.

“Here’s Captain Irby!” cried Mrs. Callender—­Constance—­half a dozen, but—­

“Listen!” repeated Flora, and across the curtained veranda and in at the open windows, under the general clamor, came a soft palpitating rumble.  Did Hilary hear it, too?  He was calling: 

“Adolphe, where’s your man—­the minister?  Where in the—­three parishes—?” and others were echoing, “The minister! where’s the minister?”

Had they also caught the sound?

“Isn’t he here?” asked Irby.  He drew his watch.

“Half-hour slow!” cried Mandeville, reading it.

“But have you heard noth—?”

“Nothingg!” roared Mandeville.

“Where’d you leave him?” sharply asked Kincaid.

His cousin put on great dignity:  “At his door, my dear sir, waiting for the cab I sent him.”

“Oh, sent!” cried half the group.  “Steve,” called Kincaid, “your horse is fresh—­”

“But, alas, without wings!” wailed the Creole, caught Hilary’s shoulder and struck a harkening pose.

“Too late!” moaned Flora to the detective, Madame to Constance and Miranda, and the battery lads to their girls, from whose hands they began to wring wild good-byes as a peal of fifes and drums heralded the oncome of the departing regiment.

Thus Charlie Valcour found the company as suddenly he reappeared in it, pushing in to the main group where his leader stood eagerly engaged with Anna.

“All right, Captain!” He saluted:  “All done!” But a fierce anxiety was on his brow and he gave no heed to Hilary’s dismissing thanks:  “Captain, what’s ’too late’?” He turned, scowling, to his sister:  “What are we too late for, Flo?  Good God! not the wedding?  Not your wedding, Miss Anna?  It’s not too late.  By Jove, it sha’n’t be too late.”

All the boyish lawlessness of his nature rose into his eyes, and a boy’s tears with it.  “The minister!” he retorted to Constance and his grandmother, “the minister be—­Oh, Captain, don’t wait for him!  Have the thing without a minister!”

The whole room was laughing, Hilary loudest, but the youth’s voice prevailed.  “It’ll hold good!” He turned upon the detective:  “Won’t it?”

A merry nod was the reply, with cries of “Yes,” “Yes,” from the battery boys, and he clamored on: