Wehaveall，atonetimeoranotherinourlives，beenperplexedasSirPatrickwasperplexednow。
Ifweknowanythingbyexperience，weknowthatwomencastthemselvesawayimpulsivelyonunworthymen，andthatmenruinthemselvesheadlongforunworthywomen。WehavetheinstitutionofDivorceactuallyamongus，existingmainlybecausethetwosexesareperpetuallyplacingthemselvesintheseanomalousrelationstowardeachother。Andyet，ateveryfreshinstancewhichcomesbeforeus，wepersistinbeingastonishedtofindthatthemanandthewomanhavenotchoseneachotheronrationalandproduciblegrounds!Weexpecthumanpassiontoactonlogicalprinciples；andhumanfallibility——withloveforitsguide——tobeabovealldangerofmakingamistake!AskthewisestamongAnneSilvester’ssexwhattheysawtorationallyjustifytheminchoosingthementowhomtheyhavegiventheirheartsandtheirlives，andyouwillbeputtingaquestiontothosewisewomenwhichtheyneveroncethoughtofputtingtothemselves。Nay，morestill。Lookintoyourownexperience，andsayfrankly，Couldyoujustifyyourownexcellentchoiceatthetimewhenyouirrevocablymadeit？Couldyouhaveputyourreasonsonpaperwhenyoufirstownedtoyourselfthatyoulovedhim？Andwouldthereasonshavebornecriticalinspectionifyouhad？
SirPatrickgaveitupindespair。Theinterestsofhisniecewereatstake。Hewiselydeterminedtorousehismindbyoccupyinghimselfwiththepracticalnecessitiesofthemoment。
Itwasessentialtosendanapologytotherector，inthefirstplace，soastoleavetheeveningathisdisposalforconsideringwhatpreliminarycourseofconductheshouldadviseArnoldtopursue。
AfterwritingafewlinesofapologytohispartneratPiquet——assigningfamilybusinessastheexcuseforbreakinghisengagement——SirPatrickrangthebell。ThefaithfulDuncanappeared，andsawatonceinhismastersfacethatsomethinghadhappened。
“SendamanwiththistotheRectory，“saidSirPatrick。“Ican’tdineoutto-day。Imusthaveachopathome。“
“Iamafraid，SirPatrick——ifImaybeexcusedforremarkingit——youhavehadsomebadnews？“
“Theworstpossiblenews，Duncan。Ican’ttellyouaboutitnow。
Waitwithinhearingofthebell。Inthemeantimeletnobodyinterruptme。IfthestewardhimselfcomesIcan’tseehim。“
Afterthinkingitovercarefully，SirPatrickdecidedthattherewasnoalternativebuttosendamessagetoArnoldandBlanche，summoningthembacktoEnglandinthefirstplace。ThenecessityofquestioningArnold，intheminutestdetail，astoeverythingthathadhappenedbetweenAnneSilvesterandhimselfattheCraigFernieinn，wasthefirstandforemostnecessityofthecase。
Atthesametimeitappearedtobedesirable，forBlanche’ssake，tokeepherinignorance，forthepresentatleast，ofwhathadhappened。SirPatrickmetthisdifficultywithcharacteristicingenuityandreadinessofresource。
HewroteatelegramtoArnold，expressedinthefollowingterms：
“Yourletterandinclosuresreceived。ReturntoHamFarmassoonasyouconvenientlycan。KeepthethingstillasecretfromBlanche。Tellher，asthereasonforcomingback，thatthelosttraceofAnneSilvesterhasbeenrecovered，andthattheremaybereasonsforherreturningtoEnglandbeforeanythingfurthercanbedone。“
Duncanhavingbeendispatchedtothestationwiththismessage，Duncan’smasterproceededtocalculatethequestionoftime。
ArnoldwouldinallprobabilityreceivethetelegramatBaden，onthenextday，Septembertheseventeenth。InthreedaysmoreheandBlanchemightbeexpectedtoreachHamFarm。DuringtheintervalthusplacedathisdisposalSirPatrickwouldhaveampletimeinwhichtorecoverhimself，andtoseehiswaytoactingforthebestinthealarmingemergencythatnowconfrontedhim。
OnthenineteenthSirPatrickreceivedatelegraminforminghimthathemightexpecttoseetheyoungcouplelateintheeveningonthetwentieth。
Lateintheeveningthesoundofcarriage-wheelswasaudibleonthedrive；andSirPatrick，openingthedoorofhisroom，heardthefamiliarvoicesinthehall。
“Well!“criedBlanche，catchingsightofhimatthedoor，“isAnnefound？“
“Notjustyet，mydear。“
“Istherenewsofher？“
“Yes。“
“AmIintimetobeofuse？“
“Inexcellenttime。Youshallhearallaboutitto-morrow。Goandtakeoffyourtraveling-things，andcomedownagaintosupperassoonasyoucan。“
Blanchekissedhim，andwentonupstairs。Shehad，asherunclethoughtintheglimpsehehadcaughtofher，beenimprovedbyhermarriage。Ithadquietedandsteadiedher。ThereweregracesinherlookandmannerwhichSirPatrickhadnotnoticedbefore。
Arnold，onhisside，appearedtolessadvantage。Hewasrestlessandanxious；hispositionwithMissSilvesterseemedtobepreyingonhismind。Assoonashisyoungwife’sbackwasturned，heappealedtoSirPatrickinaneagerwhisper。
“IhardlydareaskyouwhatIhavegotitonmymindtosay，“hebegan。“Imustbearitifyouareangrywithme，SirPatrick。
But——onlytellmeonething。Isthereawayoutofitforus？
Haveyouthoughtofthat？“
“Icannottrustmyselftospeakofitclearlyandcomposedlyto-night，“saidSirPatrick。“BesatisfiedifItellyouthatI
havethoughtitallout——andwaitfortheresttillto-morrow。“
Otherpersonsconcernedinthecomingdramahadhadpastdifficultiestothinkout，andfuturemovementstoconsider，duringtheintervaloccupiedbyArnoldandBlancheontheirreturnjourneytoEngland。BetweentheseventeenthandthetwentiethofSeptemberGeoffreyDelamaynhadleftSwanhaven，onthewaytohisnewtrainingquartersintheneighborhoodinwhichtheFoot-RaceatFulhamwastoberun。Betweenthesamedates，also，CaptainNewendenhadtakentheopportunity，whilepassingthroughLondononhiswaysouth，toconsulthissolicitors。Theobjectoftheconferencewastofindmeansofdiscoveringananonymousletter-writerinScotland，whohadpresumedtocauseseriousannoyancetoMrs。Glenarm。
Thus，byonesandtwos，convergingfromwidelydistantquarters，theywerenowbeginningtodrawtogether，inthenearneighborhoodofthegreatcitywhichwassoondestinedtoassemblethemall，forthefirstandthelasttimeinthisworld，facetoface。
BREAKFASTwasjustover。Blanche，seeingapleasantly-idlemorningbeforeher，proposedtoArnoldtotakeastrollinthegrounds。
Thegardenwasblightwithsunshine，andthebridewasbrightwithgood-humor。Shecaughtheruncle’seye，lookingatheradmiringly，andpaidhimalittlecomplimentinreturn。“Youhavenoidea，“shesaid，“howniceitistobebackatHamFarm!“
“Iamtounderstandthen，“rejoinedSirPatrick，“thatIamforgivenforinterruptingthehoney-moon？“
“Youaremorethanforgivenforinterruptingit，“saidBlanche——“youarethanked。Asamarriedwoman，“sheproceeded，withtheairofamatronofatleasttwentyyears’standing，“I
havebeenthinkingthesubjectover；andIhavearrivedattheconclusionthatahoney-moonwhichtakestheformofatourontheContinent，isoneofournationalabuseswhichstandsinneedofreform。Whenyouareinlovewitheachotherconsideramarriagewithoutlovetobenomarriageatall，whatdoyouwantwiththeexcitementofseeingstrangeplaces？Isn’titexcitementenough，andisn’titstrangeenough，toanewly-marriedwomantoseesuchatotalnoveltyasahusband？WhatisthemostinterestingobjectonthefaceofcreationtoamaninArnold’sposition？TheAlps？Certainlynot!Themostinterestingobjectisthewife。Andthepropertimeforabridaltouristhetime——saytenoradozenyearslater——whenyouarebeginningnottogettiredofeachother，that’soutofthequestionbuttogetalittletoowellusedtoeachother。ThentakeyourtourtoSwitzerland——andyougivetheAlpsachance。Asuccessionofhoney-moontrips，intheautumnofmarriedlife——thereismyproposalforanimprovementonthepresentstateofthings!Comeintothegarden，Arnold；andletuscalculatehowlongitwillbebeforewegetwearyofeachother，andwantthebeautiesofnaturetokeepuscompany。“
ArnoldlookedappealinglytoSirPatrick。Notawordhadpassedbetweenthem，asyet，ontheserioussubjectofAnneSilvester’sletter。SirPatrickundertooktheresponsibilityofmakingthenecessaryexcusestoBlanche。
“Forgiveme，“hesaid，“ifIaskleavetointerferewithyourmonopolyofArnoldforalittlewhile。IhavesomethingtosaytohimabouthispropertyinScotland。Willyouleavehimwithme，ifIpromisetoreleasehimassoonaspossible？“
Blanchesmiledgraciously。“Youshallhavehimaslongasyoulike，uncle。There’syourhat，“sheadded，tossingittoherhusband，gayly。“IbroughtitinforyouwhenIgotmyown。Youwillfindmeonthelawn。“
Shenodded，andwentout。
“Letmeheartheworstatonce，SirPatrick，“Arnoldbegan。“Isitserious？DoyouthinkIamtoblame？“
“Iwillansweryourlastquestionfirst，“saidSirPatrick。“DoI
thinkyouaretoblame？Yes——inthisway。Youcommittedanactofunpardonablerashnesswhenyouconsentedtogo，asGeoffreyDelamayn’smessenger，toMissSilvesterattheinn。Havingonceplacedyourselfinthatfalseposition，youcouldhardlyhaveacted，afterward，otherwisethanyoudid。YoucouldnotbeexpectedtoknowtheScotchlaw。And，asanhonorableman，youwereboundtokeepasecretconfidedtoyou，inwhichthereputationofawomanwasconcerned。Yourfirstandlasterrorinthismatter，wasthefatalerrorofinvolvingyourselfinresponsibilitieswhichbelongedexclusivelytoanotherman。“
“Themanhadsavedmylife。“pleadedArnold——“andIbelievedI
wasgivingserviceforservicetomydearestfriend。“
“Astoyourotherquestion，“proceededSirPatrick。“DoI
consideryourpositiontobeaseriousone？Mostassuredly，Ido!
SolongaswearenotabsolutelycertainthatBlancheisyourlawfulwife，thepositionismorethanserious：itisunendurable。Imaintaintheopinion，mind，outofwhichthankstoyourhonorablesilencethatscoundrelDelamayncontrivedtocheatme。Itoldhim，whatInowtellyou——thatyoursayingsanddoingsatCraigFernie，do_not_constituteamarriage，accordingtoScottishlaw。But，“pursuedSirPatrick，holdingupawarningforefingeratArnold，“youhavereaditinMissSilvester’sletter，andyoumaynowtakeitalsoasaresultofmyexperience，thatnoindividualopinion，inamatterofthiskind，istobereliedon。Oftwolawyers，consultedbyMissSilvesteratGlasgow，onedrawsadirectlyoppositeconclusiontomine，anddecidesthatyouandshearemarried。Ibelievehimtobewrong，butinoursituation，wehavenootherchoicethantoboldlyencountertheviewofthecasewhichherepresents。InplainEnglish，wemustbeginbylookingtheworstintheface。“
ArnoldtwistedthetravelinghatwhichBlanchehadthrowntohim，nervously，inbothhands。“Supposingtheworstcomestotheworst，“heasked，“whatwillhappen？“
SirPatrickshookhishead。