“Imustmostrespectfullyexpressmyapprovalalsoofthecoursewhichtheyoungladyhastaken，“hesaid。“Amoredangerouscompromisethanthecompromisewhichwehavejustheardsuggesteditisdifficulttoimagine。WithalldeferencetoSirPatrickLundie，hisopinionoftheimpossibilityofprovingthemarriageatCraigFernieremainstobeconfirmedastherightone。Myownprofessionalopinionisopposedtoit。TheopinionofanotherScottishlawyerinGlasgowis，tomycertainknowledge，opposedtoit。Iftheyoungladyhadnotactedwithawisdomandcouragewhichdoherhonor，shemighthavelivedtoseethedaywhenherreputationwouldhavebeendestroyed，andherchildrendeclaredillegitimate。WhoistosaythatcircumstancesmaynothappeninthefuturewhichmayforceMr。BrinkworthorMissSilvester——oneortheother——toasserttheverymarriagewhichtheyrepudiatenow？Whoistosaythatinterestedrelativespropertybeingconcernedheremaynotinthelapseofyears，discovermotivesoftheirownforquestioningtheassertedmarriageinKent？I
acknowledgethatIenvytheimmenseself-confidencewhichemboldensSirPatricktoventure，whatheiswillingtoventureuponhisownindividualopiniononanundecidedpointoflaw。“
Hesatdownamidstamurmurofapproval，andcastaslyly-expectantlookathisdefeatedadversary。“If_that_
doesn’tirritatehimintoshowinghishand，“thoughtMr。Moy，“nothingwill!“
SirPatrickslowlyraisedhishead。Therewasnoirritation——therewasonlydistressinhisface——whenhespokenext。
“Idon’tpropose，Mr。Moy，toarguethepointwithyou，“hesaid，gently。“Icanunderstandthatmyconductmustnecessarilyappearstrangeandevenblameworthy，notinyoureyesonly，butintheeyesofothers。Myyoungfriendherewilltellyou“helookedtowardArnold“thattheviewwhichyouexpressastothefutureperilinvolvedinthiscasewasoncetheviewinmymindtoo，andthatinwhatIhavedonethusfarIhaveactedindirectcontradictiontoadvicewhichImyselfgaveatnoverydistantperiod。Excuseme，ifyouplease，fromenteringforthepresentatleastintothemotivewhichhasinfluencedmefromthetimewhenIenteredthisroom。Mypositionisoneofunexampledresponsibilityandofindescribabledistress。MayIappealtothatstatementtostandasmyexcuse，ifIpleadforalastextensionofindulgencetowardthelastirregularityofwhichI
shallbeguilty，inconnectionwiththeseproceedings？“
LadyLundiealoneresistedtheunaffectedandtouchingdignitywithwhichthosewordswerespoken。
“Wehavehadenoughofirregularity，“shesaid。sternly。“I，forone，objecttomore。“
SirPatrickwaitedpatientlyforMr。Moy’sreply。TheScotchlawyerandtheEnglishlawyerlookedateachother——andunderstoodeachother。Mr。Moyansweredforboth。
“Wedon’tpresumetorestrainyou，SirPatrick，byotherlimitsthanthosewhich，asagentleman，youimposeonyourself。
Subject，“addedthecautiousScotchman，“totherightofobjectionwhichwehavealreadyreserved。“
“Doyouobjecttomyspeakingtoyourclient？“askedSirPatrick。
“ToMr。GeoffreyDelamayn？“
“Yes。“
AlleyesturnedonGeoffrey。Hewassittinghalfasleep，asitseemed——withhisheavyhandshanginglistlesslyoverhisknees，andhischinrestingonthehookedhandleofhisstick。
LookingtowardAnne，whenSirPatrickpronouncedGeoffrey’sname，Mr。Moysawachangeinher。Shewithdrewherhandsfromherface，andturnedsuddenlytowardherlegaladviser。Wassheinthesecretofthecarefullyconcealedobjectatwhichhisopponenthadbeenaimingfromthefirst？Mr。Moydecidedtoputthatdoubttothetest。HeinvitedSirPatrick，byagesture，toproceed。SirPatrickaddressedhimselftoGeoffrey。
“Youareseriouslyinterestedinthisinquiry，“hesaid；“andyouhavetakennopartinityet。Takeapartinitnow。Lookatthislady。“
Geoffreynevermoved。
“I’veseenenoughofheralready，“hesaid，brutally。
“Youmaywellbeashamedtolookather，“saidSirPatrick，quietly。“Butyoumighthaveacknowledgeditinfitterwords。
CarryyourmemorybacktothefourteenthofAugust。DoyoudenythatyoupromisedtomanyMissSilvesterprivatelyattheCraigFernieinn？“
“Iobjecttothatquestion，“saidMr。Moy。“Myclientisundernosortofobligationtoanswerit。“
Geoffrey’srisingtemper——readytoresentanything——resentedhisadviser’sinterference。“IshallanswerifIlike，“heretorted，insolently。HelookedupforamomentatSirPatrick，withoutmovinghischinfromthehookofhisstick。Thenhelookeddownagain。“Idodenyit，“hesaid。
“YoudenythatyouhavepromisedtomarryMissSilvester？“
“Yes。“
“Iaskedyoujustnowtolookather——“
“AndItoldyouIhadseenenoughofheralready。“
“Lookat_me。_Inmypresence，andinthepresenceoftheotherpersonshere，doyoudenythatyouowethislady，byyourownsolemnengagement，thereparationofmarriage？“
Hesuddenlyliftedhishead。Hiseyes，afterrestingforaninstantonlyonSirPatrick，turned，littlebylittle；and，brighteningslowly，fixedthemselveswithahideous，tigerishglareonAnne’sface。“IknowwhatIoweher，“hesaid。
Thedevouringhatredofhislookwasmatchedbytheferociousvindictivenessofhistone，ashespokethosewords。Itwashorribletoseehim；itwashorribletohearhim。Mr。Moysaidtohim，inawhisper，“Controlyourself，orIwillthrowupyourcase。“
Withoutanswering——withoutevenlistening——heliftedoneofhishands，andlookedatitvacantly。Hewhisperedsomethingtohimself；andcountedoutwhathewaswhisperingslowly；indivisionsofhisown，onthreeofhisfingersinsuccession。HefixedhiseyesagainonAnnewiththesamedevouringhatredintheirlook，andspokethistimedirectlyaddressinghimselftoherwiththesameferociousvindictivenessinhistone。“Butforyou，IshouldbemarriedtoMrs。Glenarm。Butforyou，Ishouldbefriendswithmyfather。Butforyou，Ishouldhavewontherace。IknowwhatIoweyou。“Hislooselyhanginghandsstealthilyclenchedthemselves。Hisheadsankagainonhisbroadbreast。Hesaidnomore。
Notasoulmoved——notawordwasspoken。Thesamecommonhorrorheldthemallspeechless。Anne’seyesturnedoncemoreonBlanche。Anne’scourageupheldher，evenatthatmoment。
SirPatrickrose。Thestrongemotionwhichhehadsuppressedthusfar，showeditselfplainlyinhisface——uttereditselfplainlyinhisvoice。
“Comeintothenextroom，“hesaidtoAnne。“Imustspeaktoyouinstantly!“
Withoutnoticingtheastonishmentthathecaused；withoutpayingthesmallestattentiontotheremonstrancesaddressedtohimbyhissister-in-lawandbytheScotchlawyer，hetookAnnebythearm，openedthefolding-doorsatoneendoftheroom——enteredtheroombeyondwithher——andclosedthedoorsagain。
LadyLundieappealedtoherlegaladviser。Blancherose——advancedafewsteps——andstoodinbreathlesssuspense，lookingatthefolding-doors。Arnoldadvancedastep，tospeaktohiswife。ThecaptainapproachedMr。Moy。
“Whatdoesthismean？“heasked。
Mr。Moyanswered，instrongagitationonhisside。
“ItmeansthatIhavenotbeenproperlyinstructed。SirPatrickLundiehassomeevidenceinhispossessionthatseriouslycompromisesMr。Delamayn’scase。Hehasshrunkfromproducingithitherto——hefindshimselfforcedtoproduceitnow。Howisit，“
askedthelawyer，turningsternlyonhisclient，“thatyouhaveleftmeinthedark？“
“Iknownothingaboutit，“answeredGeoffrey，withoutliftinghishead。
LadyLundiesignedtoBlanchetostandaside，andadvancedtowardthefolding-doors。Mr。Moystoppedher。
“Iadviseyourladyshiptobepatient。Interferenceisuselessthere。“
“AmInottointerfere，Sir，inmyownhouse？“
“UnlessIamentirelymistaken，madam，theendoftheproceedingsinyourhouseisathand。Youwilldamageyourowninterestsbyinterfering。Letusknowwhatweareaboutatlast。Lettheendcome。“
LadyLundieyielded，andreturnedtoherplace。Theyallwaitedinsilencefortheopeningofthedoors。
SirPatrickLundieandAnneSilvesterwerealoneintheroom。
Hetookfromthebreast-pocketofhiscoatthesheetofnote-paperwhichcontainedAnne’sletter，andGeoffrey’sreply。
Hishandtrembledasheheldit；hisvoicefalteredashespoke。
“Ihavedoneallthatcanbedone，“hesaid。“Ihaveleftnothinguntried，topreventthenecessityofproducingthis。“
“Ifeelyourkindnessgratefully，SirPatrick。Youmustproduceitnow。“
Thewoman’scalmnesspresentedastrangeandtouchingcontrasttotheman’semotion。Therewasnoshrinkinginherface，therewasnounsteadinessinhervoiceassheansweredhim。Hetookherhand。Twiceheattemptedtospeak；andtwicehisownagitationoverpoweredhim。Heofferedthelettertoherinsilence。
Insilence，onherside，sheputtheletterawayfromher，wonderingwhathemeant。
“Takeitback，“hesaid。“Ican’tproduceit!Idaren’tproduceit!Afterwhatmyowneyeshaveseen，afterwhatmyownearshaveheard，inthenextroom——asGodismywitness，Idaren’taskyoutodeclareyourselfGeoffreyDelamayn’swife!“