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"Our little discussion in the garden," resumed Sir Patrick, answering Blanche's inquiring look as she bent over him, "began, my dear, in a paragraph here announcing Mr. Delamayn's forthcoming appearance in a foot-race in the neighborhood of London. I hold very unpopular opinions as to the athletic displays which are so much in vogue in England just now.
"It is my distressing duty," said Sir Patrick, "to declare, in this lady's name, and on the faith of written promises of marriage exchanged between the parties, then residing in Scotland, that she claims to be now and to have been on the afternoon of the fourteenth of August last Mr. Geoffrey Delamayn's wedded wife."
It was past the hour when the train from Perthshire was due in London. Geoffrey and his brother were, at that moment, on their way to Lord Holchester's house. LORD HOLCHESTER'S servants with the butler at their head were on the look-out for Mr. Julius Delamayn's arrival from Scotland. The appearance of the two brothers together took the whole domestic establishment by surprise.
The quick brain of the old lawyer had put Geoffrey's application to him for assistance, and Blanche's application to him for assistance, together; and had built its own theory on the basis thus obtained. "Do I see a connection between the present position of Blanche's governess, and the present position of Mr. Delamayn's 'friend?" thought Sir Patrick.
The examination proceeded uninterruptedly until it had reached that point in the progress of events at which Anne had crushed Geoffrey Delamayn's letter in her hand, and had thrown it from her indignantly to the other end of the room. There, for the first time, Sir Patrick dipped his pen in the ink, apparently intending to take a note.
Suppose I go to Mrs. Glenarm? Suppose I interfere before the week is out? Suppose I have other letters of Mr. Delamayn's in my possession, and produce them to speak for me? What has Mrs. Glenarm to purchase of you then? Answer me that!" The color rose on her pale face. Her eyes, dim and weary when she entered the room, looked him brightly through and through in immeasurable contempt.
"I have something to ask you, Sir Patrick, before I destroy it. Blanche refuses to go back to her husband, unless she returns with the certain assurance of being really his wife. If I produce this letter, she may go back to him to-day. If I declare myself Geoffrey Delamayn's wife, I clear Arnold Brinkworth, at once and forever of all suspicion of being married to me.
"I say again I believe him, and not you." "You believe I am Arnold Brinkworth's wife?" "I am certain of it." "You tell me that to my face?" "I tell you to your face you may have been Geoffrey Delamayn's mistress; you are Arnold Brinkworth's wife." At those words the long restrained anger leaped up in Anne all the more hotly for having been hitherto so steadily controlled.
"Try and persuade him!" said the waiter, piteously, as Delamayn's brother rose to leave the room. "Try and persuade him!" echoed the three gentlemen, as Delamayn's brother opened the door and went out. The man brightened into a new being at the prospect. No need to hurry him; he drove, unasked, at the top of his horse's speed.
Glenarm's questions were not without their use. They gave Anne time to summon her resolution, and to feel the necessity of explaining herself. "I am speaking, I believe, to Mrs. Glenarm?" she began. The good-humored widow smiled and bowed graciously. "I have come here, Mrs. Glenarm by Mr. Delamayn's permission to ask leave to speak to you on a matter in which you are interested." Mrs.
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