第88章

Therethenameofthewidowwas，unquestionably；figuringforthesecondtimeintype，inaletterofthegossipingsort，suppliedbyan“OccasionalCorrespondent，“anddistinguishedbythetitleof“SayingsandDoingsintheNorth。“Aftertattlingpleasantlyoftheprospectsoftheshootingseason，ofthefashionsfromParis，ofanaccidenttoatourist，andofascandalintheScottishKirk，thewriterproceededtothenarrativeofacaseofinterest，relatingtoamarriageinthesphereknown(inthelanguageoffootmen)asthesphereof“highlife。“

Considerablesensation(thecorrespondentannounced)hadbeencausedinPerthanditsneighborhood，bytheexposureofananonymousattemptatextortion，ofwhichaladyofdistinctionhadlatelybeenmadetheobject。Ashernamehadalreadybeenpubliclymentionedinanapplicationtothemagistrates，therecouldbenoimproprietyinstatingthattheladyinquestionwasMrs。Glenarm——whoseapproachingunionwiththeHonorableGeoffreyDelamaynwasalludedtoinanothercolumnofthejournal。

Mrs。Glenarmhad，itappeared，receivedananonymousletter，onthefirstdayofherarrivalasguestatthehouseofafriend，residingintheneighborhoodofPerth。Theletterwarnedherthattherewasanobstacle，ofwhichshewasherselfprobablynotaware，inthewayofherprojectedmarriagewithMr。GeoffreyDelamayn。Thatgentlemanhadseriouslycompromisedhimselfwithanotherlady；andtheladywouldopposehismarriagetoMrs。

Glenarm，withproofinwritingtoproduceinsupportofherclaim。Theproofwascontainedintwolettersexchangedbetweentheparties，andsignedbytheirnames；andthecorrespondencewasplacedatMrs。Glenarm’sdisposal，ontwoconditions，asfollows：

First，thatsheshouldofferasufficientlyliberalpricetoinducethepresentpossessoroftheletterstopartwiththem。

Secondly，thatsheshouldconsenttoadoptsuchamethodofpayingthemoneyasshouldsatisfythepersonthathewasinnodangeroffindinghimselfbroughtwithinreachofthelaw。Theanswertothesetwoproposalswasdirectedtobemadethroughthemediumofanadvertisementinthelocalnewspaper——distinguishedbythisaddress，“ToaFriendintheDark。“

Certainturnsofexpression，andoneortwomistakesinspelling，pointedtothisinsolentletterasbeing，inallprobability，theproductionofaScotchman，inthelowerranksoflife。Mrs。

Glenarmhadatonceshownittohernearestrelative，CaptainNewenden。ThecaptainhadsoughtlegaladviceinPerth。Ithadbeendecided，afterdueconsideration，toinserttheadvertisementdemanded，andtotakemeasurestoentrapthewriteroftheletterintorevealinghimself——without，itisneedlesstoadd，allowingthefellowreallytoprofitbyhisattemptedactofextortion。

Thecunningofthe“FriendintheDark“(whoeverhemightbe)

had，ontryingtheproposedexperiment，provedtobemorethanamatchforthelawyers。Hehadsuccessfullyeludednotonlythesnarefirstsetforhim，butotherssubsequentlylaid。Asecond，andathird，anonymousletter，onemoreimpudentthantheotherhadbeenreceivedbyMrs。Glenarm，assuringthatladyandthefriendswhowereactingforherthattheywereonlywastingtimeandraisingthepricewhichwouldbeaskedforthecorrespondence，bythecoursetheywere