Therain，whichhadsetinfromanearlyhourthatmorning，stillfell。Viewedfromthedrawing-roomwindows，thedesolationofPortlandPlaceinthedeadseasonworeitsaspectofdeepestgloom。Thedrearyoppositehouseswereallshutup；theblackmudwasinchesdeepintheroadway；thesoot，floatingintinyblackparticles，mixedwiththefallingrain，andheightenedthedirtyobscurityoftherisingmist。Foot-passengersandvehicles，succeedingeachotheratrareintervals，leftgreatgapsofsilenceabsolutelyuninterruptedbysound。Eventhegrindersoforgansweremute；andthewanderingdogsofthestreetweretoowettobark。LookingbackfromtheviewoutofLadyLundie’sstatewindowstotheviewinLadyLundie’sstateroom，themelancholythatreignedwithoutwasmorethanmatchedbythemelancholythatreignedwithin。Thehousehadbeenshutupfortheseason：ithadnotbeenconsiderednecessary，duringitsmistress’sbriefvisit，todisturbtheexistingstateofthings。
Coveringsofdimbrownhueshroudedthefurniture。Thechandeliershunginvisibleinenormousbags。Thesilentclockshibernatedunderextinguishersdroppedoverthemtwomonthssince。Thetables，drawnupincorners——loadedwithornamentsatothertimes——hadnothingbutpen，ink，andpapersuggestiveofthecomingproceedingsplacedonthemnow。Thesmellofthehousewasmusty；thevoiceofthehousewasstill。Onemelancholymaidhauntedthebedroomsupstairs，likeaghost。Onemelancholyman，appointedtoadmitthevisitors，satsolitaryinthelowerregions——thelastoftheflunkies，moulderinginanextinctservants’hall。Notawordpassed，inthedrawing-room，betweenLadyLundieandBlanche。Eachwaitedtheappearanceofthepersonsconcernedinthecominginquiry，absorbedinherownthoughts。Theirsituationatthemomentwasasolemnburlesqueofthesituationoftwoladieswhoaregivinganeveningparty，andwhoarewaitingtoreceivetheirguests。Didneitherofthemseethis？Or，seeingit，didtheyshrinkfromacknowledgingit？Insimilarpositions，whodoesnotshrink？Theoccasionsaremanyonwhichwehaveexcellentreasontolaughwhenthetearsareinoureyes；butonlychildrenareboldenoughtofollowtheimpulse。Sostrangely，inhumanexistence，doesthemockeryofwhatisseriousminglewiththeseriousrealityitself，thatnothingbutourownself-respectpreservesourgravityatsomeofthemostimportantemergenciesinourlives。Thetwoladieswaitedthecomingordealtogethergravely，asbecametheoccasion。Thesilentmaidflittednoiselessupstairs。Thesilentmanwaitedmotionlessinthelowerregions。Outside，thestreetwasadesert。Inside，thehousewasatomb。
Thechurchclockstruckthehour。Two。
Atthesamemomentthefirstofthepersonsconcernedintheinvestigationarrived。
LadyLundiewaitedcomposedlyfortheopeningofthedrawing-roomdoor。Blanchestarted，andtrembled。WasitArnold？WasitAnne？
Thedooropened——andBlanchedrewabreathofrelief。ThefirstarrivalwasonlyLadyLundie’ssolicitor——invitedtoattendtheproceedingsonherladyship’sbehalf。Hewasoneofthatlargeclassofpurelymechanicalandperfectlymediocrepersonsconnectedwiththepracticeofthelawwhowillprobably，inamoreadvancedstateofscience，besupersededbymachinery。Hemadehimselfusefulinalteringthearrangementofthetablesandchairs，soastokeepthecontendingpartieseffectuallyseparatedfromeachother。HealsoentreatedLadyLundietobearinmindthatheknewnothingofScotchlaw，andthathewasthereinthecapacityofafriendonly。Thisdone，hesatdown，andlookedoutwithsilentinterestattherain——asifitwasanoperationofNaturewhichhehadneverhadanopportunityofinspectingbefore。
Thenextknockatthedoorheraldedthearrivalofavisitorofatotallydifferentorder。Themelancholyman-servantannouncedCaptainNewenden。
Possibly，indeferencetotheoccasion，possibly，indefianceoftheweather，thecaptainhadtakenanotherbackwardsteptowardthedaysofhisyouth。Hewaspaintedandpadded，wiggedanddressed，torepresenttheabstractideaofamalehumanbeingoffive-andtwentyinrobusthealth。Theremighthavebeenalittlestiffnessintheregionofthewaist，andaslightwantoffirmnessintheeyelidandthechin。Otherwisetherewasthefictionoffive-andtwenty，foundedinappearanceonthefactoffive-and-thirty——withthetruthinvisiblebehindit，countingseventyyears!Wearingaflowerinhisbuttonhole，andcarryingajauntylittlecaneinhishand——brisk，rosy，smiling，perfumed——thecaptain’sappearancebrightenedthedrearyroom。Itwaspleasantlysuggestiveofamorningvisitfromanidleyoungman。HeappearedtobealittlesurprisedtofindBlanchepresentonthesceneofapproachingconflict。LadyLundiethoughtitduetoherselftoexplain。“Mystep-daughterishereindirectdefianceofmyentreatiesandmyadvice。Personsmaypresentthemselveswhomitis，inmyopinion，impropersheshouldsee。
Revelationswilltakeplacewhichnoyoungwoman，inherposition，shouldhear。Sheinsistsonit，CaptainNewenden——andI
amobligedtosubmit。“
Thecaptainshruggedhisshoulders，andshowedhisbeautifulteeth。
Blanchewasfartoodeeplyinterestedinthecomingordealtocaretodefendherself：shelookedasifshehadnotevenheardwhatherstep-motherhadsaidofher。Thesolicitorremainedabsorbedintheinterestingviewofthefallingrain。LadyLundieaskedafterMrs。Glenarm。Thecaptain，inreply，describedhisniece’sanxietyassomething——something——something，inshort，onlytobeindicatedbyshakinghisambrosialcurlsandwavinghisjauntycane。Mrs。Delamaynwasstayingwithheruntilherunclereturnedwiththenews。AndwherewasJulius？DetainedinScotlandbyelectionbusiness。AndLordandLadyHolchester？LordandLadyHolchesterknewnothingaboutit。
Therewasanotherknockatthedoor。Blanche’spalefaceturnedpalerstill。WasitArnold？WasitAnne？Afteralongerdelaythanusual，theservantannouncedMr。GeoffreyDelamaynandMr。
Moy。
Geoffrey，slowlyenteringfirst，salutedthetwoladiesinsilence，andnoticednooneelse。TheLondonsolicitor，withdrawinghimselfforamomentfromtheabsorbingprospectoftherain，pointedtotheplacesreservedforthenew-comerandforthelegaladviserwhomhehadbroughtwithhim。Geoffreyseatedhimself，withoutsomuchasaglanceroundtheroom。
Leaninghiselbowsonhisknees，hevacantlytracedpatternsonthecarpetwithhisclumsyoakenwalking-stick。Stolidindifferenceexpresseditselfinhisloweringbrowandhisloosely-hangingmouth。Thelossoftherace，andthecircumstancesaccompanyingit，appearedtohavemadehimdullerthanusualandheavierthanusual——andthatwasall。
CaptainNewenden，approachingtospeaktohim，stoppedhalf-way，hesitated，thoughtbetterofit——andaddressedhimselftoMr。
Moy。
Geoffrey’slegaladviser——aScotchmanoftheruddy，ready，andconvivialtype——cordiallymettheadvance。Heannounced，inreplytothecaptain’sinquiry，thatthewitnessesMrs。InchbareandBishopriggswerewaitingbelowuntiltheywerewanted，inthehousekeeper’sroom。Hadtherebeenanydifficultyinfindingthem？Nottheleast。Mrs。Inchbarewas，asamatterofcourse，atherhotel。InquiriesbeingsetonfootforBishopriggs，itappearedthatheandthelandladyhadcometoanunderstanding，andthathehadreturnedtohisoldpostofheadwaiterattheinn。ThecaptainandMr。Moykeptuptheconversationbetweenthem，thusbegun，withunflaggingeaseandspirit。Theirsweretheonlyvoicesheardinthetryingintervalthatelapsedbeforethenextknockwasheardatthedoor。
Atlastitcame。Therecouldbenodoubtnowastothepersonswhomightnextbeexpectedtoentertheroom。LadyLundietookherstep-daughterfirmlybythehand。ShewasnotsureofwhatBlanche’sfirstimpulsemightleadhertodo。Forthefirsttimeinherlife，Blancheleftherhandwillinglyinherstep-mother’sgrasp。
Thedooropened，andtheycamein。
SirPatrickLundieenteredfirst，withAnneSilvesteronhisarm。
ArnoldBrinkworthfollowedthem。
BothSirPatrickandAnnebowedinsilencetothepersonsassembled。LadyLundieceremoniouslyreturnedherbrother-in-law’ssalute——andpointedlyabstainedfromnoticingAnne’spresenceintheroom。Blancheneverlookedup。Arnoldadvancedtoher，withhishandheldout。LadyLundierose，andmotionedhimback。“Not_yet，_Mr。Brinkworth!“shesaid，inhermostquietlymercilessmanner。Arnoldstood，heedlessofher，lookingathiswife。Hiswifeliftedhereyestohis；thetearsroseinthemontheinstant。Arnold’sdarkcomplexionturnedashypaleundertheeffortthatitcosthimtocommandhimself。“I
won’tdistressyou，“hesaid，gently——andturnedbackagaintothetableatwhichSirPatrickandAnnewereseatedtogetherapartfromtherest。SirPatricktookhishand，andpresseditinsilentapproval。
Theonepersonwhotooknopart，evenasspectator，intheeventsthatfollowedtheappearanceofSirPatrickandhiscompanionsintheroom——wasGeoffrey。Theonlychangevisibleinhimwasachangeinthehandlingofhiswalking-stick。Insteadoftracingpatternsonthecarpet，itbeatatattoo。Fortherest，therehesatwithhisheavyheadonhisbreastandhisbrawnyarmsonhisknees——wearyofitbyanticipationbeforeithadbegun。
SirPatrickbrokethesilence。Headdressedhimselftohissister-in-law。
“LadyLundie，areallthepersonspresentwhomyouexpectedtoseehereto-day？“
ThegatheredvenominLadyLundieseizedtheopportunityofplantingitsfirststing。
“AllwhomIexpectedarehere，“sheanswered。“AndmorethanI
expected，“sheadded，withalookatAnne。
Thelookwasnotreturned——wasnotevenseen。FromthemomentwhenshehadtakenherplacebySirPatrick，Anne’seyeshadrestedonBlanche。Theynevermoved——theyneverforaninstantlosttheirtendersadness——whenthewomanwhohatedherspoke。
AllthatwasbeautifulandtrueinthatnoblenatureseemedtofinditsonesufficientencouragementinBlanche。Asshelookedoncemoreatthesisteroftheunforgottendaysofold，itsnativebeautyofexpressionshoneoutagaininherwornandwearyface。EverymanintheroombutGeoffreylookedather；andeverymanbutGeoffreyfeltforher。
SirPatrickaddressedasecondquestiontohissister-in-law。
“IsthereanyoneheretorepresenttheinterestsofMr。GeoffreyDelamayn？“heasked。
LadyLundiereferredSirPatricktoGeoffreyhimself。Withoutlookingup，GeoffreymotionedwithhisbigbrownhandtoMr。Moy，sittingbyhisside。
Mr。MoyholdingthelegalrankinScotlandwhichcorrespondstotherankheldbysolicitorsinEnglandroseandbowedtoSirPatrick，withthecourtesyduetoamaneminentinhistimeattheScottishBar。
“IrepresentMr。Delamayn，“hesaid。“Icongratulatemyself，SirPatrick，onhavingyourabilityandexperiencetoappealtointheconductofthependinginquiry。“
SirPatrickreturnedthecomplimentaswellasthebow。
“ItisIwhoshouldlearnfromyou，“heanswered。“_I_havehadtime，Mr。Moy，toforgetwhatIonceknew。“