“I will come with you,” put in Lord Barminster suddenly.

“I also,” said Mortimer Shelton.  “I will come up with you, and change into something more fitted for the journey.”

Turning to Lady Constance, her uncle besought her to return to the ball-room, and thus prevent any remarks being made as to the absence of himself and Adrien.  Bravely, as was to be expected of her, she turned obediently; and with a few whispered, loving words to Adrien, left the room, followed, almost unnoticed, by Jasper Vermont.  He was quite satisfied with the success of his plot, but had no desire to come into contact with Lord Barminster, if he could avoid it.

Meanwhile, having ordered refreshments for the inspector, Lord Barminster prepared to accompany his son to London.  The arrangements took but a short time; and when the three men, accompanied by the inspector, silently entered the car which had been 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.