“Thepersonsherepresent，Mr。Moy，arenowabouttoseethemoralmeritoftheScotchlawofmarriageasapprovedbyEnglandpracticallyinoperationbeforetheirowneyes。TheywilljudgeforthemselvesofthemoralityScotchorEnglish
whichfirstforcesadesertedwomanbackonthevillainwhohasbetrayedher，andthenvirtuouslyleaveshertobeartheconsequences。“
Withthatanswer，heturnedtoAnne，andshowedhertheletter，openinhishand。
“Forthelasttime，“hesaid，“doyouinsistonmyappealingtothis？“
Sherose，andbowedherheadgravely。
“Itismydistressingduty，“saidSirPatrick，“todeclare，inthislady’sname，andonthefaithofwrittenpromisesofmarriageexchangedbetweentheparties，thenresidinginScotland，thatsheclaimstobenow——andtohavebeenontheafternoonofthefourteenthofAugustlast——Mr。GeoffreyDelamayn’sweddedwife。“
AcryofhorrorfromBlanche，alowmurmurofdismayfromtherest，followedtheutteranceofthosewords。
Therewasapauseofaninstant。
ThenGeoffreyroseslowlytohisfeet，andfixedhiseyesonthewifewhohadclaimedhim。
Thespectatorsoftheterriblesceneturnedwithoneaccordtowardthesacrificedwoman。ThelookwhichGeoffreyhadcastonher——thewordswhichGeoffreyhadspokentoher——werepresenttoalltheirminds。Shestood，waitingbySirPatrick’sside——hersoftgrayeyesrestingsadlyandtenderlyonBlanche’sface。Toseethatmatchlesscourageandresignationwastodoubttherealityofwhathadhappened。Theywereforcedtolookbackatthemantopossesstheirmindswiththetruth。
Thetriumphoflawandmoralityoverhimwascomplete。Heneverutteredaword。Hisfurioustemperwasperfectlyandfearfullycalm。WiththepromiseofmercilessvengeancewrittenintheDevilswritingonhisDevil-possessedface，hekepthiseyesfixedonthehatedwomanwhomhehadruined——onthehatedwomanwhowasfastenedtohimashiswife。
HislawyerwentovertothetableatwhichSirPatricksat。SirPatrickhandedhimthesheetofnote-paper。
Hereadthetwoletterscontainedinitwithabsorbedanddeliberateattention。Themomentsthatpassedbeforeheliftedhisheadfromhisreadingseemedlikehours。“Canyouprovethehandwritings？“heasked。“Andprovetheresidence？“
SirPatricktookupasecondmorselofpaperlyingreadyunderhishand。
“Therearethenamesofpersonswhocanprovethewriting，andprovetheresidence，“hereplied。“OneofyourtwowitnessesbelowstairsotherwiseuselesscanspeaktothehouratwhichMr。Brinkwortharrivedattheinn，andsocanprovethattheladyforwhomheaskedwas，atthatmoment，Mrs。GeoffreyDelamayn。
Theindorsementonthebackofthenote-paper，alsoreferringtothequestionoftime，isinthehandwritingofthesamewitness——towhomIreferyou，whenitsuitsyourconveniencetoquestionhim。“
“Iwillverifythereferences，SirPatrick，asmatterofform。Inthemeantime，nottointerposeneedlessandvexatiousdelay，I
amboundtosaythatIcannotresisttheevidenceofthemarriage。“
Havingrepliedinthosetermsheaddressedhimself，withmarkedrespectandsympathy，toAnne。
“OnthefaithofthewrittenpromiseofmarriageexchangedbetweenyouinScotland，“hesaid，“youclaimMr。GeoffreyDelamaynasyourhusband？“
Shesteadilyrepentedthewordsafterhim。
“IclaimMr。GeoffreyDelamaynasmyhusband。“
Mr。Moyappealedtohisclient。Geoffreybrokesilenceatlast。
“Isitsettled？“heasked。
“Toallpracticalpurposes，itissettled。“
Hewenton，stilllookingatnobodybutAnne。
“HasthelawofScotlandmadehermywife？“
“ThelawofScotlandhasmadeheryourwife。“
Heaskedathirdandlastquestion。
“Doesthelawtellhertogowhereherhusbandgoes？“
“Yes。“
Helaughedsoftlytohimself，andbeckonedtohertocrosstheroomtotheplaceatwhichhewasstanding。
Sheobeyed。Atthemomentwhenshetookthefirststeptoapproachhim，SirPatrickcaughtherhand，andwhisperedtoher，“Relyonme!“Shegentlypressedhishandintokenthatsheunderstoodhim，andadvancedtoGeoffrey。Atthesamemoment，Blancherushedbetweenthem，andflungherarmsaroundAnne’sneck。
“Oh，Anne!Anne!“
Anhystericalpassionoftearschokedherutterance。Annegentlyunwoundthearmsthatclungroundher——gentlyliftedtheheadthatlayhelplessonherbosom。
“Happierdaysarecoming，mylove，“shesaid。“Don’tthinkof_me。_“
Shekissedher——lookedather——kissedheragain——andplacedherinherhusband’sarms。ArnoldrememberedherpartingwordsatCraigFernie，whentheyhadwishedeachothergood-night。“Youhavenotbefriendedanungratefulwoman。ThedaymayyetcomewhenIshallproveit。“Gratitudeandadmirationstruggledinhimwhichshouldutteritselffirst，andheldhimspeechless。
Shebentherheadgentlyintokenthatsheunderstoodhim。Thenshewenton，andstoodbeforeGeoffrey。
“Iamhere，“shesaidtohim。“Whatdoyouwishmetodo？“
Ahideoussmilepartedhisheavylips。Heofferedherhisarm。
“Mrs。GeoffreyDelamayn，“hesaid。“Comehome。“
Thepictureofthelonelyhouse，isolatedamidstitshighwalls；
theill-omenedfigureofthedumbwomanwiththestonyeyesandthesavageways——thewholescene，asAnnehadpicturedittohimbuttwodayssince，rosevividasrealitybeforeSirPatrick’smind。“No!“hecriedout，carriedawaybythegenerousimpulseofthemoment。“Itshall_not_be!“
Geoffreystoodimpenetrable——waitingwithhisofferedarm。Paleandresolute，sheliftedhernoblehead——calledbackthecouragewhichhadfalteredforamoment——andtookhisarm。Heledhertothedoor。“Don’tletBlanchefretaboutme，“shesaid，simply，toArnoldastheywentby。TheypassedSirPatricknext。Oncemorehissympathyforherseteveryotherconsiderationatdefiance。
HestarteduptobarthewaytoGeoffrey。Geoffreypaused，andlookedatSirPatrickforthefirsttime。
“Thelawtellshertogowithherhusband，“hesaid。“ThelawforbidsyoutopartManandWife。“
True。Absolutely，undeniablytrue。Thelawsanctionedthesacrificeofherasunanswerablyasithadsanctionedthesacrificeofhermotherbeforeher。InthenameofMorality，lethimtakeher!IntheinterestsofVirtue，lethergetoutofitifshecan!
Herhusbandopenedthedoor。Mr。MoylaidhishandonSirPatrick’sarm。LadyLundie，CaptainNewenden，theLondonlawyer，alllefttheirplaces，influenced，foronce，bythesameinterest；feeling，foronce，thesamesuspense。Arnoldfollowedthem，supportinghiswife。ForonememorableinstantAnnelookedbackatthemall。Thensheandherhusbandcrossedthethreshold。
Theydescendedthestairstogether。Theopeningandclosingofthehousedoorwasheard。Theyweregone。
Done，inthenameofMorality。Done，intheinterestsofVirtue。
Done，inanageofprogress，andunderthemostperfectgovernmentonthefaceoftheearth。
FIFTEENTHSCENE——HOLCHESTERHOUSE。
CHAPTERTHEFORTY-SEVENTH。
THELASTCHANCE。
“HISlordshipisdangerouslyill，Sir。Herladyshipcanreceivenovisitors。“
“BesogoodastotakethatcardtoLadyHolchester。Itisabsolutelynecessarythatyourmistressshouldbemadeacquainted——intheinterestsofheryoungerson——withsomethingwhichIcanonlymentiontoherladyshipherself。“
ThetwopersonsspeakingwereLordHolchester’sheadservantandSirPatrickLundie。AtthattimebarelyhalfanhourhadpassedsincethecloseoftheproceedingsatPortlandPlace。
Theservantstillhesitatedwiththecardinhishand。“Ishallforfeitmysituation，“hesaid，“ifIdoit。“
“Youwillmostassuredlyforfeityoursituationifyou_don’t_doit，“returnedSirPatrick。“Iwarnyouplainly，thisistooseriousamattertobetrifledwith。“
Thetoneinwhichthosewordswerespokenhaditseffect。Themanwentupstairswithhismessage。