wastoseethelastofher。IhopeandtrustIshallneverseteyesonheragain!“
“DidyouhearhowMr。Speedwellcametobeatthehouse？Hadhegoneofhisownaccord？orhadhebeensentfor？“
“Hehadbeensentfor。IventuredtospeaktohimaboutthepersonswhomIhadseeninthegarden。Mr。SpeedwellexplainedeverythingwhichIwasnotableofmyselftounderstand，inthekindestmanner。Oneofthetwostrangemeninthegardenwasthetrainer；theotherwasadoctor，whomthetrainerwasusuallyinthehabitofconsulting。ItseemsthattherealreasonfortheirbringingGeoffreyDelamaynawayfromScotlandwhentheydid，wasthatthetrainerwasuneasy，andwantedtobenearLondonformedicaladvice。Thedoctor，onbeingconsulted，ownedthathewasatalosstounderstandthesymptomswhichhewasaskedtotreat。
HehadhimselffetchedthegreatsurgeontoFulham，thatmorning。
Mr。Speedwellabstainedfrommentioningthathehadforeseenwhatwouldhappen，atWindygates。Allhesaidwas，’IhadmetMr。
Delamayninsociety，andIfeltinterestenoughinthecasetopayhimavisit——withwhatresult，youhaveseenyourself。’“
“DidhetellyouanythingaboutDelamayn’shealth？“
“HesaidthathehadquestionedthedoctoronthewaytoFulham，andthatsomeofthepatient’ssymptomsindicatedseriousmischief。WhatthesymptomswereIdidnothear。Mr。Speedwellonlyspokeofchangesfortheworseinhimwhichawomanwouldbelikelytounderstand。Atonetime，hewouldbesodullandheedlessthatnothingcouldrousehim。Atanother，heflewintothemostterriblepassionswithoutanyapparentcause。ThetrainerhadfounditalmostimpossibleinScotlandtokeephimtotherightdiet；andthedoctorhadonlysanctionedtakingthehouseatFulham，afterbeingfirstsatisfied，notonlyoftheconvenienceofthegarden，butalsothatHesterDethridgecouldbethoroughlytrustedasacook。Withherhelp，theyhadplacedhimonanentirelynewdiet。Buttheyhadfoundanunexpecteddifficultyevenindoingthat。Whenthetrainertookhimtothenewlodgings，itturnedoutthathehadseenHesterDethridgeatWindygates，andhadtakenthestrongestprejudiceagainsther。OnseeingheragainatFulham，heappearedtobeabsolutelyterrified。“
“Terrified？Why？“
“Nobodyknowswhy。Thetrainerandthedoctortogethercouldonlypreventhisleavingthehouse，bythreateningtothrowuptheresponsibilityofpreparinghimfortherace，unlessheinstantlycontrolledhimself，andbehavedlikeamaninsteadofachild。
Sincethattime，hehasbecomereconciled，littlebylittle，tohisnewabode——partlythroughHesterDethridge’scautioninkeepingherselfalwaysoutofhisway；andpartlythroughhisownappreciationofthechangeinhisdiet，whichHester’sskillincookeryhasenabledthedoctortomake。Mr。SpeedwellmentionedsomethingswhichIhaveforgotten。Icanonlyrepeat，SirPatrick，theresultatwhichhehasarrivedinhisownmind。
Comingfromamanofhisauthority，theopinionseemstometobestartlinginthelastdegree。IfGeoffreyDelamaynrunsintheraceonThursdaynext，hewilldoitattheriskofhislife。“
“Attheriskofdyingontheground？“
“Yes。“
SirPatrick’sfacebecamethoughtful。Hewaitedalittlebeforehespokeagain。
“Wehavenotwastedourtime，“hesaid，“indwellingonwhathappenedduringyourvisittoFulham。Thepossibilityofthisman’sdeathsuggeststomymindseriousmatterforconsideration。
Itisverydesirable，intheinterestsofmynieceandherhusband，thatIshouldbeabletoforesee，ifIcan，howafatalresultoftheracemightaffecttheinquirywhichistobeheldonSaturdaynext。Ibelieveyoumaybeabletohelpmeinthis。“
“Youhaveonlytotellmehow，SirPatrick。“
“ImaycountonyourbeingpresentonSaturday？“
“Certainly。“
“Youthoroughlyunderstandthat，inmeetingBlanche，youwillmeetapersonestrangedfromyou，forthepresent——afriendandsisterwhohasceasedunderLadyLundie’sinfluencemainlytofeelasafriendandsistertowardyounow？“
“Iwasnotquiteunprepared，SirPatrick，tohearthatBlanchehadmisjudgedme。WhenIwrotemylettertoMr。Brinkworth，I
warnedhimasdelicatelyasIcould，thathiswife’sjealousymightbeveryeasilyroused。Youmayrelyonmyself-restraint，nomatterhowhardlyitmaybetried。NothingthatBlanchecansayordowillaltermygratefulremembranceofthepast。WhileI
live，Iloveher。Letthatassurancequietanylittleanxietythatyoumayhavefeltastomyconduct——andtellmehowIcanservethoseinterestswhichIhaveatheartaswellasyou。“
“Youcanservethem，MissSilvester，inthisway。YoucanmakemeacquaintedwiththepositioninwhichyoustoodtowardDelamaynatthetimewhenyouwenttotheCraigFernieinn。“
“Putanyquestionstomethatyouthinkright，SirPatrick。“
“Youmeanthat？“
“Imeanit。“
“Iwillbeginbyrecallingsomethingwhichyouhavealreadytoldme。Delamaynhaspromisedyoumarriage——“
“Overandoveragain!“
“Inwords？“
“Yes。“
“Inwriting？“
“Yes。“
“DoyouseewhatIamcomingto？“
“Hardlyyet。“
“Youreferred，whenwefirstmetinthisroom，toaletterwhichyourecoveredfromBishopriggs，atPerth。IhaveascertainedfromArnoldBrinkworththatthesheetofnote-paperstolenfromyoucontainedtwoletters。OnewaswrittenbyyoutoDelamayn——theotherwaswrittenbyDelamayntoyou。ThesubstanceofthislastArnoldremembered。Yourletterhehadnotread。Itisoftheutmostimportance，MissSilvester，toletmeseethatcorrespondencebeforewepartto-day。“
Annemadenoanswer。Shesatwithherclaspedhandsonherlap。
HereyeslookeduneasilyawayfromSirPatrick’sface，forthefirsttime。
“Willitnotbeenough，“sheasked，afteraninterval，“ifItellyouthesubstanceofmyletter，withoutshowingit？“
“Itwill_not_beenough，“returnedSirPatrick，intheplainestmanner。“Ihinted——ifyouremember——attheproprietyofmyseeingtheletter，whenyoufirstmentionedit，andIobservedthatyoupurposelyabstainedfromunderstandingme，Iamgrievedtoputyou，onthisoccasion，toapainfultest。Butifyou_are_tohelpmeatthisseriouscrisis，Ihaveshownyoutheway。“
Annerosefromherchair，andansweredbyputtingtheletterintoSirPatrick’shands。“Rememberwhathehasdone，sinceIwrotethat，“shesaid。“Andtrytoexcuseme，ifIownthatIamashamedtoshowittoyounow。“
Withthosewordsshewalkedasidetothewindow。Shestoodthere，withherhandpressedonherbreast，lookingoutabsentlyonthemurkyLondonviewofhouseroofandchimney，whileSirPatrickopenedtheletter。
Itisnecessarytotherightappreciationofevents，thatothereyesbesidesSirPatrick’sshouldfollowthebriefcourseofthecorrespondenceinthisplace。
1。_FromAnneSilvestertoGeoffreyDelamayn。_
WINDYGATESHOUSE。_August_19，1868。
“GEOFFREYDELAMAYN，——Ihavewaitedinthehopethatyouwouldrideoverfromyourbrother’splace，andseeme——andIhavewaitedinvain。Yourconducttomeiscrueltyitself；Iwillbearitnolonger。Consider!inyourowninterests，consider——beforeyoudrivethemiserablewomanwhohastrustedyoutodespair。Youhavepromisedmemarriagebyallthatissacred。Iclaimyourpromise。IinsistonnothinglessthantobewhatyouvowedI
shouldbe——whatIhavewaitedallthiswearytimetobe——whatI
_am，_inthesightofHeaven，yourweddedwife。LadyLundiegivesalawn-partyhereonthe14th。Iknowyouhavebeenasked。I
expectyoutoacceptherinvitation。IfIdon’tseeyou，Iwon’tanswerforwhatmayhappen。Mymindismadeuptoendurethissuspensenolonger。Oh，Geoffrey，rememberthepast!Befaithful——bejust——toyourlovingwife，“ANNESILVESTER。“
2。_FromGeoffreyDelamayntoAnneSilvester。_
“DEARANNE，——JustcalledtoLondontomyfather。Theyhavetelegraphedhiminabadway。Stopwhereyouare，andIwillwriteyou。Trustthebearer。Uponmysoul，I’llkeepmypromise。
Yourlovinghusbandthatistobe，“GEOFFREYDELAMAYN。
“Inamortalhurry。Thetrainstarts4。30。“
SirPatrickreadthecorrespondencewithbreathlessattentiontotheend。Atthelastlinesofthelastletterhedidwhathehadnotdonefortwentyyearspast——hesprangtohisfeetatabound，andhecrossedaroomwithoutthehelpofhisivorycane。