“Hewasillatthetime，“Juliusanswered。“AndhehadbeenthinkingofeventsinhispastlifewithwhichIamentirelyunacquainted。Hesaidhehadknownyourfatherandmother。Hedesiredme，ifyouwereeverinwantofanyassistance，toplacemyservicesatyourdisposal。Whenheexpressedthatwish，hespokeveryearnestly——hegavemetheimpressionthattherewasafeelingofregretassociatedwiththerecollectionsonwhichhehadbeendwelling。“
Slowly，andinsilence，Annedrewbacktothelowwalloftheterracecloseby。Sherestedonehandonittosupportherself。
Juliushadsaidwordsofterribleimportwithoutasuspicionofwhathehaddone。NeveruntilnowhadAnneSilvesterknownthatthemanwhohadbetrayedherwasthesonofthatothermanwhosediscoveryoftheflawinthemarriagehadendedinthebetrayalofhermotherbeforeher。Shefelttheshockoftherevelationwithachillofsuperstitiousdread。Wasthechainofafatalitywoundinvisiblyroundher？Turnwhichwayshemightwasshestillgoingdarklyon，inthetrackofherdeadmother，toanappointedandhereditarydoom？Presentthingspassedfromherviewastheawfuldoubtcastitsshadowoverhermind。Shelivedagainforamomentinthetimewhenshewasachild。Shesawthefaceofhermotheroncemore，withthewandespaironitofthebygonedayswhenthetitleofwifewasdeniedher，andthesocialprospectwasclosedforever。
Juliusapproached，androusedher。
“CanIgetyouanything？“heasked。“Youarelookingveryill。I
hopeIhavesaidnothingtodistressyou？“
Thequestionfailedtoattractherattention。Sheputaquestionherselfinsteadofansweringit。
“Didyousayyouwerequiteignorantofwhatyourfatherwasthinkingofwhenhespoketoyouaboutme？“
“Quiteignorant。“
“Isyourbrotherlikelytoknowmoreaboutitthanyoudo？“
“Certainlynot。“
Shepaused，absorbedoncemoreinherownthoughts。Startled，onthememorabledaywhentheyhadfirstmet，byGeoffrey’sfamilyname，shehadputthequestiontohimwhethertherehadnotbeensomeacquaintancebetweentheirparentsinthepasttime。
Deceivingherinallelse，hehadnotdeceivedinthis。Hehadspokeningoodfaith，whenhehaddeclaredthathehadneverheardherfatherorhermothermentionedathome。
ThecuriosityofJuliuswasaroused。Heattemptedtoleadheronintosayingmore。
“Youappeartoknowwhatmyfatherwasthinkingofwhenhespoketome，“heresumed。“MayIask——“
Sheinterruptedhimwithagestureofentreaty。
“Praydon’task!It’spastandover——itcanhavenointerestforyou——ithasnothingtodowithmyerrandhere。Imustreturn，“
shewenton，hurriedly，“tomyobjectintrespassingonyourkindness。Haveyouheardmementioned，Mr。Delamayn，byanothermemberofyourfamilybesidesyourfather？“
Juliushadnotanticipatedthatshewouldapproach，ofherownaccord，thepainfulsubjectonwhichhehadhimselfforbornetotouch。Hewasalittledisappointed。Hehadexpectedmoredelicacyoffeelingfromherthanshehadshown。
“Isitnecessary，“heasked，coldly，“toenteronthat？“
ThebloodroseagaininAnne’scheeks。
“Ifithadnotbeennecessary，“sheanswered，“doyouthinkI
couldhaveforcedmyselftomentionitto_you？_LetmeremindyouthatIamhereonsufferance。IfIdon’tspeakplainlynomatteratwhatsacrificetomyownfeelings，Imakemysituationmoreembarrassingthanitisalready。IhavesomethingtotellMrs。Glenarmrelatingtotheanonymousletterswhichshehaslatelyreceived。AndIhaveawordtosaytoher，next，abouthercontemplatedmarriage。Beforeyouallowmetodothis，yououghttoknowwhoIam。Ihaveownedit。Yououghttohaveheardtheworstthatcanbesaidofmyconduct。Yourfacetellsmeyouhaveheardtheworst。Aftertheforbearanceyouhaveshowntome，asaperfectstranger，Iwillnotcommitthemeannessoftakingyoubysurprise。Perhaps，Mr。Delamayn，youunderstand，_now，_whyIfeltmyselfobligedtorefertoyourbrother。WillyoutrustmewithpermissiontospeaktoMrs。Glenarm？“
Itwassimplyandmodestlysaid——withanunaffectedandtouchingresignationoflookandmanner。Juliusgaveherbacktherespectandthesympathywhich，foramoment，hehadunjustlywithheldfromher。
“Youhaveplacedaconfidenceinme，“hesaid“whichmostpersonsinyoursituationwouldhavewithheld。Ifeelbound，inreturntoplaceconfidenceinyou。Iwilltakeitforgrantedthatyourmotiveinthismatterisonewhichitismydutytorespect。ItwillbeforMrs。Glenarmtosaywhethershewishestheinterviewtotakeplaceornot。AllthatIcandoistoleaveyoufreetoproposeittoher。You_are_free。“
Ashespokethesoundofthepianoreachedthemfromthemusic-room。Juliuspointedtotheglassdoorwhichopenedontotheterrace。
“Youhaveonlytogoinbythatdoor，“hesaid，“andyouwillfindMrs。Glenarmalone。“
Annebowed，andlefthim。Arrivedattheshortflightofstepswhichleduptothedoor，shepausedtocollectherthoughtsbeforeshewentin。
Asuddenreluctancetogoonandentertheroomtookpossessionofher，asshewaitedwithherfootonthelowerstep。ThereportofMrs。Glenarm’scontemplatedmarriagehadproducednosucheffectonherasSirPatrickhadsupposed：ithadfoundnoloveforGeoffreylefttowound，nolatentjealousyonlywaitingtobeinflamed。HerobjectintakingthejourneytoPerthwascompletedwhenhercorrespondencewithGeoffreywasinherownhandsagain。
ThechangeofpurposewhichhadbroughthertoSwanhavenwasdueentirelytothenewviewofherpositiontowardMrs。GlenarmwhichthecoarsecommonsenseofBishopriggshadfirstsuggestedtoher。IfshefailedtoprotestagainstMrs。Glenarm’smarriage，intheinterestsofthereparationwhichGeoffreyowedtoher，herconductwouldonlyconfirmGeoffrey’saudaciousassertionthatshewasamarriedwomanalready。Forherownsakeshemightstillhavehesitatedtomoveinthematter。ButBlanche’sinterestswereconcernedaswellasherown；and，forBlanche’ssake，shehadresolvedonmakingthejourneytoSwanhavenLodge。
Atthesametime，feelingtowardGeoffreyasshefeltnow——consciousasshewasofnotreallydesiringthereparationonwhichshewasabouttoinsist——itwasessentialtothepreservationofherownself-respectthatsheshouldhavesomepurposeinviewwhichcouldjustifyhertoherownconscienceinassumingthecharacterofMrs。Glenarm’srival。
ShehadonlytocalltomindthecriticalsituationofBlanche——andtoseeherpurposebeforeherplainly。AssumingthatshecouldopenthecominginterviewbypeaceablyprovingthatherclaimonGeoffreywasbeyonddispute，shemightthen，withoutfearofmisconception，takethetoneofafriendinsteadofanenemy，andmight，withthebestgrace，assureMrs。Glenarmthatshehadnorivalrytodread，ontheoneeasyconditionthatsheengagedtomakeGeoffreyrepairtheevilthathehaddone。“Marryhimwithoutawordagainstittodreadfrom_me_——solongasheunsaysthewordsandundoesthedeedswhichhavethrownadoubtonthemarriageofArnoldandBlanche。“Ifshecouldbutbringtheinterviewtothisend——therewasthewayfoundofextricatingArnold，byherownexertions，fromthefalsepositioninwhichshehadinnocentlyplacedhimtowardhiswife!Suchwastheobjectbeforeher，asshenowstoodonthebrinkofherinterviewwithMrs。Glenarm。
Uptothismoment，shehadfirmlybelievedinhercapacitytorealizeherownvisionaryproject。Itwasonlywhenshehadherfootonthestepthatadoubtofthesuccessofthecomingexperimentcrossedhermind。Forthefirsttime，shesawtheweakpointinherownreasoning。Forthefirsttime，shefelthowmuchshehadblindlytakenforgranted，inassumingthatMrs。Glenarmwouldhavesufficientsenseofjusticeandsufficientcommandoftempertohearherpatiently。Allherhopesofsuccessrestedonherownfavorableestimateofawomanwhowasatotalstrangertoher!Whatifthefirstwordsexchangedbetweenthemprovedtheestimatetobewrong？
Itwastoolatetopauseandreconsidertheposition。JuliusDelamaynhadnoticedherhesitation，andwasadvancingtowardherfromtheendoftheterrace。Therewasnohelpforitbuttomasterherownirresolution，andtoruntheriskboldly。“Comewhatmay，Ihavegonetoofartostop_here。_“Withthatdesperateresolutiontoanimateher，sheopenedtheglassdooratthetopofthesteps，andwentintotheroom。
Mrs。Glenarmrosefromthepiano。Thetwowomen——onesorichly，theothersoplainlydressed；onewithherbeautyinitsfullbloom，theotherwornandblighted；onewithsocietyatherfeet，theotheranoutcastlivingunderthebleakshadowofreproach——thetwowomenstoodfacetoface，andexchangedthecoldcourtesiesofsalutebetweenstrangers，insilence。
ThefirsttomeetthetrivialnecessitiesofthesituationwasMrs。Glenarm。Shegood-humoredlyputanendtotheembarrassment——whichtheshyvisitorappearedtofeelacutely——byspeakingfirst。
“Iamafraidtheservantshavenottoldyou？“shesaid。“Mrs。
Delamaynhasgoneout。“
“Ibegyourpardon——IhavenotcalledtoseeMrs。Delamayn。“
Mrs。Glenarmlookedalittlesurprised。Shewenton，however，asamiablyasbefore。
“Mr。Delamayn，perhaps？“shesuggested。“Iexpecthimhereeverymoment。“
Anneexplainedagain。“IhavejustpartedfromMr。Delamayn。“
Mrs。Glenarmopenedhereyesinastonishment。Anneproceeded。“I
havecomehere，ifyouwillexcusetheintrusion——“
Shehesitated——atalosshowtoendthesentence。Mrs。Glenarm，beginningbythistimetofeelastrongcuriosityastowhatmightbecomingnext，advancedtotherescueoncemore。