Treatedwithbarecivilitysheexpectednomore，shemighthavegoneontoexplainthat“Mrs。Graham“wasgoingout。Shemightalsohavebeenprevailedontomentionthat“Mrs。Graham“hadaskedheraveryremarkablequestionofabusinessnature，attheinterviewbetweenthemupstairs。Asitwas，Mrs。Karnegie’slipsweresealed，andletMr。Karnegiedenyifhedared，thatherichlydeservedit。Mr。Karnegieagreedwithhiswife。
Inhalfanhourmore，“Mrs。Graham“camedownstairs；andacabwassentfor。Mr。Karnegie，infearoftheconsequencesifhedidotherwise，keptinacorner。Mrs。Karnegiefollowedhimintothecorner，andaskedhimhowhedaredactinthatway？Didhepresumetothink，aftertwentyyearsofmarriedlife，thathiswifewasjealous？“Go，youbrute，andhandMrs。Grahamintothecab!“
Mr。Karnegieobeyed。Heasked，atthecabwindow，towhatpartofGlasgowheshouldtellthedrivertogo。Thereplyinformedhimthatthedriverwastotake“Mrs。Graham“totheofficeofMr。
Camp，thelawyer。Assuming“Mrs。Graham“tobeastrangerinGlasgow，andrememberingthatMr。CampwasMr。Karnegie’slawyer，theinferenceappearedtobe，that“Mrs。Graham’s“remarkablequestion，addressedtothelandlady，hadrelatedtolegalbusiness，andtothediscoveryofatrust-worthypersoncapableoftransactingitforher。
Returningtothebar，Mr。Karnegiefoundhiseldestdaughterinchargeofthebooks，thebills，andthewaiters。Mrs。Karnegiehadretiredtoherownroom，justlyindignantwithherhusbandforhisinfamousconductinhanding“Mrs。Graham“intothecabbeforeherowneyes。“It’stheoldstory，Pa，“remarkedMissKarnegie，withthemostperfectcomposure。“Matoldyoutodoit，ofcourse；andthenMasaysyou’veinsultedherbeforealltheservants。Iwonderhowyoubearit？“Mr。Karnegielookedathisboots，andanswered，“Iwonder，too，mydear。“MissKarnegiesaid，“You’renotgoingtoMa，areyou？“Mr。Karnegielookedupfromhisboots，andanswered，“Imust，mydear。“
Mr。Campsatinhisprivateroom，absorbedoverhispapers。
Multitudinousasthosedocumentswere，theyappearedtobenotsufficientlynumeroustosatisfyMr。Camp。Heranghisbell，andorderedmore。
Theclerkappearingwithanewpileofpapers，appearedalsowithamessage。Alady，recommendedbyMrs。Karnegie，oftheSheep’sHead，wishedtoconsultMr。Campprofessionally。Mr。Camplookedathiswatch，countingoutprecioustimebeforehim，inalittlestandonthetable，andsaid，“Showtheladyin，intenminutes。“
Intenminutestheladyappeared。Shetooktheclient’schairandliftedherveil。ThesameeffectwhichhadbeenproducedonMr。
KarnegiewasoncemoreproducedonMr。Camp。Forthefirsttime，formanyalongyearpast，hefeltpersonallyinterestedinatotalstranger。Itmighthavebeensomethinginhereyes，oritmighthavebeensomethinginhermanner。Whateveritwas，ittooksoftlyholdofhim，andmadehim，tohisownexceedingsurprise，unmistakablyanxioustohearwhatshehadtosay!
Theladyannounced——inalowsweetvoicetouchedwithaquietsadness——thatherbusinessrelatedtoaquestionofmarriageasmarriageisunderstoodbyScottishlaw，andthatherownpeaceofmind，andthehappinessofapersonverydeartoher，wereconcernedalikeintheopinionwhichMr。Campmightgivewhenhehadbeenplacedinpossessionofthefacts。
Shethenproceededtostatethefacts，withoutmentioningnames：
relatingineveryparticularpreciselythesamesuccessionofeventswhichGeoffreyDelamaynhadalreadyrelatedtoSirPatrickLundie——withthisonedifference，thatsheacknowledgedherselftobethewomanwhowaspersonallyconcernedinknowingwhether，byScottishlaw，shewasnowheldtobeamarriedwomanornot。
Mr。Camp’sopiniongivenuponthis，aftercertainquestionshadbeenaskedandanswered，differedfromSirPatrick’sopinion，asgivenatWindygates。Hetooquotedthelanguageusedbytheeminentjudge——LordDeas——buthedrewaninferenceofhisownfromit。“InScotland，consentmakesmarriage，“hesaid；“andconsentmaybeprovedbyinference。IseeaplaininferenceofmatrimonialconsentinthecircumstanceswhichyouhaverelatedtomeandIsayyouareamarriedwoman。“
Theeffectproducedonthelady，whensentencewaspronouncedonherinthoseterms，wassodistressingthatMr。Campsentamessageupstairstohiswife；andMrs。Campappearedinherhusband’sprivateroom，inbusinesshours，forthefirsttimeinherlife。WhenMrs。Camp’sserviceshadinsomedegreerestoredtheladytoherself，Mr。Campfollowedwithawordofprofessionalcomfort。He，likeSirPatrick，acknowledgedthescandalousdivergenceofopinionsproducedbytheconfusionanduncertaintyofthemarriage-lawofScotland。He，likeSirPatrick，declaredittobequitepossiblethatanotherlawyermightarriveatanotherconclusion。“Go，“hesaid，givingherhiscard，withalineofwritingonit，“tomycolleague，Mr。Crum；
andsayIsentyou。“
TheladygratefullythankedMr。Campandhiswife，andwentnexttotheofficeofMr。Crum。
Mr。Crumwastheolderlawyerofthetwo，andtheharderlawyerofthetwo；buthe，too，felttheinfluencewhichthecharmthattherewasinthiswomanexercised，moreorless，overeverymanwhocameincontactwithher。Helistenedwithapatiencewhichwasrarewithhim：heputhisquestionswithagentlenesswhichwasrarerstill；andwhen_he_wasinpossessionofthecircumstances——behold，_his_opinionflatlycontradictedtheopinionofMr。Camp!
“Nomarriage，ma’am，“hesaid，positively。“Evidenceinfavorofperhapsestablishingamarriage，ifyouproposetoclaimtheman。
Butthat，asIunderstandit，isexactlywhatyoudon’twishtodo。“
Therelieftothelady，onhearingthis，almostoverpoweredher。
Forsomeminutesshewasunabletospeak。Mr。Crumdid，whathehadneverdoneyetinallhisexperienceasalawyer。Hepattedaclientontheshoulder，and，moreextraordinarystill，hegaveaclientpermissiontowastehistime。“Wait，andcomposeyourself，“saidMr。Crum——administeringthelawofhumanity。Theladycomposedherself。“Imustaskyousomequestions，ma’am，“
saidMr。Crum——administeringthelawoftheland。Theladybowed，andwaitedforhimtobegin。
“Iknow，thusfar，thatyoudeclinetoclaimthegentleman，“saidMr。Cram。“Iwanttoknownowwhetherthegentlemanislikelytoclaim_you。_“
Theanswertothiswasgiveninthemostpositiveterms。Thegentlemanwasnotevenawareofthepositioninwhichhestood。
And，moreyet，hewasengagedtobemarriedtothedearestfriendwhomtheladyhadintheworld。
Mr。Crumopenedhiseyes——considered——andputanotherquestionasdelicatelyashecould。“Woulditbepainfultoyoutotellmehowthegentlemancametooccupytheawkwardpositioninwhichhestandsnow？“
Theladyacknowledgedthatitwouldbeindescribablypainfultohertoanswerthatquestion。
Mr。Crumofferedasuggestionundertheformofaninquiry：
“Woulditbepainfultoyoutorevealthecircumstances——intheinterestsofthegentleman’sfutureprospects——tosomediscreetpersonalegalpersonwouldbebestwhoisnot，whatIam，astrangertoyouboth？“
Theladydeclaredherselfwillingtomakeanysacrifice，onthoseconditions——nomatterhowpainfulitmightbe——forherfriend’ssake。
Mr。Crumconsideredalittlelonger，andthendeliveredhiswordofadvice：
“Atthepresentstageoftheaffair，“hesaid，“Ineedonlytellyouwhatisthefirststepthatyououghttotakeunderthecircumstances。Informthegentlemanatonce——eitherbywordofmouthorbywriting——ofthepositioninwhichhestands：andauthorizehimtoplacethecaseinthehandsofapersonknowntoyouboth，whoiscompetenttodecideonwhatyouaretodonext。
DoIunderstandthatyouknowofsuchapersonsoqualified？“
Theladyansweredthatsheknewofsuchaperson。
Mr。Crumaskedifadayhadbeenfixedforthegentleman’smarriage。
Theladyansweredthatshehadmadethisinquiryherselfonthelastoccasionwhenshehadseenthegentleman’sbetrothedwife。
Themarriagewastotakeplace，onadaytobehereafterchosen，attheendoftheautumn。
“That，“saidMr。Crum，“isafortunatecircumstance。Youhavetimebeforeyou。Timeis，here，ofverygreatimportance。Becarefulnottowasteit。“
Theladysaidshewouldreturntoherhotelandwritebythatnight’spost，towarnthegentlemanofthepositioninwhichhestood，andtoauthorizehimtoreferthemattertoacompetentandtrust-worthyfriendknowntothemboth。
Onrisingtoleavetheroomshewasseizedwithgiddiness，andwithsomesuddenpangofpain，whichturnedherdeadlypaleandforcedhertodropbackintoherchair。Mr。Crumhadnowife；buthepossessedahousekeeper——andheofferedtosendforher。Theladymadeasigninthenegative。Shedrankalittlewater，andconqueredthepain。“Iamsorrytohavealarmedyou，“shesaid。
“It’snothing——Iambetternow。“Mr。Crumgaveherhisarm，andputherintothecab。Shelookedsopaleandfaintthatheproposedsendinghishousekeeperwithher。No：itwasonlyfiveminutes’drivetothehotel。Theladythankedhim——andwentherwaybackbyherself。
“Theletter!“shesaid，whenshewasalone。“IfIcanonlylivelongenoughtowritetheletter!“