Mr。Delamaynassertsthatthispersonintheback-groundhasnoclaimonhim，andbackshisassertionbydeclaringthatsheismarriedalreadytoMr。ArnoldBrinkworth。LadyLundieandmynieceassureme，onevidencewhichsatisfies_them，_thattheassertionistrue。Theevidencedoesnotsatisfy_me。_’Ihope，SirPatrick，Idon’tstrikeyouasbeinganexcessivelyobstinateman？’——’MydearSir，youimpressmewiththehighestopinionofyourcapacityforsiftinghumantestimony!MayIask，next，whatcourseyoumeantotake？’——’TheverythingIwasgoingtomention，SirPatrick!Thisismycourse。Irefusetosanctionmyniece’sengagementtoMr。Delamayn，untilMr。Delamaynhasactuallyprovedhisstatementbyappealtowitnessesofthelady’smarriage。Herefersmetotwowitnesses；butdeclinesactingatonceinthematterforhimself，onthegroundthatheisintrainingforafoot-race。Iadmitthatthatisanobstacle，andconsenttoarrangeforbringingthetwowitnessestoLondonmyself。BythispostIhavewrittentomylawyersinPerthtolookthewitnessesup；toofferthemthenecessarytermsatMr。
Delamayn’sexpensefortheuseoftheirtime；andtoproducethembytheendoftheweek。ThefootraceisonThursdaynext。
Mr。Delamaynwillbeabletoattendafterthat，andestablishhisownassertionbyhisownwitnesses。Whatdoyousay，SirPatrick，toSaturdaynextwithLadyLundie’spermissioninthisroom？’——Thereisthesubstanceofthecaptain’sstatement。HeisasoldasIamandisdressedtolooklikethirty；butaverypleasantfellowforallthat。Istruckmysister-in-lawdumbbyacceptingtheproposalwithoutamoment’shesitation。Mrs。
GlenarmandLadyLundielookedateachotherinmuteamazement。
Herewasadifferenceaboutwhichtwowomenwouldhavemortallyquarreled；andhereweretwomensettlingitinthefriendliestpossiblemanner。IwishyouhadseenLadyLundie’sface，whenI
declaredmyselfdeeplyindebtedtoCaptainNewendenforrenderinganyprolongedinterviewwithherladyshipquiteunnecessary。
’Thankstothecaptain，’Isaidtoher，inthemostcordialmanner，’wehaveabsolutelynothingtodiscuss。Ishallcatchthenexttrain，andsetArnoldBrinkworth’smindquiteatease。’Tocomebacktoseriousthings，Ihaveengagedtoproduceyou，inthepresenceofeverybody——yourwifeincluded——onSaturdaynext。
Iputaboldfaceonitbeforetheothers。ButIamboundtotell_you_thatitisbynomeanseasytosay——situatedaswearenow——whattheresultofSaturday’sinquirywillbe。EverythingdependsontheissueofmyinterviewwithMissSilvesterto-morrow。Itisnoexaggerationtosay，Arnold，thatyourfateisinherhands。“
“IwishtoheavenIhadneverseteyesonher!“saidArnold。
“Laythesaddleontherighthorse，“returnedSirPatrick。“WishyouhadneverseteyesonGeoffreyDelamayn。“
Arnoldhunghishead。SirPatrick’ssharptonguehadgotthebetterofhimoncemore。
THEmany-tonedmurmurofthecurrentofLondonlife——flowingthroughthemurkychannelofDruryLane——founditsmuffledwayfromthefrontroomtotheback。Pilesofoldmusiclumberedthedustyfloor。Stagemasksandweapons，andportraitsofsingersanddancers，hungroundthewalls。AnemptyviolincaseinonecornerfacedabrokenbustofRossiniinanother。Aframelessprint，representingtheTrialofQueenCaroline，waspastedoverthefireplace。Thechairsweregenuinespecimensofancientcarvinginoak。Thetablewasanequallyexcellentexampleofdirtymoderndeal。Asmallmorselofdruggetwasonthefloor；
andalargedepositofsootwasontheceiling。Thescenethuspresented，revealeditselfinthebackdrawing-roomofahouseinDruryLane，devotedtothetransactionofmusicalandtheatricalbusinessofthehumblersort。Itwaslateintheafternoon，onMichaelmas-day。Twopersonswereseatedtogetherintheroom：
theywereAnneSilvesterandSirPatrickLundie。
Theopeningconversationbetweenthem——comprising，ononeside，thenarrativeofwhathadhappenedatPerthandatSwanhaven；
and，ontheother，astatementofthecircumstancesattendingtheseparationofArnoldandBlanche——hadcometoanend。ItrestedwithSirPatricktoleadthewaytothenexttopic。Helookedathiscompanion，andhesitated。
“Doyoufeelstrongenoughtogoon？“heasked。“Ifyouwouldprefertorestalittle，praysayso。“
“Thankyou，SirPatrick。Iammorethanready，Iameager，togoon。NowordscansayhowanxiousIfeeltobeofsomeusetoyou，ifIcan。Itrestsentirelywithyourexperiencetoshowmehow。“
“Icanonlydothat，MissSilvester，byaskingyouwithoutceremonyforalltheinformationthatIwant。HadyouanyobjectintravelingtoLondon，whichyouhavenotmentionedtomeyet？I
mean，ofcourse，anyobjectwithwhichIhareaclaimasArnoldBrinkworth’srepresentativetobeacquainted？“
“Ihadanobject，SirPatrick。AndIhavefailedtoaccomplishit。“
“MayIaskwhatitwas？“
“ItwastoseeGeoffreyDelamayn。“
SirPatrickstarted。“Youhaveattemptedtosee_him!_When？“
“Thismorning。“
“Why，youonlyarrivedinLondonlastnight!“
“Ionlyarrived，“saidAnne，“afterwaitingmanydaysonthejourney。IwasobligedtorestatEdinburgh，andagainatYork——andIwasafraidIhadgivenMrs。GlenarmtimeenoughtogettoGeoffreyDelamaynbeforeme。“
“Afraid？“repeatedSirPatrick。“IunderstoodthatyouhadnoseriousintentionofdisputingthescoundrelwithMrs。Glenarm。
Whatmotivecouldpossiblyhavetakenyou_his_way？“
“ThesamemotivewhichtookmetoSwanhaven。“
“What!theideathatitrestedwithDelamayntosetthingsright？
andthatyoumightbribehimtodoit，byconsentingtoreleasehim，sofarasyourclaimswereconcerned？“
“Bearwithmyfolly，SirPatrick，aspatientlyasyoucan!Iamalwaysalonenow；andIgetintoahabitofbroodingoverthings。
IhavebeenbroodingoverthepositioninwhichmymisfortuneshaveplacedMr。Brinkworth。Ihavebeenobstinate——unreasonablyobstinate——inbelievingthatIcouldprevailwithGeoffreyDelamayn，afterIhadfailedwithMrs。Glenarm。Iamobstinateaboutitstill。Ifhewouldonlyhaveheardme，mymadnessingoingtoFulhammighthavehaditsexcuse。“Shesighedbitterly，andsaidnomore。
SirPatricktookherhand。
“It_has_itsexcuse，“hesaid，kindly。“Yourmotiveisbeyondreproach。Letmeadd——toquietyourmind——that，evenifDelamaynhadbeenwillingtohearyou，andhadacceptedthecondition，theresultwouldstillhavebeenthesame。Youarequitewronginsupposingthathehasonlytospeak，andtosetthismatterright。Ithaspassedentirelybeyondhiscontrol。ThemischiefwasdonewhenArnoldBrinkworthspentthoseunluckyhourswithyouatCraigFernie。“
“Oh，SirPatrick，ifIhadonlyknownthat，beforeIwenttoFulhamthismorning!“
Sheshudderedasshesaidthewords。SomethingwasplainlyassociatedwithhervisittoGeoffrey，thebareremembranceofwhichshookhernerves。Whatwasit？SirPatrickresolvedtoobtainananswertothatquestion，beforebeventuredonproceedingfurtherwiththemainobjectoftheinterview。
“YouhavetoldmeyourreasonforgoingtoFulham，“hesaid。“ButIhavenotheardwhathappenedthereyet。“
Annehesitated。“Isitnecessaryformetotroubleyouaboutthat？“sheasked——withevidentreluctancetoenteronthesubject。
“Itisabsolutelynecessary，“answeredSirPatrick，“becauseDelamaynisconcernedinit。“
Annesummonedherresolution，andenteredonhernarrativeinthesewords：
“Thepersonwhocarriesonthebusinessherediscoveredtheaddressforme，“shebegan。“Ihadsomedifficulty，however，infindingthehouse。Itislittlemorethanacottage；anditisquitelostinagreatgarden，surroundedbyhighwalls。Isawacarriagewaiting。Thecoachmanwaswalkinghishorsesupanddown——andheshowedmethedoor。Itwasahighwoodendoorinthewall，withagratinginit。Irangthebell。Aservant-girlopenedthegrating，andlookedatme。Sherefusedtoletmein。
Hermistresshadorderedhertoclosethedooronallstrangers——especiallystrangerswhowerewomen。Icontrivedtopasssomemoneytoherthroughthegrating，andaskedtospeaktohermistress。Afterwaitingsometime，Isawanotherfacebehindthebars——anditstruckmethatIrecognizedit。IsupposeIwasnervous。Itstartledme。Isaid，’Ithinkweknoweachother。’
Therewasnoanswer。Thedoorwassuddenlyopened——andwhodoyouthinkstoodbeforeme？“
“WasitsomebodyIknow？“
“Yes。“
“Man？orwoman？“
“ItwasHesterDethridge。“
“HesterDethridge!“
“Yes。Dressedjustasusual，andlookingjustasusual——withherslatehangingatherside。“
“Astonishing!WheredidIlastseeher？AttheWindygatesstation，tobesure——goingtoLondon，aftershehadleftmysister-in-law’sservice。Hassheacceptedanotherplace——withoutlettingmeknowfirst，asItoldher？“
“SheislivingatFulham。“
“Inservice？“
“No。Asmistressofherownhouse。“
“What!HesterDethridgeinpossessionofahouseofherown？
Well!well!whyshouldn’tshehaveariseintheworldlikeotherpeople？Didsheletyouin？“