The following afternoon, as the London evening papers were publishing
what they were pleased to call "A Romance in High Life," Derrick and his
father made their way through an excited crowd, which had gathered about
the Court House. Affairs there had proceeded as Mr. Jacobs had
prophesied; the magistrates had listened with amazement, not only to Mr.
Jacobs' statement, but to the announcement which Mr. Clendon had made of
his identity and his relationship to Derrick; and the worthy chairman,
Sir Courtenay Comber, using almost the identical words Mr. Jacobs had
attributed to him, had congratulated Derrick and informed him that he
left the Court "without a stain on his character." Notwithstanding its
satisfactory conclusion, the ordeal had been a trying one for father and
son, and Derrick looked pale and somewhat worn as he grasped the hand of
Reggie, who had been in Court, and had hurried after him to congratulate
him.

"I've got a carriage here for you, round the corner," he said; "and I've
succeeded in stopping them ringing the bells."

"I'm glad," said Derrick; "but why should they want to ring the bells?"

"Well, you see," explained Reggie, as he led them to the carriage,
"Lord Heyton--I mean the other man--is not a great favourite; whereas,
somehow or other, you have caught the popular imagination; besides,
it has leaked out that you are going to marry Miss Grant; and
she is tremendously popular. She has been very kind, in the
do-good-and-blush-to-find-it-known way, to the poor people about her;
and Susie has told a good many of Miss Grant's angelic kindnesses to
her. Hence these tears," he added, as the people crowded about them and
cheered heartily. "Where shall I tell the man to drive, my lord?"