第81章

“Youhavehadverylittleexperienceoftheworld，“proceededSirPatrick。“Andyouhavejustacknowledgedthatyouhavehadreasontodistrustyourexperienceofyourfriend。Areyouquitesurethatyouareactingwiselyinkeepinghissecretfrom_me？_Areyouquitesurethatyouwillnotrepentthecourseyouaretakingto-night？“Helaidamarkedemphasisonthoselastwords。“Think，Arnold，“headded，kindly。“Thinkbeforeyouanswer。“

“Ifeelboundinhonortokeephissecret，“saidArnold。“Nothinkingcanalterthat。“

SirPatrickrose，andbroughttheinterviewtoanend。

“Thereisnothingmoretobesaid。“WiththosewordshegaveArnoldhishand，and，pressingitcordially，wishedhimgood-night。

Goingoutintothehall，ArnoldfoundBlanchealone，lookingatthebarometer。

“TheglassisatSetFair，mydarling，“hewhispered。“Good-nightforthelasttime!“

Hetookherinhisarms，andkissedher。AtthemomentwhenhereleasedherBlancheslippedalittlenoteintohishand。

“Readit，“shewhispered，“whenyouarealoneattheinn。“

Sotheypartedontheeveoftheirweddingday。

THEpromiseoftheweather-glasswasfulfilled。ThesunshoneonBlanche’smarriage。

Atnineinthemorningthefirstoftheproceedingsofthedaybegan。Itwasessentiallyofaclandestinenature。Thebrideandbridegroomevadedtherestraintsoflawfulauthority，andpresumedtomeettogetherprivately，beforetheyweremarried，intheconservatoryatHamFarm。

“Youhavereadmyletter，Arnold？“

“Ihavecomeheretoanswerit，Blanche。Butwhynothavetoldme？Whywrite？“

“BecauseIputofftellingyousolong；andbecauseIdidn’tknowhowyoumighttakeit；andforfiftyotherreasons。Nevermind!

I’vemademyconfession。Ihaven’tasinglesecretnowwhichisnotyoursecrettoo。There’stimetosayNo，Arnold，ifyouthinkIoughttohavenoroominmyheartforanybodybutyou。MyuncletellsmeIamobstinateandwronginrefusingtogiveAnneup。Ifyouagreewithhim，saytheword，dear，beforeyoumakemeyourwife。“

“ShallItellyouwhatIsaidtoSirPatricklastnight？“

“About_this？_“

“Yes。Theconfession(asyoucallit)whichyoumakeinyourprettynote，istheverythingthatSirPatrickspoketomeaboutinthedining-roombeforeIwentaway。HetoldmeyourheartwassetonfindingMissSilvester。AndheaskedmewhatImeanttodoaboutitwhenweweremarried。“

“Andyousaid——？“

ArnoldrepeatedhisanswertoSirPatrick，withfervidembellishmentsoftheoriginallanguage，suitabletotheemergency。Blanche’sdelightexpresseditselfintheformoftwounblushingoutragesonpropriety，committedinclosesuccession。

ShethrewherarmsroundArnold’sneck；andsheactuallykissedhimthreehoursbeforetheconsentofStateandChurchsanctionedherintakingthatproceeding。Letusshudder——butletusnotblameher。Thesearetheconsequencesoffreeinstitutions“Now，“saidArnold，“it’smyturntotaketopenandink。Ihavealettertowritebeforewearemarriedaswellasyou。Onlythere’sthisdifferencebetweenus——Iwantyoutohelpme。“

“Whoareyougoingtowriteto？“

“TomylawyerinEdinburgh。TherewillbenotimeunlessIdoitnow。WestartforSwitzerlandthisafternoon——don’twe？’

“Yes。“

“Verywell。Iwanttorelieveyourmind，mydarlingbeforewego。

Wouldn’tyouliketoknow——whileweareaway——thattherightpeopleareonthelook-outforMissSilv