HeldtheHouse，wheremenofhigherabilities“bored“it。Thechiefsofhispartysaidopenly，“WemustdosomethingforDelamayn，“Theopportunityoffered，andthechiefskepttheirword。TheirSolicitor-Generalwasadvancedastep，andtheyputDelamayninhisplace。TherewasanoutcryonthepartoftheoldermembersoftheBar。TheMinistryanswered，“WewantamanwhoislistenedtointheHouse，andwehavegothim。“Thepaperssupportedthenewnomination。Agreatdebatecameoff，andthenewSolicitor-GeneraljustifiedtheMinistryandthepapers。Hisenemiessaid，derisively，“HewillbeLordChancellorinayearortwo!“Hisfriendsmadegenialjokesinhisdomesticcircle，whichpointedtothesameconclusion。Theywarnedhistwosons，JuliusandGeoffreythenatcollege，tobecarefulwhatacquaintancestheymade，astheymightfindthemselvesthesonsofalordatamoment’snotice。Itreallybegantolooklikesomethingofthesort。Alwaysrising，Mr。DelamaynrosenexttobeAttorney-General。Aboutthesametime——sotrueitisthat“nothingsucceedslikesuccess“——achildlessrelativediedandlefthimafortune。Inthesummerof’sixty-sixaChiefJudgeshipfellvacant。TheMinistryhadmadeapreviousappointmentwhichhadbeenuniversallyunpopular。TheysawtheirwaytosupplyingtheplaceoftheirAttorney-General，andtheyofferedthejudicialappointmenttoMr。Delamayn。HepreferredremainingintheHouseofCommons，andrefusedtoacceptit。TheMinistrydeclinedtotakeNoforananswer。Theywhisperedconfidentially，“Willyoutakeitwithapeerage？“Mr。Delamaynconsultedhiswife，andtookitwithapeerage。TheLondon_Gazette_announcedhimtotheworldasBaronHolchesterofHolchester。Andthefriendsofthefamilyrubbedtheirhandsandsaid，“Whatdidwetellyou？Hereareourtwoyoungfriends，JuliusandGeoffrey，thesonsofalord!“
　　AndwherewasMr。Vanboroughallthistime？Exactlywherewelefthimfiveyearssince。
　　Hewasasrich，orricher，thanever。Hewasaswell-connectedasever。Hewasasambitiousasever。Butthereitended。HestoodstillintheHouse；hestoodstillinsociety；nobodylikedhim；
　　hemadenofriends。Itwasalltheoldstoryoveragain，withthisdifference，thatthesouredmanwassourer；thegrayhead，grayer；andtheirritabletempermoreunendurablethanever。Hiswifehadherroomsinthehouseandhehadhis，andtheconfidentialservantstookcarethattheynevermetonthestairs。Theyhadnochildren。Theyonlysaweachotherattheirgranddinnersandballs。Peopleateattheirtable，anddancedontheirfloor，andcomparednotesafterward，andsaidhowdullitwas。StepbystepthemanwhohadoncebeenMr。Vanborough’slawyerrose，tillthepeeragereceivedhim，andhecouldrisenolonger；whileMr。Vanborough，onthelowerroundoftheladder，lookedup，andnotedit，withnomorechancerichashewasandwell-connectedashewasofclimbingtotheHouseofLordsthanyourchanceormine。
　　Theman’scareerwasended；andonthedaywhenthenominationofthenewpeerwasannounced，themanendedwithit。
　　Helaidthenewspaperasidewithoutmakinganyremark，andwentout。Hiscarriagesethimdown，wherethegreenfieldsstillremain，onthenorthwestofLondon，nearthefoot-pathwhichleadstoHampstead。Hewalkedalonetothevillawherehehadoncelivedwiththewomanwhomhehadsocruellywronged。Newhouseshadrisenroundit，partoftheoldgardenhadbeensoldandbuilton。Afteramoment’shesitationhewenttothegateandrangthebell。Hegavetheservanthiscard。Theservant’smasterknewthenameasthenameofamanofgreatwealth，andofaMemberofParliament。Heaskedpolitelytowhatfortunatecircumstanceheowedthehonorofthatvisit。Mr。Vanboroughanswered，brieflyandsimply，“Ioncelivedhere；Ihaveassociationswiththeplacewithwhichitisnotnecessaryformetotroubleyou。Willyouexcusewhatmustseemtoyouaverystrangerequest？Ishouldliketoseethedining-roomagain，ifthereisnoobjection，andifIamdisturbingnobody。“
　　The“strangerequests“ofrichmenareofthenatureof“privilegedcommunications，“forthisexcellentreason，thattheyaresurenottoberequestsformoney。Mr。Vanboroughwasshownintothedining-room。Themasterofthehouse，secretlywondering，watchedhim。
　　Hewalkedstraighttoacertainspotonthecarpet，notfarfromthewindowthatledintothegarden，andnearlyoppositethedoor。Onthatspothestoodsilently，withhisheadonhisbreast——thinking。Wasit_there_hehadseenherforthelasttime，onthedaywhenhelefttheroomforever？Yes；itwasthere。Afteraminuteorsoherousedhimself，butinadreamy，absentmanner。Hesaiditwasaprettyplace，andexpressedhisthanks，andlookedbackbeforethedoorclosed，andthenwenthiswayagain。Hiscarriagepickedhimupwhereithadsethimdown。
　　HedrovetotheresidenceofthenewLordHolchester，andleftacardforhim。Thenhewenthome。Arrivedathishouse，hissecretaryremindedhimthathehadanappointmentintenminutes’
　　time。Hethankedthesecretaryinthesamedreamy，absentmannerinwhichhehadthankedtheownerofthevilla，andwentintohisdressing-room。Thepersonwithwhomhehadmadetheappointmentcame，andthesecretarysentthevaletupstairstoknockatthedoor。Therewasnoanswer。Ontryingthelockitprovedtobeturnedinside。Theybrokeopenthedoor，andsawhimlyingonthesofa。Theywentclosetolook——andfoundhimdeadbyhisownhand。
　　VIII。
　　Drawingfasttoitsclose，theProloguerevertstothetwogirls——andtells，inafewwords，howtheyearspassedwithAnneandBlanche。
　　LadyLundiemorethanredeemedthesolemnpledgethatshehadgiventoherfriend。Preservedfromeverytemptationwhichmightlureherintoalongingtofollowhermother’scareer；trainedforateacher’slife，withalltheartsandalltheadvantagesthatmoneycouldprocure，Anne’sfirstandonlyessaysasagovernessweremade，underLadyLundie’sownroof，onLadyLundie’sownchild。Thedifferenceintheagesofthegirls——sevenyears——thelovebetweenthem，whichseemed，astimewenton，togrowwiththeirgrowth，favoredthetrialoftheexperiment。InthedoublerelationofteacherandfriendtolittleBlanche，thegirlhoodofAnneSilvestertheyoungerpassedsafely，happily，uneventfully，inthemodestsanctuaryofhome。
　　Whocouldimagineacontrastmorecompletethanthecontrastbetweenherearlylifeandhermother’s？Whocouldseeanythingbutadeath-beddelusionintheterriblequestionwhichhadtorturedthemother’slastmoments：“WillsheendlikeMe？“
　　Buttwoeventsofimportanceoccurredinthequietfamilycircleduringthelapseofyearswhichisnowunderreview。Ineighteenhundredandfifty-eightthehouseholdwasenlivenedbythearrivalofSirThomasLundie。Ineighteenhundredandsixty-fivethehouseholdwasbrokenupbythereturnofSirThomastoIndia，accompaniedbyhiswife。
　　LadyLundie’shealthhadbeenfailingforsometimepreviously。
　　Themedicalmen，consultedonthecase，agreedthatasea-voyagewastheonechangeneedfultorestoretheirpatient’swastedstrength——exactlyatthetime，asithappened，whenSirThomaswasdueagaininIndia。Forhiswife’ssake，heagreedtodeferhisreturn，bytakingthesea-voyagewithher。TheonedifficultytogetoverwasthedifficultyofleavingBlancheandAnnebehindinEngland。
　　Appealedtoonthispoint，thedoctorshaddeclaredthatatBlanche’scriticaltimeoflifetheycouldnotsanctionhergoingtoIndiawithhermother。Atthesametime，nearanddearrelativescameforward，whowerereadyandanxioustogiveBlancheandhergovernessahome——SirThomas，onhisside，engagingtobringhiswifebackinayearandahalf，or，atmost，intwoyears’time。Assailedinalldirections，LadyLundie’snaturalunwillingnesstoleavethegirlswasoverruled。
　　Sheconsentedtotheparting——withamindsecretlydepressed，andsecretlydoubtfulofthefuture。
　　AtthelastmomentshedrewAnneSilvesterononeside，outofhearingoftherest。Annewasthenayoungwomanoftwenty-two，andBlancheagirloffifteen。
　　“Mydear，“shesaid，simply，“Imusttell_you_whatIcannottellSirThomas，andwhatIamafraidtotellBlanche。Iamgoingaway，withamindthatmisgivesme。IampersuadedIshallnotlivetoreturntoEngland；and，whenIamdead，Ibelievemyhusbandwillmarryagain。Yearsagoyourmotherwasuneasy，onherdeath-bed，about_your_future。Iamuneasy，now，aboutBlanche’sfuture。Ipromisedmydeardeadfriendthatyoushouldbelikemyownchildtome——anditquietedhermind。Quietmymind，Anne，beforeIgo。Whateverhappensinyearstocome——promisemetobealways，whatyouarenow，asistertoBlanche。“
　　Sheheldoutherhandforthelasttime。WithafullheartAnneSilvesterkissedit，andgavethepromise。
　　IntwomonthsfromthattimeoneoftheforebodingswhichhadweighedonLadyLundie’smindwasfulfilled。Shediedonthevoyage，andwasburiedatsea。
　　Inayearmorethesecondmisgivingwasconfirmed。SirThomasLundiemarriedagain。HebroughthissecondwifetoEnglandtowardthecloseofeighteenhundredandsixtysix。
　　Time，inthenewhousehold，promisedtopassasquietlyasintheold。SirThomasrememberedandrespectedthetrustwhichhisfirstwifehadplacedinAnne。ThesecondLadyLundie，wiselyguidingherconductinthismatterbytheconductofherhusband，leftthingsasshefoundtheminthenewhouse。Attheopeningofeighteenhundredandsixty-seventherelationsbetweenAnneandBlanchewererelationsofsisterlysympathyandsisterlylove。
　　Theprospectinthefuturewasasfairasaprospectcouldbe。
　　Atthisdate，ofthepersonsconcernedinthetragedyoftwelveyearssinceattheHampsteadvilla，threeweredead；andonewasself-exiledinaforeignland。TherenowremainedlivingAnneandBlanche，whohadbeenchildrenatthetime；andtherisingsolicitorwhohaddiscoveredtheflawintheIrishmarriage——onceMr。Delamayn：nowLordHolchester。
　　INthespringoftheyeareighteenhundredandsixty-eighttherelived，inacertaincountyofNorthBritain，twovenerableWhiteOwls。
　　TheOwlsinhabitedadecayedanddesertedsummer-house。Thesummer-housestoodingroundsattachedtoacountryseatinPerthshire，knownbythenameofWindygates。
　　ThesituationofWindygateshadbeenskillfullychoseninthatpartofthecountywherethefertilelowlandsfirstbegintomergeintothemountainregionbeyond。Themansion-housewasintelligentlylaidout，andluxuriouslyfurnished。Thestablesofferedamodelforventilationandspace；andthegardensandgroundswerefitforaprince。
　　Possessedoftheseadvantages，atstarting，Windygates，nevertheless，wenttheroadtoruininduecourseoftime。Thecurseoflitigationfellonhouseandlands。Formorethantenyearsaninterminablelawsuitcoileditselfcloserandcloserroundtheplace，sequesteringitfromhumanhabitation，andevenfromhumanapproach。Themansionwasclosed。Thegardenbecameawildernessofweeds。Thesummer-housewaschokedupbycreepingplants；andtheappearanceofthecreeperswasfollowedbytheappearanceofthebirdsofnight。
　　ForyearstheOwlslivedundisturbedonthepropertywhichtheyhadacquiredbytheoldestofallexistingrights——therightoftaking。Throughoutthedaytheysatpeacefulandsolemn，withclosedeyes，inthecooldarknessshedroundthembytheivy。