“Ihavesomethingtosaytoyou。Iamnotverywell；Imustwaitalittlefirst。Givemeachair。“
Bishopriggsobeyedinsilence。HisoneavailableeyerestedonAnne，asheproducedthechair，withanuneasyandsuspiciousattention。“I’mwantingtoknowonething，“hesaid。“Bywhatmeeraiculousmeans，youngmadam，doyehappentoha’fundyerwaytothisinn？“
Annetoldhimhowherinquirieshadbeenmadeandwhattheresulthadbeen，plainlyandfrankly。ThecloudedfaceofBishopriggsbegantoclearagain。
“Hech!hech!“heexclaimed，recoveringallhisnativeimpudence，“Ihaehadoccasiontoremarkalready，toanitherleddythanyersel’，thatit’sseemplymairveloushooaman’saingudedeedsfindhimootinthislowerwarldo’ours。IhaeduneagudedeedbypureTammyPennyquick，andhere’sa’Pairthringingwithereporto’it；andSawmuelBishopriggssaeweelknownthatonystrangerhasonlytoask，andfindhim。Understand，Ibeseechye，thatit’snohando’minethatpetsthisnewfeatherinmycap。
AsagudeCalvinist，mysaul’sclearo’thesmallestfigmento’
beliefinWarks。WhenIlookatmyainceleebrityIjoostask，asthePsawmistaskedbeforeme，’Whydotheheathenrage，andthepeopleimagineavainthing？’Itseemsye’vesomethingtosaytome，“headded，suddenlyrevertingtotheobjectofAnne’svisit。
“Isithumanlypossiblethatyecanha’comea’thewaytoPairthfornaethingbutthat？“
Theexpressionofsuspicionbegantoshowitselfagaininhisface。Concealingasshebestmightthedisgustthatheinspiredinher，Annestatedhererrandinthemostdirectmanner，andinthefewestpossiblewords。
“Ihavecomeheretoaskyouforsomething，“shesaid。
“Ay？ay？Whatmayitbeye’rewantingofme？“
“IwanttheletterIlostatCraigFernie。“
Eventhesolidly-foundedself-possessionofBishopriggshimselfwasshakenbythestartlingdirectnessofthatattackonit。Hisglibtonguewasparalyzedforthemoment。“Idinnakenwhatye’redrivin’at，“hesaid，afteraninterval，withasullenconsciousnessthathehadbeenallbuttrickedintobetrayinghimself。
ThechangeinhismannerconvincedAnnethatshehadfoundinBishopriggsthepersonofwhomshewasinsearch。
“Youhavegotmyletter，“shesaid，sternlyinsistingonthetruth。“Andyouaretryingtoturnittoadisgracefuluse。I
won’tallowyoutomakeamarketofmyprivateaffairs。Youhaveofferedaletterofmineforsaletoastranger。IinsistonyourrestoringittomebeforeIleavethisroom!“
Bishopriggshesitatedagain。HisfirstsuspicionthatAnnehadbeenprivatelyinstructedbyMrs。Glenarm’slawyersreturnedtohismindasasuspicionconfirmed。Hefeltthevastimportanceofmakingacautiousreply。
“I’llno’wasteprecioustime，“hesaid，afteramoment’sconsiderationwithhimself，“inbrushingawa’thefawsebreatho’
scandal，whenitpassesmyway。Itblawstonaepurpose，myyoungleddy，whenitblawsonanhonestmanlikeme。Fieforshameonyeforsayingwhatye’vejoostsaid——tomethatwasafethertoyeatCraigFernie!Wha’setyeontoit？Willitbemanorwomanthat’smisca’edmebehindmyback？“
AnnetooktheGlasgownewspaperfromthepocketofhertravelingcloak，andplaceditbeforehim，openattheparagraphwhichdescribedtheactofextortionattemptedonMrs。Glenarm。
“Ihavefoundthere，“shesaid，“allthatIwanttoknow。“
“Maya’thetribeo’editors，preenters，paper-makers，news-vendors，andthelike，bleezetogetherinthepito’
Tophet!“Withthisdevoutaspiration——internallyfelt，notopenlyuttered——Bishopriggsputonhisspectacles，andreadthepassagepointedouttohim。“Iseenaethingheretouchingthenameo’
SawmuelBishopriggs，orthemattero’onylossyemayormaynotha’hadatCraigFernie，“hesaid，whenhehaddone；stilldefendinghisposition，witharesolutionworthyofabettercause。
Anne’spriderecoiledattheprospectofprolongingthediscussionwithhim。Sherosetoherfeet，andsaidherlastwords。
“Ihavelearnedenoughbythistime，“sheanswered，“toknowthattheoneargumentthatprevailswithyouistheargumentofmoney。
Ifmoneywillsparemethehatefulnecessityofdisputingwithyou——poorasIam，moneyyoushallhave。Besilent，ifyouplease。YouarepersonallyinterestedinwhatIhavetosaynext。“
Sheopenedherpurse，andtookafive-poundnotefromit。
“Ifyouchoosetoownthetruth，andproducetheletter，“sheresumed，“Iwillgiveyouthis，asyourrewardforfinding，andrestoringtome，somethingthatIhadlost。Ifyoupersistinyourpresentprevarication，Ican，andwill，makethatsheetofnote-paperyouhavestolenfrommenothingbutwastepaperinyourhands。YouhavethreatenedMrs。Glenarmwithmyinterference。SupposeIgotoMrs。Glenarm？SupposeIinterferebeforetheweekisout？SupposeIhaveotherlettersofMr。
Delamayn’sinmypossession，andproducethemtospeakforme？
WhathasMrs。Glenarmtopurchaseofyou_then？_Answermethat!“
Thecolorroseonherpaleface。Hereyes，dimandwearywhensheenteredtheroom，lookedhimbrightlythroughandthroughinimmeasurablecontempt。“Answermethat!“sherepeated，withaburstofheroldenergywhichrevealedthefireandpassionofthewoman’snature，notquenchedevenyet!
IfBishopriggshadamerit，itwasararemerit，asmengo，ofknowingwhenhewasbeaten。Ifhehadanaccomplishment，itwastheaccomplishmentofretiringdefeated，withallthehonorsofwar。
“Mercypresairveus!“heexclaimed，inthemostinnocentmanner。
“IsitevenYouYersel’thatwritthelettertothemanca’edJaffrayDelamayn，andgottheweebitanswerinpencilontheblankpage？Hoo，inHeeven’sname，wasItoknow_that_wastheletteryewereafterwhenyecam’inhere？DidyeevertellmeyewereAnneSilvester，atthehottle？Neverance!Wasthepuirfecklesshusband-creatureyehadwi’yeattheinn，JaffrayDelamayn？Jaffraywadmak’twao’him，asmyaineyesha’seen。
Gi’yebackyerletter？Mycertie!nooIknowitisyerletter，I’llgi’itbackwi’a’thepleasureinlife!“
Heopenedhispocket-book，andtookitout，withanalacrityworthyofthehonestestmaninChristendom——andmorewonderfulstillhelookedwithaperfectlyassumedexpressionofindifferenceatthefive-poundnoteinAnne’shand。
“Hoot!toot!“hesaid，“I’mno’thatclearinmymindthatI’mfreetotak’yermoney。Eh，weel!weel!I’lleenreceiveit，ifyelike，asabitMementoo’thetimewhenIwaso’somesma’
sairvicetoyeatthehottle。Ye’llno’mind，“headded，suddenlyreturningtobusiness，“writin’mejoostaline——inthewayo’
receipt，yeken——toclearmeo’onyfuturesuspicioninthemattero’theletter？“
Annethrewdownthebank-noteonthetablenearwhichtheywerestanding，andsnatchedtheletterfromhim。
“Youneednoreceipt，“sheanswered。“Thereshallbenolettertobearwitnessagainstyou!“
Sheliftedherotherhandtotearitinpieces。Bishopriggscaughtherbybothwrists，atthesamemoment，andheldherfast。
“Bideawee!“hesaid。“Yedon’tgettheletter，youngmadam，withoutthereceipt。Itmaybea’thesameto_you，_nowye’vemarriedtheotherman，whetherJaffrayDelamaynancepromisedyefairintheby-gonetime，orno。But，mycertie!it’samattero’
somemomentto_me，_thatye’vechairgedwi’stealin’theletter，andmakingamarketo’t，andLordknowswhatbesides，thatIsuldhaeyerainacknowledgmentforitinblackandwhite。Gi’memybitreceipt——andeendoasyewillwithyerletterafterthat!“
Anne’sholdoftheletterrelaxed。SheletBishopriggsrepossesshimselfofitasitdroppedonthefloorbetweenthem，withoutmakinganefforttopreventhim。
“Itmaybea’thesameto_you，_nowye’vemarriedtheotherman，whetherJaffrayDelamaynancepromisedyefairintheby-gonetime，orno。“ThosewordspresentedAnne’spositionbeforeherinalightinwhichshehadnotseenityet。ShehadtrulyexpressedtheloathingthatGeoffreynowinspiredinher，whenshehaddeclared，inherlettertoArnold，that，evenifheofferedhermarriage，inatonementforthepast，shewouldratherbewhatshewasthanbehiswife。Ithadneveroccurredtoher，untilthismoment，thatotherswouldmisinterpretthesensitivepridewhichhadpromptedtheabandonmentofherclaimonthemanwhohadruinedher。Ithadneverbeenbroughthometoheruntilnow，thatifshelefthimcontemptuouslytogohisownway，andsellhimselftothefirstwomanwhohadmoneyenoughtobuyhim，herconductwouldsanctionthefalseconclusionthatshewaspowerlesstointerfere，becauseshewasmarriedalreadytoanotherman。Thecolorthathadriseninherfacevanished，andleftitdeadlypaleagain。Shebegantoseethatthepurposeofherjourneytothenorthwasnotcompletedyet。
“Iwillgiveyouyourreceipt，“shesaid。“Tellmewhattowrite，anditshallbewritten。“
Bishopriggsdictatedthereceipt。Shewroteandsignedit。Heputitinhispocket-bookwiththefive-poundnote，andhandedhertheletterinexchange。
“Tearitifyewill，“hesaid。“Itmattersnaethingto_me。_“