“Ican’tgoback，“shesaid。“Theinnisnoplaceforme。Acurseseemstofollowme，Blanche，whereverIgo。Iamthecauseofquarrelingandwretchedness，withoutmeaningit，Godknows。Theoldmanwhoishead-waiterattheinnhasbeenkindtome，mydear，inhisway，andheandthelandladyhadhardwordstogetheraboutit。Aquarrel，ashocking，violentquarrel。Hehaslosthisplaceinconsequence。Thewoman，hismistress，laysalltheblameofittomydoor。Sheisahardwoman；andshehasbeenharderthaneversinceBishopriggswentaway。Ihavemissedaletterattheinn——Imusthavethrownitaside，Isuppose，andforgottenit。IonlyknowthatIrememberedaboutit，andcouldn’tfinditlastnight。Itoldthelandlady，andshefastenedaquarrelonmealmostbeforethewordswereoutofmymouth。AskedmeifI
chargedherwithstealingmyletter。Saidthingstome——Ican’trepeatthem。Iamnotverywell，andnotabletodealwithpeopleofthatsort。IthoughtitbesttoleaveCraigFerniethismorning。IhopeandprayIshallneverseeCraigFernieagain。“
Shetoldherlittlestorywithatotalabsenceofemotionofanysort，andlaidherheadbackwearilyonthechairwhenitwasdone。
Blanche’seyesfilledwithtearsatthesightofher。
“Iwon’tteaseyouwithquestions，Anne，“shesaid，gently。“Comeupstairsandrestinmyroom。You’renotfittotravel，love。
I’lltakecarethatnobodycomesnearus。“
Thestable-clockatWindygatesstruckthequartertotwo。Anneraisedherselfinthechairwithastart。
“Whattimewasthat？“sheasked。
Blanchetoldher。
“Ican’tstay，“shesaid。“IhavecomeheretofindsomethingoutifIcan。Youwon’taskmequestions？Don’t，Blanche，don’t!forthesakeofoldtimes。“
Blancheturnedaside，heart-sick。“Iwilldonothing，dear，toannoyyou，“shesaid，andtookAnne’shand，andhidthetearsthatwerebeginningtofalloverhercheeks。
“Iwanttoknowsomething，Blanche。Willyoutellme？“
“Yes。Whatisit？“
“Whoarethegentlemenstayinginthehouse？“
Blanchelookedroundatheragain，insuddenastonishmentandalarm。AvaguefearseizedherthatAnne’smindhadgivenwayundertheheavyweightoftroublelaidonit。Annepersistedinpressingherstrangerequest。
“Runovertheirnames，Blanche。Ihaveareasonforwishingtoknowwhothegentlemenarewhoarestayinginthehouse。“
BlancherepeatedthenamesofLadyLundie’sguests，leavingtothelasttheguestswhohadarrivedlast。
“Twomorecamebackthismorning，“shewenton。“ArnoldBrinkworthandthathatefulfriendofhis，Mr。Delamayn。“
Anne’sheadsankbackoncemoreonthechair。Shehadfoundherwaywithoutexcitingsuspicionofthetruth，totheonediscoverywhichshehadcometoWindygatestomake。HewasinScotlandagain，andhehadonlyarrivedfromLondonthatmorning。TherewasbarelytimeforhimtohavecommunicatedwithCraigFerniebeforeshelefttheinn——he，too，whohatedletter-writing!Thecircumstanceswereallinhisfavor：therewasnoreason，therewasreallyandtrulynoreason，sofar，tobelievethathehaddesertedher。Theheartoftheunhappywomanboundedinherbosom，underthefirstrayofhopethathadwarmeditforfourdayspast。Underthatsuddenrevulsionoffeeling，herweakenedframeshookfromheadtofoot。Herfaceflusheddeepforamoment——thenturneddeadlypaleagain。Blanche，anxiouslywatchingher，sawtheseriousnecessityforgivingsomerestorativetoherinstantly。
“Iamgoingtogetyousomewine——youwillfaint，Anne，ifyoudon’ttakesomething。Ishallbebackinamoment；andIcanmanageitwithoutanybodybeingthewiser。“
ShepushedAnne’schairclosetothenearestopenwindow——awindowattheupperendofthelibrary——andranout。
Blanchehadbarelylefttheroom，bythedoorthatledintothe，hall，whenGeoffreyentereditbyoneofthelowerwindowsopeningfromthelawn。
Withhismindabsorbedintheletterthathewasabouttowrite，heslowlyadvanceduptheroomtowardthenearesttable。Anne，hearingthesoundoffootsteps，started，andlookedround。Herfailingstrengthralliedinaninstant，underthesuddenreliefofseeinghimagain。Sheroseandadvancedeagerly，withafainttingeofcolorinhercheeks。Helookedup。Thetwostoodfacetofacetogether——alone。
“Geoffrey!“
Helookedatherwithoutanswering——withoutadvancingastep，onhisside。Therewasanevillightinhiseyes；hissilencewasthebrutesilencethatthreatensdumbly。Hehadmadeuphismindnevertoseeheragain，andshehadentrappedhimintoaninterview。Hehadmadeuphismindtowrite，andthereshestoodforcinghimtospeak。Thesumofheroffensesagainsthimwasnowcomplete。Iftherehadeverbeenthefaintesthopeofherraisingevenapassingpityinhisheart，thathopewouldhavebeenannihilatednow。
Shefailedtounderstandthefullmeaningofhissilence。Shemadeherexcuses，poorsoul，forventuringbacktoWindygates——herexcusestothemanwhosepurposeatthatmomentwastothrowherhelplessontheworld。
“Prayforgivemeforcominghere，“shesaid。“Ihavedonenothingtocompromiseyou，Geoffrey。NobodybutBlancheknowsIamatWindygates。AndIhavecontrivedtomakemyinquiriesaboutyouwithoutallowinghertosuspectoursecret。“Shestopped，andbegantotremble。Shesawsomethingmoreinhisfacethanshehadreadinitatfirst。“Igotyourletter，“shewenton，rallyinghersinkingcourage。“Idon’tcomplainofitsbeingsoshort：youdon’tlikeletter-writing，Iknow。ButyoupromisedIshouldhearfromyouagain。AndIhaveneverheard。Andoh，Geoffrey，itwassolonelyattheinn!“
Shestoppedagain，andsupportedherselfbyrestingherhandonthetable。Thefaintnesswasstealingbackonher。Shetriedtogoonagain。Itwasuseless——shecouldonlylookathimnow。
“Whatdoyouwant？“heasked，inthetoneofamanwhowasputtinganunimportantquestiontoatotalstranger。
Alastgleamofheroldenergyflickeredupinherface，likeadyingflame。
“IambrokenbywhatIhavegonethrough，“shesaid。“Don’tinsultmebymakingmeremindyouofyourpromise。“
“Whatpromise？“’
“Forshame，Geoffrey!forshame!Yourpromisetomarryme。“
“Youclaimmypromiseafterwhatyouhavedoneattheinn？“
Shesteadiedherselfagainstthetablewithonehand，andputtheotherhandtoherhead。Herbrainwasgiddy。Theefforttothinkwastoomuchforher。Shesaidtoherself，vacantly，“Theinn？
WhatdidIdoattheinn？“
“Ihavehadalawyer’sadvice，mind!IknowwhatIamtalkingabout。“
Sheappearednottohaveheardhim。Sherepeatedthewords，“WhatdidIdoattheinn？“andgaveitupindespair。Holdingbythetable，shecameclosetohimandlaidherhandonhisarm。
“Doyourefusetomarryme？“sheasked。
Hesawthevileopportunity，andsaidthevilewords。
“You’remarriedalreadytoArnoldBrinkworth。“
Withoutacrytowarnhim，withoutanefforttosaveherself，shedroppedsenselessathisfeet；ashermotherhaddroppedathisfather’sfeetintheby-gonetime。
Hedisentangledhimselffromthefoldsofherdress。“Done!“hesaid，lookingdownatherasshelayonthefloor。
Asthewordfellfromhislipshewasstartledbyasoundintheinnerpartofthehouse。Oneofthelibrarydoorshadnotbeencompletelyclosed。Lightfootstepswereaudible，advancingrapidlyacrossthehall。
Heturnedandfled，leavingthelibrary，ashehadenteredit，bytheopenwindowatthelowerendoftheroom……
BLANCHEcamein，withaglassofwineinherhand，andsawtheswooningwomanonthefloor。
Shewasalarmed，butnotsurprised，asshekneltbyAnne，andraisedherhead。Herownpreviousobservationofherfriendnecessarilypreventedherfrombeingatanylosstoaccountforthefaintingfit。Theinevitabledelayingettingthewinewas——naturallytohermind——alonetoblamefortheresultwhichnowmetherview。
Ifshehadbeenlessreadyinthustracingtheeffecttothecause，shemighthavegonetothewindowtoseeifanythinghadhappened，out-of-doors，tofrightenAnne——mighthaveseenGeoffreybeforehehadtimetoturnthecornerofthehouse——and，makingthatonediscovery，mighthavealteredthewholecourseofevents，notinhercominglifeonly，butinthecominglivesofothers。Sodoweshapeourowndestinies，blindfold。SodoweholdourpoorlittletenureofhappinessatthecapriciousmercyofChance。Itissurelyablesseddelusionwhichpersuadesusthatwearethehighestproductofthegreatschemeofcreation，andsetsusdoubtingwhetherotherplanetsareinhabited，becauseotherplanetsarenotsurroundedbyanatmospherewhich_we_canbreathe!
Aftertryingsuchsimpleremediesaswerewithinherreach，andtryingthemwithoutsuccess，Blanchebecameseriouslyalarmed。
Annelay，toalloutwardappearance，deadinherarms。Shewasonthepointofcallingforhelp——comewhatmightofthediscoverywhichwouldensue——whenthedoorfromthehallopenedoncemore，andHesterDethridgeenteredtheroom。