PendingthereturnofArnoldandBlanche，SirPatricklookedatMr。Crum’sletterforthesecondtime。
HewasnotquitesatisfiedthatthepecuniarymotivewasreallythemotiveatthebottomofAnne’sjourneysouth。RememberingthatGeoffrey’strainershadremovedhimtotheneighborhoodofLondon，hewasinclinedtodoubtwhethersomeseriousquarrelhadnottakenplacebetweenAnneandMrs。Glenarm——andwhethersomedirectappealtoGeoffreyhimselfmightnotbeincontemplationastheresult。Inthatevent，SirPatrick’sadviceandassistancewouldbeplaced，withoutscruple，atMissSilvester’sdisposal。
Byassertingherclaim，inoppositiontotheclaimofMrs。
Glenarm，shewasalsoassertingherselftobeanunmarriedwoman，andwasthusservingBlanche’sinterestsaswellasherown。“I
oweittoBlanchetohelpher，“thoughtSirPatrick。“AndIoweittomyselftobringGeoffreyDelamayntoadayofreckoningifIcan。“
Thebarkingofthedogsintheyardannouncedthereturnofthecarriage。SirPatrickwentouttomeetArnoldandBlancheatthegate，andtellthemthenews。
Punctualtothetimeatwhichhewasexpected，thediscreetDuncanreappearedwithanotefromthemusicalagent。
MissSilvesterhadnotyetreachedLondon；butshewasexpectedtoarrivenotlaterthanTuesdayintheensuingweek。TheagenthadalreadybeenfavoredwithherinstructionstopaythestrictestattentiontoanycommandsreceivedfromSirPatrickLundie。HewouldtakecarethatSirPatrick’smessageshouldbegiventoMissSilvesterassoonasshearrived。
Atlast，then，therewasnewstobereliedon!Atlasttherewasaprospectofseeingher!Blanchewasradiantwithhappiness，ArnoldwasinhighspiritsforthefirsttimesincehisreturnfromBaden。
SirPatricktriedhardtocatchtheinfectionofgayetyfromhisyoungfriends；but，tohisownsurprise，notlessthantotheirs，theeffortprovedfruitless。Withthetideofeventsturningdecidedlyinhisfavor——relievedofthenecessityoftakingadoubtfuljourneytoScotland；assuredofobtaininghisinterviewwithAnneinafewdays’time——hewasoutofspiritsallthroughtheevening。
“Stilldownonourluck!“exclaimedArnold，asheandhishostfinishedtheirlastgameofbilliards，andpartedforthenight。
“Surely，wecouldn’twishforamorepromisingprospectthan_our_prospectnextweek？“
SirPatricklaidhishandonArnold’sshoulder。
“Letuslookindulgentlytogether，“hesaid，inhiswhimsicallygraveway，“atthehumiliatingspectacleofanoldman’sfolly。I
feel，atthismoment，Arnold，asifIwouldgiveeverythingthatIpossessintheworldtohavepassedovernextweek，andtobelandedsafelyinthetimebeyondit。“
“Butwhy？“
“Thereisthefolly!Ican’ttellwhy。Witheveryreasontobeinbetterspiritsthanusual，Iamunaccountably，irrationally，invinciblydepressed。Whatarewetoconcludefromthat？AmItheobjectofasupernaturalwarningofmisfortunetocome？OramI
theobjectofatemporaryderangementofthefunctionsoftheliver？Thereisthequestion。Whoistodecideit？Howcontemptibleishumanity，Arnold，rightlyunderstood!Givememycandle，andlet’shopeit’stheliver。“
EIGHTHSCENE——THEPANTRY。
CHAPTERTHETHIRTY-NINTH。
ANNEWINSAVICTORY。
ONacertaineveninginthemonthofSeptemberatthatperiodofthemonthwhenArnoldandBlancheweretravelingbackfromBadentoHamFarmanancientman——withoneeyefilmyandblind，andoneeyemoistandmerry——sataloneinthepantryoftheHarpofScotlandInn，Perth，poundingthesugarsoftlyinaglassofwhisky-punch。Hehashithertobeenpersonallydistinguishedinthesepagesastheself-appointedfatherofAnneSilvesterandthehumbleservantofBlancheatthedanceatSwanhavenLodge。Henowdawnsontheviewinamicablerelationswithathirdlady——andassumesthemysticcharacterofMrs。Glenarm’s“FriendintheDark。“
ArrivinginPerththedayafterthefestivitiesatSwanhaven，BishopriggsproceededtotheHarpofScotland——atwhichestablishmentforthereceptionoftravelershepossessedtheadvantageofbeingknowntothelandlordasMrs。Inchbare’sright-handman，andofstandinghighonthehead-waiter’slistofoldandintimatefriends。
InquiringforthewaiterfirstbythenameofThomasotherwiseTammyPennyquick，Bishopriggsfoundhisfriendinsoredistressofbodyandmind。Contendingvainlyagainstthedisablingadvancesofrheumatism，ThomasPennyquickruefullycontemplatedtheprospectofbeinglaidupathomebyalongillness——withawifeandchildrentosupport，andwiththeemolumentsattachedtohispositionpassingintothepocketsofthefirststrangerwhocouldbefoundtooccupyhisplaceattheinn。
Hearingthisdolefulstory，BishopriggscunninglysawhiswaytoservinghisownprivateinterestsbyperformingthepartofThomasPennyquick’sgenerousanddevotedfriend。
Heforthwithofferedtofilltheplace，withouttakingtheemoluments，oftheinvalidedheadwaiter——ontheunderstanding，asamatterofcourse，thatthelandlordconsentedtoboardandlodgehimfreeofexpenseattheinn。Thelandlordhavingreadilyacceptedthiscondition，ThomasPennyquickretiredtothebosomofhisfamily。AndtherewasBishopriggs，doublysecuredbehindarespectablepositionandavirtuousactionagainstalllikelihoodofsuspicionfallingonhimasastrangerinPerth——intheeventofhiscorrespondencewithMrs。Glenarmbeingmadetheobjectoflegalinvestigationonthepartofherfriends!
Havingopenedthecampaigninthismasterlymanner，thesamesagaciousforesighthaddistinguishedtheoperationsofBishopriggsthroughout。
HiscorrespondencewithMrs。Glenarmwasinvariablywrittenwiththelefthand——thewritingthusproduceddefyingdetection，inallcases，asbearingnoresemblanceofcharacterwhatevertowritingproducedbypersonswhohabituallyusetheotherhand。A
nolessfar-sightedcunningdistinguishedhisproceedingsinansweringtheadvertisementswhichthelawyersdulyinsertedinthenewspaper。Heappointedhoursatwhichhewasemployedonbusiness-errandsfortheinn，andplaceswhichlayonthewaytothoseerrands，forhismeetingswithMrs。Glenarm’srepresentatives：apass-wordbeingdeterminedon，asusualinsuchcases，byexchangingwhichthepersonsconcernedcoulddiscovereachother。Howevercarefullythelawyersmightsetthesnare——whethertheyhadtheirnecessary“witness“disguisedasanartistsketchingintheneighborhood，orasanoldwomansellingfruit，orwhatnot——thewaryeyeofBishopriggsdetectedit。Heleftthepass-wordunspoken；hewenthiswayonhiserrand；hewasfollowedonsuspicion；andhewasdiscoveredtobeonly“arespectableperson，“chargedwithamessagebythelandlordoftheHarpofScotlandInn!
Toamanintrenchedbehindsuchprecautionsasthese，thechanceofbeingdetectedmightwellbereckonedamongthelastofallthechancesthatcouldpossiblyhappen。
Discoverywas，nevertheless，advancingonBishopriggsfromaquarterwhichhadnotbeenincludedinhiscalculations。AnneSilvesterwasinPerth；forewarnedbythenewspaperasSirPatrickhadguessedthatthelettersofferedtoMrs。GlenarmwerethelettersbetweenGeoffreyandherself，whichshehadlostatCraigFernie，andbentonclearingupthesuspicionwhichpointedtoBishopriggsasthepersonwhowastryingtoturnthecorrespondencetopecuniaryaccount。Theinquiriesmadeforhim，atAnne’srequest，assoonasshearrivedinthetown，openlydescribedhisname，andhisformerpositionasheadwaiteratCraigFernie——andthusledeasilytothediscoveryofhim，inhispubliclyavowedcharacterofThomasPennyquick’sdevotedfriend。Towardevening，onthedayaftershereachedPerth，thenewscametoAnnethatBishopriggswasinserviceattheinnknownastheHarpofScotland。Thelandlordofthehotelatwhichshewasstayinginquiredwhetherheshouldsendamessageforher。Sheanswered，“No，Iwilltakemymessagemyself。AllIwantisapersontoshowmethewaytotheinn。“
Secludedinthesolitudeofthehead-waiter’spantry，Bishopriggssatpeacefullymeltingthesugarinhiswhisky-punch。
Itwasthehouroftheeveningatwhichaperiodoftranquillitygenerallyoccurredbeforewhatwascalled“thenight-business“ofthehousebegan。Bishopriggswasaccustomedtodrinkandmeditatedailyinthisintervalofrepose。Hetastedthepunch，andsmiledcontentedlyashesetdownhisglass。Theprospectbeforehimlookedfairlyenough。Hehadoutwittedthelawyersinthepreliminarynegotiationsthusfar。Allthatwasneedfulnowwastowaittilltheterrorofapublicscandalsustainedbyoccasionallettersfromher“FriendintheDark“haditsdueeffectonMrs。Glenarm，andhurriedherintopayingthepurchase-moneyforthecorrespondencewithherownhand。“Letitbreedinthebrain，“hethought，“andthesillerwillsooncomeouto’thepurse。“
Hisreflectionswereinterruptedbytheappearanceofaslovenlymaid-servant，withacottonhandkerchieftiedroundherhead，andanuncleanedsauce-paninherhand。
“Eh，MaisterBishopriggs，“criedthegirl，“here’sabrawyoungleddyspeerin’foryebyyerainnameatthedoor。“
“Aleddy？“repeatedBishopriggs，withalookofvirtuousdisgust。
“Yedonnertne’er-do-weel，doyoucometoadecent，’sponsiblemanlikeme，wi’sicaCyprianovertureasthat？Whatd’yetak’
mefor？MarkAntonythatlosttheworldforlovethemairfulehe!？orDonJovannythatcountedhisconcubinesbyhundreds，liketheblessedSolomonhimself？Awa’wi’yetoyerpotsandpans；andbidthewanderingVenusthatsentyegospin!“
Beforethegirlcouldanswershewasgentlypulledasidefromthedoorway，andBishopriggs，thunder-struck，sawAnneSilvesterstandinginherplace。
“YouhadbettertelltheservantIamnostrangertoyou，“saidAnne，lookingtowardthekitchen-maid，whostoodinthepassagestaringatherinstolidamazement。
“Myainsister’schild!“criedBishopriggs，lyingwithhiscustomaryreadiness。“Goyerways，Maggie。Thebonnylassie’smyainkithandkin。Thetongueo’scandal，Itrow，hasnaethingtosayagainstthat——Lordsaveusandguideus!“headdedInanothertone，asthegirlclosedthedooronthem，“whatbringsyehere？“