"It has until the last few minutes."

"It's the last few minutes we're talking about," returned the
man who had not spoken. He put his foot on the step of the
car.

"What are you doing?" asked Winthrop.

"I am going to take you to Judge Allen's. I am chief of
police. You are under arrest."

Before Winthrop rose moving pictures of Miss Forbes appearing
in a dirty police station before an officious Dogberry, and,
as he and his car were well known along the Post road,
appearing the next morning in the New York papers. "William
Winthrop," he saw the printed words, "son of Endicott
Winthrop, was arrested here this evening, with a young woman
who refused to give her name, but who was recognized as Miss
Beatrice Forbes, whose engagement to Ernest Peabody, the
Reform candidate on the Independent ticket----"

And, of course, Peabody would blame her.

"If I have exceeded your speed limit," he said politely, "I
shall be delighted to pay the fine. How much is it?"

"Judge Allen'll tell you what the fine is," said the selectman
gruffly. "And he may want bail."