It was evident that Bertram was in a difficulty of some sort. The displaced chief of police had him firmly by the collar. Mr. Virtue was glaring at him with an expression of incredulous wrath, while Cleverest strode toward them, anxiety in every line of his sharp features.
Terence and Viola were at that time unable to understand the disgrace of Bertram and his immediately subsequent condemnation. It appeared only that during their three minutes' conversation with one another the burglar had committed some act so unpardonable that even the intercession of Cleverest did not avail him. Apparently the act had been witnessed by every one present save the two remaining candidates. The accusation was not even formulated in words.
"In three hours' time let him be cast into the pit," came the inexorable judgment from the throne. "Let him have that three hours to consider and repent of his sacrilege. Penn is just and all-merciful. Take the prisoner away! Let the former chief resume his official duties."
The chief celebrated his rehabilitation by dragging his presumptuous successor off the scene, the latter still sputtering and expostulating, his captor wearing an expression of serene amusement.
"What next?" questioned Viola hopelessly.
The next arrived with great promptness. Mr. Pity had no more than glanced at his list, after the prisoner's removal, when there came the tramp of feet and the sound of an excited voice.
"Bring him along, men," it commanded. "Drag the sacrilegious beast before the throne! Let his Supremity judge the dog!"
Then appeared the triumphant Mr. Mercy, waving on a cohort of four policemen. In their midst was another and much disheveled prisoner.
"'Tis Bobby!" groaned the Irishman.
Loveliest appeared, crossed behind the guarded prisoner, and defiantly took her stand beside Trenmore. Evidently the downfall of two of her four proteges had alarmed the woman. As much occasion for formality had vanished with the Numbers' exit, she had chanced the anger of the throne and come to her "big man's" assistance. Once more Mr. Justice Supreme was roused from somnolence.
"Well, well," he demanded crossly of Mercy. "What's all this about? Are we never to have a moment's peace to finish these examinations? Who is that fellow you have there?"
Mr. Mercy bowed gracefully, silk hat for once removed and pressed to his triumphant bosom. He cast one glance of joyous malice at Loveliest, and addressed the throne:
"Your Supremity, I have a well-nigh unbelievable charge to lay against this prisoner. Because of the magnitude, the incredible audacity of his crime, and because one-I might say two-of our own number have actually stood his sponsor-because of these things, I say, I have presumed to interrupt the proceedings of this Board of Examiners in the full faith that-"
"Get to the point-get to the point, man," cut in the high priest petulantly. "What has be done?"
Again Mercy bowed. "Your Supremity, to waste no words, this mad and audacious stranger, this insolent abuser of Your Supremity's hospitality, who now faces the very throne with such brazen effrontery-"
"Well-well? Mr. Mercy, if you can't tell it, step aside, please, and allow me to question the prisoner himself!"
"He has invaded the holy Library of Penn," retorted Mercy, "and perused the sacred books!"
There was a general movement of interest among the bored servants. Several of the women auditors rose from their chairs and walked forward to obtain a better view of the prisoner. Even His Supremity was aroused. His face purpled with a rage greater than that awakened by the presumptuous Numbers, his mouth worked horribly, and it was some moments before he could sufficiently control his voice to speak. "How do you know this?" he at last enunciated hoarsely.
"Because I caught him at it," replied Mercy unguardedly.
"You? You found him? What were you doing in the library?"
Mr. Mercy started and gasped at the trap in which he had caught himself. "Why-I–I was passing by and the door was open. I looked in and-and-"
"Your Supremity, have I permission to speak?"
The interrupter was one of the police officers holding Drayton. Mercy turned upon him with furious face, but Justice Supreme waved him to silence. "You may speak, Forty-five. Mr. Mercy, I am conducting this inquiry. Kindly refrain from intimidating the witness."
"Your Supremity, two hours ago or thereabouts, Mr. Mercy come to me and says 'Forty-five, is the door of the library locked to-day?' I says, no, I thought not, as Your Supremity had been in there reading. On days when you cared to read, you very seldom kept it locked. No one would ever dare go in there, anyway. Then he says-"
"Wait a minute!" came a voice of repressed fury from the throne. "Mr. Pity, will you take this down, please?"
Pity drew forth his fountain pen and a small blank book. He began to scribble furiously.
"'Your Supremity,' he says then, 'is the door actually open?' I didn't believe so, but I walked over into Corridor 27 just to have a look. Of course the door was shut. Mr. Mercy, he followed right along behind. 'If I were you,' he says, 'I'd open that door and turn on the fan at the end of the corridor. His Supremity was complaining to me it was that stifling in the library it pretty near made him sick.' Well, I thought it was a queer thing Your Supremity hadn't spoke to me if you wished the room ventilated. But Mr. Mercy, being one of the Inner Order, and of such high authority-"
"I understand," snapped the high priest. "Get on. You opened it?"
"I did, Your Supremity, with Mr. Mercy looking on. Then I went to turn on the fan, and Mr. Mercy strolled off. Without meaning to spy on him, I followed. My rubber soles don't make much noise, of course, and I guess he didn't hear me. He went around a corner. Just before I reached it myself I heard him speaking. Thinking he would blame me if he thought I was spying on him, I stopped where I was. He was talking to this prisoner here, as I found out later. First he says, 'Were you looking for some one, Mr. Drayton?' The prisoner, he says no; he was merely strolling around and got lost and can't find his way back to the Green Room. 'I'll take you there myself,' says Mr. Mercy. 'But have you seen the library?'"
At this a sort of gasp came from Mercy. He staggered slightly where he stood. He dared not interrupt, however, and the policeman continued.
"This Mr. Drayton says, no, he ain't saw it, but he'd be real glad to-in fact, there wasn't anything much he'd rather see. So Mr. Mercy says, 'You go on around that corner straight along the corridor and you'll come to it. The door is open and you can go right in.' This Mr. Drayton says he's understood strangers was not allowed in there. Mr. Mercy says, 'Oh, you're as good as a Superlative already. This library is open to officials.'
"The gentleman thanked him and come on around the corner and past me, but Mr. Mercy he goes the other way."
Mr. Justice Supreme interrupted, "Why did you not stop this man? Do you mean you allowed him to enter without any protest?"
"I did, Your Supremity. Mr. Mercy is my superior, sir, and while I intended reporting to Your Supremity-as I am doing now-it wasn't for me to interfere with his commands or permissions. The stranger, he went in the library. I stuck around, thinking I'd keep my eye on him, at least, to see that he didn't remove none of the books. That would be going it a little too strong. But he stayed and stayed. Once or twice I strolled by, and there he was, reading for all he was worth.
"Then, a while ago, Mr. Mercy comes hurrying along again. He stops short, like he was surprised. 'Haven't you got that door shut yet?' he snaps at me. Before I could answer he runs to the door, looks in, and shouts, 'What's that fellow doing in there? Forty-five, go in there and get that man! Did you know he was there?' Before I had a chance to say anything he blows his whistle. Twenty-seven and Seventy-nine comes on the run. Sixty-three got there later. We go in and grab this Mr. Drayton. He seems surprised like, and starts to say something about Mr. Mercy telling him to go right in and read. Mr. Mercy tells him to shut up, if he don't want rough handling, and he shuts up. Then Mr. Mercy orders us to bring the man here. That's all I have to say, Your Supremity. If I have taken a liberty in reporting just at this time-"