SirPatrickre-directedAnneSilvester’slettertoArnold，atthePosteRestante，Baden。Asecondletter，whichhadarrivedthatmorningaddressedtoArnoldinalegalhandwriting，andbearingthepost-markofEdinburgh，wasforwardedinthesameway，andatthesametime。
　　TwodayslaterHamFarmwasdesertedbytheguests。LadyLundiehadgonebacktoWindygates。Theresthadseparatedintheirdifferentdirections。SirPatrick，whoalsocontemplatedreturningtoScotland，remainedbehindforaweek——asolitaryprisonerinhisowncountryhouse。Accumulatedarrearsofbusiness，withwhichitwasimpossibleforhisstewardtodealsingle-handed，obligedhimtoremainathisestatesinKentforthattime。Toamanwithoutatasteforpartridge-shootingtheordealwasatryingone。SirPatrickgotthroughthedaywiththehelpofhisbusinessandhisbooks。Intheeveningtherectorofaneighboringparishdroveovertodinner，andengagedhishostatthenoblebutobsoletegameofPiquet。Theyarrangedtomeetateachother’shousesonalternatedays。Therectorwasanadmirableplayer；andSirPatrick，thoughabornPresbyterian，blessedtheChurchofEnglandfromthebottomofhisheart。
　　Threemoredayspassed。BusinessatHamFarmbegantodrawtoanend。ThetimeforSirPatrick’sjourneytoScotlandcamenearer。
　　ThetwopartnersatPiquetagreedtomeetforafinalgame，onthenextnight，attherector’shouse。ButletustakecomfortinrememberingitoursuperiorsinChurchandStateareascompletelyatthemercyofcircumstancesasthehumblestandthepoorestofus。ThatlastgameofPiquetbetweenthebaronetandtheparsonwasnevertobeplayed。
　　OntheafternoonofthefourthdaySirPatrickcameinfromadrive，andfoundaletterfromArnoldwaitingforhim，whichhadbeendeliveredbythesecondpost。
　　Judgedbyexternalsonly，itwasaletterofanunusuallyperplexing——possiblyalsoofanunusuallyinteresting——kind。
　　Arnoldwasoneofthelastpersonsintheworldwhomanyofhisfriendswouldhavesuspectedofbeingalengthycorrespondent。
　　Here，nevertheless，wasaletterfromhim，ofthreetimesthecustomarybulkandweight——and，apparently，ofmorethancommonimportance，inthematterofnews，besides。Atthetoptheenvelopewasmarked“_Immediate。_。“Andatonesidealsounderlinedwastheominousword，“_Private。_。“
　　“Nothingwrong，Ihope？“thoughtSirPatrick。
　　Heopenedtheenvelope。
　　Twoinclosuresfelloutonthetable。Helookedatthemforamoment。TheywerethetwoletterswhichhehadforwardedtoBaden。Thethirdletterremaininginhishandandoccupyingadoublesheet，wasfromArnoldhimself。SirPatrickreadArnold’sletterfirst。Itwasdated“Baden，“anditbeganasfollows：
　　“MyDearSirPatrick，——Don’tbealarmed，ifyoucanpossiblyhelpit。Iaminaterriblemess。“
　　SirPatricklookedupforamomentfromtheletter。Givenayoungmanwhodatesfrom“Baden，“anddeclareshimselftobein“aterriblemess，“asrepresentingthecircumstancesofthecase——whatistheinterpretationtobeplacedonthem？SirPatrickdrewtheinevitableconclusion。Arnoldhadbeengambling。
　　Heshookhishead，andwentonwiththeletter。
　　“Imustsay，dreadfulasitis，thatIamnottoblame——norsheeither，poorthing。“
　　SirPatrickpausedagain。“She？“Blanchehadapparentlybeengamblingtoo？Nothingwaswantingtocompletethepicturebutanannouncementinthenextsentence，presentingthecourierascarriedaway，inhisturn，bytheinsatiatepassionforplay。SirPatrickresumed：
　　“Youcannot，Iamsure，expect_me_tohaveknownthelaw。AndasforpoorMissSilvester——“
　　“MissSilvester？“WhathadMissSilvestertodowithit？Andwhatcouldbethemeaningofthereferenceto“thelaw？“
　　SirPatrickhadreadtheletter，thusfar，standingup。AvaguedistruststoleoverhimattheappearanceofMissSilvester’snameinconnectionwiththelineswhichhadprecededit。Hefeltnothingapproachingtoaclearprevisionofwhatwastocome。
　　Someindescribableinfluencewasatworkinhim，whichshookhisnerves，andmadehimfeeltheinfirmitiesofhisageasitseemedonasudden。Itwentnofurtherthanthat。Hewasobligedtositdown：hewasobligedtowaitamomentbeforehewenton。
　　Theletterproceeded，inthesewords：
　　“And，asforpoorMissSilvester，thoughshefelt，assheremindsme，somemisgivings——still，shenevercouldhaveforeseen，beingnolawyereither，howitwastoend。Ihardlyknowthebestwaytobreakittoyou。Ican’t，andwon’t，believeitmyself。Butevenifitshouldbetrue，Iamquitesureyouwillfindawayoutofitforus。Iwillstickatnothing，andMissSilvesterasyouwillseebyherletterwillstickatnothingeither，tosetthingsright。Ofcourse，IhavenotsaidonewordtomydarlingBlanche，whoisquitehappy，andsuspectsnothing。Allthis，dearSirPatrick，isverybadlywritten，Iamafraid，butitismeanttoprepareyou，andtoputthebestsideonmattersatstarting。
　　However，thetruthmustbetold——andshameontheScotchlawiswhat_I_say。Thisitis，inshort：GeoffreyDelamaynisevenagreaterscoundrelthanyouthinkhim；andIbitterlyrepentasthingshaveturnedouthavingheldmytonguethatnightwhenyouandIhadourprivatetalkatHamFarm。YouwillthinkIammixingtwothingsuptogether。ButIamnot。PleasetokeepthisaboutGeoffreyinyourmind，andpieceittogetherwithwhatI
　　havenexttosay。Theworstisstilltocome。MissSilvester’sletterinclosedtellsmethisterriblething。YoumustknowthatIwenttoherprivately，asGeoffrey’smessenger，onthedayofthelawn-partyatWindygates。Well——howitcouldhavehappened，Heavenonlyknows——butthereisreasontofearthatI
　　marriedher，withoutbeingawareofitmyself，inAugustlast，attheCraigFernieinn。“
　　TheletterdroppedfromSirPatrick’shand。Hesankbackinthechair，stunnedforthemoment，undertheshockthathadfallenonhim。
　　Herallied，androsebewilderedtohisfeet。Hetookaturnintheroom。Hestopped，andsummonedhiswill，andsteadiedhimselfbymainforce。Hepickeduptheletter，andreadthelastsentenceagain。Hisfaceflushed。HewasonthepointofyieldinghimselftoauselessoutburstofangeragainstArnold，whenhisbettersensecheckedhimatthelastmoment。“Onefoolinthefamilyis，enough，“hesaid。“_My_businessinthisdreadfulemergencyistokeepmyheadclearforBlanche’ssake。“
　　Hewaitedoncemore，tomakesureofhisowncomposure——andturnedagaintotheletter，toseewhatthewriterhadtosayforhimself，inthewayofexplanationandexcuse。
　　Arnoldhadplentytosay——withthedrawbackofnotknowinghowtosayit。Itwashardtodecidewhichqualityinhisletterwasmostmarked——thetotalabsenceofarrangement，orthetotalabsenceofreserve。Withoutbeginning，middle，orend，hetoldthestoryofhisfatalconnectionwiththetroublesofAnneSilvester，fromthememorabledaywhenGeoffreyDelamaynsenthimtoCraigFernie，totheequallymemorablenightwhenSirPatrickhadtriedvainlytomakehimopenhislipsatHamFarm。
　　“IownIhavebehavedlikeafool，“theletterconcluded，“inkeepingGeoffreyDelamayn’ssecretforhim——asthingshaveturnedout。ButhowcouldItelluponhimwithoutcompromisingMissSilvester？Readherletter，andyouwillseewhatshesays，andhowgenerouslyshereleasesme。It’snousesayingIamsorryI
　　wasn’tmorecautious。Themischiefisdone。I’llstickatnothing——asIhavesaidbefore——toundoit。OnlytellmewhatisthefirststepIamtotake；and，aslongasitdon’tpartmefromBlanche，relyonmytakingit。Waitingtohearfromyou，I
　　remain，dearSirPatrick，yoursingreatperplexity，ArnoldBrinkworth。“
　　SirPatrickfoldedtheletter，andlookedatthetwoinclosureslyingonthetable。Hiseyewashard，hisbrowwasfrowning，asheputhishandtotakeupAnne’sletter。TheletterfromArnold’sagentinEdinburghlaynearertohim。Asithappened，hetookthatfirst。
　　Itwasshortenough，andclearlyenoughwritten，toinviteareadingbeforeheputitdownagain。ThelawyerreportedthathehadmadethenecessaryinquiriesatGlasgow，withthisresult。
　　AnnehadbeentracedtoTheSheep’sHeadHotel。Shehadlainthereutterlyhelpless，fromillness，untilthebeginningofSeptember。Shehadbeenadvertised，withoutresult，intheGlasgownewspapers。Onthe5thofSeptembershehadsufficientlyrecoveredtobeabletoleavethehotel。Shehadbeenseenattherailwaystationonthesameday——butfromthatpointalltraceofherhadbeenlostoncemore。Thelawyerhadaccordinglystoppedtheproceedings，andnowwaitedfurtherinstructionsfromhisclient。
　　ThisletterwasnotwithoutitseffectinencouragingSirPatricktosuspendtheharshandhastyjudgmentofAnne，whichanyman，placedinhispresentsituation，musthavebeeninclinedtoform。
　　Herillnessclaimeditssmallshareofsympathy。Herfriendlessposition——soplainlyandsosadlyrevealedbytheadvertisinginthenewspapers——pleadedformercifulconstructionoffaultscommitted，iffaultstherewere。Gravely，butnotangrily，SirPatrickopenedherletter——theletterthatcastadoubtonhisniece’smarriage。
　　ThusAnneSilvesterwrote：
　　“GLASGOW，_September_5。
　　“DEARMR。BRINKWORTH，——NearlythreeweekssinceIattemptedtowritetoyoufromthisplace。IwasseizedbysuddenillnesswhileIwasengagedovermyletter；andfromthattimetothisI
　　havelaidhelplessinbed——verynear，astheytellme，todeath。
　　Iwasstrongenoughtobedressed，andtositupforalittlewhileyesterdayandthedaybefore。To-day，Ihavemadeabetteradvancetowardrecovery。Icanholdmypenandcontrolmythoughts。ThefirstusetowhichIputthisimprovementistowritetheselines。