“Mr。GeoffreyDelamayn。“
“WhenMr。ArnoldBrinkworthcameinhisplaceandsaidwhatwasnecessarytosatisfythescruplesofthelandlady，youunderstoodthathewasactinginyourinterests，frommotivesofkindnessonly，andundertheinstructionsofMr。GeoffreyDelamayn？“
“Iunderstoodthat；andIobjectedasstronglyasIcouldtoMr。
Brinkworthplacinghimselfinafalsepositiononmyaccount。“
“DidyourobjectionproceedfromanyknowledgeoftheScottishlawofmarriage，andofthepositioninwhichthepeculiaritiesofthatlawmightplaceMr。Brinkworth？“
“IhadnoknowledgeoftheScottishlaw。IhadavaguedislikeanddreadofthedeceptionwhichMr。Brinkworthwaspracticingonthepeopleoftheinn。AndIfearedthatitmightleadtosomepossiblemisinterpretationofmeonthepartofapersonwhomI
dearlyloved。“
“Thatpersonbeingmyniece？“
“Yes。“
“YouappealedtoMr。Brinkworthknowingofhisattachmenttomyniece，inhername，andforhersake，toleaveyoutoshiftforyourself？“
“Idid。“
“Asagentlemanwhohadgivenhispromisetohelpandprotectalady，intheabsenceofthepersonwhomshehaddependedontojoinher，herefusedtoleaveyoutoshiftbyyourself？“
“Unhappily，herefusedonthataccount。“
“Fromfirsttolast，youwereabsolutelyinnocentoftheslightestintentiontomarryMr。Brinkworth？“
“Ianswer，SirPatrick，asMr。Brinkworthhasanswered。Nosuchthingasthethoughtofmarryinghimeverenteredmyhead。“
“Andthisyousay，onyouroathasaChristianwoman？“
“OnmyoathasaChristianwoman。“
SirPatricklookedroundatBlanche。Herfacewashiddeninherhands。Herstep-motherwasvainlyappealingtohertocomposeherself。
Inthemomentofsilencethatfollowed，Mr。Moyinterferedintheinterestsofhisclient。
“Iwaivemyclaim，SirPatrick，toputanyquestionsonmyside。
Imerelydesiretoremindyou，andtoremindthecompanypresent，thatallthatwehavejustheardismereassertion——onthepartoftwopersonsstronglyinterestedinextricatingthemselvesfromapositionwhichfatallycompromisesthemboth。ThemarriagewhichtheydenyIamnowwaitingtoprove——notbyassertion，onmyside，butbyappealtocompetentwitnesses。“
Afterabriefconsultationwithherownsolicitor，LadyLundiefollowedMr。Moy，instrongerlanguagestill。
“Iwishyoutounderstand，SirPatrick，beforeyouproceedanyfarther，thatIshallremovemystep-daughterfromtheroomifanymoreattemptsaremadetoharrowherfeelingsandmisleadherjudgment。Iwantwordstoexpressmysenseofthismostcruelandunfairwayofconductingtheinquiry。“
TheLondonlawyerfollowed，statinghisprofessionalapprovalofhisclient’sview。“Asherladyship’slegaladviser，“hesaid，“I
supporttheprotestwhichherladyshiphasjustmade。“
EvenCaptainNewendenagreedinthegeneraldisapprovalofSirPatrick’sconduct。“Hear，hear!“saidthecaptain，whenthelawyerhadspoken。“Quiteright。Imustsay，quiteright。“
Apparentlyimpenetrabletoallduesenseofhisposition，SirPatrickaddressedhimselftoMr。Moy，asifnothinghadhappened。
“Doyouwishtoproduceyourwitnessesatonce？“heasked。“I
havenottheleastobjectiontomeetyourviews——ontheunderstandingthatIampermittedtoreturntotheproceedingsasinterruptedatthispoint。“
Mr。Moyconsidered。Theadversarytherecouldbenodoubtofitbythistimehadsomethinginreserve——andtheadversaryhadnotyetshownhishand。Itwasmoreimmediatelyimportanttoleadhimintodoingthisthantoinsistonrightsandprivilegesofthepurelyformalsort。NothingcouldshakethestrengthofthepositionwhichMr。Moyoccupied。ThelongerSirPatrick’sirregularitiesdelayedtheproceedings，themoreirresistiblytheplainfactsofthecasewouldassertthemselves——withalltheforceofcontrast——outofthemouthsofthewitnesseswhowereinattendancedownstairs。Hedeterminedtowait。
“Reservingmyrightofobjection，SirPatrick，“heanswered，“I
begyoutogoon。“
Tothesurpriseofeverybody，SirPatrickaddressedhimselfdirectlytoBlanche——quotingthelanguageinwhichLadyLundiehadspokentohim，withperfectcomposureoftoneandmanner。
“Youknowmewellenough，mydear，“hesaid，“tobeassuredthatIamincapableofwillinglyharrowingyourfeelingsormisleadingyourjudgment。Ihaveaquestiontoaskyou，whichyoucananswerornot，entirelyasyouplease。“
BeforehecouldputthequestiontherewasamomentarycontestbetweenLadyLundieandherlegaladviser。Silencingherladyshipnotwithoutdifficulty，theLondonlawyerinterposed。Healsobeggedleavetoreservetherightofobjection，sofaras_his_
clientwasconcerned。
SirPatrickassentedbyasign，andproceededtoputhisquestiontoBlanche。
“YouhaveheardwhatArnoldBrinkworthhassaid，andwhatMissSilvesterhassaid，“heresumed。“Thehusbandwholovesyou，andthesisterlyfriendwholovesyou，haveeachmadeasolemndeclaration。Recallyourpastexperienceofbothofthem；
rememberwhattheyhavejustsaid；andnowtellme——doyoubelievetheyhavespokenfalsely？“
Blancheansweredontheinstant。
“Ibelieve，uncle，theyhavespokenthetruth!“
Boththelawyersregisteredtheirobjections。LadyLundiemadeanotherattempttospeak，andwasstoppedoncemore——thistimebyMr。Moyaswellasbyherownadviser。SirPatrickwenton。
“Doyoufeelanydoubtastotheentireproprietyofyourhusband’sconductandyourfriend’sconduct，nowyouhaveseenthemandheardthem，facetoface？“
Blancheansweredagain，withthesameabsenceofreserve。
“Iaskthemtoforgiveme，“shesaid。“IbelieveIhavedonethembothagreatwrong。“
Shelookedatherhusbandfirst——thenatAnne。Arnoldattemptedtoleavehischair。SirPatrickfirmlyrestrainedhim。“Wait!“hewhispered。“Youdon’tknowwhatiscoming。“Havingsaidthat，heturnedtowardAnne。Blanche’slookhadgonetotheheartofthefaithfulwomanwholovedher。Anne’sfacewasturnedaway——thetearswereforcingthemselvesthroughthewornweakhandsthattriedvainlytohidethem。
Theformalobjectionsofthelawyerswereregisteredoncemore。
SirPatrickaddressedhimselftohisnieceforthelasttime。
“YoubelievewhatArnoldBrinkworthhassaid；youbelievewhatMissSilvesterhassaid。Youknowthatnoteventhethoughtofmarriagewasinthemindofeitherofthem，attheinn。Youknow——whateverelsemayhappeninthefuture——thatthereisnotthemostremotepossibilityofeitherofthemconsentingtoacknowledgethattheyeverhavebeen，orevercanbe，ManandWife。Isthatenoughforyou？Areyouwilling，beforethisinquiryproceedsanyfarthertotakeyourhusband’shand；toreturntoyourhusband’sprotection；andtoleavetheresttome——satisfiedwithmyassurancethat，onthefactsastheyhappened，noteventheScotchLawcanprovethemonstrousassertionofthemarriageatCraigFernietobetrue？“
LadyLundierose。Boththelawyersrose。Arnoldsatlostinastonishment。Geoffreyhimself——brutishlycarelessthusfarofallthathadpassed——liftedhisheadwithasuddenstart。Inthemidstoftheprofoundimpressionthusproduced，Blanche，onwhosedecisionthewholefuturecourseoftheinquirynowturned，answeredinthesewords：
“Ihopeyouwillnotthinkmeungrateful，uncle。IamsurethatArnoldhasnot，knowingly，donemeanywrong。ButIcan’tgobacktohimuntilIamfirst_certain_thatIamhiswife。“
LadyLundieembracedherstep-daughterwithasuddenoutburstofaffection。“Mydearchild!“exclaimedherladyship，fervently。
“Welldone，myowndearchild!“
SirPatrick’sheaddroppedonhisbreast。“Oh，Blanche!Blanche!“
Arnoldheardhimwhispertohimself；“ifyouonlyknewwhatyouareforcingmeto!“
Mr。Moyputinhisword，onBlanche’ssideofthequestion。