Inthreemonthsfromthememorabledaywhenhissolicitorhadinformedhimthathewasafreeman，Mr。Vanboroughpossessedthewifehedesired，togracetheheadofhistableandtopushhisfortunesintheworld——theLegislatureofGreatBritainbeingthehumbleservantofhistreachery，andtherespectableaccompliceofhiscrime。
HeenteredParliament。Hegavethankstohiswifesixofthegrandestdinners，andtwoofthemostcrowdedballsoftheseason。HemadeasuccessfulfirstspeechintheHouseofCommons。Heendowedachurchinapoorneighborhood。Hewroteanarticlewhichattractedattentioninaquarterlyreview。Hediscovered，denounced，andremediedacryingabuseintheadministrationofapubliccharity。HereceivedthanksoncemoretohiswifeamemberoftheRoyalfamilyamongthevisitorsathiscountryhouseintheautumnrecess。Thesewerehistriumphs，andthishisrateofprogressonthewaytothepeerage，duringthefirstyearofhislifeasthehusbandofLadyJane。
TherewasbutonemorefavorthatFortunecouldconferonherspoiledchild——andFortunebestowedit。TherewasaspotonMr。
Vanborough’spastlifeaslongasthewomanlivedwhomhehaddisownedanddeserted。AttheendofthefirstyearDeathtookher——andthespotwasrubbedout。
Shehadmetthemercilessinjuryinflictedonherwithararepatience，withanadmirablecourage。ItisduetoMr。Vanboroughtoadmitthathebrokeherheart，withthestrictestattentiontopropriety。Heofferedthroughhislawyerahandsomeprovisionforherandforherchild。Itwasrejected，withoutaninstant’shesitation。Sherepudiatedhismoney——sherepudiatedhisname。Bythenamewhichshehadborneinhermaidendays——thenamewhichshehadmadeillustriousinherArt——themotheranddaughterwereknowntoallwhocaredtoinquireafterthemwhentheyhadsunkintheworld。
Therewasnofalseprideintheresoluteattitudewhichshethusassumedafterherhusbandhadforsakenher。Mrs。Silvesterasshewasnowcalledgratefullyacceptedforherself，andforMissSilvester，theassistanceofthedearoldfriendwhohadfoundheragaininheraffliction，andwhoremainedfaithfultohertotheend。TheylivedwithLadyLundieuntilthemotherwasstrongenoughtocarryouttheplanoflifewhichshehadarrangedforthefuture，andtoearnherbreadasateacherofsinging。Toallappearancesherallied，andbecameherselfagain，inafewmonths’time。Shewasmakingherway；shewaswinningsympathy，confidence，andrespecteverywhere——whenshesanksuddenlyattheopeningofhernewlife。Nobodycouldaccountforit。Thedoctorsthemselvesweredividedinopinion。Scientificallyspeaking，therewasnoreasonwhysheshoulddie。Itwasamerefigureofspeech——innodegreesatisfactorytoanyreasonablemind——tosay，asLadyLundiesaid，thatshehadgotherdeath-blowonthedaywhenherhusbanddesertedher。Theonethingcertainwasthefact——accountforitasyoumight。Inspiteofsciencewhichmeantlittle，inspiteofherowncouragewhichmeantmuch，thewomandroppedatherpostanddied。
Inthelatterpartofherillnesshermindgaveway。Thefriendofheroldschool-days，sittingatthebedside，heardhertalkingasifshethoughtherselfbackagaininthecabinoftheship。
Thepoorsoulfoundthetone，almostthelook，thathadbeenlostforsomanyyears——thetoneofthepasttimewhenthetwogirlshadgonetheirdifferentwaysintheworld。Shesaid，“wewillmeet，darling，withalltheoldlovebetweenus，“justasshehadsaidalmostalifetimesince。Beforetheendhermindrallied。
Shesurprisedthedoctorandthenursebybeggingthemgentlytoleavetheroom。WhentheyhadgoneshelookedatLadyLundie，andwoke，asitseemed，toconsciousnessfromadream。
“Blanche，“shesaid，“youwilltakecareofmychild？“
“Sheshallbe_my_child，Anne，whenyouaregone。“
Thedyingwomanpaused，andthoughtforalittle。Asuddentremblingseizedher。
“Keepitasecret!“shesaid。“Iamafraidformychild。“
“Afraid？AfterwhatIhavepromisedyou？“
Shesolemnlyrepeatedthewords，“Iamafraidformychild。“
“Why？“
“MyAnneismysecondself——isn’tshe？“
“Yes。“
“SheisasfondofyourchildasIwasofyou？“
“Yes。“
“Sheisnotcalledbyherfather’sname——sheiscalledbymine。
SheisAnneSilvesterasIwas。Blanche!_WillsheendlikeMe？_“
Thequestionwasputwiththelaboringbreath，withtheheavyaccentswhichtellthatdeathisnear。Itchilledthelivingwomanwhoheardittothemarrowofherbones。
“Don’tthinkthat!“shecried，horror-struck。“ForGod’ssake，don’tthinkthat!“
ThewildnessbegantoappearagaininAnneSilvester’seyes。Shemadefeeblyimpatientsignswithherhands。LadyLundiebentoverher，andheardherwhisper，“Liftmeup。“
Shelayinherfriend’sarms；shelookedupinherfriend’sface；
shewentbackwildlytoherfearforherchild。
“Don’tbringheruplikeMe!Shemustbeagoverness——shemustgetherbread。Don’tletheract!don’tlethersing!don’tlethergoonthestage!“Shestopped——hervoicesuddenlyrecovereditssweetnessoftone——shesmiledfaintly——shesaidtheoldgirlishwordsoncemore，intheoldgirlishway，“Vowit，Blanche!“LadyLundiekissedher，andanswered，asshehadansweredwhentheypartedintheship，“Ivowit，Anne!“
Theheadsank，nevertobeliftedmore。Thelastlookoflifeflickeredinthefilmyeyesandwentout。Foramomentafterwardherlipsmoved。LadyLundieputherearclosetothem，andheardthedreadfulquestionreiterated，inthesamedreadfulwords：
“SheisAnneSilvester——asIwas。_WillsheendlikeMe？_“
VI。
Fiveyearspassed——andthelivesofthethreemenwhohadsatatthedinner-tableintheHampsteadvillabegan，intheiralteredaspects，torevealtheprogressoftimeandchange。
Mr。Kendrew；Mr。Delamayn；Mr。Vanborough。Lettheorderinwhichtheyareherenamedbetheorderinwhichtheirlivesarereviewed，asseenoncemoreafteralapseoffiveyears。
Howthehusband’sfriendmarkedhissenseofthehusband’streacheryhasbeentoldalready。Howhefeltthedeathofthedesertedwifeisstilllefttotell。Report，whichseestheinmostheartsofmen，anddelightsinturningthemoutwardtothepublicview，hadalwaysdeclaredthatMr。Kendrew’slifehaditssecret，andthatthesecretwasahopelesspassionforthebeautifulwomanwhohadmarriedhisfriend。Notahinteverdroppedtoanylivingsoul，notawordeverspokentothewomanherself，couldbeproducedinproofoftheassertionwhilethewomanlived。WhenshediedReportstartedupagainmoreconfidentlythanever，andappealedtotheman’sownconductasproofagainstthemanhimself。
Heattendedthefuneral——thoughhewasnorelation。Hetookafewbladesofgrassfromtheturfwithwhichtheycoveredhergrave——whenhethoughtthatnobodywaslookingathim。Hedisappearedfromhisclub。Hetraveled。Hecameback。HeadmittedthathewaswearyofEngland。Heappliedfor，andobtained，anappointmentinoneofthecolonies。Towhatconclusiondidallthispoint？Wasitnotplainthathisusualcourseoflifehadlostitsattractionforhim，whentheobjectofhisinfatuationhadceasedtoexist？Itmighthavebeenso——guesseslesslikelyhavebeenmadeatthetruth，andhavehitthemark。Itis，atanyrate，certainthatheleftEngland，nevertoreturnagain。
Anothermanlost，Reportsaid。Addtothat，amanintenthousand——and，foronce，Reportmightclaimtoberight。
Mr。Delamayncomesnext。
Therisingsolicitorwasstruckofftheroll，athisownrequest——andenteredhimselfasastudentatoneoftheInnsofCourt。Forthreeyearsnothingwasknownofhimbutthathewasreadinghardandkeepinghisterms。HewascalledtotheBar。Hislatepartnersinthefirmknewtheycouldtrusthim，andputbusinessintohishands。IntwoyearshemadehimselfapositioninCourt。AttheendofthetwoyearshemadehimselfapositionoutofCourt。Heappearedas“Junior“in“afamouscase，“inwhichthehonorofagreatfamily，andthetitletoagreatestatewereconcerned。His“Senior“fellillontheeveofthetrial。Heconductedthecaseforthedefendantandwonit。Thedefendantsaid，“WhatcanIdoforyou？“Mr。Delamaynanswered，“PutmeintoParliament。“Beingalandedgentleman，thedefendanthadonlytoissuethenecessaryorders——andbehold，Mr。DelamaynwasinParliament!
IntheHouseofCommonsthenewmemberandMr。Vanboroughmetagain。
Theysatonthesamebench，andsidedwiththesameparty。Mr。
DelamaynnoticedthatMr。Vanboroughwaslookingoldandwornandgray。Heputafewquestionstoawell-informedperson。Thewell-informedpersonshookhishead。Mr。Vanboroughwasrich；Mr。
Vanboroughwaswell-connectedthroughhiswife；Mr。Vanboroughwasasoundmanineverysenseoftheword；_but_——nobodylikedhim。Hehaddoneverywellthefirstyear，andthereithadended。Hewasundeniablyclever，butheproducedadisagreeableimpressionintheHouse。Hegavesplendidentertainments，buthewasn’tpopularinsociety。Hispartyrespectedhim，butwhentheyhadanythingtogivetheypassedhimover。Hehadatemperofhisown，ifthetruthmustbetold；andwithnothingagainsthim——onthecontrary，witheverythinginhisfavor——hedidn’tmakefriends。Asouredman。Athomeandabroad，asouredman。
VII。
Fiveyearsmorepassed，datingfromthedaywhenthedesertedwifewaslaidinhergrave。Itwasnowtheyeareighteenhundredandsixtysix。
Onacertaindayinthatyeartwospecialitemsofnewsappearedinthepapers——thenewsofanelevationtothepeerage，andthenewsofasuicide。
GettingonwellattheBar，Mr。DelamayngotonbetterstillinParliament。HebecameoneoftheprominentmenintheHouse。
Spokeclearly，sensibly，andmodestly，andwasnevertoolong。