Clara threw her arms around Mrs. Rocke's neck, and, weeping, said: "Good-by, dear, best friend--good-by! Heaven grant it may not be for
long! Oh, pray for me, that I may be sent back to you!"
"May the Lord have you in His holy keeping, my child! I shall pray
until I hear from you!" said Marah, kissing and releasing her.
Colonel Le Noir then took her by the hand, led her out, and put her
into the carriage.
Just before entering Clara had turned to take a last look at her old
home--all, friends and servants, noticed the sorrowful, anxious, almost
despairing look of her pale face, which seemed to ask: "Ah, shall I ever, ever return to you, dear old home, and dear,
familiar friends?"
In another instant she had disappeared within the carriage, which
immediately rolled off.
As the carriage was heavily laden, and the road was in a very bad
condition, it was a full hour before they reached the town of Staunton.
As the carriage drew up for a few moments before the door of the
principal hotel, and Colonel Le Noir was in the act of stepping out, a
sheriff's officer, accompanied by Dr. Williams, approached, and served
upon the colonel a writ of habeas corpus, commanding him to bring his
ward, Clara Day, into court.
Colonel Le Noir laughed scornfully, saying: "And do any of you imagine this will serve your purposes? Ha, ha! The
most that it can do will be to delay my journey for a few hours until
the decision of the judge, which will only serve to confirm my
authority beyond all future possibility of questioning."
"We will see to that," said Doctor Williams.
"Drive to the Court House!" ordered Colonel Le Noir.
And the carriage, attended by Traverse Rocke, Doctor Williams and the
Sheriff's officer, each on horseback, drove thither.
And now, reader, I will not trouble you with a detailed account of this
trial. Clara, clothed in deep mourning, and looking pale and terrified,
was led into the court room on the arm of her guardian. She was
followed closely by her friends, Traverse Rocke and Doctor Williams,
each of whom whispered encouraging words to the orphan.
As the court had no pressing business on its hands, the case was
immediately taken up, the will was read and attested by the attorney
who had drawn it up and the witnesses who had signed it. Then the
evidence of Doctor Williams and Doctor Rocke was taken concerning the
last verbal instructions of the deceased. The case occupied about three
hours, at the end of which the judge gave a decision in favor of
Colonel Le Noir.