SIRPATRICKmadeabadbreakfast。Blanche’sabsencefrettedhim，andAnneSilvester’sletterpuzzledhim。
　　Hereadit，shortasitwas，asecondtime，andathird。Ifitmeantanything，itmeantthatthemotiveatthebottomofAnne’sflightwastoaccomplishthesacrificeofherselftothehappinessofBlanche。Shehadpartedforlifefromhisnieceforhisniece’ssake!Whatdidthismean？AndhowwasittobereconciledwithAnne’sposition——asdescribedtohimbyMrs。
　　InchbareduringhisvisittoCraigFernie？
　　AllSirPatrick’singenuity，andallSirPatrick’sexperience，failedtofindsomuchastheshadowofananswertothatquestion。
　　Whilehewasstillponderingovertheletter，Arnoldandthesurgeonenteredthebreakfast-roomtogether。
　　“HaveyouheardaboutBlanche？“askedArnold，excitedly。“Sheisinnodanger，SirPatrick——theworstofitisovernow。“
　　ThesurgeoninterposedbeforeSirPatrickcouldappealtohim。
　　“Mr。Brinkworth’sinterestintheyoungladyalittleexaggeratesthestateofthecase，“hesaid。“Ihaveseenher，atLadyLundie’srequest；andIcanassureyouthatthereisnottheslightestreasonforanypresentalarm。MissLundiehashadanervousattack，whichhasyieldedtothesimplestdomesticremedies。Theonlyanxietyyouneedfeelisconnectedwiththemanagementofherinthefuture。Sheissufferingfromsomementaldistress，whichitisnotforme，butforherfriends，toalleviateandremove。Ifyoucanturnherthoughtsfromthepainfulsubject——whateveritmaybe——onwhichtheyaredwellingnow，youwilldoallthatneedstobedone。“Hetookupanewspaperfromthetable，andstrolledoutintothegarden，leavingSirPatrickandArnoldtogether。
　　“Youheardthat？“saidSirPatrick。
　　“Isheright，doyouthink？“askedArnold。
　　“Right？Doyousupposeamangets_his_reputationbymakingmistakes？You’reoneofthenewgeneration，MasterArnold。Youcanallofyoustareatafamousman；butyouhaven’tanatomofrespectforhisfame。IfShakspearecametolifeagain，andtalkedofplaywriting，thefirstpretentiousnobodywhosatoppositeatdinnerwoulddifferwithhimascomposedlyashemightdifferwithyouandme。Venerationisdeadamongus；thepresentagehasburiedit，withoutastonetomarktheplace。Somuchforthat!Let’sgetbacktoBlanche。Isupposeyoucanguesswhatthepainfulsubjectisthat’sdwellingonhermind？MissSilvesterhasbaffledme，andbaffledtheEdinburghpolice。
　　BlanchediscoveredthatwehadfailedlastnightandBlanchereceivedthatletterthismorning。“
　　HepushedAnne’sletteracrossthebreakfast-table。
　　Arnoldreadit，andhandeditbackwithoutaword。ViewedbythenewlightinwhichhesawGeoffrey’scharacterafterthequarrelontheheath，theletterconveyedbutoneconclusiontohismind。
　　Geoffreyhaddesertedher。
　　“Well？“saidSirPatrick。“Doyouunderstandwhatitmeans？“
　　“IunderstandBlanche’swretchednesswhenshereadit。“
　　Hesaidnomorethanthat。Itwasplainthatnoinformationwhichhecouldafford——evenifhehadconsideredhimselfatlibertytogiveit——wouldbeoftheslightestuseinassistingSirPatricktotraceMissSilvester，underpresentcircumstances，Therewas——unhappily——notemptationtoinducehimtobreakthehonorablesilencewhichhehadmaintainedthusfar。And——moreunfortunatelystill——assumingthetemptationtopresentitself，Arnold’scapacitytoresistithadneverbeensostrongacapacityasitwasnow。
　　Tothetwopowerfulmotiveswhichhadhithertotiedhistongue——respectforAnne’sreputation，andreluctancetorevealtoBlanchethedeceptionwhichhehadbeencompelledtopracticeonherattheinn——tothesetwomotivestherewasnowaddedathird。ThemeannessofbetrayingtheconfidencewhichGeoffreyhadreposedinhimwouldbedoubledmeannessifheprovedfalsetohistrustafterGeoffreyhadpersonallyinsultedhim。ThepaltryrevengewhichthatfalsefriendhadunhesitatinglysuspectedhimoftakingwasarevengeofwhichArnold’snaturewassimplyincapable。Neverhadhislipsbeenmoreeffectuallysealedthanatthismoment——whenhiswholefuturedependedonSirPatrick’sdiscoveringthepartthathehadplayedinpasteventsatCraigFernie。
　　“Yes!yes!“resumedSirPatrick，impatiently。“Blanche’sdistressisintelligibleenough。Buthereismynieceapparentlyanswerableforthisunhappywoman’sdisappearance。Canyouexplainwhatmyniecehasgottodowithit？“
　　“I!Blancheherselfiscompletelymystified。Howshould_I_
　　know？“
　　Answeringinthoseterms，hespokewithperfectsincerity。Anne’svaguedistrustofthepositioninwhichtheyhadinnocentlyplacedthemselvesattheinnhadproducednocorrespondingeffectonArnoldatthetime。Hehadnotregardedit；hehadnotevenunderstoodit。Asanecessaryresult，notthefaintestsuspicionofthemotiveunderwhichAnnewasactingexistedinhismindnow。
　　SirPatrickputtheletterintohispocket-book，andabandonedallfurtherattemptatinterpretingthemeaningofitindespair。
　　“Enough，andmorethanenough，ofgropinginthedark，“hesaid。
　　“Onepointiscleartomeafterwhathashappenedupstairsthismorning。WemustacceptthepositioninwhichMissSilvesterhasplacedus。Ishallgiveupallfurtherefforttotraceherfromthismoment。“
　　“SurelythatwillbeadreadfuldisappointmenttoBlanche，SirPatrick？“
　　“Idon’tdenyit。Wemustfacethatresult。“
　　“Ifyouaresurethereisnothingelsetobedone，Isupposewemust。“
　　“Iamnotsureofanythingofthesort，MasterArnold!Therearetwochancesstillleftofthrowinglightonthismatter，whicharebothofthemindependentofanythingthatMissSilvestercandotokeepitinthedark。“
　　“Thenwhynottrythem，Sir？ItseemshardtodropMissSilvesterwhensheisintrouble。“
　　“Wecan’thelpheragainstherownwill，“rejoinedSirPatrick。
　　“Andwecan’truntherisk，afterthatnervousattackthismorning，ofsubjectingBlanchetoanyfurthersuspense。Ihavethoughtofmyniece’sintereststhroughoutthisbusiness；andifInowchangemymind，anddeclinetoagitateherbymoreexperiments，endingquitepossiblyinmorefailures，itisbecauseIamthinkingofherinterestsstill。Ihavenoothermotive。Howevernumerousmyweaknessesmaybe，ambitiontodistinguishmyselfasadetectivepolicemanisnotoneofthem。
　　Thecase，fromthepolicepointofview，isbynomeansalostcase。Idropit，nevertheless，forBlanche’ssake。Insteadofencouragingherthoughtstodwellonthismelancholybusiness，wemustapplytheremedysuggestedbyourmedicalfriend。“
　　“Howisthattobedone？“askedArnold。
　　TheslytwistofhumorbegantoshowitselfinSirPatrick’sface。
　　“Hasshenothingtothinkofinthefuture，whichisapleasantersubjectofreflectionthanthelossofherfriend？“heasked。
　　“Youareinterested，myyounggentleman，intheremedythatistocureBlanche。Youareoneofthedrugsinthemoralprescription。
　　Canyouguesswhatitis？“
　　Arnoldstartedtohisfeet，andbrightenedintoanewbeing。
　　“Perhapsyouobjecttobehurried？“saidSirPatrick。
　　“Object!IfBlanchewillonlyconsent，I’lltakehertochurchassoonasshecomesdownstairs!“
　　“Thankyou!“saidSirPatrick，dryly。“Mr。ArnoldBrinkworth，mayyoualwaysbeasreadytotakeTimebytheforelockasyouarenow!Sitdownagain；anddon’ttalknonsense。Itisjustpossible——ifBlancheconsentsasyousay，andifwecanhurrythelawyers——thatyoumaybemarriedinthreeweeks’oramonth’stime。“
　　“Whathavethelawyersgottodowithit？“
　　“Mygoodfellow，thisisnotamarriageinanovel!Thisisthemostunromanticaffairofthesortthateverhappened。Hereareayounggentlemanandayounglady，bothrichpeople；bothwellmatchedinbirthandcharacter；oneofage，andtheothermarryingwiththefullconsentandapprovalofherguardian。Whatistheconsequenceofthispurelyprosaicstateofthings？
　　Lawyersandsettlements，ofcourse!“
　　“Comeintothelibrary，SirPatrick；andI’llsoonsettlethesettlements!Abitofpaper，andadipofink。’IherebygiveeveryblessedfarthingIhavegotintheworldtomydearBlanche。’Signthat；stickawaferonattheside；clapyourfingeronthewafer；’Ideliverthisasmyactanddeed；’andthereitis——done!“
　　“Isit，really？Youareabornlegislator。Youcreateandcodifyyourownsystemallinabreath。Moses-Justinian-Mahomet，givemeyourarm!Thereisoneatomofsenseinwhatyouhavejustsaid。
　　’Comeintothelibrary’——isasuggestionworthattendingto。Doyouhappen，amongyourothersuperfluities，tohavesuchathingasalawyeraboutyou？“
　　“Ihavegottwo。OneinLondon，andoneinEdinburgh。“
　　“Wewilltakethenearestofthetwo，becauseweareinahurry。
　　WhoistheEdinburghlawyer？PringleofPittStreet？Couldn’tbeabetterman。Comeandwritetohim。YouhavegivenmeyourabstractofamarriagesettlementwiththebrevityofanancientRoman。Iscorntobeoutdonebyanamateurlawyer。Hereis_my_
　　abstract：YouarejustandgeneroustoBlanche；Blancheisjustandgeneroustoyou；andyoubothcombinetobejustandgeneroustogethertoyourchildren。Thereisamodelsettlement!andthereareyourinstructionstoPringleofPittStreet!Canyoudoitbyyourself？No；ofcourseyoucan’t。Nowdon’tbeslovenly-minded!