She ate a few mouthfuls, and drank some coffee.  “I cannot take any more now,” she said to Roger.

Oh, how plainly her womanly instinct divined his unbounded loyalty; and, with bitter protest at her weakness, she knew with equal certainty that she shrank from his love with her old, unconquerable repugnance.  With a dissimulation which even he did not penetrate, she looked her thanks as the officer led the way to the street, and said, “Since your friends provide the carriage, you can ride, miss; only we can’t part company.”

She stepped into the coach, the policeman taking the opposite seat.

“Oh, God, how pale and wan she is!  This will kill her,” Roger groaned, as she sprang up on the box with the driver.

It was so early that few were abroad, and yet Mildred would not look up.  How could she ever look up again!  The leaden clouds seemed to rest upon the steeples of the churches.  Churches! and such scenes as she had witnessed, and such a wrong as hers, were taking place under the shadow of their spires!

Roger had passed as sleepless a night as had fallen to Mildred’s lot, and bitterly he regretted that he had been able to accomplish so little.  Mr. Wentworth was out of town, and would not be back for a day or two.  Then he sought the judge before whom Mildred would appear the following morning, and learned, with dismay, that he, too, had gone to a neighboring city, and would return barely in time to open court at the usual hour!  He had hoped that, by telling his story beforehand, the judge would adopt his plan of discovering the real culprit.  This was still his hope, for, after long thought, he determined not to employ counsel, fearing it would lead to a prolongation of the case.  His strong characteristic of self-reliance led him to believe that he could manage the affair best alone, and he was confident from his own inexperience.  The rain had ceased, and for hours he paced the wet pavement near the station-house, finding a kind of satisfaction in being as near as possible to the one he loved, though utterly unable to say a reassuring word.

Having learned that the prisoners might ride to court if the means were provided, he had a carriage ready long before the appointed time, and his presence did much to nerve Mildred for the ordeal she so much dreaded.

On reaching the entrance at which the prisoners were admitted, he sprang down to assist Mildred to alight; but the officer said gruffly, “Stand back, young man; you must have your say in the court-room.  You are a little too officious.”

“No, sir; I’m only most friendly.”

“Well, well, we have our rules,” and he led the trembling girl within the stony portals, and she was locked up in what is termed “the box,” with the other female prisoners, who were now arriving on foot.