“Beautiful!“saidBlanche。“WhatashameitseemstohavehadMiltonallthistimeinthelibraryandnevertohavereadhimyet!WewillhaveMorningswithMilton，Arnold。Heseemslong；
　　butwearebothyoung，andwe_may_livetogettotheendofhim。Doyouknowdear，nowIlookatyouagain，youdon’tseemtohavecomebacktoWindygatesingoodspirits。“
　　“Don’tI？Ican’taccountforit。“
　　“Ican。It’ssympathywithMe。Iamoutofspiritstoo。“
　　“You!“
　　“Yes。AfterwhatIsawatCraigFernie，IgrowmoreandmoreuneasyaboutAnne。Youwillunderstandthat，Iamsure，afterwhatItoldyouthismorning？“
　　Arnoldlookedback，inaviolenthurry，fromBlanchetoMilton。
　　ThatrenewedreferencetoeventsatCraigFerniewasarenewedreproachtohimforhisconductattheinn。HeattemptedtosilenceherbypointingtoGeoffrey。
　　“Don’tforget，“hewhispered，“thatthereissomebodyintheroombesidesourselves。“
　　Blancheshruggedhershoulderscontemptuously。
　　“Whatdoes_he_matter？“sheasked。“Whatdoes_he_knoworcareaboutAnne？“
　　Therewasonlyoneotherchanceofdivertingherfromthedelicatesubject。Arnoldwentonreadingheadlong，twolinesinadvanceoftheplaceatwhichhehadleftoff，withmoresoundandlesssensethanever：
　　“Inthebeginninghowtheheavensandearth。
　　RoseoutofChaosorifSionhill——“
　　At“Sionhill，“Blancheinterruptedhimagain。
　　“Dowaitalittle，Arnold。Ican’thaveMiltoncrammeddownmythroatinthatway。BesidesIhadsomethingtosay。DidItellyouthatIconsultedmyuncleaboutAnne？Idon’tthinkIdid。I
　　caughthimaloneinthisveryroom。ItoldhimallIhavetoldyou。IshowedhimAnne’sletter。AndIsaid，’Whatdoyouthink？’
　　Hetookalittletimeandagreatdealofsnuffbeforehewouldsaywhathethought。Whenhedidspeak，hetoldmeImightquitepossiblyberightinsuspectingAnne’shusbandtobeaveryabominableperson。HiskeepinghimselfoutofmywaywasjustasIthoughtasuspiciouscircumstance，tobeginwith。Andthentherewasthesuddenextinguishingofthecandles，whenIfirstwentin。IthoughtandMrs。Inchbarethoughtitwasdonebythewind。SirPatricksuspectsitwasdonebythehorridmanhimself，topreventmefromseeinghimwhenIenteredtheroom。IamfirmlypersuadedSirPatrickisright。Whatdo_you_think？“
　　“Ithinkwehadbettergoon，“saidArnold，withhisheaddownoverhisbook。“WeseemtobeforgettingMilton。“
　　“HowyoudoworryaboutMilton!Thatlastbitwasn’tasinterestingastheother。IsthereanyloveinParadiseLost？“
　　“Perhapswemayfindsomeifwegoon。“
　　“Verywell，then。Goon。Andbequickaboutit。“
　　Arnoldwas_so_quickaboutitthathelosthisplace。Insteadofgoingonhewentback。Hereadoncemore：
　　“Inthebeginninghowtheheavensandearth。
　　RoseoutofChaosorifSionhill——“
　　“Youreadthatbefore，“saidBlanche。
　　“Ithinknot。“
　　“I’msureyoudid。Whenyousaid’Sionhill’IrecollectI
　　thoughtoftheMethodistsdirectly。Icouldn’thavethoughtoftheMethodists，ifyouhadn’tsaid’Sionhill。’Itstandstoreason。“
　　“I’lltrythenextpage，“saidArnold。“Ican’thavereadthatbefore——forIhaven’tturnedoveryet。“
　　Blanchethrewherselfbackinherchair，andflungherhandkerchiefresignedlyoverherface。“Theflies，“sheexplained。“I’mnotgoingtosleep。Trythenextpage。Oh，dearme，trythenextpage!“
　　Arnoldproceeded：
　　“Sayfirstforheavenhidesnothingfromthyview。
　　Northedeeptractofhellsayfirstwhatcause。
　　Movedourgrandparentsinthathappystate——“
　　Blanchesuddenlythrewthehandkerchiefoffagain，andsatboltuprightinherchair。“Shutitup，“shecried。“Ican’tbearanymore。Leaveoff，Arnold——leaveoff!“
　　“What’s，thematternow？“
　　“’Thathappystate，’“saidBlanche。“Whatdoes’thathappystate’mean？Marriage，ofcourse!AndmarriageremindsmeofAnne。Iwon’thaveanymore。ParadiseLostispainful。Shutitup。Well，mynextquestiontoSirPatrickwas，ofcourse，toknowwhathethoughtAnne’shusbandhaddone。Thewretchhadbehavedinfamouslytoherinsomeway。Inwhatway？Wasitanythingtodowithhermarriage？Myuncleconsideredagain。Hethoughtitquitepossible。Privatemarriagesweredangerousthingshesaid——especiallyinScotland。HeaskedmeiftheyhadbeenmarriedinScotland。Icouldn’ttellhim——Ionlysaid，’Supposetheywere？Whatthen？’’It’sbarelypossible，inthatcase，’saysSirPatrick，’thatMissSilvestermaybefeelinguneasyabouthermarriage。Shemayevenhavereason——ormaythinkshehasreason——todoubtwhetheritisamarriageatall。’“
　　Arnoldstarted，andlookedroundatGeoffreystillsittingatthewriting-tablewithhisbackturnedonthem。UtterlyasBlancheandSirPatrickweremistakenintheirestimateofAnne’spositionatCraigFernie，theyhaddrifted，nevertheless，intodiscussingtheveryquestioninwhichGeoffreyandMissSilvesterwereinterested——thequestionofmarriageinScotland。ItwasimpossibleinBlanche’spresencetotellGeoffreythathemightdowelltolistentoSirPatrick’sopinion，evenatsecond-hand。
　　Perhapsthewordshadfoundtheirwaytohim？perhapshewaslisteningalready，ofhisownaccord？
　　He_was_listening。Blanche’slastwordshadfoundtheirwaytohim，whilehewasponderingoverhishalf-finishedlettertohisbrother。Hewaitedtohearmore——withoutmoving，andwiththepensuspendedinhishand。
　　Blancheproceeded，absentlywindingherfingersinandoutofArnold’shairashesatatherfeet：
　　“ItflashedonmeinstantlythatSirPatrickhaddiscoveredthetruth。OfcourseItoldhimso。Helaughed，andsaidImustn’tjumpatconclusionsWewereguessingquiteinthedark；andallthedistressingthingsIhadnoticedattheinnmightadmitofsometotallydifferentexplanation。HewouldhavegoneonsplittingstrawsinthatprovokingwaythewholemorningifI
　　hadn’tstoppedhim。Iwasstrictlylogical。Isaid_I_hadseenAnne，and_he_hadn’t——andthatmadeallthedifference。Isaid，’Everythingthatpuzzledandfrightenedmeinthepoordarlingisaccountedfornow。Thelawmust，andshall，reachthatman，uncle——andI’llpayforit!’IwassomuchinearnestthatI
　　believeIcriedalittle。Whatdoyouthinkthedearoldmandid？
　　Hetookmeonhiskneeandgavemeakiss；andhesaid，inthenicestway，thathewouldadoptmyview，forthepresent，ifI
　　wouldpromisenottocryanymore；and——wait!thecreamofitistocome!——thathewouldputtheviewinquiteanewlighttomeassoonasIwascomposedagain。YoumayimaginehowsoonIdriedmyeyes，andwhatapictureofcomposureIpresentedinthecourseofhalfaminute。’Letustakeitforgranted，’saysSirPatrick，’thatthismanunknownhasreallytriedtodeceiveMissSilvester，asyouandIsuppose。Icantellyouonething：it’saslikelyasnotthat，intryingtooverreach_her，_hemaywithoutintheleastsuspectingithaveendedinoverreachinghimself。’“
　　Geoffreyheldhisbreath。Thependroppedunheededfromhisfingers。Itwascoming。Thelightthathisbrothercouldn’tthrowonthesubjectwasdawningonitatlast!
　　Blancheresumed：
　　“Iwassointerested，anditmadesuchatremendousimpressiononme，thatIhaven’tforgottenaword。’Imustn’tmakethatpoorlittleheadofyoursachewithScotchlaw，’myunclesaid；’I
　　mustputitplainly。TherearemarriagesallowedinScotland，Blanche，whicharecalledIrregularMarriages——andveryabominablethingstheyare。Buttheyhavethisaccidentalmeritinthepresentcase。ItisextremelydifficultforamantopretendtomarryinScotland，andnotreallytodoit。Anditis，ontheotherhand，extremelyeasyforamantodriftintomarryinginScotlandwithoutfeelingtheslightestsuspicionofhavingdoneithimself。’Thatwasexactlywhathesaid，Arnold。
　　When_we_aremarried，itsha’n’tbeinScotland!“
　　Geoffrey’sruddycolorpaled。IfthiswastruehemightbecaughthimselfinthetrapwhichhehadschemedtosetforAnne!
　　Blanchewentonwithhernarrative。Hewaitedandlistened。
　　“MyuncleaskedmeifIunderstoodhimsofar。Itwasasplainasthesunatnoonday，ofcourseIunderstoodhim!’Verywell，then——nowfortheapplication!’saysSirPatrick。’Oncemoresupposingourguesstobetherightone，MissSilvestermaybemakingherselfveryunhappywithoutanyrealcause。IfthisinvisiblemanatCraigFerniehasactuallymeddled，Iwon’tsaywithmarryingher，butonlywithpretendingtomakeherhiswife，andifhehasattempteditinScotland，thechancesareninetoonethough_he_maynotbelieveit，andthough_she_maynotbelieveitthathehasreallymarriedher，afterall。’Myuncle’sownwordsagain!Quiteneedlesstosaythat，halfanhouraftertheywereoutofhislips，IhadsentthemtoCraigFernieinalettertoAnne!“