Tousehisownphrase，hewas“outofsorts。“Asluggishreluctancetofacechangeofanykindpossessedhim。HedecidedonstayingatSaltPatchuntilhismarriagetoMrs。Glenarmwhichhethenlookeduponasacertaintyobligedhimtoalterhishabitscompletely，onceforall。FromFulhamhehadgone，thenextday，toattendtheinquiryinPortlandPlace。AndtoFulhamhereturned，whenhebroughtthewifewhohadbeenforceduponhimtoher“home。“
Suchwasthepositionofthetenant，andsuchwerethearrangementsoftheinteriorofthecottage，onthememorableeveningwhenAnneSilvesterentereditasGeoffrey’swife。
CHAPTERTHEFORTY-NINTH。
THENIGHT。
ONleavingLadyLundie’shouse，Geoffreycalledthefirstemptycabthatpassedhim。Heopenedthedoor，andsignedtoAnnetoenterthevehicle。Sheobeyedhimmechanically。Heplacedhimselfontheseatoppositetoher，andtoldthemantodrivetoFulham。
Thecabstartedonitsjourney；husbandandwifepreservingabsolutesilence。Annelaidherheadbackwearily，andclosedhereyes。Herstrengthhadbrokendownundertheeffortwhichhadsustainedherfromthebeginningtotheendoftheinquiry。Herpowerofthinkingwasgone。Shefeltnothing，knewnothing，fearednothing。Halfinfaintness，halfinslumber，shehadlostallsenseofherownterriblepositionbeforethefirstfiveminutesofthejourneytoFulhamhadcometoanend。
Sittingoppositetoher，savagelyself-concentratedinhisownthoughts，Geoffreyrousedhimselfonasudden。Anideahadsprungtolifeinhissluggishbrain。Heputhisheadoutofthewindowofthecab，anddirectedthedrivertoturnback，andgotoanhotelneartheGreatNorthernRailway。
Resuminghisseat，helookedfurtivelyatAnne。Sheneithermovednoropenedhereyes——shewas，toallappearance，unconsciousofwhathadhappened。Heobservedherattentively。Wasshereallyill？Wasthetimecomingwhenhewouldbefreedfromher？Heponderedoverthatquestion——watchingherclosely。Littlebylittlethevilehopeinhimslowlydiedaway，andavilesuspiciontookitsplace。What，ifthisappearanceofillnesswasapretense？What，ifshewaswaitingtothrowhimoffhisguard，andescapefromhimatthefirstopportunity？Heputhisheadoutofthewindowagain，andgaveanotherordertothedriver。Thecabdivergedfromthedirectroute，andstoppedatapublichouseinHolborn，keptunderanassumednamebyPerrythetrainer。
Geoffreywrotealineinpencilonhiscard，andsentitintothehousebythedriver。Afterwaitingsomeminutes，aladappearedandtouchedhishat。Geoffreyspoketohim，outofthewindow，inanunder-tone。Theladtookhisplaceontheboxbythedriver。
Thecabturnedback，andtooktheroadtothehotelneartheGreatNorthernRailway。
Arrivedattheplace，Geoffreypostedtheladcloseatthedoorofthe。cab，andpointedtoAnne，stillrecliningwithclosedeyes；still，asitseemed，toowearytoliftherhead，toofainttonoticeanythingthathappened。“Ifsheattemptstogetout，stopher，andsendforme。“Withthosepartingdirectionsheenteredthehotel，andaskedforMr。Moy。
Mr。Moywasinthehouse；hehadjustreturnedfromPortlandPlace。Herose，andbowedcoldly，whenGeoffreywasshownintohissitting-room。
“Whatisyourbusinesswithme？“heasked。
“I’vehadanotioncomeintomyhead，“saidGeoffrey。“AndIwanttospeaktoyouaboutitdirectly。“
“Imustrequestyoutoconsultsomeoneelse。Considerme，ifyouplease，ashavingwithdrawnfromallfurtherconnectionwithyouraffairs。“
Geoffreylookedathiminstolidsurprise。
“Doyoumeantosayyou’regoingtoleavemeinthelurch？“heasked。
“ImeantosaythatIwilltakenofreshstepinanybusinessofyours，“answeredMr。Moy，firmly。“Astothefuture，Ihaveceasedtobeyourlegaladviser。Astothepast，Ishallcarefullycompletetheformaldutiestowardyouwhichremaintobedone。Mrs。InchbareandBishopriggsarecomingherebyappointment，atsixthisevening，toreceivethemoneyduetothembeforetheygoback。IshallreturntoScotlandmyselfbythenightmail。Thepersonsreferredto，inthematterofthepromiseofmarriage，bySirPatrick，areallinScotland。Iwilltaketheirevidenceastothehandwriting，andastothequestionofresidenceintheNorth——andIwillsendittoyouinwrittenform。Thatdone，Ishallhavedoneall。Ideclinetoadviseyouinanyfuturestepwhichyouproposetotake。“
Afterreflectingforamoment，Geoffreyputalastquestion。
“YousaidBishopriggsandthewomanwouldbehereatsixthisevening。“
“Yes。“
“Wherearetheytobefoundbeforethat？“
Mr。Moywroteafewwordsonaslipofpaper，andhandedittoGeoffrey。“Attheirlodgings，“hesaid。“Thereistheaddress。“
Geoffreytooktheaddress，andlefttheroom。Lawyerandclientpartedwithoutawordoneitherside。
Returningtothecab，Geoffreyfoundtheladsteadilywaitingathispost。
“Hasanythinghappened？“
“Theladyhasn’tmoved，Sir，sinceyoulefther。“
“IsPerryatthepublichouse？“
“Notatthistime，Sir。“
“Iwantalawyer。DoyouknowwhoPerry’slawyeris？“
“Yes，Sir。“
“Andwhereheistobefound？“
“Yes，Sir。“
“Getuponthebox，andtellthemanwheretodriveto。“
ThecabwentonagainalongtheEustonRoad，andstoppedatahouseinaside-street，withaprofessionalbrassplateonthedoor。Theladgotdown，andcametothewindow。
“Hereitis，Sir。“
“Knockatthedoor，andseeifheisathome。“
Heprovedtobeathome。Geoffreyenteredthehouse，leavinghisemissaryoncemoreonthewatch。Theladnoticedthattheladymovedthistime。Sheshiveredasifshefeltcold——openedhereyesforamomentwearily，andlookedoutthroughthewindow——sighed，andsankbackagaininthecornerofthecab。
AfteranabsenceofmorethanhalfanhourGeoffreycameoutagain。HisinterviewwithPerry’slawyerappearedtohaverelievedhismindofsomethingthathadoppressedit。HeoncemoreorderedthedrivertogotoFulham——openedthedoortogetintothecab——then，asitseemed，suddenlyrecollectedhimself——and，callingtheladdownfromthebox，orderedhimtogetinside，andtookhisplacebythedriver。
AsthecabstartedhelookedoverhisshoulderatAnnethroughthefrontwindow。“Wellworthtrying，“hesaidtohimself。“It’sthewaytobeevenwithher。Andit’sthewaytobefree。“
Theyarrivedatthecottage。Possibly，reposehadrestoredAnne’sstrength。Possibly，thesightoftheplacehadrousedtheinstinctofself-preservationinheratlast。ToGeoffrey’ssurprise，sheleftthecabwithoutassistance。Whenheopenedthewoodengate，withhisownkey，sherecoiledfromit，andlookedathimforthefirsttime。
Hepointedtotheentrance。
“Goin，“hesaid。
“Onwhatterms？“sheasked，withoutstirringastep。
Geoffreydismissedthecab；andsenttheladin，towaitforfurtherorders。Thesethingsdone，heansweredherloudlyandbrutallythemomenttheywerealone：
“OnanytermsIplease。“
“Nothingwillinduceme，“shesaid，firmly，“tolivewithyouasyourwife。Youmaykillme——butyouwillneverbendmetothat。“
Headvancedastep——openedhislips——andsuddenlycheckedhimself。Hewaitedawhile，turningsomethingoverinhismind。
Whenhespokeagain，itwaswithmarkeddeliberationandconstraint——withtheairofamanwhowasrepeatingwordsputintohislips，orwordspreparedbeforehand。
“Ihavesomethingtotellyouinthepresenceofwitnesses，“hesaid。“Idon’taskyou，orwishyou，toseemeinthecottagealone。“
Shestartedatthechangeinhim。Hissuddencomposure，andhissuddennicetyinthechoiceofwords，triedhercouragefarmoreseverelythanithadbeentriedbyhisviolenceofthemomentbefore。
Hewaitedherdecision，stillpointingthroughthegate。Shetrembledalittle——steadiedherselfagain——andwentin。Thelad，waitinginthefrontgarden，followedher。
Hethrewopenthedrawing-roomdoor，ontheleft-handsideofthepassage。Sheenteredtheroom。Theservant-girlappeared。Hesaidtoher，“FetchMrs。Dethridge；andcomebackwithheryourself。“
Thenhewentintotheroom；thelad，byhisowndirections，followinghimin；andthedoorbeingleftwideopen。
HesterDethridgecameoutfromthekitchenwiththegirlbehindher。AtthesightofAnne，afaintandmomentarychangepassedoverthestonystillnessofherface。Adulllightglimmeredinhereyes。Sheslowlynoddedherhead。Adumbsound，vaguelyexpressiveofsomethinglikeexultationorrelief，escapedherlips。