“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!“