第102章

Mr。Delamaynassertsthatthispersonintheback-groundhasnoclaimonhim，andbackshisassertionbydeclaringthatsheismarriedalreadytoMr。ArnoldBrinkworth。LadyLundieandmynieceassureme，onevidencewhichsatisfies_them，_thattheassertionistrue。Theevidencedoesnotsatisfy_me。_’Ihope，SirPatrick，Idon’tstrikeyouasbeinganexcessivelyobstinateman？’——’MydearSir，youimpressmewiththehighestopinionofyourcapacityforsiftinghumantestimony!MayIask，next，whatcourseyoumeantotake？’——’TheverythingIwasgoingtomention，SirPatrick!Thisismycourse。Irefusetosanctionmyniece’sengagementtoMr。Delamayn，untilMr。Delamaynhasactuallyprovedhisstatementbyappealtowitnessesofthelady’smarriage。Herefersmetotwowitnesses；butdeclinesactingatonceinthematterforhimself，onthegroundthatheisintrainingforafoot-race。Iadmitthatthatisanobstacle，andconsenttoarrangeforbringingthetwowitnessestoLondonmyself。BythispostIhavewrittentomylawyersinPerthtolookthewitnessesup；toofferthemthenecessaryterms(atMr。

Delamayn’sexpense)fortheuseoftheirtime；andtoproducethembytheendoftheweek。ThefootraceisonThursdaynext。

Mr。Delamaynwillbeabletoattendafterthat，andestablishhisownassertionbyhisownwitnesses。Whatdoyousay，SirPatrick，toSaturdaynext(withLadyLundie’spermission)inthisroom？’——Thereisthesubstanceofthecaptain’sstatement。HeisasoldasIamandisdressedtolooklikethirty；butaverypleasantfellowforallthat。Istruckmysister-in-lawdumbbyacceptingtheproposalwithoutamoment’shesitation。Mrs。

GlenarmandLadyLundielookedateachotherinmuteamazement。

Herewasadifferenceaboutwhichtwowomenwouldhavemortallyquarreled；andhereweretwomensettlingitinthefriendliestpossiblemanner。IwishyouhadseenLadyLundie’sface，whenI

declaredmyselfdeeplyindebtedtoCaptainNewendenforrenderinganyprolongedinterviewwithherladyshipquiteunnecessary。

’Thankstothecaptain，’Isaidtoher，inthemostcordialmanner，’wehaveabsolutelynothingtodiscuss。Ishallcatchthenexttrain，andsetArnoldBrinkworth’smindquiteatease。’Tocomebacktoseriousthings，Ihaveengagedtoproduceyou，inthepresenceofeverybody——yourwifeincluded——onSaturdaynext。

Iputaboldfaceonitbeforetheothers。ButIamboundtotell_you_thatitisbynomeanseasytosay——situatedaswearenow——whattheresultofSaturday’sinquirywillbe。EverythingdependsontheissueofmyinterviewwithMissSilvesterto-morrow。Itisnoexaggerationtosay，Arnold，thatyourfateisinherhands。“

“IwishtoheavenIhadneverseteyesonher!“saidArnold。

“Laythesaddleontherighthorse，“returnedSirPatrick。“WishyouhadneverseteyesonGeoffreyDelamayn。“

Arnoldhunghishead。SirPatrick’ssharptonguehadgotthebetterofhimoncemore。

THEmany-tonedmurmurofthecurrentofLondonlife——flowingthroughthemurkychannelofDruryLane——