wastoseethelastofher。IhopeandtrustIshallneverseteyesonheragain!“
　　“DidyouhearhowMr。Speedwellcametobeatthehouse？Hadhegoneofhisownaccord？orhadhebeensentfor？“
　　“Hehadbeensentfor。IventuredtospeaktohimaboutthepersonswhomIhadseeninthegarden。Mr。SpeedwellexplainedeverythingwhichIwasnotableofmyselftounderstand，inthekindestmanner。Oneofthetwostrangemeninthegardenwasthetrainer；theotherwasadoctor，whomthetrainerwasusuallyinthehabitofconsulting。ItseemsthattherealreasonfortheirbringingGeoffreyDelamaynawayfromScotlandwhentheydid，wasthatthetrainerwasuneasy，andwantedtobenearLondonformedicaladvice。Thedoctor，onbeingconsulted，ownedthathewasatalosstounderstandthesymptomswhichhewasaskedtotreat。
　　HehadhimselffetchedthegreatsurgeontoFulham，thatmorning。
　　Mr。Speedwellabstainedfrommentioningthathehadforeseenwhatwouldhappen，atWindygates。Allhesaidwas，’IhadmetMr。
　　Delamayninsociety，andIfeltinterestenoughinthecasetopayhimavisit——withwhatresult，youhaveseenyourself。’“
　　“DidhetellyouanythingaboutDelamayn’shealth？“
　　“HesaidthathehadquestionedthedoctoronthewaytoFulham，andthatsomeofthepatient’ssymptomsindicatedseriousmischief。WhatthesymptomswereIdidnothear。Mr。Speedwellonlyspokeofchangesfortheworseinhimwhichawomanwouldbelikelytounderstand。Atonetime，hewouldbesodullandheedlessthatnothingcouldrousehim。Atanother，heflewintothemostterriblepassionswithoutanyapparentcause。ThetrainerhadfounditalmostimpossibleinScotlandtokeephimtotherightdiet；andthedoctorhadonlysanctionedtakingthehouseatFulham，afterbeingfirstsatisfied，notonlyoftheconvenienceofthegarden，butalsothatHesterDethridgecouldbethoroughlytrustedasacook。Withherhelp，theyhadplacedhimonanentirelynewdiet。Buttheyhadfoundanunexpecteddifficultyevenindoingthat。Whenthetrainertookhimtothenewlodgings，itturnedoutthathehadseenHesterDethridgeatWindygates，andhadtakenthestrongestprejudiceagainsther。OnseeingheragainatFulham，heappearedtobeabsolutelyterrified。“
　　“Terrified？Why？“
　　“Nobodyknowswhy。Thetrainerandthedoctortogethercouldonlypreventhisleavingthehouse，bythreateningtothrowuptheresponsibilityofpreparinghimfortherace，unlessheinstantlycontrolledhimself，andbehavedlikeamaninsteadofachild。
　　Sincethattime，hehasbecomereconciled，littlebylittle，tohisnewabode——partlythroughHesterDethridge’scautioninkeepingherselfalwaysoutofhisway；andpartlythroughhisownappreciationofthechangeinhisdiet，whichHester’sskillincookeryhasenabledthedoctortomake。Mr。SpeedwellmentionedsomethingswhichIhaveforgotten。Icanonlyrepeat，SirPatrick，theresultatwhichhehasarrivedinhisownmind。
　　Comingfromamanofhisauthority，theopinionseemstometobestartlinginthelastdegree。IfGeoffreyDelamaynrunsintheraceonThursdaynext，hewilldoitattheriskofhislife。“
　　“Attheriskofdyingontheground？“
　　“Yes。“
　　SirPatrick’sfacebecamethoughtful。Hewaitedalittlebeforehespokeagain。
　　“Wehavenotwastedourtime，“hesaid，“indwellingonwhathappenedduringyourvisittoFulham。Thepossibilityofthisman’sdeathsuggeststomymindseriousmatterforconsideration。
　　Itisverydesirable，intheinterestsofmynieceandherhusband，thatIshouldbeabletoforesee，ifIcan，howafatalresultoftheracemightaffecttheinquirywhichistobeheldonSaturdaynext。Ibelieveyoumaybeabletohelpmeinthis。“
　　“Youhaveonlytotellmehow，SirPatrick。“
　　“ImaycountonyourbeingpresentonSaturday？“
　　“Certainly。“
　　“Youthoroughlyunderstandthat，inmeetingBlanche，youwillmeetapersonestrangedfromyou，forthepresent——afriendandsisterwhohasceasedunderLadyLundie’sinfluencemainlytofeelasafriendandsistertowardyounow？“
　　“Iwasnotquiteunprepared，SirPatrick，tohearthatBlanchehadmisjudgedme。WhenIwrotemylettertoMr。Brinkworth，I
　　warnedhimasdelicatelyasIcould，thathiswife’sjealousymightbeveryeasilyroused。Youmayrelyonmyself-restraint，nomatterhowhardlyitmaybetried。NothingthatBlanchecansayordowillaltermygratefulremembranceofthepast。WhileI
　　live，Iloveher。Letthatassurancequietanylittleanxietythatyoumayhavefeltastomyconduct——andtellmehowIcanservethoseinterestswhichIhaveatheartaswellasyou。“
　　“Youcanservethem，MissSilvester，inthisway。YoucanmakemeacquaintedwiththepositioninwhichyoustoodtowardDelamaynatthetimewhenyouwenttotheCraigFernieinn。“
　　“Putanyquestionstomethatyouthinkright，SirPatrick。“
　　“Youmeanthat？“
　　“Imeanit。“
　　“Iwillbeginbyrecallingsomethingwhichyouhavealreadytoldme。Delamaynhaspromisedyoumarriage——“
　　“Overandoveragain!“
　　“Inwords？“
　　“Yes。“
　　“Inwriting？“
　　“Yes。“
　　“DoyouseewhatIamcomingto？“
　　“Hardlyyet。“
　　“Youreferred，whenwefirstmetinthisroom，toaletterwhichyourecoveredfromBishopriggs，atPerth。IhaveascertainedfromArnoldBrinkworththatthesheetofnote-paperstolenfromyoucontainedtwoletters。OnewaswrittenbyyoutoDelamayn——theotherwaswrittenbyDelamayntoyou。ThesubstanceofthislastArnoldremembered。Yourletterhehadnotread。Itisoftheutmostimportance，MissSilvester，toletmeseethatcorrespondencebeforewepartto-day。“
　　Annemadenoanswer。Shesatwithherclaspedhandsonherlap。
　　HereyeslookeduneasilyawayfromSirPatrick’sface，forthefirsttime。
　　“Willitnotbeenough，“sheasked，afteraninterval，“ifItellyouthesubstanceofmyletter，withoutshowingit？“
　　“Itwill_not_beenough，“returnedSirPatrick，intheplainestmanner。“Ihinted——ifyouremember——attheproprietyofmyseeingtheletter，whenyoufirstmentionedit，andIobservedthatyoupurposelyabstainedfromunderstandingme，Iamgrievedtoputyou，onthisoccasion，toapainfultest。Butifyou_are_tohelpmeatthisseriouscrisis，Ihaveshownyoutheway。“
　　Annerosefromherchair，andansweredbyputtingtheletterintoSirPatrick’shands。“Rememberwhathehasdone，sinceIwrotethat，“shesaid。“Andtrytoexcuseme，ifIownthatIamashamedtoshowittoyounow。“
　　Withthosewordsshewalkedasidetothewindow。Shestoodthere，withherhandpressedonherbreast，lookingoutabsentlyonthemurkyLondonviewofhouseroofandchimney，whileSirPatrickopenedtheletter。
　　Itisnecessarytotherightappreciationofevents，thatothereyesbesidesSirPatrick’sshouldfollowthebriefcourseofthecorrespondenceinthisplace。
　　1。_FromAnneSilvestertoGeoffreyDelamayn。_
　　WINDYGATESHOUSE。_August_19，1868。
　　“GEOFFREYDELAMAYN，——Ihavewaitedinthehopethatyouwouldrideoverfromyourbrother’splace，andseeme——andIhavewaitedinvain。Yourconducttomeiscrueltyitself；Iwillbearitnolonger。Consider!inyourowninterests，consider——beforeyoudrivethemiserablewomanwhohastrustedyoutodespair。Youhavepromisedmemarriagebyallthatissacred。Iclaimyourpromise。IinsistonnothinglessthantobewhatyouvowedI
　　shouldbe——whatIhavewaitedallthiswearytimetobe——whatI
　　_am，_inthesightofHeaven，yourweddedwife。LadyLundiegivesalawn-partyhereonthe14th。Iknowyouhavebeenasked。I
　　expectyoutoacceptherinvitation。IfIdon’tseeyou，Iwon’tanswerforwhatmayhappen。Mymindismadeuptoendurethissuspensenolonger。Oh，Geoffrey，rememberthepast!Befaithful——bejust——toyourlovingwife，“ANNESILVESTER。“
　　2。_FromGeoffreyDelamayntoAnneSilvester。_
　　“DEARANNE，——JustcalledtoLondontomyfather。Theyhavetelegraphedhiminabadway。Stopwhereyouare，andIwillwriteyou。Trustthebearer。Uponmysoul，I’llkeepmypromise。
　　Yourlovinghusbandthatistobe，“GEOFFREYDELAMAYN。
　　“Inamortalhurry。Thetrainstarts4。30。“
　　SirPatrickreadthecorrespondencewithbreathlessattentiontotheend。Atthelastlinesofthelastletterhedidwhathehadnotdonefortwentyyearspast——hesprangtohisfeetatabound，andhecrossedaroomwithoutthehelpofhisivorycane。