“Pointthepersonout。“Shesaidthewordswithaself-possessionwhichwonheruncle’sheartyapproval。Blanchehaddonewondersforagirlinherteens。
　　“Look!“saidSirPatrick；“andtellmewhatyousee。“
　　“IseeLadyLundie，attheotherendoftheroom，withthemapofPerthshireandtheBaronialAntiquitiesofScotlandonthetable。
　　AndIseeeverybodybutyouandmeobligedtolistentoher。“
　　“Everybody？“
　　Blanchelookedcarefullyroundtheroom，andnoticedGeoffreyintheoppositecorner；fastasleepbythistimeinhisarm-chair。
　　“Uncle!youdon’tmean——？“
　　“Thereistheman。“
　　“Mr。Delamayn——!“
　　“Mr。Delamaynknowseverything。“
　　Blancheheldmechanicallybyheruncle’sarm，andlookedatthesleepingmanasifhereyescouldneverseeenoughofhim。
　　“YousawmeinthelibraryinprivateconsultationwithMr。
　　Delamayn，“resumedSirPatrick。“Ihavetoacknowledge，mydear，thatyouwerequiterightinthinkingthisasuspiciouscircumstance，AndIamnowtojustifymyselfforhavingpurposelykeptyouinthedarkuptothepresenttime。“
　　Withthoseintroductorywords，hebrieflyrevertedtotheearlieroccurrencesoftheday，andthenadded，bywayofcommentary，astatementoftheconclusionswhicheventshadsuggestedtohisownmind。
　　Theevents，itmayberemembered，werethreeinnumber。First，Geoffrey’sprivateconferencewithSirPatrickonthesubjectofIrregularMarriagesinScotland。Secondly，AnneSilvester’sappearanceatWindygates。Thirdly，Anne’sflight。
　　TheconclusionswhichhadthereuponsuggestedthemselvestoSirPatrick’smindweresixinnumber。
　　First，thataconnectionofsomesortmightpossiblyexistbetweenGeoffrey’sacknowledgeddifficultyabouthisfriend，andMissSilvester’spresumeddifficultyaboutherself。Secondly，thatGeoffreyhadreallyputtoSirPatrick——nothisowncase——butthecaseofafriend。Thirdly，thatGeoffreyhadsomeinterestofnoharmlesskindinestablishingthefactofhisfriend’smarriage。Fourthly，thatAnne’sanxietyasdescribedbyBlanchetohearthenamesofthegentlemenwhowerestayingatWindygates，pointed，inallprobability，toGeoffrey。Fifthly，thatthislastinferencedisturbedthesecondconclusion，andreopenedthedoubtwhetherGeoffreyhadnotbeenstatinghisowncase，afterall，underpretenseofstatingthecaseofafriend。
　　Sixthly，thattheonewayofobtaininganyenlightenmentonthispoint，andonalltheotherpointsinvolvedinmystery，wastogotoCraigFernie，andconsultMrs。Inchbare’sexperienceduringtheperiodofAnne’sresidenceattheinn。SirPatrick’sapologyforkeepingallthisasecretfromhisniecefollowed。Hehadshrunkfromagitatingheronthesubjectuntilhecouldbesureofprovinghisconclusionstobetrue。Theproofhadbeenobtained；andhewasnow，therefore，readytoopenhismindtoBlanchewithoutreserve。
　　“Somuch，mydear，“proceededSirPatrick，“forthosenecessaryexplanationswhicharealsothenecessarynuisancesofhumanintercourse。YounowknowasmuchasIdidwhenIarrivedatCraigFernie——andyouare，therefore，inapositiontoappreciatethevalueofmydiscoveriesattheinn。Doyouunderstandeverything，sofar？“
　　“Perfectly!“
　　“Verygood。Idroveuptotheinn；and——beholdmeclosetedwithMrs。Inchbareinherownprivateparlor!Myreputationmayormaynotsuffer，butMrs。Inchbare’sbonesareabovesuspicion!
　　Itwasalongbusiness，Blanche。Amoresour-tempered，cunning，anddistrustfulwitnessIneverexaminedinallmyexperienceattheBar。Shewouldhaveupsetthetemperofanymortalmanbutalawyer。Wehavesuchwonderfultempersinourprofession；andwecanbesoaggravatingwhenwelike!Inshort，mydear，Mrs。
　　Inchbarewasashe-cat，andIwasahe-cat——andIclawedthetruthoutofheratlast。Theresultwaswellwortharrivingat，asyoushallsee。Mr。Delamaynhaddescribedtomecertainremarkablecircumstancesastakingplacebetweenaladyandagentlemanataninn：theobjectofthepartiesbeingtopassthemselvesoffatthetimeasmanandwife。Everyoneofthosecircumstances，Blanche，occurredatCraigFernie，betweenaladyandagentleman，onthedaywhenMissSilvesterdisappearedfromthishouseAnd——wait!——beingpressedforhername，afterthegentlemanhadleftherbehindhimattheinn，thenametheladygavewas，’Mrs。Silvester。’Whatdoyouthinkofthat？“
　　“Think!I’mbewildered——Ican’trealizeit。“
　　“It’sastartlingdiscovery，mydearchild——thereisnodenyingthat。ShallIwaitalittle，andletyourecoveryourself？“
　　“No!no!Goon!Thegentleman，uncle？ThegentlemanwhowaswithAnne？Whoishe？NotMr。Delamayn？“
　　“NotMr。Delamayn，“saidSirPatrick。“IfIhaveprovednothingelse，Ihaveprovedthat。“
　　“Whatneedwastheretoproveit？Mr。DelamaynwenttoLondononthedayofthelawn-party。AndArnold——“
　　“AndArnoldwentwithhimasfarasthesecondstationfromthis。
　　Quitetrue!ButhowwasItoknowwhatMr。DelamaynmighthavedoneafterArnoldhadlefthim？Icouldonlymakesurethathehadnotgonebackprivatelytotheinn，bygettingtheprooffromMrs。Inchbare。“
　　“Howdidyougetit？“
　　“IaskedhertodescribethegentlemanwhowaswithMissSilvester。Mrs。Inchbare’sdescriptionvagueasyouwillpresentlyfindittobecompletelyexoneratesthatman，“saidSirPatrick，pointingtoGeoffreystillasleepinhischair。
　　“_He_isnotthepersonwhopassedMissSilvesteroffashiswifeatCraigFernie。Hespokethetruthwhenhedescribedthecasetomeasthecaseofafriend。“
　　“Butwhoisthefriend？“persistedBlanche。“That’swhatIwanttoknow。“
　　“That’swhatIwanttoknow，too。“
　　“Tellmeexactly，uncle，whatMrs。Inchbaresaid。IhavelivedwithAnneallmylife。I_must_haveseenthemansomewhere。“
　　“IfyoucanidentifyhimbyMrs。Inchbare’sdescription，“
　　returnedSirPatrick，“youwillbeagreatdealclevererthanI
　　am。Hereisthepictureoftheman，aspaintedbythelandlady：
　　Young；middle-sized；darkhair，eyes，andcomplexion；nicetemper，pleasantwayofspeaking。Leaveout’young，’andtherestistheexactcontraryofMr。Delamayn。Sofar，Mrs。Inchbareguidesusplainlyenough。Buthowarewetoapplyherdescriptiontotherightperson？Theremustbe，atthelowestcomputation，fivehundredthousandmeninEnglandwhoareyoung，middle-sized，dark，nice-tempered，andpleasantspoken。Oneofthefootmenhereanswersthatdescriptionineveryparticular。“
　　“AndArnoldanswersit，“saidBlanche——asastillstrongerinstanceoftheprovokingvaguenessofthedescription。
　　“AndArnoldanswersit，“repeatedSirPatrick，quiteagreeingwithher。
　　TheyhadbarelysaidthosewordswhenArnoldhimselfappeared，approachingSirPatrickwithapackofcardsinhishand。
　　There——attheverymomentwhentheyhadbothguessedthetruth，withoutfeelingtheslightestsuspicionofitintheirownminds——therestoodDiscovery，presentingitselfunconsciouslytoeyesincapableofseeingit，inthepersonofthemanwhohadpassedAnneSilvesteroffashiswifeattheCraigFernieinn!
　　TheterriblecapriceofChance，themercilessironyofCircumstance，couldgonofurtherthanthis。Thethreehadtheirfeetonthebrinkoftheprecipiceatthatmoment。Andtwoofthemweresmilingatanoddcoincidence；andoneofthemwasshufflingapackofcards!
　　“WehavedonewiththeAntiquitiesatlast!“saidArnold；“andwearegoingtoplayatWhist。SirPatrick，willyouchooseacard？“
　　“Toosoonafterdinner，mygoodfellow，for_me_。Playthefirstrubber，andthengivemeanotherchance。By-the-way，“headded“MissSilvesterhasbeentracedtoKirkandrew。Howisitthatyouneversawhergoby？“
　　“Shecan’thavegonemyway，SirPatrick，orImusthaveseenher。“
　　Havingjustifiedhimselfinthoseterms，hewasrecalledtotheotherendoftheroombythewhist-party，impatientforthecardswhichhehadinhishand。
　　“Whatwerewetalkingofwhenheinterruptedus？“saidSirPatricktoBlanche。
　　“Oftheman，uncle，whowaswithMissSilvesterattheinn。“
　　“It’suselesstopursuethatinquiry，mydear，withnothingbetterthanMrs。Inchbare’sdescriptiontohelpus。“
　　BlanchelookedroundatthesleepingGeoffrey。
　　“And_he_knows!“shesaid。“It’smaddening，uncle，tolookatthebrutesnoringinhischair!“
　　SirPatrickheldupawarninghand。Beforeawordmorecouldbesaidbetweenthemtheyweresilencedagainbyanotherinterruption，Thewhist-partycomprisedLadyLundieandthesurgeon，playingaspartnersagainstSmithandJones。Arnoldsatbehindthesurgeon，takingalessoninthegame。One，Two，andThree，thuslefttotheirowndevices，naturallythoughtofthebilliard-table；and，detectingGeoffreyasleepinhiscorner，advancedtodisturbhisslumbers，undertheall-sufficingapologyof“Pool。“Geoffreyrousedhimself，andrubbedhiseyes，andsaid，drowsily，“Allright。“Asherose，helookedattheoppositecornerinwhichSirPatrickandhisnieceweresitting。Blanche’sself-possession，resolutelyasshestruggledtopreserveit，wasnotstrongenoughtokeephereyesfromturningtowardGeoffreywithanexpressionwhichbetrayedthereluctantinterestthatshenowfeltinhim。