SirPatrickre-directedAnneSilvester’slettertoArnold，atthePosteRestante，Baden。Asecondletter，whichhadarrivedthatmorningaddressedtoArnoldinalegalhandwriting，andbearingthepost-markofEdinburgh，wasforwardedinthesameway，andatthesametime。
TwodayslaterHamFarmwasdesertedbytheguests。LadyLundiehadgonebacktoWindygates。Theresthadseparatedintheirdifferentdirections。SirPatrick，whoalsocontemplatedreturningtoScotland，remainedbehindforaweek——asolitaryprisonerinhisowncountryhouse。Accumulatedarrearsofbusiness，withwhichitwasimpossibleforhisstewardtodealsingle-handed，obligedhimtoremainathisestatesinKentforthattime。Toamanwithoutatasteforpartridge-shootingtheordealwasatryingone。SirPatrickgotthroughthedaywiththehelpofhisbusinessandhisbooks。Intheeveningtherectorofaneighboringparishdroveovertodinner，andengagedhishostatthenoblebutobsoletegameofPiquet。Theyarrangedtomeetateachother’shousesonalternatedays。Therectorwasanadmirableplayer；andSirPatrick，thoughabornPresbyterian，blessedtheChurchofEnglandfromthebottomofhisheart。
Threemoredayspassed。BusinessatHamFarmbegantodrawtoanend。ThetimeforSirPatrick’sjourneytoScotlandcamenearer。
ThetwopartnersatPiquetagreedtomeetforafinalgame，onthenextnight，attherector’shouse。ButletustakecomfortinrememberingitoursuperiorsinChurchandStateareascompletelyatthemercyofcircumstancesasthehumblestandthepoorestofus。ThatlastgameofPiquetbetweenthebaronetandtheparsonwasnevertobeplayed。
OntheafternoonofthefourthdaySirPatrickcameinfromadrive，andfoundaletterfromArnoldwaitingforhim，whichhadbeendeliveredbythesecondpost。