amverymuchmistaken，Bishopriggswillcomebacktotheinn。Theoldrascalthereisnodenyingitisamostamusingperson。Heleftaterribleblankwhenheleftmyclerks’room。OldcustomersatCraigFernieespeciallytheEnglish，inmissingBishopriggs，will，youmayrelyonit，missoneoftheattractionsoftheinn。
　　Mrs。Inchbareisnotawomantoletherdignitystandinthewayofherbusiness。SheandBishopriggswillcometogetheragain，soonerorlater，andmakeitup。WhenIhaveputcertainquestionstoher，whichmaypossiblyleadtoveryimportantresults，IshallleavealetterforBishopriggsinMrs。
　　Inchbare’shands。TheletterwilltellhimIhavesomethingforhimtodo，andwillcontainanaddressatwhichhecanwritetome。Ishallhearofhim，Blancheand，iftheletterisinhispossession，Ishallgetit。“
　　“Won’thebeafraid——ifhehasstolentheletter——totellyouhehasgotit？“
　　“Verywellput，mychild。Hemighthesitatewithotherpeople。
　　ButIhavemyownwayofdealingwithhim-andIknowhowtomakehimtellMe——EnoughofBishopriggstillh（丁香书院小说）istimecomes。
　　Thereisoneotherpoint，inregardtoMissSilvester。Imayhavetodescribeher。Howwasshedressedwhenshecamehere？
　　Remember，Iamaman——andifanEnglishwoman’sdress_can_bedescribedinanEnglishwoman’slanguagetellme，inEnglish，whatshehadon。“
　　“Sheworeastrawhat，withcorn-flowersinit，andawhiteveil。
　　Corn-flowersatonesideuncle，whichislesscommonthancornflowersinfront。Andshehadonalightgrayshawl。Anda_Piqué；_——“
　　“ThereyougowithyourFrench!Notawordmore!Astrawhat，withawhiteveil，andwithcorn-flowersatonesideofthehat。
　　Andalightgrayshawl。That’sasmuchastheordinarymalemindcantakein；andthatwilldo。Ihavegotmyinstructions，andsavedprecioustime。Sofarsogood。Hereweareattheendofourconference——inotherwords，atthegateofthestable-yard。
　　YouunderstandwhatyouhavetodowhileIamaway？“
　　“IhavetosendArnoldtothecross-roads。AndIhavetobehaveifIcanasifnothinghadhappened。“
　　“Goodchild!Wellputagain!youhavegotwhatIcallgraspofmind，Blanche。Aninvaluablefaculty!Youwillgovernthefuturedomestickingdom。Arnoldwillbenothingbutaconstitutionalhusband。Thosearetheonlyhusbandswhoarethoroughlyhappy。
　　Youshallheareverything，mylove，whenIcomelack。Gotyourbag，Duncan？Good。Andthetime-table？Good。Youtakethereins——Iwon’tdrive。Iwanttothink。Drivingisincompatiblewithintellectualexertion。Amanputshismindintohishorse，andsinkstothelevelofthatusefulanimal——asanecessaryconditionofgettingtohisdestinationwithoutbeingupset。Godblessyou，Blanche!Tothestation，Duncan!tothestation!“
　　THEchaiserattledourthroughthegates。Thedogsbarkedfuriously。SirPatricklookedround，andwavedhishandasheturnedthecorneroftheroad。Blanchewasleftaloneintheyard。
　　Shelingeredalittle，absentlypattingthedogs。Theyhadespecialclaimsonhersympathyatthatmoment；they，too，evidentlythoughtithardtobeleftbehindatthehouse。Afterawhilesherousedherself。SirPatrickhadlefttheresponsibilityofsuperintendingthecrossroadsonhershoulders。TherewassomethingtobedoneyetbeforethearrangementsfortracingAnnewerecomplete。Blanchelefttheyardtodoit。
　　OnherwaybacktothehouseshemetArnold，dispatchedbyLadyLundieinsearchofher。
　　TheplanofoccupationfortheafternoonhadbeensettledduringBlanche’sabsence。SomedemonhadwhisperedtoLadyLundietocultivateatasteforfeudalantiquities，andtoinsistonspreadingthattasteamongherguests。Shehadproposedanexcursiontoanoldbaronialcastleamongthehills——fartothewestwardfortunatelyforSirPatrick’schanceofescapingdiscoveryofthehillsatCraigFernie。Someoftheguestsweretoride，andsometoaccompanytheirhostessintheopencarriage。Lookingrightandleftforproselytes，LadyLundiehadnecessarilyremarkedthedisappearanceofcertainmembersofhercircle。Mr。Delamaynhadvanished，nobodyknewwhere。SirPatrickandBlanchehadfollowedhisexample。Herladyshiphadobserved，uponthis，withsomeasperity，thatiftheywerealltotreateachotherinthatunceremoniousmanner，thesoonerWindygateswasturnedintoaPenitentiary，onthesilentsystem，thefitterthehousewouldbeforthepeoplewhoinhabitedit。Underthesecircumstances，ArnoldsuggestedthatBlanchewoulddowelltomakeherexcusesassoonaspossibleathead-quarters，andaccepttheseatinthecarriagewhichherstep-motherwishedhertotake。“Weareinforthefeudalantiquities，Blanche；andwemusthelpeachotherthroughaswellaswecan。Ifyouwillgointhecarriage，I’llgotoo。“
　　Blancheshookherhead。
　　“Thereareseriousreasonsfor_my_keepingupappearances，“shesaid。“Ishallgointhecarriage。Youmustn’tgoatall。“
　　Arnoldnaturallylookedalittlesurprised，andaskedtobefavoredwithanexplanation。
　　Blanchetookhisarmandhuggeditclose。NowthatAnnewaslost，Arnoldwasmoreprecioustoherthanever。Sheliterallyhungeredtohearatthatmoment，fromhisownlips，howfondhewasofher。Itmatterednothingthatshewasalreadyperfectlysatisfiedonthispoint。Itwassoniceafterhehadsaiditfivehundredtimesalreadytomakehimsayitoncemore!
　　“SupposeIhadnoexplanationtogive？“shesaid。“Wouldyoustaybehindbyyourselftopleaseme？“
　　“Iwoulddoanythingtopleaseyou!“
　　“Doyoureallylovemeasmuchasthat？“
　　Theywerestillintheyard；andtheonlywitnessespresentwerethedogs。Arnoldansweredinthelanguagewithoutwords——whichisneverthelessthemostexpressivelanguageinuse，betweenmenandwomen，allovertheworld。
　　“Thisisnotdoingmyduty，“saidBlanche，penitently。“But，ohArnold，Iamsoanxiousandsomiserable!Andit_is_suchaconsolationtoknowthat_you_won’tturnyourbackonmetoo!“
　　Withthatprefaceshetoldhimwhathadhappenedinthelibrary。
　　EvenBlanche’sestimateofherlover’scapacityforsympathizingwithherwasmorethanrealizedbytheeffectwhichhernarrativeproducedonArnold。Hewasnotmerelysurprisedandsorryforher。Hisfaceshowedplainlythathefeltgenuineconcernanddistress。HehadneverstoodhigherinBlanche’sopinionthanhestoodatthatmoment。
　　“Whatistobedone？“heasked。“HowdoesSirPatrickproposetofindher？“
　　BlancherepeatedSirPatrick’sinstructionsrelatingtothecrossroads，andalsototheseriousnecessityofpursuingtheinvestigationinthestrictestprivacy。ArnoldrelievedfromallfearofbeingsentbacktoCraigFernieundertooktodoeverythingthatwasaskedofhim，andpromisedtokeepthesecretfromeverybody。
　　Theywentbacktothehouse，andmetwithanicywelcomefromLadyLundie。HerladyshiprepeatedherremarkonthesubjectofturningWindygatesintoaPenitentiaryforBlanche’sbenefit。ShereceivedArnold’spetitiontobeexcusedfromgoingtoseethecastlewiththebarestcivility。“Oh，takeyourwalkbyallmeans!Youmaymeetyourfriend，Mr。Delamayn——whoappearstohavesuchapassionforwalkingthathecan’tevenwaittillluncheonisover。AsforSirPatrick——Oh!SirPatrickhasborrowedthepony-carriage？andgoneoutdrivingbyhimself？——I’msureInevermeanttooffendmybrother-in-lawwhenIofferedhimasliceofmypoorlittlecake。Don’tletmeoffendanybodyelse。Disposeofyourafternoon，Blanche，withouttheslightestreferencetome。Nobodyseemsinclinedtovisittheruins——themostinterestingrelicoffeudaltimesinPerthshire，Mr。
　　Brinkworth。Itdoesn’tmatter——oh，dearme，itdoesn’tmatter!I
　　can’tforcemygueststofeelanintelligentcuriosityonthesubjectofScottishAntiquities。No!no!mydearBlanche!——itwon’tbethefirsttime，orthelast，thatIhavedrivenoutalone。Idon’tatallobjecttobeingalone。’Mymindtomeakingdomis，’asthepoetsays。“SoLadyLundie’soutragedself-importanceasserteditsviolatedclaimsonhumanrespect，untilherdistinguishedmedicalguestcametotherescueandsmoothedhishostess’sruffledplumes。Thesurgeonheprivatelydetestedruinsbeggedtogo。Blanchebeggedtogo。SmithandJonesprofoundlyinterestedinfeudalantiquitiessaidtheywouldsitbehind，inthe“rumble“——ratherthanmissthisunexpectedtreat。One，Two，andThreecaughttheinfection，andvolunteeredtobetheescortonhorseback。LadyLundie’scelebrated“smile“warrantedtoremainunalteredonherfaceforhourstogethermadeitsappearanceoncemore。Sheissuedherorderswiththemostcharmingamiability。“We’lltaketheguidebook，“saidherladyship，withtheeyetomeaneconomy，whichisonlytobemetwithinveryrichpeople，“andsaveashillingtothemanwhoshowstheruins。“Withthatshewentupstairstoarrayherselfforthedrive，andlookedintheglass；
　　andsawaperfectlyvirtuous，fascinating，andaccomplishedwoman，facingherirresistiblyinanewFrenchbonnet!
　　AtaprivatesignalfromBlanche，Arnoldslippedoutandrepairedtohispost，wheretheroadscrossedtheroadthatledtotherailway。
　　Therewasaspaceofopenheathononesideofhim，andthestonewallandgatesofafarmhouseinclosureontheother。Arnoldsatdownonthesoftheather——andlitacigar——andtriedtoseehiswaythroughthedoublemysteryofAnne’sappearanceandAnne’sflight。