y Lundie's steward was a methodical man. He had indorsed each
letter received at Windygates with the date of its delivery. The
letter addressed to Arnold had been delivered on Monday, the seventh of
September--on Arnold's wedding day.

What did it mean?

It was pure waste of time to inquire. Sir Patrick rose to lock the
letter up in one of the drawers of the writing-table behind him. Lady
Lundie interfered (in the interest of morality).

"Sir Patrick!"

"Yes?"

"Don't you consider it your duty to open that letter?"

"My dear lady! what can you possibly be thinking of?"

The most virtuous of living women had her answer ready on the spot.

"I am thinking," said Lady Lundie, "of Arnold's moral welfare."

Sir Patrick smiled. On the long list of those respectable disguises
under which we assert our own importance, or gratify our own love of
meddling in our neighbor's affairs, a moral regard for the welfare of
others figures in the foremost place, and stands deservedly as number
one.

"We shall probably hear from Arnold in a day or two," said Sir Patrick,
locking the letter up in the drawer. "He shall have it as soon as I know
where to send it to him."

The next morning brought news of the bride and bridegroom.

They reported themselves to be too supremely happy to care where they
lived, so long as they lived together. Every question but the question
of Love was left in the competent hands of their courier. This sensible
and trust-worthy man had decided that Paris was not to be thought of as
a place of residence by any sane human being in the month of September.
He had arranged that they were to leave for Baden--on their way to
Switzerland--on the tenth. Letters were accordingly to be addressed to
that place, until further notice. If the courier liked Baden, they would
probably stay there for some time. If the courier took a fancy for the
mountains, they would in that case go on to Switzerland. In the mean
while nothing mattered to Arnold but Blanche--and nothing mattered to
Blanche but Arnold.

Sir Patrick re-directed Anne Silvester's letter to Arnold, at the
Poste Restante, Baden. A second letter, which had arrived that morning
(addressed to Arnold in a legal handwriting, and bearing the post-mark
of Edinburgh), was forwarded in the same way, and at the same time.

Two days later Ham Farm was deserted by the guests. Lady Lundie had
gone back to Windygates. The rest had separated in their different
directio