AtthosewordsAnnesuddenlyshookoffthedepressionthatweighedonher。ShecaughtBlancheinherarms，sheheldBlanchetoherbosomwithafierceenergy。“Willyoualwaysbetome，inthefuture，whatyouarenow？“sheasked，abruptly。“Oristhetimecomingwhenyouwillhateme？“Shepreventedanyreplybyakiss——andpushedBlanchetowardthedoor。“Wehavehadahappytimetogetherintheyearsthataregone，“shesaid，withafarewellwaveofherhand。“ThankGodforthat!Andnevermindtherest。“
Shethrewopenthebedroomdoor，andcalledtothemaid，inthesitting-room。“MissLundieiswaitingforyou。“Blanchepressedherhand，andlefther。
Annewaitedawhileinthebedroom，listeningtothesoundmadebythedepartureofthecarriagefromtheinndoor。Littlebylittle，thetrampofthehorsesandthenoiseoftherollingwheelslessenedandlessened。Whenthelastfaintsoundswerelostinsilenceshestoodforamomentthinking——then，rousingonasudden，hurriedintothesitting-room，andrangthebell。
“Ishallgomad，“shesaidtoherself，“ifIstayherealone。“
EvenMr。Bishopriggsfeltthenecessityofbeingsilentwhenhestoodfacetofacewithheronansweringthebell。
“Iwanttospeaktohim。Sendhimhereinstantly。“
Mr。Bishopriggsunderstoodher，andwithdrew。
Arnoldcamein。
“Hasshegone？“werethefirstwordshesaid。
“Shehasgone。Shewon’tsuspectyouwhenyouseeheragain。I
havetoldhernothing。Don’taskmeformyreasons!“
“Ihavenowishtoaskyou。“
“Beangrywithme，ifyoulike!“
“Ihavenowishtobeangrywithyou。“
Hespokeandlookedlikeanalteredman。Quietlyseatinghimselfatthetable，herestedhisheadonhishand——andsoremainedsilent。Annewastakencompletelybysurprise。Shedrewnear，andlookedathimcuriously。Letawoman’smoodbewhatitmay，itiscertaintofeeltheinfluenceofanychangeforwhichsheisunpreparedinthemannerofaman——whenthatmaninterestsher。
Thecauseofthisisnottobefoundinthevariablenessofherhumor。ItisfarmoreprobablytobetracedtothenobleabnegationofSelf，whichisoneofthegrandest——andtothecreditofwomanbeitsaid——oneofthecommonestvirtuesofthesex。Littlebylittle，thesweetfemininecharmofAnne’sfacecamesoftlyandsadlyback。Theinbrednobilityofthewoman’snatureansweredthecallwhichthemanhadunconsciouslymadeonit。ShetouchedArnoldontheshoulder。
“Thishasbeenhardon_you，_“shesaid。“AndIamtoblameforit。Tryandforgiveme，Mr。Brinkworth。Iamsincerelysorry。I
wishwithallmyheartIcouldcomfortyou!“
“Thankyou，MissSilvester。Itwasnotaverypleasantfeeling，tobehidingfromBlancheasifIwasafraidofher——andit’ssetmethinking，Isuppose，forthefirsttimeinmylife。Nevermind。It’sallovernow。CanIdoanythingforyou？“
“Whatdoyouproposedoingto-night？“
“WhatIhaveproposeddoingallalong——mydutybyGeoffrey。I
havepromisedhimtoseeyouthroughyourdifficultieshere，andtoprovideforyoursafetytillhecomesback。Icanonlymakesureofdoingthatbykeepingupappearances，andstayinginthesitting-roomto-night。Whenwenextmeetitwillbeunderpleasantercircumstances，Ihope。IshallalwaysbegladtothinkthatIwasofsomeservicetoyou。InthemeantimeIshallbemostlikelyawayto-morrowmorningbeforeyouareup。“
Anneheldoutherhandtotakeleave。Nothingcouldundowhathadbeendone。Thetimeforwarningandremonstrancehadpassedaway。
“Youhavenotbefriendedanungratefulwoman，“shesaid。“Thedaymayyetcome，Mr。Brinkworth，whenIshallproveit。“
“Ihopenot，MissSilvester。Good-by，andgoodluck!“
Shewithdrewintoherownroom。Arnoldlockedthesitting-roomdoor，andstretchedhimselfonthesofaforthenight。
Themorningwasbright，theairwasdeliciousafterthestorm。
Arnoldhadgone，ashehadpromised，beforeAnnewasoutofherroom。Itwasunderstoodattheinnthatimportantbusinesshadunexpectedlycalledhimsouth。Mr。Bishopriggshadbeenpresentedwithahandsomegratuity；andMrs。Inchbarehadbeeninformedthattheroomsweretakenforaweekcertain。
Ineveryquarterbutonethemarchofeventshadnow，toallappearance，fallenbackintoaquietcourse。Arnoldwasonhiswaytohisestate；BlanchewassafeatWindygates；Anne’sresidenceattheinnwasassuredforaweektocome。TheonepresentdoubtwasthedoubtwhichhungoverGeoffrey’smovements。
TheoneeventstillinvolvedindarknessturnedonthequestionoflifeordeathwaitingforsolutioninLondon——otherwise，thequestionofLordHolchester’shealth。Takenbyitself，thealternative，eitherway，wasplainenough。Ifmylordlived——Geoffreywouldhefreetocomeback，andmarryherprivatelyinScotland。Ifmylorddied——Geoffreywouldbefreetosendforher，andmarryherpubliclyinLondon。ButcouldGeoffreybereliedon？
Annewentoutontotheterrace-groundinfrontoftheinn。Thecoolmorningbreezeblewsteadily。Toweringwhitecloudssailedingrandprocessionovertheheavens，nowobscuring，andnowrevealingthesun。Yellowlightandpurpleshadowchasedeachotheroverthebroadbrownsurfaceofthemoor——evenashopeandfearchasedeachotheroverAnne’smind，broodingonwhatmightcometoherwiththecomingtime。
Sheturnedaway，wearyofquestioningtheimpenetrablefuture，andwentbacktotheinn。
Crossingthehallshelookedattheclock。ItwaspastthehourwhenthetrainfromPerthshirewasdueinLondon。Geoffreyandhisbrotherwere，atthatmoment，ontheirwaytoLordHolchester’shouse。
LORDHOLCHESTER’Sservants——withthebutlerattheirhead——wereonthelook-outforMr。JuliusDelamayn’sarrivalfromScotland。
Theappearanceofthetwobrotherstogethertookthewholedomesticestablishmentbysurprise。InquirieswereaddressedtothebutlerbyJulius；Geoffreystandingby，andtakingnootherthanalistener’spartintheproceedings。
“Ismyfatheralive？“
“Hislordship，Iamrejoicedtosay，hasastonishedthedoctors，Sir。Heralliedlastnightinthemostwonderfulway。Ifthingsgoonforthenexteight-and-fortyhoursastheyaregoingnow，mylord’srecoveryisconsideredcertain。“
“Whatwastheillness？“
“Aparalyticstroke，Sir。WhenherladyshiptelegraphedtoyouinScotlandthedoctorshadgivenhislordshipup。“
“Ismymotherathome？“
“Herladyshipisathometo_you，_，Sir。“’
Thebutlerlaidaspecialemphasisonthepersonalpronoun。
Juliusturnedtohisbrother。ThechangeforthebetterinthestateofLordHolchester’shealthmadeGeoffrey’sposition，atthatmoment，anembarrassingone。Hehadbeenpositivelyforbiddentoenterthehouse。Hisoneexcuseforsettingthatprohibitorysentenceatdefiancerestedontheassumptionthathisfatherwasactuallydying。Asmattersnowstood，LordHolchester’sorderremainedinfullforce。Theunder-servantsinthehallchargedtoobeythatorderastheyvaluedtheirplaces
lookedfrom“Mr。Geoffrey“tothebutler，Thebutlerlookedfrom“Mr。Geoffrey“to“Mr。Julius。“Juliuslookedathisbrother。
Therewasanawkwardpause。Thepositionofthesecondsonwasthepositionofawildbeastinthehouse——acreaturetobegotridof，withoutrisktoyourself，ifyouonlyknewhow。
Geoffreyspoke，andsolvedtheproblem“Openthedoor，oneofyoufellows，“hesaidtothefootmen。“I’moff。“
“Waitaminute，“interposedhisbrother。“Itwillbeasaddisappointmenttomymothertoknowthatyouhavebeenhere，andgoneawayagainwithoutseeingher。Thesearenoordinarycircumstances，Geoffrey。Comeupstairswithme——I’lltakeitonmyself。“
“I’mblessedifItakeiton_my_self!“returnedGeoffrey。“Openthedoor!“
“Waithere，atanyrate，“pleadedJulius，“tillIcansendyoudownamessage。“
“SendyourmessagetoNagle’sHotel。I’mathomeatNagle’s——I’mnotathomehere。“
Atthatpointthediscussionwasinterruptedbytheappearanceofalittleterrierinthehall。Seeingstrangers，thedogbegantobark。Perfecttranquillityinthehousehadbeenabsolutelyinsistedonbythedoctors；andtheservants，alltryingtogethertocatchtheanimalandquiethim，simplyaggravatedthenoisehewasmaking。Geoffreysolvedthisproblemalsoinhisowndecisiveway。Heswungroundasthedogwaspassinghim，andkickeditwithhisheavyboot。Thelittlecreaturefellonthespot，whiningpiteously。“Mylady’spetdog!“exclaimedthebutler。
“You’vebrokenitsribs，Sir。““I’vebrokenitofbarking，youmean，“retortedGeoffrey。“Ribsbehanged!“Heturnedtohisbrother。“Thatsettlesit，“hesaid，jocosely。“I’dbetterdeferthepleasureofcallingondearmammatillthenextopportunity。