Blanche，inMrs。Inchbare’sbestgown——anancientandhigh-waistedsilkgarment，ofthehuecalled“bottle-green，“
pinnedupinfront，andtrailingfarbehindher——withashort，orange-coloredshawloverhershoulders，andatoweltiedturbanfashionroundherhead，todryherwethair，lookedatoncethestrangestandtheprettiesthumananomalythateverwasseen。
“Forheaven’ssake，“shesaid，gayly，“don’ttellyourhusbandI
aminMrs。Inchbare’sclothes!Iwanttoappearsuddenly，withoutawordtowarnhimofwhatafigureIam!Ishouldhavenothinglefttowishforinthisworld，“sheadded，“ifArnoldcouldonlyseemenow!“
Lookingintheglass，shenoticedAnne’sfacereflectedbehindher，andstartedatthesightofit。
“What_is_thematter？“sheasked。“Yourfacefrightensme。“
Itwasuselesstoprolongthepainoftheinevitablemisunderstandingbetweenthem。Theonecoursetotakewastosilenceallfurtherinquiriesthenandthere。Stronglyasshefeltthis，Anne’sinbredloyaltytoBlanchestillshrankfromdeceivinghertoherface。“Imightwriteit，“shethought。“I
can’tsayit，withArnoldBrinkworthinthesamehousewithher!
“Writeit？Asshereconsideredtheword，asuddenideastruckher。Sheopenedthebedroomdoor，andledthewaybackintothesitting-room。
“Goneagain!“exclaimedBlanche，lookinguneasilyroundtheemptyroom。“Anne!there’ssomethingsostrangeinallthis，thatI
neithercan，norwill，putupwithyoursilenceanylonger。It’snotjust，it’snotkind，toshutmeoutofyourconfidence，afterwehavelivedtogetherlikesistersallourlives!“
Annesighedbitterly，andkissedherontheforehead。“YoushallknowallIcantellyou——allI_dare_tellyou，“shesaid，gently。“Don’treproachme。Ithurtsmemorethanyouthink。“
Sheturnedawaytothesidetable，andcamebackwithaletterinherhand。“Readthat，“shesaid，andhandedittoBlanche。
Blanchesawherownname，ontheaddress，inthehandwritingofAnne。
“Whatdoesthismean？“sheasked。
“Iwrotetoyou，afterSirPatrickhadleftme，“Annereplied。“I
meantyoutohavereceivedmyletterto-morrow，intimetopreventanylittleimprudenceintowhichyouranxietymighthurryyou。AllthatI_can_saytoyouissaidthere。Sparemethedistressofspeaking。Readit，Blanche。“
Blanchestillheldtheletter，unopened。
“Aletterfromyoutome!whenwearebothtogether，andbothaloneinthesameroom!It’sworsethanformal，Anne!It’sasiftherewasaquarrelbetweenus。Whyshoulditdistressyoutospeaktome？“
Anne’seyesdroppedtotheground。Shepointedtotheletterforthesecondtime。
Blanchebroketheseal。
Shepassedrapidlyovertheopeningsentences，anddevotedallherattentiontothesecondparagraph。
“Andnow，mylove，youwillexpectmetoatoneforthesurpriseanddistressthatIhavecausedyou，byexplainingwhatmysituationreallyis，andbytellingyouallmyplansforthefuture。DearestBlanche!don’tthinkmeuntruetotheaffectionwebeartowardeachother——don’tthinkthereisanychangeinmyhearttowardyou——believeonlythatIamaveryunhappywoman，andthatIaminapositionwhichforcesme，againstmyownwill，tobesilentaboutmyself。Silenteventoyou，thesisterofmylove——theonepersonintheworldwhoisdearesttome!AtimemaycomewhenIshallbeabletoopenmyhearttoyou。Oh，whatgooditwilldome!whatareliefitwillbe!Forthepresent，I
mustbesilent。Forthepresent，wemustbeparted。Godknowswhatitcostsmetowritethis。Ithinkofthedearolddaysthataregone；IrememberhowIpromisedyourmothertobeasistertoyou，whenherkindeyeslookedatme，forthelasttime——_your_
mother，whowasanangelfromheavento_mine!_Allthiscomesbackonmenow，andbreaksmyheart。Butitmustbe!myownBlanche，forthepresent。itmustbe!Iwillwriteoften——Iwillthinkofyou，mydarling，nightandday，tillahappierfutureunitesusagain。Godbless_you，_mydearone!AndGodhelp_
me!“_
BlanchesilentlycrossedtheroomtothesofaonwhichAnnewassitting，andstoodthereforamoment，lookingather。Shesatdown，andlaidherheadonAnne’sshoulder。Sorrowfullyandquietly，sheputtheletterintoherbosom——andtookAnne’shand，andkissedit。
“Allmyquestionsareanswered，dear。Iwillwaityourtime。“
Itwassimply，sweetly，generouslysaid。
Anneburstintotears。
Therainstillfell，butthestormwasdyingaway。
Blancheleftthesofa，and，goingtothewindow，openedtheshutterstolookoutatthenight。ShesuddenlycamebacktoAnne。
“Iseelights，“shesaid——“thelightsofacarriagecomingupoutofthedarknessofthemoor。Theyaresendingafterme，fromWindygates。Gointothebedroom。It’sjustpossibleLadyLundiemayhavecomeformeherself。“
Theordinaryrelationsofthetwotowardeachotherwerecompletelyreversed。AnnewaslikeachildinBlanche’shands。
Sherose，andwithdrew。
Leftalone，Blanchetooktheletteroutofherbosom，andreaditagain，intheintervalofwaitingforthecarriage。
Thesecondreadingconfirmedherinaresolutionwhichshehadprivatelytaken，whileshehadbeensittingbyAnneonthesofa——aresolutiondestinedtoleadtofarmoreseriousresultsinthefuturethananyprevisionsofherscouldanticipate。SirPatrickwastheonepersonsheknewonwhosediscretionandexperienceshecouldimplicitlyrely。Shedetermined，inAnne’sowninterests，totakeheruncleintoherconfidence，andtotellhimallthathadhappenedattheinn“I’llfirstmakehimforgiveme，“thoughtBlanche。“AndthenI’llseeifhethinksasIdo，whenItellhimaboutAnne。“
Thecarriagedrewupatthedoor；andMrs。Inchbareshowedin——notLadyLundie，butLadyLundie’smaid。
Thewoman’saccountofwhathadhappenedatWindygateswassimpleenough。LadyLundiehad，asamatterofcourse，placedtherightinterpretationonBlanche’sabruptdepartureinthepony-chaise，andhadorderedthecarriage，withthefirmdeterminationoffollowingherstep-daughterherself。Buttheagitationsandanxietiesofthedayhadprovedtoomuchforher。Shehadbeenseizedbyoneoftheattacksofgiddinesstowhichshewasalwayssubjectafterexcessivementalirritation；and，eagerasshewasonmoreaccountsthanonetogototheinnherself，shehadbeencompelled，inSirPatrick’sabsence，tocommitthepursuitofBlanchetoherownmaid，inwhoseageandgoodsenseshecouldplaceeveryconfidence。Thewomanseeingthestateoftheweather——hadthoughtfullybroughtaboxwithher，containingachangeofwearingapparel。InofferingittoBlanche，sheadded，withallduerespect，thatshehadfullpowersfromhermistresstogoon，ifnecessary，totheshooting-cottage，andtoplacethematterinSirPatrick’shands。Thissaid，sheleftittoheryoungladytodecideforherself，whethershewouldreturntoWindygates，underpresentcircumstances，ornot。
Blanchetooktheboxfromthewoman’shands，andjoinedAnneinthebedroom，todressherselfforthedrivehome。
“Iamgoingbacktoagoodscolding，“shesaid。“ButascoldingisnonoveltyinmyexperienceofLadyLundie。I’mnotuneasyaboutthat，Anne——I’muneasyaboutyou。CanIbesureofonething——doyoustayhereforthepresent？“
Theworstthatcouldhappenattheinn_had_happened。Nothingwastobegainednow——andeverythingmightbelost——byleavingtheplaceatwhichGeoffreyhadpromisedtowritetoher。Anneansweredthatsheproposedremainingattheinnforthepresent。
“Youpromisetowritetome？“
“Yes。“
“IfthereisanythingIcandoforyou——？“
“Thereisnothing，mylove。“
“Theremaybe。Ifyouwanttoseeme，wecanmeetatWindygateswithoutbeingdiscovered。Comeatluncheon-time——goaroundbytheshrubbery——andstepinatthelibrarywindow。YouknowaswellasIdothereisnobodyinthelibraryatthathour。Don’tsayit’simpossible——youdon’tknowwhatmayhappen。Ishallwaittenminuteseverydayonthechanceofseeingyou。That’ssettled——andit’ssettledthatyouwrite。BeforeIgo，darling，isthereanythingelsewecanthinkofforthefuture？“