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。
Judgedbyexternalsonly，itwasaletterofanunusuallyperplexing——possiblyalsoofanunusuallyinteresting——kind。
Arnoldwasoneofthelastpersonsintheworldwhomanyofhisfriendswouldhavesuspectedofbeingalengthycorrespondent。
Here，nevertheless，wasaletterfromhim，ofthreetimesthecustomarybulkandweight——and，apparently，ofmorethancommonimportance，inthematterofnews，besides。Atthetoptheenvelopewasmarked“_Immediate。_。“Andatonesidealsounderlinedwastheominousword，“_Private。_。“
“Nothingwrong，Ihope？“thoughtSirPatrick。
Heopenedtheenvelope。
Twoinclosuresfelloutonthetable。Helookedatthemforamoment。TheywerethetwoletterswhichhehadforwardedtoBaden。Thethirdletterremaininginhishandandoccupyingadoublesheet，wasfromArnoldhimself。SirPatrickreadArnold’sletterfirst。Itwasdated“Baden，“anditbeganasfollows：
“MyDearSirPatrick，——Don’tbealarmed，ifyoucanpossiblyhelpit。Iaminaterriblemess。“
SirPatricklookedupforamomentfromtheletter。Givenayoungmanwhodatesfrom“Baden，“anddeclareshimselftobein“aterriblemess，“asrepresentingthecircumstancesofthecase——whatistheinterpretationtobeplacedonthem？SirPatrickdrewtheinevitableconclusion。Arnoldhadbeengambling。
Heshookhishead，andwentonwiththeletter。
“Imustsay，dreadfulasitis，thatIamnottoblame——norsheeither，poorthing。“
SirPatrickpausedagain。“She？“Blanchehadapparentlybeengamblingtoo？Nothingwaswantingtocompletethepicturebutanannouncementinthenextsentence，presentingthecourierascarriedaway，inhisturn，bytheinsatiatepassionforplay。SirPatrickresumed：
“Youcannot，Iamsure，expect_me_tohaveknownthelaw。AndasforpoorMissSilvester——“
“MissSilvester？“WhathadMissSilvestertodowithit？Andwhatcouldbethemeaningofthereferenceto“thelaw？“
SirPatrickhadreadtheletter，thusfar，standingup。AvaguedistruststoleoverhimattheappearanceofMissSilvester’snameinconnectionwiththelineswhichhadprecededit。Hefeltnothingapproachingtoaclearprevisionofwhatwastocome。
Someindescribableinfluencewasatworkinhim，whichshookhisnerves，andmadehimfeeltheinfirmitiesofhisageasitseemedonasudden。Itwentnofurtherthanthat。Hewasobligedtositdown：hewasobligedtowaitamomentbeforehewenton。
Theletterproceeded，inthesewords：
“And，asforpoorMissSilvester，thoughshefelt，assheremindsme，somemisgivings——still，shenevercouldhaveforeseen，beingnolawyereither，howitwastoend。Ihardlyknowthebestwaytobreakittoyou。Ican’t，andwon’t，believeitmyself。Butevenifitshouldbetrue，Iamquitesureyouwillfindawayoutofitforus。Iwillstickatnothing，andMissSilvesterasyouwillseebyherletterwillstickatnothingeither，tosetthingsright。Ofcourse，IhavenotsaidonewordtomydarlingBlanche，whoisquitehappy，andsuspectsnothing。Allthis，dearSirPatrick，isverybadlywritten，Iamafraid，butitismeanttoprepareyou，andtoputthebestsideonmattersatstarting。
However，thetruthmustbetold——andshameontheScotchlawiswhat_I_say。Thisitis，inshort：GeoffreyDelamaynisevenagreaterscoundrelthanyouthinkhim；andIbitterlyrepentasthingshaveturnedouthavingheldmytonguethatnightwhenyouandIhadourprivatetalkatHamFarm。YouwillthinkIammixingtwothingsuptogether。ButIamnot。PleasetokeepthisaboutGeoffreyinyourmind，andpieceittogetherwithwhatI
havenexttosay。Theworstisstilltocome。MissSilvester’sletterinclosedtellsmethisterriblething。YoumustknowthatIwenttoherprivately，asGeoffrey’smessenger，onthedayofthelawn-partyatWindygates。Well——howitcouldhavehappened，Heavenonlyknows——butthereisreasontofearthatI
marriedher，withoutbeingawareofitmyself，inAugustlast，attheCraigFernieinn。“
TheletterdroppedfromSirPatrick’shand。Hesankbackinthechair，stunnedforthemoment，undertheshockthathadfallenonhim。
Herallied，androsebewilderedtohisfeet。Hetookaturnintheroom。Hestopped，andsummonedhiswill，andsteadiedhimselfbymainforce。Hepickeduptheletter，andreadthelastsentenceagain。Hisfaceflushed。HewasonthepointofyieldinghimselftoauselessoutburstofangeragainstArnold，whenhisbettersensecheckedhimatthelastmoment。“Onefoolinthefamilyis，enough，“hesaid。“_My_businessinthisdreadfulemergencyistokeepmyheadclearforBlanche’ssake。“
Hewaitedoncemore，tomakesureofhisowncomposure——andturnedagaintotheletter，toseewhatthewriterhadtosayforhimself，inthewayofexplanationandexcuse。
Arnoldhadplentytosay——withthedrawbackofnotknowinghowtosayit。Itwashardtodecidewhichqualityinhisletterwasmostmarked——thetotalabsenceofarrangement，orthetotalabsenceofreserve。Withoutbeginning，middle，orend，hetoldthestoryofhisfatalconnectionwiththetroublesofAnneSilvester，fromthememorabledaywhenGeoffreyDelamaynsenthimtoCraigFernie，totheequallymemorablenightwhenSirPatrickhadtriedvainlytomakehimopenhislipsatHamFarm。
“IownIhavebehavedlikeafool，“theletterconcluded，“inkeepingGeoffreyDelamayn’ssecretforhim——asthingshaveturnedout。ButhowcouldItelluponhimwithoutcompromisingMissSilvester？Readherletter，andyouwillseewhatshesays，andhowgenerouslyshereleasesme。It’snousesayingIamsorryI
wasn’tmorecautious。Themischiefisdone。I’llstickatnothing——asIhavesaidbefore——toundoit。OnlytellmewhatisthefirststepIamtotake；and，aslongasitdon’tpartmefromBlanche，relyonmytakingit。Waitingtohearfromyou，I
remain，dearSirPatrick，yoursingreatperplexity，ArnoldBrinkworth。“
SirPatrickfoldedtheletter，andlookedatthetwoinclosureslyingonthetable。Hiseyewashard，hisbrowwasfrowning，asheputhishandtotakeupAnne’sletter。TheletterfromArnold’sagentinEdinburghlaynearertohim。Asithappened，hetookthatfirst。
Itwasshortenough，andclearlyenoughwritten，toinviteareadingbeforeheputitdownagain。ThelawyerreportedthathehadmadethenecessaryinquiriesatGlasgow，withthisresult。
AnnehadbeentracedtoTheSheep’sHeadHotel。Shehadlainthereutterlyhelpless，fromillness，untilthebeginningofSeptember。Shehadbeenadvertised，withoutresult，intheGlasgownewspapers。Onthe5thofSeptembershehadsufficientlyrecoveredtobeabletoleavethehotel。Shehadbeenseenattherailwaystationonthesameday——butfromthatpointalltraceofherhadbeenlostoncemore。Thelawyerhadaccordinglystoppedtheproceedings，andnowwaitedfurtherinstructionsfromhisclient。
ThisletterwasnotwithoutitseffectinencouragingSirPatricktosuspendtheharshandhastyjudgmentofAnne，whichanyman，placedinhispresentsituation，musthavebeeninclinedtoform。
Herillnessclaimeditssmallshareofsympathy。Herfriendlessposition——soplainlyandsosadlyrevealedbytheadvertisinginthenewspapers——pleadedformercifulconstructionoffaultscommitted，iffaultstherewere。Gravely，butnotangrily，SirPatrickopenedherletter——theletterthatcastadoubtonhisniece’smarriage。
ThusAnneSilvesterwrote：
“GLASGOW，_September_5。
“DEARMR。BRINKWORTH，——NearlythreeweekssinceIattemptedtowritetoyoufromthisplace。IwasseizedbysuddenillnesswhileIwasengagedovermyletter；andfromthattimetothisI
havelaidhelplessinbed——verynear，astheytellme，todeath。
Iwasstrongenoughtobedressed，andtositupforalittlewhileyesterdayandthedaybefore。To-day，Ihavemadeabetteradvancetowardrecovery。Icanholdmypenandcontrolmythoughts。ThefirstusetowhichIputthisimprovementistowritetheselines。