The police are always considerate to respectable-looking prisoners, and
I had no difficulty in getting the sergeant in charge of the lock-up to
telegraph for me to Emily, to say that I was detained by important
business, which would prevent me taking her and her mother to the
theatre that evening. But when I explained to him that my detention was
merely temporary, and that I should be able to disprove the whole story
as soon as I went before the magistrates, he winked most unpleasantly at
the constable who had brought me in, and observed in a tone of vulgar
sarcasm, "We have a good many gentlemen here who says the same,
sir--don't we, Jim? but they don't always find it so easy as they
expected when they stands up afore the beak to prove their statements."
I began to reflect that even a temporary prison is far from being a
pleasant place for a man to stop in.
Next morning they took me up before the magistrate; and as the Museum
authorities of course proved a _prima facie_ case against me, and as my
solicitor advised me to reserve my defence, owing to the difficulty of
getting up my witness from Lichfield in reasonable time, I was duly
committed for trial at the next sessions of the Central Criminal Court.
I had often read before that people had been committed for trial, but
till that moment I had no idea what a very unpleasant sensation it
really is.
However, as I was a person of hitherto unblemished character, and wore a
good coat made by a fashionable tailor, the magistrate decided to admit
me to bail, if two sureties in five hundred pounds each were promptly
forthcoming for the purpose. Luckily, I had no difficulty in finding
friends who believed in my story; and as I felt sure the lost Wulfric
would soon be found in cleaning the museum, I suffered perhaps a little
less acutely than I might otherwise have done, owing to my profound
confidence in the final triumph of the truth.
Nevertheless, as the case would be fully reported next morning in all
the papers, I saw at once that I must go straight off and explain the
matter without delay to Emily.
I will not dwell upon that painful interview. I will only say that Emily
behaved as I of course knew she would behave. She was horrified and
indignant at the dreadful accusation; and, woman like, she was very
angry with the superintendent. "He ought to have taken your word for it,
naturally, Harold," she cried through her tears. "But what a good thing,
anyhow, that you happened to show the coin to me. I should recognize it
anywhere among ten thousand."
"That's well, darling," I said, trying to kiss away her tears and cheer
her up a little. "I haven't the slightest doubt that when the trial
comes we shall be able triumphantly to vindicate me from this terrible,
groundless accusation."