They went through the
village, and five minutes afterward entered the gate of the vicarage.
On reaching the door Mrs. Conway rang the bell. A moment later a
window above opened.
"What is it?" a man's voice asked. "Am I wanted anywhere?"
"I am the mounted patrol, sir," the constable said, "and I have met a
suspicious sort of person in the road. She said she was coming to you,
and you knew her; and though it didn't seem a likely sort of story, I
thought it better to run the risk of disturbing you instead of taking
her to the lockup."
"It is I, Mr. Withers," Mrs. Conway said, taking off her hat and
stepping out so that the light of the policeman's lantern fell upon
her. "Please let me in, I have got it."
"Good heavens!" Mr. Withers exclaimed, startled out of his usual
tranquillity. "It is all right, constable, I will be down in a
minute."
"There, constable, you see I spoke truly," Mrs. Conway said, and
taking her purse from her pocket she extracted by the light of the
lantern two guineas and handed them to the man.
"Oh, I don't want to take your money, ma'am," he said apologetically.
"You must excuse my not believing you, but it did seem a rum start."
"You are quite right, constable," she replied. "The circumstances were
suspicious, and you only did your duty. However, you might have made
it very unpleasant for me if you had chosen to take me to the lockup
instead of bringing me here, and I am very willing to give you what I
promised you.
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