Itwasthemostunlikelythingonearththatawomanwhohadforsakenherhusbandshouldcountenancehisschemetopersonifyher——
whethershewereinAmerica，inLondon，orintheneighbourhoodofKnapwater。
Thencametheoldandharassingquestion，whatwasManston\'srealmotiveinriskinghisnameonthedeceptionhewaspractisingasregardedAnne。Itcouldnotbe，ashehadalwayspretended，merepassion。HerthoughtshadrevertedtoMr。Raunham\'sletter，askingforproofsofheridentitywiththeoriginalMrs。Manston。Shecouldseenoloopholeofescapeforthemanwhosupportedher。
True，inherownestimation，hisworstalternativewasnotsoverybadafterall——thegettingthenameoflibertine，apossibleappearanceinthedivorceorsomeothercourtoflaw，andaquestionofdamages。Suchanexposuremighthinderhisworldlyprogressforsometime。Yettohimthisalternativewas，apparently，terribleasdeathitself。
Sherestoredtheletterstotheirhiding-place，scannedanewtheotherlettersandmemoranda，fromwhichshecouldgainnofreshinformation，fastenedupthecabinet，andlefteverythinginitsformercondition。