Mrs。Vanboroughwasnotonlyvisible——butaudible——inthegarden；
givingherorderstooneoftheout-of-doorservantswiththetoneandmannerwhichproclaimedthemistressofthehouse。
Supposehesaid，“Sheis_not_myfriend’swife？“Femalecuriositywouldinevitablyputthenextquestion，“Whoisshe？“
Supposeheinventedanexplanation？Theexplanationwouldtaketime，andtimewouldgivehiswifeanopportunityofdiscoveringLadyJane。Seeingalltheseconsiderationsinonebreathlessmoment，Mr。Vanboroughtooktheshortestandtheboldestwayoutofthedifficulty。Heansweredsilentlybyanaffirmativeinclinationofthehead，whichdextrouslyturnedMrs。VanboroughintotoMrs。DelamaynwithoutallowingMr。Delamayntheopportunityofhearingit。
Butthelawyer’seyewashabituallywatchful，andthelawyersawhim。
Masteringinamomenthisfirstnaturalastonishmentatthelibertytakenwithhim，Mr。Delamayndrewtheinevitableconclusionthattherewassomethingwrong，andthattherewasanattemptnottobepermittedforamomenttomixhimupinit。
Headvanced，resolutetocontradicthisclient，tohisclient’sownface。
ThevolubleLadyJaneinterruptedhimbeforehecouldopenhislips。
“MightIaskonequestion？Istheaspectsouth？Ofcourseitis!
Ioughttoseebythesunthattheaspectissouth。Theseandtheothertwoare，Isuppose，theonlyroomsontheground-floor？Andisitquiet？Ofcourseit’squiet!Acharminghouse。FarmorelikelytosuitmyfriendthananyIhaveseenyet。Willyougivemetherefusalofittillto-morrow？“Thereshestoppedforbreath，andgaveMr。Delamaynhisfirstopportunityofspeakingtoher。
“Ibegyourladyship’spardon，“hebegan。“Ireallycan’t——“
Mr。Vanborough——passingclosebehindhimandwhisperingashepassed——stoppedthelawyerbeforehecouldsayawordmore。
“ForGod’ssake，don’tcontradictme!Mywifeiscomingthisway!“
AtthesamemomentstillsupposingthatMr。DelamaynwasthemasterofthehouseLadyJanereturnedtothecharge。
“Youappeartofeelsomehesitation，“shesaid。“Doyouwantareference？“Shesmiledsatirically，andsummonedherfriendtoheraid。“Mr。Vanborough!“
Mr。Vanborough，stealingstepbystepnearertothewindow——intent，comewhatmightofit，onkeepinghiswifeoutoftheroom——neitherheedednorheardher。LadyJanefollowedhim，andtappedhimbrisklyontheshoulderwithherparasol。
AtthatmomentMrs。Vanboroughappearedonthegardensideofthewindow。
“AmIintheway？“sheasked，addressingherhusband，afteronesteadylookatLadyJane。“Thisladyappearstobeanoldfriendofyours。“Therewasatoneofsarcasminthatallusiontotheparasol，whichmightdevelopintoatoneofjealousyatamoment’snotice。
LadyJanewasnotintheleastdisconcerted。Shehadherdoubleprivilegeoffamiliaritywiththemenwhomsheliked——herprivilegeasawomanofhighrank，andherprivilegeasayoungwidow。ShebowedtoMrs。Vanborough，withallthehighly-finishedpolitenessoftheordertowhichshebelonged。
“Theladyofthehouse，Ipresume？“shesaid，withagracioussmile。
Mrs。Vanboroughreturnedthebowcoldly——enteredtheroomfirst——andthenanswered，“Yes。“
LadyJaneturnedtoMr。Vanborough。
“Presentme!“shesaid，submittingresignedlytotheformalitiesofthemiddleclasses。
Mr。Vanboroughobeyed，withoutlookingathiswife，andwithoutmentioninghiswife’sname。
“LadyJaneParnell，“hesaid，passingovertheintroductionasrapidlyaspossible。“Letmeseeyoutoyourcarriage，“headded，offeringhisarm。“Iwilltakecarethatyouhavetherefusalofthehouse。Youmaytrustitalltome。“
No!LadyJanewasaccustomedtoleaveafavorableimpressionbehindherwherevershewent。Itwasahabitwithhertobecharminginwidelydifferentwaystobothsexes。Thesocialexperienceoftheupperclassesis，inEngland，anexperienceofuniversalwelcome。LadyJanedeclinedtoleaveuntilshehadthawedtheicyreceptionoftheladyofthehouse。
“Imustrepeatmyapologies，“shesaidtoMrs。Vanborough，“forcomingatthisinconvenienttime。Myintrusionappearstohavesadlydisturbedthetwogentlemen。Mr。Vanboroughlooksasifhewishedmeahundredmilesaway。Andasforyourhusband——“ShestoppedandglancedtowardMr。Delamayn。“Pardonmeforspeakinginthatfamiliarway。Ihavenotthepleasureofknowingyourhusband’sname。“
InspeechlessamazementMrs。Vanborough’seyesfollowedthedirectionofLadyJane’seyes——andrestedonthelawyer，personallyatotalstrangertoher。
Mr。Delamayn，resolutelywaitinghisopportunitytospeak，seizeditoncemore——andhelditthistime。
“Ibegyourpardon，“hesaid。“Thereissomemisapprehensionhere，forwhichIaminnowayresponsible。Iam_not_thatlady’shusband。“
ItwasLadyJane’sturntobeastonished。Shelookedatthelawyer。Useless!Mr。Delamaynhadsethimselfright——Mr。Delamayndeclinedtointerferefurther。Hesilentlytookachairattheotherendoftheroom。LadyJaneaddressedMr。Vanborough。
“Whateverthemistakemaybe，“shesaid，“youareresponsibleforit。Youcertainlytoldmethisladywasyourfriend’swife。“
“What!!!“criedMrs。Vanborough——loudly，sternly，incredulously。
Theinbredprideofthegreatladybegantoappearbehindthethinouterveilofpolitenessthatcoveredit。
“Iwillspeaklouderifyouwishit，“shesaid。“Mr。Vanboroughtoldmeyouwerethatgentleman’swife。“
Mr。Vanboroughwhisperedfiercelytohiswifethroughhisclenchedteeth。
“Thewholethingisamistake。Gointothegardenagain!“
Mrs。Vanborough’sindignationwassuspendedforthemomentindread，asshesawthepassionandtheterrorstrugglinginherhusband’sface。
“Howyoulookatme!“shesaid。“Howyouspeaktome!“
Heonlyrepeated，“Gointothegarden!“
LadyJanebegantoperceive，whatthelawyerhaddiscoveredsomeminutespreviously——thattherewassomethingwronginthevillaatHampstead。Theladyofthehousewasaladyinananomalouspositionofsomekind。Andasthehouse，toallappearance，belongedtoMr。Vanborough’sfriend，Mr。Vanborough’sfriendmustinspiteofhisrecentdisclaimerbeinsomewayresponsibleforit。Arriving，naturallyenough，atthiserroneousconclusion，LadyJane’seyesrestedforaninstantonMrs。Vanboroughwithafinelycontemptuousexpressionofinquirywhichwouldhaverousedthespiritofthetamestwomaninexistence。Theimpliedinsultstungthewife’ssensitivenaturetothequick。Sheturnedoncemoretoherhusband——thistimewithoutflinching。
“Whoisthatwoman？“sheasked。
LadyJanewasequaltotheemergency。Themannerinwhichshewrappedherselfupinherownvirtue，withouttheslightestpretensionontheonehand，andwithouttheslightestcompromiseontheother，wasasighttosee。
“Mr。Vanborough，“shesaid，“youofferedtotakemetomycarriagejustnow。IbegintounderstandthatIhadbetterhaveacceptedtheofferatonce。Givemeyourarm。“
“Stop!“saidMrs。Vanborough，“yourladyship’slooksarelooksofcontempt；yourladyship’swordscanbearbutoneinterpretation。
IaminnocentlyinvolvedinsomeviledeceptionwhichIdon’tunderstand。ButthisIdoknow——Iwon’tsubmittobeinsultedinmyownhouse。AfterwhatyouhavejustsaidIforbidmyhusbandtogiveyouhisarm。
Herhusband!
LadyJanelookedatMr。Vanborough——atMr。Vanborough，whomsheloved；whomshehadhonestlybelievedtobeasingleman；whomshehadsuspected，uptothatmoment，ofnothingworsethanoftryingtoscreenthefrailtiesofhisfriend。Shedroppedherhighly-bredtone；shelostherhighly-bredmanners。Thesenseofherinjuryifthiswastrue，thepangofherjealousyifthatwomanwashiswife，strippedthehumannatureinherbareofalldisguises，raisedtheangrycolorinhercheeks，andstrucktheangryfireoutofhereyes。
“Ifyoucantellthetruth，Sir，“shesaid，haughtily，“besogoodastotellitnow。Haveyoubeenfalselypresentingyourselftotheworld——falselypresentingyourselfto_me_——inthecharacterandwiththeaspirationsofasingleman？Isthatladyyourwife？“
“Doyouhearher？doyouseeher？“criedMrs。Vanborough，appealingtoherhusband，inherturn。Shesuddenlydrewbackfromhim，shudderingfromheadtofoot。“Hehesitates!“shesaidtoherself，faintly。“GoodGod!hehesitates!“
LadyJanesternlyrepeatedherquestion。
“Isthatladyyourwife？“
Herousedhisscoundrel-courage，andsaidthefatalword：
“No!“
Mrs。Vanboroughstaggeredback。Shecaughtatthewhitecurtainsofthewindowtosaveherselffromfalling，andtorethem。Shelookedatherhusband，withthetorncurtainclenchedfastinherhand。Sheaskedherself，“AmImad？orishe？“
LadyJanedrewadeepbreathofrelief。Hewasnotmarried!Hewasonlyaprofligatesingleman。Aprofligatesinglemanisshocking——butreclaimable。Itispossibletoblamehimseverely，andtoinsistonhisreformationinthemostuncompromisingterms。Itisalsopossibletoforgivehim，andmarryhim。LadyJanetookthenecessarypositionunderthecircumstanceswithperfecttact。Sheinflictedreproofinthepresentwithoutexcludinghopeinthefuture。
“Ihavemadeaverypainfuldiscovery，“shesaid，gravely，toMr。
Vanborough。“Itrestswith_you_topersuademetoforgetit!
Good-evening!“