LadyLundieshookherheadcompassionately，andsmiledwithangelicsadness。“Ourlittlebesettingsins!“shesaid。“Whatslaveswearetoourlittlebesettingsins!Takeaturnintheroom——do!“
Anyordinarymanwouldhavelosthistemper。ButthelawasSirPatrickhadtoldhisniecehasaspecialtemperofitsown。
Withoutexhibitingthesmallestirritation，SirPatrickdextrouslyappliedhissister-in-law’sblistertohissister-in-lawherself。
“Whataneyeyouhave!“hesaid。“Iwasimpatient。I_am_
impatient。IamdyingtoknowwhatBlanchesaidtoyouwhenshegotbetter？“
TheBritishMatronfrozeupintoamatronofstoneonthespot。
“Nothing!“answeredherladyship，withavicioussnapofherteeth，asifshehadtriedtobitethewordbeforeitescapedher。
“Nothing!“exclaimedSirPatrick。
“Nothing，“repeatedLadyLundie，withhermostformidableemphasisoflookandtone。“Iappliedalltheremedieswithmyownhands；Icutherlaceswithmyownscissors，Icompletelywettedherheadthroughwithcoldwater；Iremainedwithheruntilshewasquiteexhausted-Itookherinmyarms，andfoldedhertomybosom；Isenteverybodyoutoftheroom；Isaid，’Dearchild，confideinme。’Andhowweremyadvances——mymotherlyadvances——met？Ihavealreadytoldyou。Byheartlesssecrecy。Byundutifulsilence。“
SirPatrickpressedtheblisteralittleclosertotheskin。“Shewasprobablyafraidtospeak，“hesaid。
“Afraid？Oh!“criedLadyLundie，distrustingtheevidenceofherownsenses。“Youcan’thavesaidthat？Ihaveevidentlymisapprehendedyou。Youdidn’treallysay，afraid？“
“Isaidshewasprobablyafraid——“
“Stop!Ican’tbetoldtomyfacethatIhavefailedtodomydutybyBlanche。No，SirPatrick!Icanbearagreatdeal；butI
can’tbearthat。Afterhavingbeenmorethanamothertoyourdearbrother’schild；afterhavingbeenaneldersistertoBlanche；afterhavingtoiled——Isay_toiled，_SirPatrick!——tocultivateherintelligencewiththesweetlinesofthepoeteverpresenttomymemory：’Delightfultasktorearthetendermind，andteachtheyoungideahowtoshoot!’；afterhavingdoneallI
havedone——aplaceinthecarriageonlyyesterday，andavisittothemostinterestingrelicoffeudaltimesinPerthshire——afterhavingsacrificedallIhavesacrificed，tobetoldthatIhavebehavedinsuchamannertoBlancheastofrightenherwhenIaskhertoconfideinme，isalittletoocruel。Ihaveasensitive——anundulysensitivenature，dearSirPatrick。ForgivemeforwincingwhenIamwounded。ForgivemeforfeelingitwhenthewoundisdealtmebyapersonwhomIrevere。“
Herladyshipputherhandkerchieftohereyes。Anyothermanwouldhavetakenofftheblister。SirPatrickpresseditharderthanever。
“Youquitemistakeme，“hereplied。“ImeantthatBlanchewasafraidtotellyouthetruecauseofherillness。ThetruecauseisanxietyaboutMissSilvester。“
LadyLundieemittedanotherscream——aloudscreamthistime——andclosedhereyesinhorror。
“Icanrunoutofthehouse，“criedherladyship，wildly。“Icanflytotheuttermostcornersoftheearth；butIcan_not_hearthatperson’snamementioned!No，SirPatrick!notinmypresence!notinmyroom!notwhileIammistressatWindygatesHouse!“
“Iamsorrytosayanythingthatisdisagreeabletoyou，LadyLundie。Butthenatureofmyerrandhereobligesmetotouch——aslightlyaspossible——onsomethingwhichhashappenedinyourhousewithoutyourknowledge。“
LadyLundiesuddenlyopenedhereyes，andbecamethepictureofattention。Acasualobservermighthavesupposedherladyshiptobenotwhollyinaccessibletothevulgaremotionofcuriosity。
“AvisitorcametoWindygatesyesterday，whilewewereallatlunch，“proceededSirPatrick。“She——“
LadyLundieseizedthescarletmemorandum-book，andstoppedherbrother-in-law，beforehecouldgetanyfurther。Herladyship’snextwordsescapedherlipsspasmodically，likewordsletatintervalsoutofatrap。
“Iundertake——asawomanaccustomedtoself-restraint，SirPatrick——Iundertaketocontrolmyself，ononecondition。Iwon’thavethenamementioned。Iwon’thavethesexmentioned。Say，’ThePerson，’ifyouplease。’ThePerson，’“continuedLadyLundie，openinghermemorandum-bookandtakingupherpen，“committedanaudaciousinvasionofmypremisesyesterday？“
SirPatrickbowed。Herladyshipmadeanote——afiercely-pennednotethatscratchedthepaperviciously——andthenproceededtoexamineherbrother-in-law，inthecapacityofwitness。
“Whatpartofmyhousedid’ThePerson’invade？Beverycareful，SirPatrick!Iproposetoplacemyselfundertheprotectionofajusticeofthepeace；andthisisamemorandumofmystatement。
Thelibrary——didIunderstandyoutosay？Justso——thelibrary。“
“Add，“saidSirPatrick，withanotherpressureontheblister，“thatThePersonhadaninterviewwithBlancheinthelibrary。“
LadyLundie’spensuddenlystuckinthepaper，andscatteredalittleshowerofink-dropsallroundit。“Thelibrary，“repeatedherladyship，inavoicesuggestiveofapproachingsuffocation。
“Iundertaketocontrolmyself，SirPatrick!Anythingmissingfromthelibrary？“
“Nothingmissing，LadyLundie，butThePersonherself。She——“
“No，SirPatrick!Iwon’thaveit!Inthenameofmyownsex，I
won’thaveit!“
“Praypardonme——Iforgotthat’she’wasaprohibitedpronounonthepresentoccasion。ThePersonhaswrittenafarewelllettertoBlanche，andhasgonenobodyknowswhere。ThedistressproducedbytheseeventsisaloneanswerableforwhathashappenedtoBlanchethismorning。Ifyoubearthatinmind——andifyourememberwhatyourownopinionisofMissSilvester——youwillunderstandwhyBlanchehesitatedtoadmityouintoherconfidence。“
Therehewaitedforareply。LadyLundiewastoodeeplyabsorbedincompletinghermemorandumtobeconsciousofhispresenceintheroom。
“’Carriagetobeatthedoorattwo-thirty，’“saidLadyLundie，repeatingthefinalwordsofthememorandumwhileshewrotethem。
“’Inquireforthenearestjusticeofthepeace，andplacetheprivacyofWindygatesundertheprotectionofthelaw。’——Ibegyourpardon!“exclaimedherladyship，becomingconsciousagainofSirPatrick’spresence。“HaveImissedanythingparticularlypainful？PraymentionitifIhave!“
“Youhavemissednothingoftheslightestimportance，“returnedSirPatrick。“Ihaveplacedyouinpossessionoffactswhichyouhadarighttoknow；andwehavenowonlytoreturntoourmedicalfriend’sreportonBlanche’shealth。Youwereabouttofavorme，Ithink，withthePrognosis？“
“Diagnosis!“saidherladyship，spitefully。“Ihadforgottenatthetime——Iremembernow。Prognosisisentirelywrong。“
“Isitcorrected，LadyLundie。Diagnosis。“
“Youhaveinformedme，SirPatrick，thatyouwerealreadyacquaintedwiththeDiagnosis。Itisquiteneedlessformetorepeatitnow。“
“Iwasanxioustocorrectmyownimpression，mydearlady，bycomparingitwithyours。“
“Youareverygood。Youarealearnedman。Iamonlyapoorignorantwoman。Yourimpressioncannotpossiblyrequirecorrectingbymine。“
“Myimpression，LadyLundie，wasthatoursofriendrecommendedmoral，ratherthanmedical，treatmentforBlanche。Ifwecanturnherthoughtsfromthepainfulsubjectonwhichtheyarenowdwelling，weshalldoallthatisneedful。Thosewerehisownwords，asIrememberthem。Doyouconfirmme？“
“Can_I_presumetodisputewithyou，SirPatrick？Youareamasterofrefinedirony，Iknow。Iamafraidit’sallthrownawayonpoorme。“
Thelawkeptitswonderfultemper!Thelawmetthemostexasperatingoflivingwomenwithacounter-powerofdefensiveaggravationallitsown!
“Itakethatasconfirmingme，LadyLundie。Thankyou。Now，astothemethodofcarryingoutourfriend’sadvice。Themethodseemsplain。AllwecandotodivertBlanche’smindistoturnBlanche’sattentiontosomeothersubjectofreflectionlesspainfulthanthesubjectwhichoccupieshernow。Doyouagree，sofar？“
“Whyplacethewholeresponsibilityonmyshoulders？“inquiredLadyLundie。
“Outofprofounddeferenceforyouropinion，“answeredSirPatrick。“Strictlyspeaking，nodoubt，anyseriousresponsibilityrestswithme。IamBlanche’sguardian——“
“ThankGod!“criedLadyLundie，withaperfectexplosionofpiousfervor。
“Ihearanoutburstofdevoutthankfulness，“remarkedSirPatrick。“AmItotakeitasexpressing——letmesay——somelittledoubt，onyourpart，astotheprospectofmanagingBlanchesuccessfully，underpresentcircumstances？“
LadyLundie’stemperbegantogivewayagain——exactlyasherbrother-in-lawhadanticipated。