“Itisnoteasytotellyou，“hesaid，“withoutenteringintothelegalaspectofthecase。IshallonlypuzzleyouifIdothat。
Supposewelookatthematterinitssocialbearings——Imean，asitmaypossiblyaffectyouandBlanche，andyourunbornchildren？“
Arnoldgavethehatatightertwistthanever。“Ineverthoughtofthechildren，“hesaid，withalookofconsternation。
“Thechildrenmaypresentthemselves，“returnedSirPatrick，dryly，“forallthat。Nowlisten。ItmayhaveoccurredtoyourmindthattheplainwayoutofourpresentdilemmaisforyouandMissSilvester，respectively，toaffirmwhatweknowtobethetruth——namely，thatyouneverhadtheslightestintentionofmarryingeachother。Bewareoffoundinganyhopesonanysuchremedyasthat!Ifyoureckononit，youreckonwithoutGeoffreyDelamayn。Heisinterested，remember，inprovingyouandMissSilvestertobemanandwife。Circumstancesmayarise——Iwon’twastetimeinguessingatwhattheymaybe——whichwillenableathirdpersontoproducethelandladyandthewaiteratCraigFernieinevidenceagainstyou——andtoassertthatyourdeclarationandMissSilvester’sdeclarationaretheresultofcollusionbetweenyoutwo。Don’tstart!Suchthingshavehappenedbeforenow。MissSilvesterispoor；andBlancheisrich。Youmaybemadetostandintheawkwardpositionofamanwhoisdenyinghismarriagewithapoorwoman，inordertoestablishhismarriagewithanheiress：MissSilvesterpresumablyaidingthefraud，withtwostronginterestsofherownasinducements——theinterestofassertingtheclaimtobethewifeofamanofrank，andtheinterestofearningherrewardinmoneyforresigningyoutoBlanche。Thereisacasewhichascoundrelmightsetup——andwithsomeappearanceoftruthtoo——inacourtofjustice!“
“Surely，thelawwouldn’tallowhimtodothat？“
“Thelawwillargueanything，withanybodywhowillpaythelawfortheuseofitsbrainsanditstime。Letthatviewofthematteralonenow。Delamayncansetthecasegoing，ifhelikes，withoutapplyingtoanylawyertohelphim。HehasonlytocauseareporttoreachBlanche’searswhichpubliclyassertsthatsheisnotyourlawfulwife。Withhertemper，doyousupposeshewouldleaveusaminute’speacetillthematterwasclearedup？
Ortakeittheotherway。Comfortyourself，ifyouwill，withtheideathatthisaffairwilltroublenobodyinthepresent。Howarewetoknowitmaynotturnupinthefutureundercircumstanceswhichmayplacethelegitimacyofyourchildrenindoubt？Wehaveamantodealwithwhosticksatnothing。Wehaveastateofthelawwhichcanonlybedescribedasonescandalousuncertaintyfrombeginningtoend。AndwehavetwopeopleBishopriggsandMrs。Inchbarewhocan，andwill，speaktowhattookplacebetweenyouandAnneSilvesterattheinn。ForBlanche’ssake，andforthesakeofyourunbornchildren，wemustfacethismatteronthespot——andsettleitatonceandforever。Thequestionbeforeusnowisthis。ShallweopentheproceedingsbycommunicatingwithMissSilvesterornot？“
AtthatimportantpointintheconversationtheywereinterruptedbythereappearanceofBlanche。Hadshe，byanyaccident，heardwhattheyhadbeensaying？
No；itwastheoldstoryofmostinterruptions。Idlenessthatconsidersnothing，hadcometolookatIndustrythatbearseverything。Itisalawofnature，apparently，thatthepeopleinthisworldwhohavenothingtodocannotsupportthesightofanuninterruptedoccupationinthehandsoftheirneighbors。BlancheproducedanewspecimenfromArnold’scollectionofhats。“Ihavebeenthinkingaboutitinthegarden，“shesaid，quiteseriously。
“Hereisthebrownonewiththehighcrown。Youlookbetterinthisthaninthewhiteonewiththelowcrown。Ihavecometochangethem，that’sall。“ShechangedthehatswithArnold，andwenton，withoutthefaintestsuspicionthatshewasintheway。
“Wearthebrownonewhenyoucomeout——andcomesoon，dear。I
won’tstayaninstantlonger，uncle——Iwouldn’tinterruptyoufortheworld。“ShekissedherhandtoSirPatrick，andsmiledatherhusband，andwentout。
“Whatwerewesaying？“askedArnold。“It’sawkwardtobeinterruptedinthisway，isn’tit？“
“IfIknowanythingoffemalehumannature，“returnedSirPatrick，composedly，“yourwifewillbeinandoutoftheroom，inthatway，thewholemorning。Igivehertenminutes，Arnold，beforeshechangeshermindagainontheseriousandweightysubjectofthewhitehatandthebrown。Theselittleinterruptions——otherwisequitecharming——raisedadoubtinmymind。Wouldn’titbewiseIaskmyself，ifwemadeavirtueofnecessity，andtookBlancheintotheconversation？Whatdoyousaytocallingherbackandtellingherthetruth？“
Arnoldstarted，andchangedcolor。
“Therearedifficultiesintheway，“hesaid。
“Mygoodfellow!ateverystepofthisbusinesstherearedifficultiesintheway。Soonerorlater，yourwifemustknowwhathashappened。Thetimefortellingheris，nodoubt，amatterforyourdecision，notmine。AllIsayisthis。Considerwhetherthedisclosurewon’tcomefromyouwithabettergrace，ifyoumakeitbeforeyouarefairlydriventothewall，andobligedtoopenyourlips。“
Arnoldrosetohisfeet——tookaturnintheroom——satdownagain——andlookedatSirPatrick，withtheexpressionofathoroughlybewilderedandthoroughlyhelplessman。
“Idon’tknowwhattodo，“hesaid。“Itbeatsmealtogether。Thetruthis，SirPatrick，Iwasfairlyforced，atCraigFernie，intodeceivingBlanche——inwhatmightseemtoheraveryunfeeling，andaveryunpardonableway。“
“Thatsoundsawkward!Whatdoyoumean？“
“I’lltryandtellyou。YourememberwhenyouwenttotheinntoseeMissSilvester？Well，beingthereprivatelyatthetime，ofcourseIwasobligedtokeepoutofyourway。“
“Isee!And，whenBlanchecameafterward，youwereobligedtohidefromBlanche，exactlyasyouhadhiddenfromme？“
“Worseeventhanthat!Adayortwolater，Blanchetookmeintoherconfidence。Shespoketomeofhervisittotheinn，asifI
wasaperfectstrangertothecircumstances。Shetoldmetomyface，SirPatrick，oftheinvisiblemanwhohadkeptsostrangelyoutofherway——withoutthefaintestsuspicionthatIwastheman。AndIneveropenedmylipstosetherright!Iwasobligedtobesilent，orImusthavebetrayedMissSilvester。WhatwillBlanchethinkofme，ifItellhernow？That’sthequestion!“
Blanche’snamehadbarelypassedherhusband’slipsbeforeBlancheherselfverifiedSirPatrick’sprediction，byreappearingattheopenFrenchwindow，withthesupersededwhitehatinherhand。
“Haven’tyoudoneyet!“sheexclaimed。“Iamshocked，uncle，tointerruptyouagain——butthesehorridhatsofArnold’sarebeginningtoweighuponmymind。Onreconsideration，Ithinkthewhitehatwiththelowcrownisthemostbecomingofthetwo。
Changeagain，dear。Yes!thebrownhatishideous。There’sabeggaratthegate。BeforeIgoquitedistracted，Ishallgivehimthebrownhat，andhavedonewiththedifficultyinthatmanner。AmIverymuchinthewayofbusiness？I’mafraidImustappearrestless？Indeed，I_am_restless。Ican’timaginewhatisthematterwithmethismorning。“
“Icantellyou，“saidSirPatrick，inhisgravestanddryestmanner。“Youaresuffering，Blanche，fromamaladywhichisexceedinglycommonamongtheyoungladiesofEngland。Asadiseaseitisquiteincurable——andthenameofitisNothing-to-Do。“
Blanchedroppedheruncleasmartlittlecourtesy。“YoumighthavetoldmeIwasinthewayinfewerwordsthanthat。“Shewhiskedround，kickedthedisgracedbrownhatoutintotheverandabeforeher，andleftthetwogentlemenaloneoncemore。
“Yourpositionwithyourwife，Arnold，“resumedSirPatrick，returninggravelytothematterinhand，“iscertainlyadifficultone。“Hepaused，thinkingoftheeveningwhenheandBlanchehadillustratedthevaguenessofMrs。Inchbare’sdescriptionofthemanattheinn，bycitingArnoldhimselfasbeingoneofthehundredsofinnocentpeoplewhoansweredtoit!
“Perhaps，“headded，“thesituationisevenmoredifficultthanyousuppose。Itwouldhavebeencertainlyeasierfor_you_——anditwouldhavelookedmorehonorablein_her_estimation——ifyouhadmadetheinevitableconfessionbeforeyourmarriage。Iam，insomedegree，answerableforyournothavingdonethis——aswellasforthefarmoreseriousdilemmawithMissSilvesterinwhichyounowstand。IfIhadnotinnocentlyhastenedyourmarriagewithBlanche，MissSilvester’sadmirableletterwouldhavereachedusinampletimetopreventmischief。It’suselesstodwellonthatnow。Cheerup，Arnold!Iamboundtoshowyouthewayoutofthelabyrinth，nomatterwhatthedifficultiesmaybe——and，pleaseGod，Iwilldoit!“
Hepointedtoatableattheotherendoftheroom，onwhichwritingmaterialswereplaced。“IhatemovingthemomentIhavehadmybreakfast，“hesaid。“Wewon’tgointothelibrary。Bringmethepenandinkhere。“
“AreyougoingtowritetoMissSilvester？“
“Thatisthequestionbeforeuswhichwehavenotsettledyet。
BeforeIdecide，Iwanttobeinpossessionofthefacts——downtothesmallestdetailofwhattookplacebetweenyouandMissSilvesterattheinn。Thereisonlyonewayofgettingatthosefacts。IamgoingtoexamineyouasifIhadyoubeforemeinthewitness-boxincourt。“
Withthatpreface，andwithArnold’sletterfromBadeninhishandasabrieftospeakfrom，SirPatrickputhisquestionsinclearandendlesssuccession；andArnoldpatientlyandfaithfullyansweredthemall。
TheexaminationproceededuninterruptedlyuntilithadreachedthatpointintheprogressofeventsatwhichAnnehadcrushedGeoffreyDelamayn’sletterinherhand，andhadthrownitfromherindignantlytotheotherendoftheroom。There，forthefirsttime，SirPatrickdippedhispenintheink，apparentlyintendingtotakeanote。“Beverycarefulhere，“hesaid；“I
wanttoknoweverythingthatyoucantellmeaboutthatletter。“
“Theletterislost，“saidArnold。
“TheletterhasbeenstolenbyBishopriggs，“returnedSirPatrick，“andisinthepossessionofBishopriggsatthismoment。“
“Why，youknowmoreaboutitthanIdo!“exclaimedArnold。
“Isincerelyhopenot。Idon’tknowwhatwasinsidetheletter。
Doyou？“
“Yes。Partofitatleast。“
“Partofit？“
“Thereweretwoletterswritten，onthesamesheetofpaper，“
saidArnold。“OneofthemwaswrittenbyGeoffreyDelamayn——andthatistheoneIknowabout。“
SirPatrickstarted。Hisfacebrightened；hemadeahastynote。
“Goon，“hesaid，eagerly。“Howcametheletterstobewrittenonthesamesheet？Explainthat!“