WiththatreplyMrs。Delamaynattemptedtochangethesubject。
LadyLundieliftedhereye-glass，andlookedroundthetablesforthesecondtime。
“Pardonme，“persistedherladyship——“butisitpossiblethatI
havediscoveredanotherabsentee？Idon’tseeMrs。Glenarm。Yetsurelyshemustbehere!Mrs。Glenarmisnottrainingforafoot-race。Doyouseeher？_I_don’t。“
“Imissedherwhenwewentoutontheterrace，andIhavenotseenhersince。“
“Isn’titveryodd，dearMrs。Delamayn？“
“OurguestsatSwanhaven，LadyLundie，haveperfectlibertytodoastheyplease。“
InthosewordsMrs。Delamaynasshefondlyimagineddismissedthesubject。ButLadyLundie’srobustcuriosityprovedunassailablebyeventhebroadesthint。Carriedaway，inallprobability，bytheinfectionofmerrimentabouther，herladyshipdisplayedunexpectedreservesofvivacity。Theminddeclinestorealizeit；butitisnotthelesstruethatthismajesticwomanactuallysimpered!
“Shallweputtwoandtwotogether？“saidLadyLundie，withaponderousplayfulnesswonderfultosee。“Here，ontheonehand，isMr。GeoffreyDelamayn——ayoungsingleman。Andhere，ontheother，isMrs。Glenarm——ayoungwidow。Rankonthesideoftheyoungsingleman；richesonthesideoftheyoungwidow。Andbothmysteriouslyabsentatthesametime，fromthesamepleasantparty。Ha，Mrs。Delamayn!shouldIguesswrong，ifIguessedthat_you_willhaveamarriageinthefamily，too，beforelong？“
Mrs。Delamaynlookedalittleannoyed。Shehadentered，withallherheart，intotheconspiracyformakingamatchbetweenGeoffreyandMrs。Glenarm。Butshewasnotpreparedtoownthatthelady’sfacilityhadinspiteofallattemptstoconcealitfromdiscoverymadetheconspiracyobviouslysuccessfulintendays’time。
“Iamnotinthesecretsoftheladyandgentlemanwhomyoumention，“shereplied，dryly。
Aheavybodyisslowtoacquiremovement——andslowtoabandonmovement，whenonceacquired。TheplayfulnessofLadyLundie，beingessentiallyheavy，followedthesamerule。Shestillpersistedinbeingaslivelyasever。
“Oh，whatadiplomaticanswer!“exclaimedherladyship。“IthinkIcaninterpretit，though，forallthat。AlittlebirdtellsmethatIshallseeaMrs。GeoffreyDelamayninLondon，nextseason。
AndI，forone，shallnotbesurprisedtofindmyselfcongratulatingMrs。Glenarm。“
“Ifyoupersistinlettingyourimaginationrunawaywithyou，LadyLundie，Ican’tpossiblyhelpit。Icanonlyrequestpermissiontokeepthebridleon_mine。_“
Thistime，evenLadyLundieunderstoodthatitwouldbewisetosaynomore。Shesmiledandnodded，inhighprivateapprovalofherownextraordinarycleverness。IfshehadbeenaskedatthatmomentwhowasthemostbrilliantEnglishwomanliving，shewouldhavelookedinwardonherself——andwouldhaveseen，asinaglassbrightly，LadyLundie，ofWindygates。
FromthemomentwhenthetalkathersideenteredonthesubjectofGeoffreyDelamaynandMrs。Glenarm——andthroughoutthebriefperiodduringwhichitremainedoccupiedwiththattopic——Blanchebecameconsciousofastrongsmellofsomespirituousliquorwafteddownonher，asshefancied，frombehindandfromabove。
Findingtheodorgrowstrongerandstronger，shelookedroundtoseewhetheranyspecialmanufactureofgrogwasproceedinginexplicablyatthebackofherchair。Themomentshemovedherhead，herattentionwasclaimedbyapairoftremulousgoutyoldhands，offeringheragrousepie，profuselysprinkledwithtruffles。
“Eh，mybonnyMiss!“whisperedapersuasivevoiceatherear，“ye’rejooststairvinginalando’plenty。Tak’myadvice，andye’lltak’thebestthingattebble——groose-poy，andtrufflers。“
Blanchelookedup。
Therehewas——themanofthecannyeye，thefatherlymanner，andthemightynose——Bishopriggs——preservedinspiritsandministeringatthefestivalatSwanhavenLodge!
Blanchehadonlyseenhimforamomentonthememorablenightofthestorm，whenshehadsurprisedAnneattheinn。ButinstantspassedinthesocietyofBishopriggswereasgoodashoursspentinthecompanyofinferiormen。Blancheinstantlyrecognizedhim；
instantlycalledtomindSirPatrick’sconvictionthathewasinpossessionofAnne’slostletter；instantlyrushedtotheconclusionthat，indiscoveringBishopriggs，shehaddiscoveredachanceoftracingAnne。Herfirstimpulsewastoclaimacquaintancewithhimonthespot。Buttheeyesofherneighborswereonher，warninghertowait。Shetookalittleofthepie，andlookedhardatBishopriggs。Thatdiscreetman，showingnosignofrecognitiononhisside，bowedrespectfully，andwentonroundthetable。
“Iwonderwhetherhehasgottheletterabouthim？“thoughtBlanche。
Hehadnotonlygottheletterabouthim——but，morethanthat，hewasactuallythenonthelook-outforthemeansofturningthelettertoprofitablepecuniaryaccount。
ThedomesticestablishmentofSwanhavenLodgeincludednoformidablearrayofservants。WhenMrs。Delamayngavealargeparty，shedependedforsuchadditionalassistanceaswasneededpartlyonthecontributionsofherfriends，partlyontheresourcesoftheprincipalinnatKirkandrew。Mr。Bishopriggs，servingatthetimeintheabsenceofanybetteremploymentasasupernumeraryattheinn，madeoneamongthewaiterswhocouldbesparedtoassistatthegarden-party。Thenameofthegentlemanbywhomhewastobeemployedforthedayhadstruckhim，whenhefirstheardit，ashavingafamiliarsound。Hehadmadehisinquiries；andhadthenbetakenhimselfforadditionalinformation，totheletterwhichhehadpickedupfromtheparlorflooratCraigFernieThesheetofnote-paper，lostbyAnne，contained，itmayberemembered，twoletters——onesignedbyherself；theothersignedbyGeoffrey——andbothsuggestive，toastranger’seye，ofrelationsbetweenthewriterswhichtheywereinterestedinconcealingfromthepublicview。
Thinkingitjustpossible——ifhekepthiseyesandearswellopenatSwanhaven——thathemightimprovehisprospectofmakingamarketablecommodityofthestolencorrespondence，Mr。
BishopriggshadputtheletterinhispocketwhenheleftKirkandrew。HehadrecognizedBlanche，asafriendoftheladyattheinn——andasapersonwhomightperhapsbeturnedtoaccount，inthatcapacity。Andhehad，moreover，heardeverywordoftheconversationbetweenLadyLundieandMrs。DelamaynonthesubjectofGeoffreyandMrs。Glenarm。Therewerehourstobepassedbeforetheguestswouldretire，andbeforethewaiterswouldbedismissed。TheconvictionwasstronginthemindofMr。
BishopriggsthathemightfindgoodreasonyetforcongratulatinghimselfonthechancewhichhadassociatedhimwiththefestivitiesatSwanhavenLodge。
Itwasstillearlyintheafternoonwhenthegayetyatthedinner-tablebegan，incertainquarters，toshowsignsofwearingout。
Theyoungermembersoftheparty——especiallytheladies——grewrestlesswiththeappearanceofthedessert。Oneafteranothertheylookedlonginglyatthesmoothlevelofelasticturfinthemiddleoftheglade。Oneafteranothertheybeattimeabsentlywiththeirfingerstothewaltzwhichthemusicianshappenedtobeplayingatthemoment。Noticingthesesymptoms，Mrs。Delamaynsettheexampleofrising；andherhusbandsentamessagetotheband。Intenminutesmorethefirstquadrillewasinprogressonthegrass；thespectatorswerepicturesquelygroupedround，lookingon；andtheservantsandwaiters，nolongerwanted，hadretiredoutofsight，toapicnicoftheirown。
ThelastpersontoleavethedesertedtableswasthevenerableBishopriggs。Healone，ofthemeninattendance，hadcontrivedtocombineasufficientappearanceofwaitingonthecompanywithaclandestineattentiontohisownpersonalneedofrefreshment。
Insteadofhurryingawaytotheservants’dinnerwiththerest，hemadetheroundofthetables，apparentlyclearingawaythecrumbs——actually，emptyingthewine-glasses。Immersedinthisoccupation，hewasstartledbyalady’svoicebehindhim，and，turningasquicklyashecould，foundhimselffacetofacewithMissLundie。
“Iwantsomecoldwater，“saidBlanche。“Besogoodastogetmesomefromthespring。“
Shepointedtothebubblingrivuletatthefartherendoftheglade。
Bishopriggslookedunaffectedlyshocked。
“Lord’ssake，miss，“heexclaimed“d’yerellymeantooffendyerstomachwi’cauldwater——whenthere’swinetobehadfortheasking!“
Blanchegavehimalook。SlownessofperceptionwasnotonthelistofthefailingsofBishopriggs。Hetookupatumbler，winkedwithhisoneavailableeye，andledthewaytotherivulet。Therewasnothingremarkableinthespectacleofayoungladywhowantedaglassofspring-water，orofawaiterwhowasgettingitforher。Nobodywassurprised；andwiththebandplayingnobodycouldbyanychanceoverhearwhatmightbesaidatthespring-side。
“Doyouremembermeattheinnonthenightofthestorm？“askedBlanche。
Mr。BishopriggshadhisreasonscarefullyinclosedinhispocketbookfornotbeingtooreadytocommithimselfwithBlancheatstarting。
“I’mno’sayingIcannarememberye，miss。Whar’sthemanwouldmak’sicananswerasthattoabonnyyoungleddylikeyou？“
BywayofassistinghismemoryBlanchetookoutherpurse。
Bishopriggsbecameabsorbedinthescenery。Helookedattherunningwaterwiththeeyeofamanwhothoroughlydistrustedit，viewedasabeverage。
“Thereyego，“hesaid，addressinghimselftotherivulet，“bubblin’toyerainannihilationinthelochyonder!It’slittleIknowthat’sgudeabootye，inyerunconvairtedstate。Ye’reatypeo’humanlife，theysay。Itak’upmytestimonyagainst_that。_Ye’reatypeo’naethingatalltillye’reheatedwi’