er husband, at the same
time.' Was that done jocosely, Mr. Delamayn--either by the lady or the
gentleman?"

"No. It was done in downright earnest."

"You mean it was done to look like earnest, and so to deceive the
landlady and the waiter?"

"Yes."

Sir Patrick returned to the memorandum.

"'After that, he stopped all night.' Stopped in the rooms he had taken
for himself and his wife?"

"Yes."

"And what happened the next day?"

"He went away. Wait a bit! Said he had business for an excuse."

"That is to say, he kept up the deception with the people of the inn?
and left the lady behind him, in the character of his wife?"

"That's it."

"Did he go back to the inn?"

"No."

"How long did the lady stay there, after he had gone?"

"She staid--well, she staid a few days."

"And your friend has not seen her since?"

"No."

"Are your friend and the lady English or Scotch?"

"Both English."

"At the time when they met at the inn, had they either of them arrived
in Scotland, from the place in which they were previously living, within
a period of less than twenty-one days?"

Geoffrey hesitated. There could be no difficulty in answering for Anne.
Lady Lundie and her domestic circle had occupied Windygates for a much
longer period than three weeks before the date of the lawn-party. The
question, as it affected Arnold, was the only question that required
reflection. After searching his memory for details of the conversation
which had taken place between them, when he and Arnold had met at the
lawn-party, Geoffrey recalled a certain reference on the part of his
friend to a performance at the Edinburgh theatre, which at once decided
the question of time. Arnold had been necessarily detained in Edinburgh,
before his arrival at Windygates, by legal business connected with his
inheritance; and he, like Anne, had certainly been in Scotland, before
they met at Craig Fernie, for a longer period than a period of three
weeks He accordingly informed Sir Patrick that the lady and gentleman
had been in Scotland for more than twenty-one days--and then added a
question on his own behalf: "Don't let me hurry you, Sir--but, shall you
soon have done?"

"I shall have done, after two more questions," answered Sir Patrick.
"Am I to understand that the lady claims, on the strength of the
circumstances which you have mentioned to me, to be your friend's wife?"

Geoffrey made an affirmative reply. The readiest means of obtain