第6章

Mrs。Vanboroughwasnotonlyvisible——butaudible——inthegarden；

givingherorderstooneoftheout-of-doorservantswiththetoneandmannerwhichproclaimedthemistressofthehouse。

Supposehesaid，“Sheis_not_myfriend’swife？“Femalecuriositywouldinevitablyputthenextquestion，“Whoisshe？“

Supposeheinventedanexplanation？Theexplanationwouldtaketime，andtimewouldgivehiswifeanopportunityofdiscoveringLadyJane。Seeingalltheseconsiderationsinonebreathlessmoment，Mr。Vanboroughtooktheshortestandtheboldestwayoutofthedifficulty。Heansweredsilentlybyanaffirmativeinclinationofthehead，whichdextrouslyturnedMrs。VanboroughintotoMrs。DelamaynwithoutallowingMr。Delamayntheopportunityofhearingit。

Butthelawyer’seyewashabituallywatchful，andthelawyersawhim。

Masteringinamomenthisfirstnaturalastonishmentatthelibertytakenwithhim，Mr。Delamayndrewtheinevitableconclusionthattherewassomethingwrong，andthattherewasanattempt(nottobepermittedforamoment)tomixhimupinit。

Headvanced，resolutetocontradicthisclient，tohisclient’sownface。

ThevolubleLadyJaneinterruptedhimbeforehecouldopenhislips。

“MightIaskonequestion？Istheaspectsouth？Ofcourseitis!

Ioughttoseebythesunthattheaspectissouth。Theseandtheothertwoare，Isuppose，theonlyroomsontheground-floor？Andisitquiet？Ofcourseit’squiet!Acharminghouse。FarmorelikelytosuitmyfriendthananyIhaveseenyet。Willyougivemetherefusalofittillto-morrow？“Thereshestoppedforbreath，andgaveMr。Delamaynhisfirstopportunityofspeakingtoher。

“Ibegyourladyship’spardon，“hebegan。“Ireallycan’t——“

Mr。Vanborough——passingclosebehindhimandwhisperingashepassed——stoppedthelawyerbeforehecouldsayawordmore。

“ForGod’ssake，don’tcontradictme!Mywifeiscomingthisway!“

Atthesamemoment(stillsupposingthatMr。Delamaynwasthemasterofthehouse)LadyJanereturnedtothecharge。

“Youappeartofeelsomehesitation，“shesaid。“Doyouwantareference？“Shesmiledsatirically，andsummonedherfriendtoheraid。“Mr。Vanborough!“

Mr。Vanborough，stealingstepbystepnearertothewindow——intent，comewhatmightofit，onkeepinghiswifeoutoftheroom——neitherheedednorheardher。LadyJanefollowedhim，andtappedhimbrisklyontheshoulderwithherparasol。

AtthatmomentMrs。Vanboroughappearedonthegardensideofthewindow。

“AmIintheway？“sheasked，addressingherhusband，afteronesteadylookatLadyJane。“Thisladyappearstobeanoldfriendofyours。“Therewasatoneofsarcasminthatallusiontotheparasol，whichmightdevelopintoatoneofjealousyatamoment’snotice。

LadyJanewasnotintheleastdisconcerted。Shehadherdoubleprivilegeoffamiliaritywiththemenwhomsheliked——herprivilegeasawomanofhighrank，andherprivilegeasayoungwidow。ShebowedtoMrs。Vanborough，withallthehighly-finishedpolitenessoftheordertowhichshebelonged。

“Theladyofthehouse，Ipresume？“shesaid，withagracioussmile。

Mrs。Vanboroughreturnedthebowcoldly——enteredtheroomfirst——andthenanswered，“Yes。“

LadyJaneturnedtoMr。Vanborough。

“Presentme!“shesaid，submittingresignedlytotheformalitiesofthemiddleclasses。

Mr。Vanboroughobeyed，withoutlookingathiswife，andwithoutmentioninghiswife’sname。

“LadyJaneParnell，“hesaid，passingovertheintroductionasrapidlyaspossible。“Letmeseeyoutoyourcarriage，“headded，offeringhisarm。“Iwilltakecarethatyouhavetherefusalofthehouse。Youmaytrustitalltome。“

No!LadyJanewasaccustomedtoleaveafavorableimpressionbehindherwherevershewent。Itwasahabitwithhertobecharming(inwidelydifferentways)tobothsexes。Thesocialexperienceoftheupperclassesis，inEngland，anexperienceofuniversalwelcome。LadyJanedeclinedtoleaveuntilshehadthawedtheicyreceptionoftheladyofthehouse。

“Imustrepeatmyapologies，“shesaidtoMrs。Vanborough，“forcomingatthisinconvenienttime。Myintrusionappearstohavesadlydisturbedthetwogentlemen。Mr。Vanboroughlooksasifhewishedmeahundredmilesaway。Andasforyourhusband——“ShestoppedandglancedtowardMr。Delamayn。“Pardonmeforspeakinginthatfamiliarway。Ihavenotthepleasureofknowingyourhusband’sname。“

InspeechlessamazementMrs。Vanborough’seyesfollowedthedirectionofLadyJane’seyes——andrestedonthelawyer，personallyatotalstrangertoher。

Mr。Delamayn，resolutelywaitinghisopportunitytospeak，seizeditoncemore——andhelditthistime。

“Ibegyourpardon，“hesaid。“Thereissomemisapprehensionhere，forwhichIaminnowayresponsible。Iam_not_thatlady’shusband。“

ItwasLadyJane’sturntobeastonished。Shelookedatthelawyer。Useless!Mr。Delamaynhadsethimselfright——Mr。Delamayndeclinedtointerferefurther。Hesilentlytookachairattheotherendoftheroom。LadyJaneaddressedMr。Vanborough。

“Whateverthemistakemaybe，“shesaid，“youareresponsibleforit。Youcertainlytoldmethisladywasyourfriend’swife。“

“What!!!“criedMrs。Vanborough——loudly，sternly，incredulously。

Theinbredprideofthegreatladybegantoappearbehindthethinouterveilofpolitenessthatcoveredit。

“Iwillspeaklouderifyouwishit，“shesaid。“Mr。Vanboroughtoldmeyouwerethatgentleman’swife。“

Mr。Vanboroughwhisperedfiercelytohiswifethroughhisclenchedteeth。

“Thewholethingisamistake。Gointothegardenagain!“

Mrs。Vanborough’sindignationwassuspendedforthemomentindread，asshesawthepassionandtheterrorstrugglinginherhusband’sface。

“Howyoulookatme!“shesaid。“Howyouspeaktome!“

Heonlyrepeated，“Gointothegarden!“

LadyJanebegantoperceive，whatthelawyerhaddiscoveredsomeminutespreviously——thattherewassomethingwronginthevillaatHampstead。Theladyofthehousewasaladyinananomalouspositionofsomekind。Andasthehouse，toallappearance，belongedtoMr。Vanborough’sfriend，Mr。Vanborough’sfriendmust(inspiteofhisrecentdisclaimer)beinsomewayresponsibleforit。Arriving，naturallyenough，atthiserroneousconclusion，LadyJane’seyesrestedforaninstantonMrs。Vanboroughwithafinelycontemptuousexpressionofinquirywhichwouldhaverousedthespiritofthetamestwomaninexistence。Theimpliedinsultstungthewife’ssensitivenaturetothequick。Sheturnedoncemoretoherhusband——thistimewithoutflinching。

“Whoisthatwoman？“sheasked。

LadyJanewasequaltotheemergency。Themannerinwhichshewrappedherselfupinherownvirtue，withouttheslightestpretensionontheonehand，andwithouttheslightestcompromiseontheother，wasasighttosee。

“Mr。Vanborough，“shesaid，“youofferedtotakemetomycarriagejustnow。IbegintounderstandthatIhadbetterhaveacceptedtheofferatonce。Givemeyourarm。“

“Stop!“saidMrs。Vanborough，“yourladyship’slooksarelooksofcontempt；yourladyship’swordscanbearbutoneinterpretation。

IaminnocentlyinvolvedinsomeviledeceptionwhichIdon’tunderstand。ButthisIdoknow——Iwon’tsubmittobeinsultedinmyownhouse。AfterwhatyouhavejustsaidIforbidmyhusbandtogiveyouhisarm。

Herhusband!

LadyJanelookedatMr。Vanborough——atMr。Vanborough，whomsheloved；whomshehadhonestlybelievedtobeasingleman；whomshehadsuspected，uptothatmoment，ofnothingworsethanoftryingtoscreenthefrailtiesofhisfriend。Shedroppedherhighly-bredtone；shelostherhighly-bredmanners。Thesenseofherinjury(ifthiswastrue)，thepangofherjealousy(ifthatwomanwashiswife)，strippedthehumannatureinherbareofalldisguises，raisedtheangrycolorinhercheeks，andstrucktheangryfireoutofhereyes。

“Ifyoucantellthetruth，Sir，“shesaid，haughtily，“besogoodastotellitnow。Haveyoubeenfalselypresentingyourselftotheworld——falselypresentingyourselfto_me_——inthecharacterandwiththeaspirationsofasingleman？Isthatladyyourwife？“

“Doyouhearher？doyouseeher？“criedMrs。Vanborough，appealingtoherhusband，inherturn。Shesuddenlydrewbackfromhim，shudderingfromheadtofoot。“Hehesitates!“shesaidtoherself，faintly。“GoodGod!hehesitates!“

LadyJanesternlyrepeatedherquestion。

“Isthatladyyourwife？“

Herousedhisscoundrel-courage，andsaidthefatalword：

“No!“

Mrs。Vanboroughstaggeredback。Shecaughtatthewhitecurtainsofthewindowtosaveherselffromfalling，andtorethem。Shelookedatherhusband，withthetorncurtainclenchedfastinherhand。Sheaskedherself，“AmImad？orishe？“

LadyJanedrewadeepbreathofrelief。Hewasnotmarried!Hewasonlyaprofligatesingleman。Aprofligatesinglemanisshocking——butreclaimable。Itispossibletoblamehimseverely，andtoinsistonhisreformationinthemostuncompromisingterms。Itisalsopossibletoforgivehim，andmarryhim。LadyJanetookthenecessarypositionunderthecircumstanceswithperfecttact。Sheinflictedreproofinthepresentwithoutexcludinghopeinthefuture。

“Ihavemadeaverypainfuldiscovery，“shesaid，gravely，toMr。

Vanborough。“Itrestswith_you_topersuademetoforgetit!

Good-evening!“