“Mr。GeoffreyDelamayn。“
　　“WhenMr。ArnoldBrinkworthcameinhisplaceandsaidwhatwasnecessarytosatisfythescruplesofthelandlady，youunderstoodthathewasactinginyourinterests，frommotivesofkindnessonly，andundertheinstructionsofMr。GeoffreyDelamayn？“
　　“Iunderstoodthat；andIobjectedasstronglyasIcouldtoMr。
　　Brinkworthplacinghimselfinafalsepositiononmyaccount。“
　　“DidyourobjectionproceedfromanyknowledgeoftheScottishlawofmarriage，andofthepositioninwhichthepeculiaritiesofthatlawmightplaceMr。Brinkworth？“
　　“IhadnoknowledgeoftheScottishlaw。IhadavaguedislikeanddreadofthedeceptionwhichMr。Brinkworthwaspracticingonthepeopleoftheinn。AndIfearedthatitmightleadtosomepossiblemisinterpretationofmeonthepartofapersonwhomI
　　dearlyloved。“
　　“Thatpersonbeingmyniece？“
　　“Yes。“
　　“YouappealedtoMr。Brinkworthknowingofhisattachmenttomyniece，inhername，andforhersake，toleaveyoutoshiftforyourself？“
　　“Idid。“
　　“Asagentlemanwhohadgivenhispromisetohelpandprotectalady，intheabsenceofthepersonwhomshehaddependedontojoinher，herefusedtoleaveyoutoshiftbyyourself？“
　　“Unhappily，herefusedonthataccount。“
　　“Fromfirsttolast，youwereabsolutelyinnocentoftheslightestintentiontomarryMr。Brinkworth？“
　　“Ianswer，SirPatrick，asMr。Brinkworthhasanswered。Nosuchthingasthethoughtofmarryinghimeverenteredmyhead。“
　　“Andthisyousay，onyouroathasaChristianwoman？“
　　“OnmyoathasaChristianwoman。“
　　SirPatricklookedroundatBlanche。Herfacewashiddeninherhands。Herstep-motherwasvainlyappealingtohertocomposeherself。
　　Inthemomentofsilencethatfollowed，Mr。Moyinterferedintheinterestsofhisclient。
　　“Iwaivemyclaim，SirPatrick，toputanyquestionsonmyside。
　　Imerelydesiretoremindyou，andtoremindthecompanypresent，thatallthatwehavejustheardismereassertion——onthepartoftwopersonsstronglyinterestedinextricatingthemselvesfromapositionwhichfatallycompromisesthemboth。ThemarriagewhichtheydenyIamnowwaitingtoprove——notbyassertion，onmyside，butbyappealtocompetentwitnesses。“
　　Afterabriefconsultationwithherownsolicitor，LadyLundiefollowedMr。Moy，instrongerlanguagestill。
　　“Iwishyoutounderstand，SirPatrick，beforeyouproceedanyfarther，thatIshallremovemystep-daughterfromtheroomifanymoreattemptsaremadetoharrowherfeelingsandmisleadherjudgment。Iwantwordstoexpressmysenseofthismostcruelandunfairwayofconductingtheinquiry。“
　　TheLondonlawyerfollowed，statinghisprofessionalapprovalofhisclient’sview。“Asherladyship’slegaladviser，“hesaid，“I
　　supporttheprotestwhichherladyshiphasjustmade。“
　　EvenCaptainNewendenagreedinthegeneraldisapprovalofSirPatrick’sconduct。“Hear，hear!“saidthecaptain，whenthelawyerhadspoken。“Quiteright。Imustsay，quiteright。“
　　Apparentlyimpenetrabletoallduesenseofhisposition，SirPatrickaddressedhimselftoMr。Moy，asifnothinghadhappened。
　　“Doyouwishtoproduceyourwitnessesatonce？“heasked。“I
　　havenottheleastobjectiontomeetyourviews——ontheunderstandingthatIampermittedtoreturntotheproceedingsasinterruptedatthispoint。“
　　Mr。Moyconsidered。Theadversarytherecouldbenodoubtofitbythistimehadsomethinginreserve——andtheadversaryhadnotyetshownhishand。Itwasmoreimmediatelyimportanttoleadhimintodoingthisthantoinsistonrightsandprivilegesofthepurelyformalsort。NothingcouldshakethestrengthofthepositionwhichMr。Moyoccupied。ThelongerSirPatrick’sirregularitiesdelayedtheproceedings，themoreirresistiblytheplainfactsofthecasewouldassertthemselves——withalltheforceofcontrast——outofthemouthsofthewitnesseswhowereinattendancedownstairs。Hedeterminedtowait。
　　“Reservingmyrightofobjection，SirPatrick，“heanswered，“I
　　begyoutogoon。“
　　Tothesurpriseofeverybody，SirPatrickaddressedhimselfdirectlytoBlanche——quotingthelanguageinwhichLadyLundiehadspokentohim，withperfectcomposureoftoneandmanner。
　　“Youknowmewellenough，mydear，“hesaid，“tobeassuredthatIamincapableofwillinglyharrowingyourfeelingsormisleadingyourjudgment。Ihaveaquestiontoaskyou，whichyoucananswerornot，entirelyasyouplease。“
　　BeforehecouldputthequestiontherewasamomentarycontestbetweenLadyLundieandherlegaladviser。Silencingherladyshipnotwithoutdifficulty，theLondonlawyerinterposed。Healsobeggedleavetoreservetherightofobjection，sofaras_his_
　　clientwasconcerned。
　　SirPatrickassentedbyasign，andproceededtoputhisquestiontoBlanche。
　　“YouhaveheardwhatArnoldBrinkworthhassaid，andwhatMissSilvesterhassaid，“heresumed。“Thehusbandwholovesyou，andthesisterlyfriendwholovesyou，haveeachmadeasolemndeclaration。Recallyourpastexperienceofbothofthem；
　　rememberwhattheyhavejustsaid；andnowtellme——doyoubelievetheyhavespokenfalsely？“
　　Blancheansweredontheinstant。
　　“Ibelieve，uncle，theyhavespokenthetruth!“
　　Boththelawyersregisteredtheirobjections。LadyLundiemadeanotherattempttospeak，andwasstoppedoncemore——thistimebyMr。Moyaswellasbyherownadviser。SirPatrickwenton。
　　“Doyoufeelanydoubtastotheentireproprietyofyourhusband’sconductandyourfriend’sconduct，nowyouhaveseenthemandheardthem，facetoface？“
　　Blancheansweredagain，withthesameabsenceofreserve。
　　“Iaskthemtoforgiveme，“shesaid。“IbelieveIhavedonethembothagreatwrong。“
　　Shelookedatherhusbandfirst——thenatAnne。Arnoldattemptedtoleavehischair。SirPatrickfirmlyrestrainedhim。“Wait!“hewhispered。“Youdon’tknowwhatiscoming。“Havingsaidthat，heturnedtowardAnne。Blanche’slookhadgonetotheheartofthefaithfulwomanwholovedher。Anne’sfacewasturnedaway——thetearswereforcingthemselvesthroughthewornweakhandsthattriedvainlytohidethem。
　　Theformalobjectionsofthelawyerswereregisteredoncemore。
　　SirPatrickaddressedhimselftohisnieceforthelasttime。
　　“YoubelievewhatArnoldBrinkworthhassaid；youbelievewhatMissSilvesterhassaid。Youknowthatnoteventhethoughtofmarriagewasinthemindofeitherofthem，attheinn。Youknow——whateverelsemayhappeninthefuture——thatthereisnotthemostremotepossibilityofeitherofthemconsentingtoacknowledgethattheyeverhavebeen，orevercanbe，ManandWife。Isthatenoughforyou？Areyouwilling，beforethisinquiryproceedsanyfarthertotakeyourhusband’shand；toreturntoyourhusband’sprotection；andtoleavetheresttome——satisfiedwithmyassurancethat，onthefactsastheyhappened，noteventheScotchLawcanprovethemonstrousassertionofthemarriageatCraigFernietobetrue？“
　　LadyLundierose。Boththelawyersrose。Arnoldsatlostinastonishment。Geoffreyhimself——brutishlycarelessthusfarofallthathadpassed——liftedhisheadwithasuddenstart。Inthemidstoftheprofoundimpressionthusproduced，Blanche，onwhosedecisionthewholefuturecourseoftheinquirynowturned，answeredinthesewords：
　　“Ihopeyouwillnotthinkmeungrateful，uncle。IamsurethatArnoldhasnot，knowingly，donemeanywrong。ButIcan’tgobacktohimuntilIamfirst_certain_thatIamhiswife。“
　　LadyLundieembracedherstep-daughterwithasuddenoutburstofaffection。“Mydearchild!“exclaimedherladyship，fervently。
　　“Welldone，myowndearchild!“
　　SirPatrick’sheaddroppedonhisbreast。“Oh，Blanche!Blanche!“
　　Arnoldheardhimwhispertohimself；“ifyouonlyknewwhatyouareforcingmeto!“
　　Mr。Moyputinhisword，onBlanche’ssideofthequestion。