Inthreemonthsfromthememorabledaywhenhissolicitorhadinformedhimthathewasafreeman，Mr。Vanboroughpossessedthewifehedesired，togracetheheadofhistableandtopushhisfortunesintheworld——theLegislatureofGreatBritainbeingthehumbleservantofhistreachery，andtherespectableaccompliceofhiscrime。
　　HeenteredParliament。Hegavethankstohiswifesixofthegrandestdinners，andtwoofthemostcrowdedballsoftheseason。HemadeasuccessfulfirstspeechintheHouseofCommons。Heendowedachurchinapoorneighborhood。Hewroteanarticlewhichattractedattentioninaquarterlyreview。Hediscovered，denounced，andremediedacryingabuseintheadministrationofapubliccharity。HereceivedthanksoncemoretohiswifeamemberoftheRoyalfamilyamongthevisitorsathiscountryhouseintheautumnrecess。Thesewerehistriumphs，andthishisrateofprogressonthewaytothepeerage，duringthefirstyearofhislifeasthehusbandofLadyJane。
　　TherewasbutonemorefavorthatFortunecouldconferonherspoiledchild——andFortunebestowedit。TherewasaspotonMr。
　　Vanborough’spastlifeaslongasthewomanlivedwhomhehaddisownedanddeserted。AttheendofthefirstyearDeathtookher——andthespotwasrubbedout。
　　Shehadmetthemercilessinjuryinflictedonherwithararepatience，withanadmirablecourage。ItisduetoMr。Vanboroughtoadmitthathebrokeherheart，withthestrictestattentiontopropriety。Heofferedthroughhislawyerahandsomeprovisionforherandforherchild。Itwasrejected，withoutaninstant’shesitation。Sherepudiatedhismoney——sherepudiatedhisname。Bythenamewhichshehadborneinhermaidendays——thenamewhichshehadmadeillustriousinherArt——themotheranddaughterwereknowntoallwhocaredtoinquireafterthemwhentheyhadsunkintheworld。
　　Therewasnofalseprideintheresoluteattitudewhichshethusassumedafterherhusbandhadforsakenher。Mrs。Silvesterasshewasnowcalledgratefullyacceptedforherself，andforMissSilvester，theassistanceofthedearoldfriendwhohadfoundheragaininheraffliction，andwhoremainedfaithfultohertotheend。TheylivedwithLadyLundieuntilthemotherwasstrongenoughtocarryouttheplanoflifewhichshehadarrangedforthefuture，andtoearnherbreadasateacherofsinging。Toallappearancesherallied，andbecameherselfagain，inafewmonths’time。Shewasmakingherway；shewaswinningsympathy，confidence，andrespecteverywhere——whenshesanksuddenlyattheopeningofhernewlife。Nobodycouldaccountforit。Thedoctorsthemselvesweredividedinopinion。Scientificallyspeaking，therewasnoreasonwhysheshoulddie。Itwasamerefigureofspeech——innodegreesatisfactorytoanyreasonablemind——tosay，asLadyLundiesaid，thatshehadgotherdeath-blowonthedaywhenherhusbanddesertedher。Theonethingcertainwasthefact——accountforitasyoumight。Inspiteofsciencewhichmeantlittle，inspiteofherowncouragewhichmeantmuch，thewomandroppedatherpostanddied。
　　Inthelatterpartofherillnesshermindgaveway。Thefriendofheroldschool-days，sittingatthebedside，heardhertalkingasifshethoughtherselfbackagaininthecabinoftheship。
　　Thepoorsoulfoundthetone，almostthelook，thathadbeenlostforsomanyyears——thetoneofthepasttimewhenthetwogirlshadgonetheirdifferentwaysintheworld。Shesaid，“wewillmeet，darling，withalltheoldlovebetweenus，“justasshehadsaidalmostalifetimesince。Beforetheendhermindrallied。
　　Shesurprisedthedoctorandthenursebybeggingthemgentlytoleavetheroom。WhentheyhadgoneshelookedatLadyLundie，andwoke，asitseemed，toconsciousnessfromadream。
　　“Blanche，“shesaid，“youwilltakecareofmychild？“
　　“Sheshallbe_my_child，Anne，whenyouaregone。“
　　Thedyingwomanpaused，andthoughtforalittle。Asuddentremblingseizedher。
　　“Keepitasecret!“shesaid。“Iamafraidformychild。“
　　“Afraid？AfterwhatIhavepromisedyou？“
　　Shesolemnlyrepeatedthewords，“Iamafraidformychild。“
　　“Why？“
　　“MyAnneismysecondself——isn’tshe？“
　　“Yes。“
　　“SheisasfondofyourchildasIwasofyou？“
　　“Yes。“
　　“Sheisnotcalledbyherfather’sname——sheiscalledbymine。
　　SheisAnneSilvesterasIwas。Blanche!_WillsheendlikeMe？_“
　　Thequestionwasputwiththelaboringbreath，withtheheavyaccentswhichtellthatdeathisnear。Itchilledthelivingwomanwhoheardittothemarrowofherbones。
　　“Don’tthinkthat!“shecried，horror-struck。“ForGod’ssake，don’tthinkthat!“
　　ThewildnessbegantoappearagaininAnneSilvester’seyes。Shemadefeeblyimpatientsignswithherhands。LadyLundiebentoverher，andheardherwhisper，“Liftmeup。“
　　Shelayinherfriend’sarms；shelookedupinherfriend’sface；
　　shewentbackwildlytoherfearforherchild。
　　“Don’tbringheruplikeMe!Shemustbeagoverness——shemustgetherbread。Don’tletheract!don’tlethersing!don’tlethergoonthestage!“Shestopped——hervoicesuddenlyrecovereditssweetnessoftone——shesmiledfaintly——shesaidtheoldgirlishwordsoncemore，intheoldgirlishway，“Vowit，Blanche!“LadyLundiekissedher，andanswered，asshehadansweredwhentheypartedintheship，“Ivowit，Anne!“
　　Theheadsank，nevertobeliftedmore。Thelastlookoflifeflickeredinthefilmyeyesandwentout。Foramomentafterwardherlipsmoved。LadyLundieputherearclosetothem，andheardthedreadfulquestionreiterated，inthesamedreadfulwords：
　　“SheisAnneSilvester——asIwas。_WillsheendlikeMe？_“
　　VI。
　　Fiveyearspassed——andthelivesofthethreemenwhohadsatatthedinner-tableintheHampsteadvillabegan，intheiralteredaspects，torevealtheprogressoftimeandchange。
　　Mr。Kendrew；Mr。Delamayn；Mr。Vanborough。Lettheorderinwhichtheyareherenamedbetheorderinwhichtheirlivesarereviewed，asseenoncemoreafteralapseoffiveyears。
　　Howthehusband’sfriendmarkedhissenseofthehusband’streacheryhasbeentoldalready。Howhefeltthedeathofthedesertedwifeisstilllefttotell。Report，whichseestheinmostheartsofmen，anddelightsinturningthemoutwardtothepublicview，hadalwaysdeclaredthatMr。Kendrew’slifehaditssecret，andthatthesecretwasahopelesspassionforthebeautifulwomanwhohadmarriedhisfriend。Notahinteverdroppedtoanylivingsoul，notawordeverspokentothewomanherself，couldbeproducedinproofoftheassertionwhilethewomanlived。WhenshediedReportstartedupagainmoreconfidentlythanever，andappealedtotheman’sownconductasproofagainstthemanhimself。
　　Heattendedthefuneral——thoughhewasnorelation。Hetookafewbladesofgrassfromtheturfwithwhichtheycoveredhergrave——whenhethoughtthatnobodywaslookingathim。Hedisappearedfromhisclub。Hetraveled。Hecameback。HeadmittedthathewaswearyofEngland。Heappliedfor，andobtained，anappointmentinoneofthecolonies。Towhatconclusiondidallthispoint？Wasitnotplainthathisusualcourseoflifehadlostitsattractionforhim，whentheobjectofhisinfatuationhadceasedtoexist？Itmighthavebeenso——guesseslesslikelyhavebeenmadeatthetruth，andhavehitthemark。Itis，atanyrate，certainthatheleftEngland，nevertoreturnagain。
　　Anothermanlost，Reportsaid。Addtothat，amanintenthousand——and，foronce，Reportmightclaimtoberight。
　　Mr。Delamayncomesnext。
　　Therisingsolicitorwasstruckofftheroll，athisownrequest——andenteredhimselfasastudentatoneoftheInnsofCourt。Forthreeyearsnothingwasknownofhimbutthathewasreadinghardandkeepinghisterms。HewascalledtotheBar。Hislatepartnersinthefirmknewtheycouldtrusthim，andputbusinessintohishands。IntwoyearshemadehimselfapositioninCourt。AttheendofthetwoyearshemadehimselfapositionoutofCourt。Heappearedas“Junior“in“afamouscase，“inwhichthehonorofagreatfamily，andthetitletoagreatestatewereconcerned。His“Senior“fellillontheeveofthetrial。Heconductedthecaseforthedefendantandwonit。Thedefendantsaid，“WhatcanIdoforyou？“Mr。Delamaynanswered，“PutmeintoParliament。“Beingalandedgentleman，thedefendanthadonlytoissuethenecessaryorders——andbehold，Mr。DelamaynwasinParliament!
　　IntheHouseofCommonsthenewmemberandMr。Vanboroughmetagain。
　　Theysatonthesamebench，andsidedwiththesameparty。Mr。
　　DelamaynnoticedthatMr。Vanboroughwaslookingoldandwornandgray。Heputafewquestionstoawell-informedperson。Thewell-informedpersonshookhishead。Mr。Vanboroughwasrich；Mr。
　　Vanboroughwaswell-connectedthroughhiswife；Mr。Vanboroughwasasoundmanineverysenseoftheword；_but_——nobodylikedhim。Hehaddoneverywellthefirstyear，andthereithadended。Hewasundeniablyclever，butheproducedadisagreeableimpressionintheHouse。Hegavesplendidentertainments，buthewasn’tpopularinsociety。Hispartyrespectedhim，butwhentheyhadanythingtogivetheypassedhimover。Hehadatemperofhisown，ifthetruthmustbetold；andwithnothingagainsthim——onthecontrary，witheverythinginhisfavor——hedidn’tmakefriends。Asouredman。Athomeandabroad，asouredman。
　　VII。
　　Fiveyearsmorepassed，datingfromthedaywhenthedesertedwifewaslaidinhergrave。Itwasnowtheyeareighteenhundredandsixtysix。
　　Onacertaindayinthatyeartwospecialitemsofnewsappearedinthepapers——thenewsofanelevationtothepeerage，andthenewsofasuicide。
　　GettingonwellattheBar，Mr。DelamayngotonbetterstillinParliament。HebecameoneoftheprominentmenintheHouse。
　　Spokeclearly，sensibly，andmodestly，andwasnevertoolong。