THEnewspapershaveannouncedthereturnofLordandLadyHolchestertotheirresidenceinLondon，afteranabsenceonthecontinentofmorethansixmonths。
Itistheheightoftheseason。Alldaylong，withinthecanonicalhours，thedoorofHolchesterHouseisperpetuallyopeningtoreceivevisitors。Thevastmajorityleavetheircards，andgoawayagain。Certainprivilegedindividualsonly，getoutoftheircarriages，andenterthehouse。
Amongtheselast，arrivingatanearlierhourthaniscustomary，isapersonofdistinctionwhoispositivelybentonseeingeitherthemasterorthemistressofthehouse，andwhowilltakenodenial。Whilethispersonisparleyingwiththechiefoftheservants，LordHolchester，passingfromoneroomtoanother，happenstocrosstheinnerendofthehall。Thepersoninstantlydartsathimwithacryof“DearLordHolchester!“Juliusturns，andsees——LadyLundie!
Heisfairlycaught，andhegiveswaywithhisbestgrace。Asheopensthedoorofthenearestroomforherladyship，hefurtivelyconsultshiswatch，andsaysinhisinmostsoul，“HowamItogetridofherbeforetheotherscome？“
LadyLundiesettlesdownonasofainawhirlwindofsilkandlace，andbecomes，inherownmajesticway，“perfectlycharming。“
ShemakesthemostaffectionateinquiriesaboutLadyHolchester，abouttheDowagerLadyHolchester，aboutJuliushimself。Wherehavetheybeen？whathavetheyseen？havetimeandchangehelpedthemtorecovertheshockofthatdreadfulevent，towhichLadyLundiedarenotmoreparticularlyallude？Juliusanswersresignedly，andalittleabsently。Hemakespoliteinquiries，onhisside，astoherladyship’splansandproceedings——withaminduneasilyconsciousoftheinexorablelapseoftime，andofcertainprobabilitieswhichthatlapsemaybringwithit。LadyLundiehasverylittletosayaboutherself。Sheisonlyintownforafewweeks。Herlifeisalifeofretirement。“MymodestroundofdutiesatWindygates，LordHolchester；occasionallyrelieved，whenmymindisoverworked，bythesocietyofafewearnestfriendswhoseviewsharmonizewithmyown——myexistencepassesnotquiteuselessly，Ihopeinthatway。Ihavenonews；
Iseenothing——except，indeed，yesterday，asightofthesaddestkind。“Shepausesthere。Juliusobservesthatheisexpectedtomakeinquiries，andmakesthemaccordingly。
LadyLundiehesitates；announcesthathernewsreferstothatpainfulpasteventwhichshehasalreadytouchedon；acknowledgesthatshecouldnotfindherselfinLondonwithoutfeelinganactofdutyinvolvedinmakinginquiriesattheasyluminwhichHesterDethridgeisconfinedforlife；announcesthatshehasnotonlymadetheinquiries，buthasseentheunhappywomanherself；
hasspokentoher，hasfoundherunconsciousofherdreadfulposition，incapableofthesmallestexertionofmemory，resignedtotheexistencethatsheleads，andlikelyintheopinionofthemedicalsuperintendenttoliveforsomeyearstocome。
Havingstatedthesefacts，herladyshipisabouttomakeafewofthose“remarksappropriatetotheoccasion，“inwhichsheexcels，whenthedooropens；andLadyHolchester，insearchofhermissinghusband，enterstheroom。
ThereisanewoutburstofaffectionateinterestonLadyLundie’spart——metcivilly，butnotcordially，byLadyHolchester。
Julius’swifeseems，likeJulius，tobeuneasilyconsciousofthelapseoftime。LikeJuliusagain，sheprivatelywondershowlongLadyLundieisgoingtostay。
LadyLundieshowsnosignsofleavingthesofa。ShehasevidentlycometoHolchesterHousetosaysomething——andshehasnotsaidityet。Isshegoingtosayit？Yes。Sheisgoingtoget，byaroundaboutway，totheobjectinview。Shehasanotherinquiryoftheaffectionatesorttomake。MayshebepermittedtoresumethesubjectofLordandLadyHolchester’stravels？TheyhavebeenatRome。Cantheyconfirmtheshockingintelligencewhichhasreachedherofthe“apostasy“ofMrs。Glenarm？
LadyHolchestercanconfirmit，bypersonalxexperience。Mrs。
Glenarmhasrenouncedtheworld，andhastakenrefugeinthebosomoftheHolyCatholicChurch。LadyHolchesterhasseenherinaconventatRome。Sheispassingthroughtheperiodofherprobation；andsheisresolvedtotaketheveil。LadyLundie，asagoodProtestant，liftsherhandsinhorror——declaresthetopictobetoopainfultodwellon——and，bywayofvaryingit，goesstraighttothepointatlast。HasLadyIHolchester，inthecourseofhercontinentalexperience，happenedtomeetwith，ortohearof——Mrs。ArnoldBrinkworth？
“Ihaveceased，asyouknow，toholdanycommunicationwithmyrelatives，“LadyLundieexplains。“Thecoursetheytookatthetimeofourfamilytrial——thesympathytheyfeltwithaPersonwhomIcannotevennowtrustmyselftonamemoreparticularly——alienatedusfromeachother。Imaybegrieved，dearLadyHolchester；butIbearnomalice。AndIshallalwaysfeelamotherlyinterestinhearingofBlanche’swelfare。Ihavebeentoldthatsheandherhusbandweretraveling，atthetimewhenyouandLordHolchesterweretraveling。Didyoumeetwiththem？“
Juliusandhiswifelookedateachother。LordHolchesterisdumb。LadyHolchesterreplies：
“WesawMr。andMrs。ArnoldBrinkworthatFlorence，andafterwardatNaples，LadyLundie。TheyreturnedtoEnglandaweeksince，inanticipationofacertainhappyevent，whichwillpossiblyincreasethemembersofyourfamilycircle。TheyarenowinLondon。Indeed，Imaytellyouthatweexpectthemheretolunchto-day。“
Havingmadethisplainstatement，LadyHolchesterlooksatLadyLundie。If_that_doesn’thastenherdeparture，nothingwill!
Quiteuseless!LadyLundieholdsherground。Havingheardabsolutelynothingofherrelativesforthelastsixmonths，sheisburningwithcuriositytohearmore。Thereisanameshehasnotmentionedyet。Sheplacesacertainconstraintuponherself，andmentionsitnow。
“AndSirPatrick？“saysherladyship，subsidingintoagentlemelancholy，suggestiveofpastinjuriescondonedbyChristianforgiveness。“Ionlyknowwhatreporttellsme。DidyoumeetwithSirPatrickatFlorenceandNaples，also？“
Juliusandhiswifelookateachotheragain。Theclockinthehallstrikes。Juliusshudders。LadyHolchester’spatiencebeginstogiveway。Thereisanawkwardpause。Somebodymustsaysomething。Asbefore，LadyHolchesterreplies“SirPatrickwentabroad，LadyLundie，withhisnieceandherhusband；andSirPatrickhascomebackwiththem。“
“Ingoodhealth？“herladyshipinquires。
“Youngerthanever，“LadyHolchesterrejoins。
LadyLundiesmilessatirically。LadyHolchesternoticesthesmile；decidesthatmercyshownto_this_womanismercymisplaced；andannouncestoherhusband’shorrorthatshehasnewstotellofSirPatrick，whichwillprobablytakehissister-in-lawbysurprise。
LadyLundiewaitseagerlytohearwhatthenewsis。
“Itisnosecret，“LadyHolchesterproceeds——“thoughitisonlyknown，asyettoafewintimatefriends。SirPatrickhasmadeanimportantchangeinhislife。“
LadyLundie’scharmingsmilesuddenlydiesout。
“SirPatrickisnotonlyaverycleverandaveryagreeableman，“
LadyHolchesterresumesalittlemaliciously；“heisalso，inallhishabitsandwaysasyouwellknow，amanyoungerthanhisyears——whostillpossessesmanyofthequalitieswhichseldomfailtoattractwomen。“
LadyLundiestartstoherfeet。
“Youdon’tmeantotellme，LadyHolchester，thatSirPatrickismarried？“
“Ido。“
Herladyshipdropsbackonthesofa；helplessreallyandtrulyhelpless，underthedoubleblowthathasfallenonher。Sheisnotonlystruckoutofherplaceasthechiefwomanofthefamily，butstillontherightsideoffortysheissociallysuperannuated，asTheDowagerLadyLundie，fortherestofherlife!
“Athisage!“sheexclaims，assoonasshecanspeak。
“Pardonmeforremindingyou，“LadyHolchesteranswers，“thatplentyofmenmarryatSirPatrick’sage。Inhiscase，itisonlyduetohimtosaythathismotiveraiseshimbeyondthereachofridiculeorreproach。Hismarriageisagoodaction，inthehighestsenseoftheword。Itdoeshonorto_him，_aswellastotheladywhoshareshispositionandhisname。“
“Ayounggirl，ofcourse!“isLadyLundie’snextremark。
“No。Awomanwhohasbeentriedbynocommonsuffering，andwhohasborneherhardlotnobly。Awomanwhodeservesthecalmerandthehappierlifeonwhichsheisenteringnow。“
“MayIaskwhosheis？“
Beforethequestioncanbeanswered，aknockatthehousedoorannouncesthearrivalofvisitors。Forthethirdtime，Juliusandhiswifelookateachother。Onthisoccasion，Juliusinterferes。
“Mywifehasalreadytoldyou，LadyLundie，thatweexpectMr。
andMrs。Brinkworthtolunch。SirPatrick，andthenewLadyLundie，accompanythem。IfIammistakeninsupposingthatitmightnotbequiteagreeabletoyoutomeetthem，Icanonlyaskyourpardon。IfIamright，IwillleaveLadyHolchestertoreceiveourfriends，andwilldomyselfthehonoroftakingyouintoanotherroom。“
Headvancestothedoorofaninnerroom。HeoffershisarmtoLadyLundie。Herladyshipstandsimmovable；determinedtoseethewomanwhohassupplantedher。Inamomentmore，thedoorofentrancefromthehallisthrownopen；andtheservantannounces，“SirPatrickandLadyLundie。Mr。andMrs。ArnoldBrinkworth。“
LadyLundielooksatthewomanwhohastakenherplaceattheheadofthefamily；andsees——ANNESILVESTER!
EndManandWifebyWilkieCollinsPROLOGUE——THEIRISHMARRIAGE。
ParttheFirst。
ONasummer’smorning，betweenthirtyandfortyyearsago，twogirlswerecryingbitterlyinthecabinofanEastIndianpassengership，boundoutward，fromGravesendtoBombay。
Theywerebothofthesameage——eighteen。Theyhadboth，fromchildhoodupward，beencloseanddearfriendsatthesameschool。
Theywerenowpartingforthefirsttime——andparting，itmightbe，forlife。
ThenameofonewasBlanche。ThenameoftheotherwasAnne。
Bothwerethechildrenofpoorparents，bothhadbeenpupil-teachersattheschool；andbothweredestinedtoearntheirownbread。Personallyspeaking，andsociallyspeaking，theseweretheonlypointsofresemblancebetweenthem。
Blanchewaspassablyattractiveandpassablyintelligent，andnomore。Annewasrarelybeautifulandrarelyendowed。Blanche’sparentswereworthypeople，whosefirstconsiderationwastosecure，atanysacrifice，thefuturewell-beingoftheirchild。