Geoffreyhadrouseditatlast。
“Whenyoucometoyoursenses，“hesaid，“I’llrememberoldtimes——andreceiveyourapology。Tillyou_do_cometoyoursenses，goyourwaybyyourself。Ihavenomoretosaytoyou。“
Geoffreysethisteeth，andcameonestepnearer。Arnold’seyesmethis，withalookwhichsteadilyandfirmlychallengedhim——thoughhewasthestrongermanofthetwo——toforcethequarrelastepfurther，ifhedared。TheonehumanvirtuewhichGeoffreyrespectedandunderstoodwasthevirtueofcourage。Andthereitwasbeforehim——theundeniablecourageoftheweakerman。Thecallousscoundrelwastouchedontheonetenderplaceinhiswholebeing。Heturned，andwentonhiswayinsilence。
Leftbyhimself，Arnold’sheaddroppedonhisbreast。Thefriendwhohadsavedhislife——theonefriendhepossessed，whowasassociatedwithhisearliestandhappiestremembrancesofolddays——hadgrosslyinsultedhim：andhadlefthimdeliberately，withouttheslightestexpressionofregret。Arnold’saffectionatenature——simple，loyal，clingingwhereitoncefastened——waswoundedtothequick。Geoffrey’sfast-retreatingfigure，intheopenviewbeforehim，becameblurredandindistinct。Heputhishandoverhiseyes，andhid，withaboyishshame，thehottearsthattoldoftheheartache，andthathonoredthemanwhoshedthem。
Hewasstillstrugglingwiththeemotionwhichhadoverpoweredhim，whensomethinghappenedattheplacewheretheroadsmet。
Thefourroadspointedasnearlyasmightbetowardthefourpointsofthecompass。Arnoldwasnowontheroadtotheeastward，havingadvancedinthatdirectiontomeetGeoffrey，betweentwoandthreehundredyardsfromthefarm-houseinclosurebeforewhichhehadkepthiswatch。Theroadtothewestward，curvingawaybehindthefarm，ledtothenearestmarket-town。Theroadtothesouthwasthewaytothestation。AndtheroadtothenorthledbacktoWindygatesHouse。
WhileGeoffreywasstillfiftyyardsfromtheturningwhichwouldtakehimbacktoWindygates——whilethetearswerestillstandingthicklyinArnold’seyes——thegateofthefarminclosureopened。
Alightfour-wheelchaisecameoutwithamandriving，andawomansittingbyhisside。ThewomanwasAnneSilvester，andthemanwastheownerofthefarm。
Insteadoftakingthewaywhichledtothestation，thechaisepursuedthewestwardroadtothemarket-town。
Proceedinginthisdirection，thebacksofthepersonsinthevehiclewerenecessarilyturnedonGeoffrey，advancingbehindthemfromtheeastward。Hejustcarelesslynoticedtheshabbylittlechaise，andthenturnedoffnorthonhiswaytoWindygates。
BythetimeArnoldwascomposedenoughtolookroundhim，thechaisehadtakenthecurveintheroadwhichwoundbehindthefarmhouse。Hereturned——faithfultotheengagementwhichhehadundertaken——tohispostbeforetheinclosure。Thechaisewasthenaspeckinthedistance。Inaminutemoreitwasaspeckoutofsight。
SotouseSirPatrick’sphrasehadthewomanbrokenthroughdifficultieswhichwouldhavestoppedaman。So，inhersoreneed，hadAnneSilvesterwonthesympathywhichhadgivenheraplace，bythefarmer’sside，inthevehiclethattookhimonhisownbusinesstothemarket-town。Andso，byahair’s-breadth，didsheescapethetrebleriskofdiscoverywhichthreatenedher——fromGeoffrey，onhiswayback；fromArnold，athispost；
andfromthevalet，onthewatchforherappearanceatthestation。
Theafternoonworeon。TheservantsatWindygates，airingthemselvesinthegrounds——intheabsenceoftheirmistressandherguests——weredisturbed，forthemoment，bytheunexpectedreturnofoneof“thegentlefolks。“Mr。GeoffreyDelamaynreappearedatthehousealone；wentstraighttothesmoking-room；
andcallingforanothersupplyoftheoldale，settledhimselfinanarm-chairwiththenewspaper，andbegantosmoke。
Hesoontiredofreading，andfellintothinkingofwhathadhappenedduringthelatterpartofhiswalk。
Theprospectbeforehimhadmorethanrealizedthemostsanguineanticipationsthathecouldhaveformedofit。Hehadbracedhimself——afterwhathadhappenedinthelibrary——tofacetheoutbreakofaseriousscandal，onhisreturntothehouse。Andhere——whenhecameback——wasnothingtoface!HerewerethreepeopleSirPatrick，Arnold，andBlanchewhomustatleastknowthatAnnewasinsomeserioustroublekeepingthesecretascarefullyasiftheyfeltthathisinterestswereatstake!And，morewonderfulstill，herewasAnneherself——sofarfromraisingahueandcryafterhim——actuallytakingflightwithoutsayingawordthatcouldcompromisehimwithanylivingsoul!
Whatinthenameofwonderdiditmean？Hedidhisbesttofindhiswaytoanexplanationofsomesort；andheactuallycontrivedtoaccountforthesilenceofBlancheandheruncle，andArnold。
ItwasprettyclearthattheymusthaveallthreecombinedtokeepLadyLundieinignoranceofherrunawaygoverness’sreturntothehouse。
ButthesecretofAnne’ssilencecompletelybaffledhim。
HewassimplyincapableofconceivingthatthehorrorofseeingherselfsetupasanobstacletoBlanche’smarriagemighthavebeenvividenoughtooverpowerallsenseofherownwrongs，andtohurryheraway，resolute，inherignoranceofwhatelsetodo，nevertoreturnagain，andnevertoletlivingeyesrestonherinthecharacterofArnold’swife。“It’scleanbeyond_my_makingout，“wasthefinalconclusionatwhichGeoffreyarrived。“Ifit’sherinteresttoholdhertongue，it’smyinteresttoholdmine，andthere’sanendofitforthepresent!“
Heputuphisfeetonachair，andrestedhismagnificentmusclesafterhiswalk，andfilledanotherpipe，inthoroughcontentmentwithhimself。NointerferencetodreadfromAnne，nomoreawkwardquestionsonthetermstheywereonnowtocomefromArnold。Helookedbackatthequarrelontheheathwithacertaincomplacency——hedidhisfriendjustice；thoughthey_had_
disagreed。“Whowouldhavethoughtthefellowhadsomuchpluckinhim!“hesaidtohimselfashestruckthematchandlithissecondpipe。
Anhourmoreworeon；andSirPatrickwasthenextpersonwhoreturned。
Hewasthoughtful，butinnosensedepressed。Judgingbyappearances，hiserrandtoCraigFerniehadcertainlynotendedindisappointment。TheoldgentlemanhummedhisfavoritelittleScotchair——ratherabsently，perhaps——andtookhispinchofsnufffromtheknobofhisivorycanemuchasusual。Hewenttothelibrarybellandsummonedaservant。
“Anybodybeenhereforme？“——“No，SirPatrick。“——“Noletters？“——“No，SirPatrick。“——“Verywell。Comeupstairstomyroom，andhelpmeonwithmydressing-gown。“Themanhelpedhimtohisdressing-gownandslippers“IsMissLundieathome？“——“No，SirPatrick。They’reallawaywithmyladyonanexcursion。“——“Verygood。Getmeacupofcoffee；andwakemehalfanhourbeforedinner，incaseItakeanap。“Theservantwentout。SirPatrickstretchedhimselfonthesofa。“Ay!ay!alittleachingintheback，andacertainstiffnessinthelegs。IdaresaytheponyfeelsjustasIdo。Age，Isuppose，inbothcases？
Well!well!well!let’stryandbeyoungatheart。’Therest’asPopesays’isleatherandprunella。’“HereturnedresignedlytohislittleScotchair。Theservantcameinwiththecoffee。Andthentheroomwasquiet，exceptforthelowhummingofinsectsandthegentlerustlingofthecreepersatthewindow。ForfiveminutesorsoSirPatricksippedhiscoffee，andmeditated——bynomeansinthecharacterofamanwhowasdepressedbyanyrecentdisappointment。Infiveminutesmorehewasasleep。
Alittlelater，andthepartyreturnedfromtheruins。
Withtheoneexceptionoftheirlady-leader，thewholeexpeditionwasdepressed——SmithandJones，inparticular，beingquitespeechless。LadyLundiealonestillmetfeudalantiquitieswithacheerfulfront。Shehadcheatedthemanwhoshowedtheruinsofhisshilling，andshewasthoroughlywellsatisfiedwithherself。
Hervoicewasflute-likeinitsmelody，andthecelebrated“smile“hadneverbeeninbetterorder。“Deeplyinteresting!“
saidherladyship，descendingfromthecarriagewithponderousgrace，andaddressingherselftoGeoffrey，loungingundertheporticoofthehouse。“Youhavehadaloss，Mr。Delamayn。Thenexttimeyougooutforawalk，giveyourhostessawordofwarning，andyouwon’trepentit。“Blanchelookingverywearyandanxiousquestionedtheservant，themomentshegotin，aboutArnoldandheruncle。SirPatrickwasinvisibleupstairs。Mr。
Brinkworthhadnotcomeback。Itwantedonlytwentyminutesofdinner-time；andfullevening-dresswasinsistedonatWindygates。Blanche，nevertheless，stilllingeredinthehallinthehopeofseeingArnoldbeforeshewentupstairs。Thehopewasrealized。Astheclockstruckthequarterhecamein。Andhe，too，wasoutofspiritsliketherest!
“Haveyouseenher？“askedBlanche。
“No，“saidArnold，inthemostperfectgoodfaith。“Thewayshehasescapedbyisnotthewaybythecross-roads——Ianswerforthat。“
Theyseparatedtodress。Whenthepartyassembledagain，inthelibrary，beforedinner，Blanchefoundherway，themomentheenteredtheroom，toSirPatrick’sside。
“News，uncle!I’mdyingfornews。“
“Goodnews，mydear——sofar。“
“YouhavefoundAnne？“
“Notexactlythat。“
“YouhaveheardofheratCraigFernie？“
“IhavemadesomeimportantdiscoveriesatCraigFernie，Blanche。
Hush!here’syourstep-mother。Waittillafterdinner，andyoumayhearmorethanIcantellyounow。Theremaybenewsfromthestationbetweenthisandthen。“