’What authority have you here, sir, to interfere with my office?’ demanded the clergyman.

’Monsieur’—­said the countryman hesitating, ’Monsieur knows.  This young girl is young—­I represent the guardians of her.  She is minor; she has no property, nor no power to marry herself; she had nothing at all.  She has run away.  Monsieur sees.  Come, you runaway!’ he went on, advancing lightly to where the young girl stood.  ’Come with me!  She has run away; there is no marriage to-day, sir,’ he added with a touch of his hat to the old clergyman.  And then, taking Wych Hazel’s hand and putting it on his arm he walked her out of the room.  It was not as it was few evenings ago; her hand was taken in earnest now and held, and she was obliged to go as she was led.  In the little apartment which served as a green-room there were one or two attendants.  Rollo walked past them with a steady, swift step which never stayed nor allowed his companion to stop, until he reached the ladies’ dressing-room.  It was entirely empty now.  The very servants had gathered where they could see the play.  Here Rollo released his charge.

The first thing she did was to seat herself on the nearest chair and look at him.  Her first words were peculiar.

’If I could give you the least idea, Mr. Rollo, how exceedingly disagreeable it is to have my hand taken in that way, it is possible—­I am not sure—­but it is possible, you would not do it.  Your hands are so strong!’ she said, looking down at the little soft things in her lap.  ’And my strength is not practised.’

He looked grave, but spoke very gently, bending towards her as if also considering the little hands.

‘Did I act so well?’ said he.  ’You see that was because there was so much earnest in it.’

’What made you do it?—­is everything forbidden unless I ask leave?’

‘Do you want to know why I did it?’

‘I did not like the play, either,’ she said,—­’and I did not expect—­part of it.  But I had promised, and straight through was the quickest way out.  It would have done—­everybody—­too much honour to make a fuss.’

‘I did nobody any honour, and I made no fuss,’ said Rollo, in his old quaint fashion.  ’And my way was the very quickest way out for you.’

She jumped up, with a queer little inarticulate answer, that covered all his statements.

’There will be a fuss, if I do not find a quick way back among those people,’ she said, passing round him to the door.  Then paused with her hand on the knob, considering something.

‘Why did you do it, Mr. Rollo?’

’I will try to explain, as soon as I get an opportunity.  One word,’ he added, detaining her,—­’Laugh it off as far as you can, down stairs, as part of the play.’

‘Easy to do,’ said the girl with some emphasis.  ’Unfortunately I do not feel at all like laughing.  If you had done me a little honour, sir, it would have been needless.’