Geoffreyspoke——oncemore，withmarkeddeliberationandconstraint；oncemore，withtheairofrepeatingsomethingwhichhadbeenpreparedbeforehand。HepointedtoAnne。
“Thiswomanismywife，“hesaid。“Inthepresenceofyouthree，aswitnesses，ItellherthatIdon’tforgiveher。Ihavebroughtherhere——havingnootherplaceinwhichIcantrusthertobe——towaittheissueofproceedings，undertakenindefenseofmyownhonorandgoodname。Whileshestayshere，shewillliveseparatefromme，inaroomofherown。Ifitisnecessaryformetocommunicatewithher，Ishallonlyseeherinthepresenceofathirdperson。Doyouallunderstandme？“
HesterDethridgebowedherhead。Theothertwoanswered，“Yes“——andturnedtogoout。
Annerose。AtasignfromGeoffrey，theservantandtheladwaitedintheroomtohearwhatshehadtosay。
“Iknownothinginmyconduct，“shesaid，addressingherselftoGeoffrey，“whichjustifiesyouintellingthesepeoplethatyoudon’tforgiveme。Thosewordsappliedbyyoutomeareaninsult。
Iamequallyignorantofwhatyoumeanwhenyouspeakofdefendingyourgoodname。AllIunderstandis，thatweareseparatepersonsinthishouse，andthatIamtohavearoomofmyown。Iamgrateful，whateveryourmotivesmaybe，forthearrangementthatyouhaveproposed。Directoneofthesetwowomentoshowmemyroom。“
GeoffreyturnedtoHesterDethridge。
“Takeherupstairs，“hesaid；“andletherpickwhichroomshepleases。Giveherwhatshewantstoeatordrink。Bringdowntheaddressoftheplacewhereherluggageis。Theladherewillgobackbyrailway，andfetchit。That’sall。Beoff。“
Hesterwentout。Annefollowedherupthestairs。Inthepassageontheupperfloorshestopped。Thedulllightflickeredagainforamomentinhereyes。Shewroteonherslate，andheldituptoAnne，withthesewordsonit：“Iknewyouwouldcomeback。
It’snotoveryetbetweenyouandhim。“Annemadenoreply。Shewentonwriting，withsomethingfaintlylikeasmileonherthin，colorlesslips。“Iknowsomethingofbadhusbands。Yoursisasbadaoneaseverstoodinshoes。He’lltryyou。“Annemadeanefforttostopher。“Don’tyouseehowtiredIam？“shesaid，gently。HesterDethridgedroppedtheslate——lookedwithasteadyanduncompassionateattentioninAnne’sface——noddedherhead，asmuchastosay，“Iseeitnow“——andledthewayintooneoftheemptyrooms。
Itwasthefrontbedroom，overthedrawing-room。Thefirstglanceroundshowedittobescrupulouslyclean，andsolidlyandtastelesslyfurnished。Thehideouspaperonthewalls，thehideouscarpetonthefloor，werebothofthebestquality。Thegreatheavymahoganybedstead，withitscurtainshangingfromahookintheceiling，andwithitsclumsilycarvedheadandfootonthesamelevel，offeredtotheviewtheanomalousspectacleofFrenchdesignoverwhelmedbyEnglishexecution。Themostnoticeablethingintheroomwastheextraordinaryattentionwhichhadbeengiventothedefenseofthedoor。Besidestheusuallockandkey，itpossessedtwosolidbolts，fasteninginsideatthetopandthebottom。IthadbeenoneamongthemanyeccentricsidesofReubenLimbrick’scharactertoliveinperpetualdreadofthievesbreakingintohiscottageatnight。
Alltheouterdoorsandallthewindowshuttersweresolidlysheathedwithiron，andhadalarm-bellsattachedtothemonanewprinciple。Everyoneofthebedroomspossesseditstwoboltsontheinnersideofthedoor。And，tocrownall，ontheroofofthecottagewasalittlebelfry，containingabelllargeenoughtomakeitselfheardattheFulhampolicestation。InReubenLimbrick’stimetheropehadcommunicatedwithhisbedroom。Ithungnowagainstthewall，inthepassageoutside。
Lookingfromonetotheotheroftheobjectsaroundher，Anne’seyesrestedonthepartitionwallwhichdividedtheroomfromtheroomnexttoit。Thewallwasnotbrokenbyadoorofcommunication，ithadnothingplacedagainstitbutawash-hand-standandtwochairs。
“Whosleepsinthenextroom？“saidAnne。
HesterDethridgepointeddowntothedrawing-roominwhichtheyhadleftGeoffrey，Geoffreysleptintheroom。
Anneledthewayoutagainintothepassage。
“Showmethesecondroom，“shesaid。
Thesecondroomwasalsoinfrontofthehouse。Moreuglinessoffirst-ratequalityinthepaperandthecarpet。Anotherheavymahoganybedstead；but，thistime，abedsteadwithacanopyattachedtotheheadofit——supportingitsowncurtains。
AnticipatingAnne’sinquiry，onthisoccasion，Hesterlookedtowardthenextroom，atthebackofthecottage，andpointedtoherself。Anneatoncedecidedonchoosingthesecondroom；itwasthefarthestfromGeoffrey。Hesterwaitedwhileshewrotetheaddressatwhichherluggagewouldbefoundatthehouseofthemusicalagent，andthen，havingappliedfor，andreceivedherdirectionsastotheeveningmealwhichsheshouldsendupstairs，quittedtheroom。
Leftalone，Annesecuredthedoor，andthrewherselfonthebed。
Stilltoowearytoexerthermind，stillphysicallyincapableofrealizingthehelplessnessandtheperilofherposition，sheopenedalocketthathungfromherneck，kissedtheportraitofhermotherandtheportraitofBlancheplacedoppositetoeachotherinsideit，andsankintoadeepanddreamlesssleep。
MeanwhileGeoffreyrepeatedhisfinalorderstothelad，atthecottagegate。
“Whenyouhavegottheluggage，youaretogotothelawyer。Ifhecancomehereto-night，youwillshowhimtheway。Ifhecan’tcome，youwillbringmealetterfromhim。Makeanymistakeinthis，anditwillbetheworstday’sworkyoueverdidinyourlife。Awaywithyou，anddon’tlosethetrain。“
Theladranoff。Geoffreywaited，lookingafterhim，andturningoverinhismindwhathadbeendoneuptothattime。
“Allright，sofar，“hesaidtohimself。“Ididn’trideinthecabwithher。ItoldherbeforewitnessesIdidn’tforgiveher，andwhyIhadherinthehouse。I’veputherinaroombyherself。AndifI_must_seeher，IseeherwithHesterDethridgeforawitness。Mypart’sdone——letthelawyerdohis。“
Hestrolledroundintothebackgarden，andlithispipe。Afterawhile，asthetwilightfaded，hesawalightinHester’ssitting-roomontheground-floor。Hewenttothewindow。Hesterandtheservant-girlwereboththereatwork。“Well？“heasked。
“Howaboutthewomanupstairs？“Hester’sslate，aidedbythegirl’stongue，toldhimallabout“thewoman“thatwastobetold。Theyhadtakenuptoherroomteaandanomelet；andtheyhadbeenobligedtowakeherfromasleep。Shehadeatenalittleoftheomelet，andhaddrunkeagerlyofthetea。Theyhadgoneupagaintotakethetraydown。Shehadreturnedtothebed。Shewasnotasleep——onlydullandheavy。Madenoremark。Lookedcleanwornout。Weleftheralight；andweletherbe。Suchwasthereport。Afterlisteningtoit，withoutmakinganyremark，Geoffreyfilledasecondpipe，andresumedhiswalk。Thetimeworeon。Itbegantofeelchillyinthegarden。Therisingwindsweptaudiblyovertheopenlandsroundthecottage；thestarstwinkledtheirlast；nothingwastobeseenoverheadbuttheblackvoidofnight。Moreraincoming。Geoffreywentindoors。
Aneveningnewspaperwasonthedining-roomtable。Thecandleswerelit。Hesatdown，andtriedtoread。No!Therewasnothinginthenewspaperthathecaredabout。Thetimeforhearingfromthelawyerwasdrawingnearerandnearer。Readingwasofnouse。
Sittingstillwasofnouse。Hegotup，andwentoutinthefrontofthecottage——strolledtothegate——openedit——andlookedidlyupanddowntheroad。
Butonelivingcreaturewasvisiblebythelightofthegas-lampoverthegate。Thecreaturecamenearer，andprovedtobethepostmangoinghislastround，withthelastdeliveryforthenight。Hecameuptothegatewithaletterinhishand。
“TheHonorableGeoffreyDelamayn？“
“Allright。“
Hetooktheletterfromthepostman，andwentbackintothedining-room。Lookingattheaddressbythelightofthecandles，herecognizedthehandwritingofMrs。Glenarm。“Tocongratulatemeonmymarriage!“hesaidtohimself，bitterly，andopenedtheletter。
Mrs。Glenarm’scongratulationswereexpressedintheseterms：
MYADOREDGEOFFREY，——Ihaveheardall。Mybelovedone!myown!
youaresacrificedtothevilestwretchthatwalkstheearth，andIhavelostyou!HowisitthatIliveafterhearingit？HowisitthatIcanthink，andwrite，withmybrainonfire，andmyheartbroken!Oh，myangel，thereisapurposethatsupportsme——pure，beautiful，worthyofusboth。Ilive，Geoffrey——IlivetodedicatemyselftotheadoredideaofYou。Myhero!myfirst，last，love!Iwillmarrynootherman。Iwillliveanddie——Ivowitsolemnlyonmybendedknees——IwillliveanddietruetoYou。
IamyourSpiritualWife。MybelovedGeoffrey!_she_can’tcomebetweenus，there——_she_canneverrobyouofmyheart’sunalterablefidelity，ofmysoul’sunearthlydevotion。IamyourSpiritualWife!Oh，theblamelessluxuryofwritingthosewords!
Writebacktome，belovedone，andsayyoufeelittoo。Vowit，idolofmyheart，asIhavevowedit。Unalterablefidelity!
unearthlydevotion!Never，neverwillIbethewifeofanyotherman!Never，neverwillIforgivethewomanwhohascomebetweenus!Yourseverandonly；yourswiththestainlesspassionthatburnsonthealtaroftheheart；yours，yours，yours——E。G。“
Thisoutbreakofhystericalnonsense——initselfsimplyridiculous——assumedaseriousimportanceinitseffectonGeoffrey。ItassociatedthedirectattainmentofhisowninterestswiththegratificationofhisvengeanceonAnne。Tenthousandayearself-dedicatedtohim——andnothingtopreventhisputtingouthishandandtakingitbutthewomanwhohadcaughthiminhertrap，thewomanupstairswhohadfastenedherselfonhimforlife!
Heputtheletterintohispocket。“WaittillIhearfromthelawyer，“hesaidtohimself。“Theeasiestwayoutofitis_that_