There’snaesuchthingasanewspapereverdarkensmydoors。
Ye’vegottheAuldandNewTestamentsinyourbedchambers，andthenaturalhistoryo’Pairthshireonthecoffee-roomtable——andifthat’sno’readingeneughforye，yemayeengaebackSouthagain，andgettherestofitthere。“
ThiswastheinnatwhichAnneSilvesterhadappearedalone，withnothingbutalittlebaginherhand。Thiswasthewomanwhosereluctancetoreceivehersheinnocentlyexpectedtoovercomebyshowingherpurse。
“Mentionyourchargefortherooms，“shesaid。“Iamwillingtopayforthembeforehand。“
Hermajesty，Mrs。Inchbare，neverevenlookedathersubject’spoorlittlepurse。
“Itjustcomestothis，mistress，“sheanswered。“I’mno’freetotak’yourmoney，ifI’mno’freetoletyethelastroomsleftinthehoose。TheCraigFerniehottleisafaimilyhottle——andhasitsaingudenametokeepup。Ye’reower-well-looking，myyoungleddy，tobetravelingalone。“
ThetimehadbeenwhenAnnewouldhaveansweredsharplyenough。
Thehardnecessitiesofherpositionmadeherpatientnow。
“Ihavealreadytoldyou，“shesaid，“myhusbandiscomingheretojoinme。“Shesighedwearilyassherepeatedherready-madestory——anddroppedintothenearestchair，fromsheerinabilitytostandanylonger。
MistressInchbarelookedather，withtheexactmeasureofcompassionateinterestwhichshemighthaveshownifshehadbeenlookingatastraydogwhohadfallenfootsoreatthedooroftheinn。
“Weel!weel!saeletitbe。Bideawhile，andrestye。We’llno’
chairgeyeforthat——andwe’llseeifyourhusbandcomes。I’lljustlettherooms，mistress，to_him，_，insteado’lettin’themto_you。_And，sae，good-morrowt’ye。“Withthatfinalannouncementofherroyalwillandpleasure，theEmpressoftheInnwithdrew。
Annemadenoreply。Shewatchedthelandladyoutoftheroom——andthenstruggledtocontrolherselfnolonger。Inherposition，suspicionwasdoublyinsult。Thehottearsofshamegatheredinhereyes；andtheheart-achewrungher，poorsoul——wrungherwithoutmercy。
Atriflingnoiseintheroomstartledher。Shelookedup，anddetectedamaninacorner，dustingthefurniture，andapparentlyactinginthecapacityofattendantattheinn。Hehadshownherintotheparloronherarrival；buthehadremainedsoquietlyintheroomthatshehadnevernoticedhimsince，untilthatmoment。
Hewasanancientman——withoneeyefilmyandblind，andoneeyemoistandmerry。Hisheadwasbald；hisfeetweregouty；hisnosewasjustlycelebratedasthelargestnoseandthereddestnoseinthatpartofScotland。Themildwisdomofyearswasexpressedmysteriouslyinhismellowsmile。Incontactwiththiswickedworld，hismannerrevealedthathappymixtureoftwoextremes——theservilitywhichjusttouchesindependence，andtheindependencewhichjusttouchesservility——attainedbynomeninexistencebutScotchmen。Enormousnativeimpudence，whichamusedbutneveroffended；immeasurablecunning，masqueradinghabituallyunderthedoubledisguiseofquaintprejudiceanddryhumor，werethesolidmoralfoundationsonwhichthecharacterofthiselderlypersonwasbuilt。Noamountofwhiskyevermadehimdrunk；andnoviolenceofbell-ringingeverhurriedhismovements。SuchwastheheadwaiterattheCraigFernieInn；
known，farandwide，tolocalfame，as“MaisterBishopriggs，MistressInchbare’sright-handman。“
“Whatareyoudoingthere？“Anneasked，sharply。
Mr。Bishopriggsturnedhimselfaboutonhisgoutyfeet；wavedhisdustergentlyintheair；andlookedatAnne，withamild，paternalsmile。
“Eh!Amjustdoostin’thethings；andsetin’theroomindecentorderforye。“
“For_me？_Didyouhearwhatthelandladysaid？“
Mr。Bishopriggsadvancedconfidentially，andpointedwithaveryunsteadyforefingertothepursewhichAnnestillheldinherhand。
“Neverfashyoursel’abootthelandleddy!“saidthesagechiefoftheCraigFerniewaiters。“Yourpursespeaksforyou，mylassie。
Petitup!“criedMr。Bishopriggs，wavingtemptationawayfromhimwiththeduster。“Inwi’itintoyerpocket!Saelongasthewarld’sthewarld，I’lluphauditanywhere——whilethere’ssillerinthepurse，there’sgudeinthewoman!“
Anne’spatience，whichhadresistedhardertrials，gavewayatthis。
“Whatdoyoumeanbyspeakingtomeinthatfamiliarmanner？“sheasked，risingangrilytoherfeetagain。
Mr。Bishopriggstuckedhisdusterunderhisarm，andproceededtosatisfyAnnethathesharedthelandlady’sviewofherposition，withoutsharingtheseverityofthelandlady’sprinciples。
“There’snaemanlivin’，“saidMr。Bishopriggs，“lookswithmairindulgenceathumanfrailtythanmyainsel’。AmIno’tobefamiliarwi’ye——whenI’mauldeneughtobeafethertoye，andreadytobeafethertoyetillfurthernotice？Hech!hech!Orderyourbitdinnerlassie。Husbandornohusband，ye’vegotastomach，andyemusteeneat。There’sfeshandthere’sfowl——or，maybe，ye’llbeforthesheep’sheadsingit，whenthey’vedonewithitatthetabbledot？“
Therewasbutonewayofgettingridofhim：“Orderwhatyoulike，“Annesaid，“andleavetheroom。“Mr。Bishopriggshighlyapprovedofthefirsthalfofthesentence，andtotallyoverlookedthesecond。
“Ay，ay——justpeta’yerlittleinterestsinmyhands；it’sthewisestthingyecando。AskforMaisterBishopriggsthat’sme
whenyewantadecent’sponsiblemantogi’yeawordofadvice。
Setyedoonagain——setyedoon。Anddon’ttak’thearm-chair。
Hech!hech!yerhusbandwillbecoming，yeknow，andhe’ssuretowantit!“WiththatseasonablepleasantrythevenerableBishopriggswinked，andwentout。
Annelookedatherwatch。ByhercalculationitwasnotfarfromthehourwhenGeoffreymightbeexpectedtoarriveattheinn，assumingGeoffreytohaveleftWindygatesatthetimeagreedon。
Alittlemorepatience，andthelandlady’sscrupleswouldbesatisfied，andtheordealwouldbeatanend。
Couldshehavemethimnowhereelsethanatthisbarbaroushouse，andamongthesebarbarouspeople？
No。OutsidethedoorsofWindygatesshehadnotafriendtohelpherinallScotland。Therewasnoplaceatherdisposalbuttheinn；andshehadonlytobethankfulthatitoccupiedasequesteredsituation，andwasnotlikelytobevisitedbyanyofLadyLundie’sfriends。Whatevertheriskmightbe，theendinviewjustifiedherinconfrontingit。HerwholefuturedependedonGeoffrey’smakinganhonestwomanofher。Notherfuturewith_him_——thatwaytherewasnohope；thatwayherlifewaswasted。
HerfuturewithBlanche——shelookedforwardtonothingnowbutherfuturewithBlanche。
Herspiritssanklowerandlower。Thetearsroseagain。Itwouldonlyirritatehimifhecameandfoundhercrying。Shetriedtodiverthermindbylookingabouttheroom。
Therewasverylittletosee。Exceptthatitwassolidlybuiltofgoodsoundstone，theCraigFerniehoteldifferedinnootherimportantrespectfromtheaverageofsecond-rateEnglishinns。
Therewastheusualslipperyblacksofa——constructedtoletyouslidewhenyouwantedtorest。Therewastheusualhighly-varnishedarm-chair，expresslymanufacturedtotesttheenduranceofthehumanspine。Therewastheusualpaperonthewalls，ofthepatterndesignedtomakeyoureyesacheandyourheadgiddy。Thereweretheusualengravings，whichhumanitynevertiresofcontemplating。TheRoyalPortrait，inthefirstplaceofhonor。Thenextgreatestofallhumanbeings——theDukeofWellington——inthesecondplaceofhonor。Thethirdgreatestofallhumanbeings——thelocalmemberofparliament——inthethirdplaceofhonor；andahuntingscene，inthedark。Adooroppositethedoorofadmissionfromthepassageopenedintothebedroom；
andawindowatthesidelookedoutontheopenspaceinfrontofthehotel，andcommandedaviewofthevastexpanseoftheCraigFerniemoor，stretchingawaybelowtherisinggroundonwhichthehousewasbuilt。
Anneturnedindespairfromtheviewintheroomtotheviewfromthewindow。Withinthelasthalfhourithadchangedfortheworse。Thecloudshadgathered；thesunwashidden；thelightonthelandscapewasgrayanddull。Anneturnedfromthewindow，asshehadturnedfromtheroom。Shewasjustmakingthehopelessattempttorestherwearylimbsonthesofa，whenthesoundofvoicesandfootstepsinthepassagecaughtherear。
WasGeoffrey’svoiceamongthem？No。
Werethestrangerscomingin？
Thelandladyhaddeclinedtoletherhavetherooms：itwasquitepossiblethatthestrangersmightbecomingtolookatthem。
Therewasnoknowingwhotheymightbe。Intheimpulseofthemomentsheflewtothebedchamberandlockedherselfin。
Thedoorfromthepassageopened，andArnoldBrinkworth——showninbyMr。Bishopriggs——enteredthesitting-room。
“Nobodyhere!“exclaimedArnold，lookinground。“Whereisshe？“
Mr。Bishopriggspointedtothebedroomdoor。“Eh!yergoodleddy’sjoostinthebedchamber，naedoot!“
Arnoldstarted。HehadfeltnodifficultywhenheandGeoffreyhaddiscussedthequestionatWindygatesaboutpresentinghimselfattheinnintheassumedcharacterofAnne’shusband。