Mr。Delamaynassertsthatthispersonintheback-groundhasnoclaimonhim，andbackshisassertionbydeclaringthatsheismarriedalreadytoMr。ArnoldBrinkworth。LadyLundieandmynieceassureme，onevidencewhichsatisfies_them，_thattheassertionistrue。Theevidencedoesnotsatisfy_me。_’Ihope，SirPatrick，Idon’tstrikeyouasbeinganexcessivelyobstinateman？’——’MydearSir，youimpressmewiththehighestopinionofyourcapacityforsiftinghumantestimony!MayIask，next，whatcourseyoumeantotake？’——’TheverythingIwasgoingtomention，SirPatrick!Thisismycourse。Irefusetosanctionmyniece’sengagementtoMr。Delamayn，untilMr。Delamaynhasactuallyprovedhisstatementbyappealtowitnessesofthelady’smarriage。Herefersmetotwowitnesses；butdeclinesactingatonceinthematterforhimself，onthegroundthatheisintrainingforafoot-race。Iadmitthatthatisanobstacle，andconsenttoarrangeforbringingthetwowitnessestoLondonmyself。BythispostIhavewrittentomylawyersinPerthtolookthewitnessesup；toofferthemthenecessarytermsatMr。
　　Delamayn’sexpensefortheuseoftheirtime；andtoproducethembytheendoftheweek。ThefootraceisonThursdaynext。
　　Mr。Delamaynwillbeabletoattendafterthat，andestablishhisownassertionbyhisownwitnesses。Whatdoyousay，SirPatrick，toSaturdaynextwithLadyLundie’spermissioninthisroom？’——Thereisthesubstanceofthecaptain’sstatement。HeisasoldasIamandisdressedtolooklikethirty；butaverypleasantfellowforallthat。Istruckmysister-in-lawdumbbyacceptingtheproposalwithoutamoment’shesitation。Mrs。
　　GlenarmandLadyLundielookedateachotherinmuteamazement。
　　Herewasadifferenceaboutwhichtwowomenwouldhavemortallyquarreled；andhereweretwomensettlingitinthefriendliestpossiblemanner。IwishyouhadseenLadyLundie’sface，whenI
　　declaredmyselfdeeplyindebtedtoCaptainNewendenforrenderinganyprolongedinterviewwithherladyshipquiteunnecessary。
　　’Thankstothecaptain，’Isaidtoher，inthemostcordialmanner，’wehaveabsolutelynothingtodiscuss。Ishallcatchthenexttrain，andsetArnoldBrinkworth’smindquiteatease。’Tocomebacktoseriousthings，Ihaveengagedtoproduceyou，inthepresenceofeverybody——yourwifeincluded——onSaturdaynext。
　　Iputaboldfaceonitbeforetheothers。ButIamboundtotell_you_thatitisbynomeanseasytosay——situatedaswearenow——whattheresultofSaturday’sinquirywillbe。EverythingdependsontheissueofmyinterviewwithMissSilvesterto-morrow。Itisnoexaggerationtosay，Arnold，thatyourfateisinherhands。“
　　“IwishtoheavenIhadneverseteyesonher!“saidArnold。
　　“Laythesaddleontherighthorse，“returnedSirPatrick。“WishyouhadneverseteyesonGeoffreyDelamayn。“
　　Arnoldhunghishead。SirPatrick’ssharptonguehadgotthebetterofhimoncemore。
　　THEmany-tonedmurmurofthecurrentofLondonlife——flowingthroughthemurkychannelofDruryLane——founditsmuffledwayfromthefrontroomtotheback。Pilesofoldmusiclumberedthedustyfloor。Stagemasksandweapons，andportraitsofsingersanddancers，hungroundthewalls。AnemptyviolincaseinonecornerfacedabrokenbustofRossiniinanother。Aframelessprint，representingtheTrialofQueenCaroline，waspastedoverthefireplace。Thechairsweregenuinespecimensofancientcarvinginoak。Thetablewasanequallyexcellentexampleofdirtymoderndeal。Asmallmorselofdruggetwasonthefloor；
　　andalargedepositofsootwasontheceiling。Thescenethuspresented，revealeditselfinthebackdrawing-roomofahouseinDruryLane，devotedtothetransactionofmusicalandtheatricalbusinessofthehumblersort。Itwaslateintheafternoon，onMichaelmas-day。Twopersonswereseatedtogetherintheroom：
　　theywereAnneSilvesterandSirPatrickLundie。
　　Theopeningconversationbetweenthem——comprising，ononeside，thenarrativeofwhathadhappenedatPerthandatSwanhaven；
　　and，ontheother，astatementofthecircumstancesattendingtheseparationofArnoldandBlanche——hadcometoanend。ItrestedwithSirPatricktoleadthewaytothenexttopic。Helookedathiscompanion，andhesitated。
　　“Doyoufeelstrongenoughtogoon？“heasked。“Ifyouwouldprefertorestalittle，praysayso。“
　　“Thankyou，SirPatrick。Iammorethanready，Iameager，togoon。NowordscansayhowanxiousIfeeltobeofsomeusetoyou，ifIcan。Itrestsentirelywithyourexperiencetoshowmehow。“
　　“Icanonlydothat，MissSilvester，byaskingyouwithoutceremonyforalltheinformationthatIwant。HadyouanyobjectintravelingtoLondon，whichyouhavenotmentionedtomeyet？I
　　mean，ofcourse，anyobjectwithwhichIhareaclaimasArnoldBrinkworth’srepresentativetobeacquainted？“
　　“Ihadanobject，SirPatrick。AndIhavefailedtoaccomplishit。“
　　“MayIaskwhatitwas？“
　　“ItwastoseeGeoffreyDelamayn。“
　　SirPatrickstarted。“Youhaveattemptedtosee_him!_When？“
　　“Thismorning。“
　　“Why，youonlyarrivedinLondonlastnight!“
　　“Ionlyarrived，“saidAnne，“afterwaitingmanydaysonthejourney。IwasobligedtorestatEdinburgh，andagainatYork——andIwasafraidIhadgivenMrs。GlenarmtimeenoughtogettoGeoffreyDelamaynbeforeme。“
　　“Afraid？“repeatedSirPatrick。“IunderstoodthatyouhadnoseriousintentionofdisputingthescoundrelwithMrs。Glenarm。
　　Whatmotivecouldpossiblyhavetakenyou_his_way？“
　　“ThesamemotivewhichtookmetoSwanhaven。“
　　“What!theideathatitrestedwithDelamayntosetthingsright？
　　andthatyoumightbribehimtodoit，byconsentingtoreleasehim，sofarasyourclaimswereconcerned？“
　　“Bearwithmyfolly，SirPatrick，aspatientlyasyoucan!Iamalwaysalonenow；andIgetintoahabitofbroodingoverthings。
　　IhavebeenbroodingoverthepositioninwhichmymisfortuneshaveplacedMr。Brinkworth。Ihavebeenobstinate——unreasonablyobstinate——inbelievingthatIcouldprevailwithGeoffreyDelamayn，afterIhadfailedwithMrs。Glenarm。Iamobstinateaboutitstill。Ifhewouldonlyhaveheardme，mymadnessingoingtoFulhammighthavehaditsexcuse。“Shesighedbitterly，andsaidnomore。
　　SirPatricktookherhand。
　　“It_has_itsexcuse，“hesaid，kindly。“Yourmotiveisbeyondreproach。Letmeadd——toquietyourmind——that，evenifDelamaynhadbeenwillingtohearyou，andhadacceptedthecondition，theresultwouldstillhavebeenthesame。Youarequitewronginsupposingthathehasonlytospeak，andtosetthismatterright。Ithaspassedentirelybeyondhiscontrol。ThemischiefwasdonewhenArnoldBrinkworthspentthoseunluckyhourswithyouatCraigFernie。“
　　“Oh，SirPatrick，ifIhadonlyknownthat，beforeIwenttoFulhamthismorning!“
　　Sheshudderedasshesaidthewords。SomethingwasplainlyassociatedwithhervisittoGeoffrey，thebareremembranceofwhichshookhernerves。Whatwasit？SirPatrickresolvedtoobtainananswertothatquestion，beforebeventuredonproceedingfurtherwiththemainobjectoftheinterview。
　　“YouhavetoldmeyourreasonforgoingtoFulham，“hesaid。“ButIhavenotheardwhathappenedthereyet。“
　　Annehesitated。“Isitnecessaryformetotroubleyouaboutthat？“sheasked——withevidentreluctancetoenteronthesubject。
　　“Itisabsolutelynecessary，“answeredSirPatrick，“becauseDelamaynisconcernedinit。“
　　Annesummonedherresolution，andenteredonhernarrativeinthesewords：
　　“Thepersonwhocarriesonthebusinessherediscoveredtheaddressforme，“shebegan。“Ihadsomedifficulty，however，infindingthehouse。Itislittlemorethanacottage；anditisquitelostinagreatgarden，surroundedbyhighwalls。Isawacarriagewaiting。Thecoachmanwaswalkinghishorsesupanddown——andheshowedmethedoor。Itwasahighwoodendoorinthewall，withagratinginit。Irangthebell。Aservant-girlopenedthegrating，andlookedatme。Sherefusedtoletmein。
　　Hermistresshadorderedhertoclosethedooronallstrangers——especiallystrangerswhowerewomen。Icontrivedtopasssomemoneytoherthroughthegrating，andaskedtospeaktohermistress。Afterwaitingsometime，Isawanotherfacebehindthebars——anditstruckmethatIrecognizedit。IsupposeIwasnervous。Itstartledme。Isaid，’Ithinkweknoweachother。’
　　Therewasnoanswer。Thedoorwassuddenlyopened——andwhodoyouthinkstoodbeforeme？“
　　“WasitsomebodyIknow？“
　　“Yes。“
　　“Man？orwoman？“
　　“ItwasHesterDethridge。“
　　“HesterDethridge!“
　　“Yes。Dressedjustasusual，andlookingjustasusual——withherslatehangingatherside。“
　　“Astonishing!WheredidIlastseeher？AttheWindygatesstation，tobesure——goingtoLondon，aftershehadleftmysister-in-law’sservice。Hassheacceptedanotherplace——withoutlettingmeknowfirst，asItoldher？“
　　“SheislivingatFulham。“
　　“Inservice？“
　　“No。Asmistressofherownhouse。“
　　“What!HesterDethridgeinpossessionofahouseofherown？
　　Well!well!whyshouldn’tshehaveariseintheworldlikeotherpeople？Didsheletyouin？“