SirPatrickwaitedinthehall。Eventhemomentarydelayofenteringoneofthereception-roomswasmorethanhecouldendureatthatmoment。Anne’shappinesswashopelesslysacrificedalready。Thepreservationofherpersonalsafety——whichSirPatrickfirmlybelievedtobeindanger——wastheoneservicewhichitwaspossibletorendertohernow。Theperilouspositioninwhichshestoodtowardherhusband——asanimmovableobstacle，whileshelived，betweenGeoffreyandMrs。Glenarm——wasbeyondthereachofremedy。ButitwasstillpossibletopreventherfrombecomingtheinnocentcauseofGeoffrey’specuniaryruin，bystandinginthewayofareconciliationbetweenfatherandson。
　　ResolutetoleavenomeansuntriedofservingAnne’sinterests，SirPatrickhadallowedArnoldandBlanchetogotohisownresidenceinLondon，alone，andhadnotevenwaitedtosayafarewellwordtoanyofthepersonswhohadtakenpartintheinquiry。“HerlifemaydependonwhatIcandoforheratHolchesterHouse!“Withthatconvictioninhim，hehadleftPortlandPlace。Withthatconvictioninhim，hehadsenthismessagetoLadyHolchester，andwasnowwaitingforthereply。
　　Theservantappearedagainonthestairs。SirPatrickwentuptomeethim。
　　“Herladyshipwillseeyou，Sir，forafewminutes。“
　　Thedoorofanupperroomwasopened；andSirPatrickfoundhimselfinthepresenceofGeoffrey’smother。Therewasonlytimetoobservethatshepossessedtheremainsofrarepersonalbeauty，andthatshereceivedhervisitorwithagraceandcourtesywhichimpliedunderthecircumstancesaconsiderateregardfor_his_positionattheexpenseofherown。
　　“Youhavesomethingtosaytome，SirPatrick，onthesubjectofmysecondson。Iamingreataffliction。Ifyoubringmebadnews，Iwilldomybesttobearit。MayItrusttoyourkindnessnottokeepmeinsuspense？“
　　“Itwillhelpmetomakemyintrusionaslittlepainfulaspossibletoyourladyship，“repliedSirPatrick，“ifIampermittedtoaskaquestion。HaveyouheardofanyobstacletothecontemplatedmarriageofMr。GeoffreyDelamaynandMrs。
　　Glenarm？“
　　EventhatdistantreferencetoAnneproducedanominouschangefortheworseinLadyHolchester’smanner。
　　“Ihaveheardoftheobstacletowhichyouallude，“shesaid。
　　“Mrs。Glenarmisanintimatefriendofmine。ShehasinformedmethatapersonnamedSilvester，animpudentadventuress——“
　　“Ibegyourladyship’spardon。YouaredoingacruelwrongtothenoblestwomanIhaveevermetwith。“
　　“Icannotundertake，SirPatrick，toenterintoyourreasonsforadmiringher。Herconducttowardmysonhas，Irepeat，beentheconductofanimpudentadventuress。“
　　ThosewordsshowedSirPatricktheutterhopelessnessofshakingherprejudiceagainstAnne。Hedecidedonproceedingatoncetothedisclosureofthetruth。
　　“Ientreatyousosaynomore，“heanswered。“Yourladyshipisspeakingofyourson’swife。“
　　“MysonhasmarriedMissSilvester？“
　　“Yes。“
　　Sheturneddeadlypale。Itappeared，foraninstant，asiftheshockhadcompletelyoverwhelmedher。Butthemother’sweaknesswasonlymomentaryThevirtuousindignationofthegreatladyhadtakenitsplacebeforeSirPatrickcouldspeakagain。Sherosetoterminatetheinterview。
　　“Ipresume，“shesaid，“thatyourerrandhereisasanend。“
　　SirPatrickrose，onhisside，resolutetodothedutywhichhadbroughthimtothehouse。
　　“Iamcompelledtotrespassonyourladyship’sattentionforafewminutesmore，“heanswered。“ThecircumstancesattendingthemarriageofMr。GeoffreyDelamaynareofnocommonimportance。I
　　begpermissionintheinterestsofhisfamilytostate，verybriefly，whattheyare。“
　　Inafewclearsentenceshenarratedwhathadhappened，thatafternoon，inPortlandPlace。LadyHolchesterlistenedwiththesteadiestandcoldestattention。Sofarasoutwardappearanceswereconcerned，noimpressionwasproduceduponher。
　　“Doyouexpectme，“sheasked，“toespousetheinterestsofapersonwhohaspreventedmysonfrommarryingtheladyofhischoice，andofmine？“
　　“Mr。GeoffreyDelamayn，unhappily，hasthatreasonforresentinghiswife’sinnocentinterferencewithinterestsofconsiderable，importancetohim，“returnedSirPatrick。“Irequestyourladyshiptoconsiderwhetheritisdesirable——inviewofyourson’sconductinthefuture——toallowhiswifetostandinthedoublyperilousrelationtowardhimofbeingalsoacauseofestrangementbetweenhisfatherandhimself。“
　　Hehadputitwithscrupulouscaution。ButLadyHolchesterunderstoodwhathehadrefrainedfromsavingaswellaswhathehadactuallysaid。Shehadhithertoremainedstanding——shenowsatdownagain。Therewasavisibleimpressionproducedonheratlast。
　　“InLordHolchester’scriticalstateofhealth，“sheanswered，“I
　　declinetotaketheresponsibilityoftellinghimwhatyouhavejusttoldme。Myowninfluencehasbeenuniformlyexertedinmyson’sfavor——aslongasmyinterferencecouldbeproductiveofanygoodresult。Thetimeformyinterferencehaspassed。LordHolchesterhasalteredhiswillthismorning。Iwasnotpresent；
　　andIhavenotyetbeeninformedofwhathasbeendone。EvenifI
　　knew——“
　　“Yourladyshipwouldnaturallydecline，“saidSirPatrick，“tocommunicatetheinformationtoastranger。“
　　“Certainly。Atthesametime，afterwhatyouhavesaid，Idonotfeeljustifiedindecidingonthismatterentirelybymyself。OneofLordHolchester’sexecutorsisnowinthehouse。Therecanbenoimproprietyinyourseeinghim——ifyouwishit。Youareatlibertytosay，fromme，thatIleaveitentirelytohisdiscretiontodecidewhatoughttobedone。“
　　“Igladlyacceptyourladyship’sproposal。“
　　LadyHolchesterrangthebellatherside。
　　“TakeSirPatrickLundietoMr。Marchwood，“shesaidtotheservant。
　　SirPatrickstarted。Thenamewasfamiliartohim，asthenameofafriend。
　　“Mr。MarchwoodofHurlbeck？“heasked。
　　“Thesame。“
　　Withthatbriefanswer，LadyHolchesterdismissedhervisitor。
　　Followingtheservanttotheotherendofthecorridor，SirPatrickwasconductedintoasmallroom——theante-chambertothebedroominwhichLordHolchesterlay。Thedoorofcommunicationwasclosed。Agentlemansatwritingatatablenearthewindow。
　　Herose，andheldouthishand，withalookofsurprise，whentheservantannouncedSirPatrick’sname。ThiswasMr。Marchwood。
　　Afterthefirstexplanationshadbeengiven，SirPatrickpatientlyrevertedtotheobjectofhisvisittoHolchesterHouse。OnthefirstoccasionwhenhementionedAnne’snameheobservedthatMr。Marchwoodbecame，fromthatmoment，speciallyinterestedinwhathewassaying。
　　“Doyouhappentobeacquaintedwiththelady？“heasked“Ionlyknowherasthecauseofaverystrangeproceeding，thismorning，inthatroom。“HepointedtoLordHolchester’sbedroomashespoke。
　　“Areyouatlibertytomentionwhattheproceedingwas？“
　　“Hardly——eventoanoldfriendlikeyou——unlessIfeltitamatterofduty，onmypart，tostatethecircumstances。Praygoonwithwhatyouweresayingtome。Youwereonthepointoftellingmewhatbroughtyoutothishouse。“
　　Withoutawordmoreofpreface，SirPatricktoldhimthenewsofGeoffrey’smarriagetoAnne。
　　“Married!“criedMr。Marchwood。“Areyousureofwhatyousay？“
　　“Iamoneofthewitnessesofthemarriage。“
　　“GoodHeavens!AndLordHolchester’slawyerhasleftthehouse!“
　　“CanIreplacehim？HaveI，byanychancejustifiedyouintellingmewhathappenedthismorninginthenextroom？“
　　“Justifiedme？Youhaveleftmenootheralternative。Thedoctorsareallagreedindreadingapoplexy——hislordshipmaydieatanymoment。Inthelawyer’sabsence，Imusttakeitonmyself。Herearethefacts。ThereisthecodiciltoLordHolchester’sWillwhichisstillunsigned。“
　　“Relatingtohissecondson？“
　　“RelatingtoGeoffreyDelamayn，andgivinghimwhenitisonceexecutedaliberalprovisionforlife。“
　　“Whatistheobjectinthewayofhisexecutingit？“
　　“Theladywhomyouhavejustmentionedtome。“
　　“AnneSilvester!“
　　“AnneSilvester——nowasyoutellmeMrs。GeoffreyDelamayn。I