“Themasterwantsyou，ma’am，downstairs。“
Sheroseinstantlyandputawaythelittlebook。
“Isthatallthemessage？“sheasked，openingthedoor。
“Yes，ma’am。“
Shefollowedthegirldownstairs；recallingtohermemorythestrangewordsaddressedtoherbyGeoffrey，inthepresenceoftheservants，ontheeveningbefore。Wasshenowtoknowwhatthosewordsreallymeant？Thedoubtwouldsoonbesetatrest。
“Bethetrialwhatitmay，“shethoughttoherself，“letmebearitasmymotherwouldhaveborneit。“
Theservantopenedthedoorofthedining-room。Breakfastwasonthetable。Geoffreywasstandingatthewindow。HesterDethridgewaswaiting，postednearthedoor。Hecameforward——withthenearestapproachtogentlenessinhismannerwhichshehadeveryetseeninit——hecameforward，withasetsmileonhislips，andofferedherhishand!
Shehadenteredtheroom，preparedasshebelievedforanythingthatcouldhappen。Shewasnotpreparedforthis。Shestoodspeechless，lookingathim。
Afteroneglanceather，whenshecamein，HesterDethridgelookedathim，too——andfromthatmomentneverlookedawayagain，aslongasAnneremainedintheroom。
Hebrokethesilence——inavoicethatwasnotlikehisown；withafurtiverestraintinhismannerwhichshehadnevernoticedinitbefore。
“Won’tyoushakehandswithyourhusband，“heasked，“whenyourhusbandasksyou？“
Shemechanicallyputherhandinhis。Hedroppeditinstantly，withastart。“God!howcold!“heexclaimed。Hisownhandwasburninghot，andshookincessantly。
Hepointedtoachairattheheadofthetable。
“Willyoumakethetea？“heasked。
Shehadgivenhimherhandmechanically；sheadvancedastepmechanically——andthenstopped。
“Wouldyoupreferbreakfastingbyyourself？“hesaid。
“Ifyouplease，“sheanswered，faintly。
“Waitaminute。Ihavesomethingtosaybeforeyougo。“
Shewaited。Heconsideredwithhimself；consultinghismemory——visibly，unmistakably，consultingitbeforehespokeagain。
“Ihavehadthenighttothinkin，“hesaid。“Thenighthasmadeanewmanofme。IbegyourpardonforwhatIsaidyesterday。I
wasnotmyselfyesterday。Italkednonsenseyesterday。Pleasetoforgetit，andforgiveit。Iwishtoturnoveranewleaf。andmakeamends——makeamendsformypastconduct。Itshallbemyendeavortobeagoodhusband。InthepresenceofMrs。Dethridge，Irequestyoutogivemeachance。Iwon’tforceyourinclinations。Wearemarried——what’stheuseofregrettingit？Stayhere，asyousaidyesterday，onyourownterms。Iwishtomakeitup。
InthepresenceofMrs。Dethridge，IsayIwishtomakeitup。I
won’tdetainyou。Irequestyoutothinkofit。Good-morning。“
Hesaidthoseextraordinarywordslikeaslowboysayingahardlesson——hiseyesontheground，hisfingersrestlesslyfasteningandunfasteningabuttononhiswaistcoat。
Annelefttheroom。Inthepassageshewasobligedtowait，andsupportherselfagainstthewall。Hisunnaturalpolitenesswashorrible；hiscarefullyassertedrepentancechilledhertothesoulwithdread。Shehadneverfelt——inthetimeofhisfiercestangerandhisfoulestlanguage——theunutterablehorrorofhimthatshefeltnow。
HesterDethridgecameout，closingthedoorbehindher。ShelookedattentivelyatAnne——thenwroteonherslate，andhelditout，withthesewordsonit：
“Doyoubelievehim？“
Annepushedtheslateaway，andranupstairs。Shefastenedthedoor——andsankintoachair。
“Heisplottingsomethingagainstme，“shesaidtoherself。
“What？“
Asickening，physicalsenseofdread——entirelynewinherexperienceofherself——madehershrinkfrompursuingthequestion。Thesinkingatherheartturnedherfaint。Shewenttogettheairattheopenwindow。
Atthesamemomenttherewasaringatthegatebell。Suspiciousofanythingandeverything。shefeltasuddendistrustoflettingherselfbeseen。Shedrewbackbehindthecurtainandlookedout。
Aman-servant，inlivery，wasletin。Hehadaletterinhishand。HesaidtothegirlashepassedAnne’swindow，“IcomefromLadyHolchester；ImustseeMr。Delamayninstantly。“
Theywentin。Therewasaninterval。Thefootmanreappeared，leavingtheplace。Therewasanotherinterval。Thentherecameaknockatthedoor。Annehesitated。Theknockwasrepeated，andthedumbmurmuringofHesterDethridgewasheardoutside。Anneopenedthedoor。
Hestercameinwiththebreakfast。Shepointedtoaletteramongotherthingsonthetray。ItwasaddressedtoAnne，inGeoffrey’shandwriting，anditcontainedthesewords：
“Myfatherdiedyesterday。Writeyourordersforyourmourning。
Theboywilltakethem。YouarenottotroubleyourselftogotoLondon。Somebodyistocomeheretoyoufromtheshop。“
Annedroppedthepaperonherlapwithoutlookingup。AtthesamemomentHesterDethridge’sslatewaspassedstealthilybetweenhereyesandthenote——withthesewordstracedonit。“Hismotheriscomingto-day。HisbrotherhasbeentelegraphedfromScotland。Hewasdrunklastnight。He’sdrinkingagain。Iknowwhatthatmeans。Lookout，missus——lookout。“
Annesignedtohertoleavetheroom。Shewentout，pullingthedoorto，butnotclosingitbehindher。
Therewasanotherringatthegatebell。OncemoreAnnewenttothewindow。Onlythelad，thistime；arrivingtotakehisordersfortheday。Hehadbarelyenteredthegardenwhenhewasfollowedbythepostmanwithletters。InaminutemoreGeoffrey’svoicewasheardinthepassage，andGeoffrey’sheavystepascendedthewoodenstairs。Annehurriedacrosstheroomtodrawthebolts。Geoffreymetherbeforeshecouldclosethedoor。
“Aletterforyou，“hesaid，keepingscrupulouslyoutoftheroom。“Idon’twishtoforceyourinclinations——Ionlyrequestyoutotellmewhoit’sfrom。“
Hismannerwasascarefullysubduedasever。Buttheunacknowledgeddistrustinhimwhenhelookedatherbetrayeditselfinhiseye。
Sheglancedatthehandwritingontheaddress。
“FromBlanche，“sheanswered。
Hesoftlyputhisfootbetweenthedoorandthepost——andwaiteduntilshehadopenedandreadBlanche’sletter。
“MayIseeit？“heasked——andputinhishandforitthroughthedoor。
ThespiritinAnnewhichwouldoncehaveresistedhimwasdeadinhernow。Shehandedhimtheopenletter。
Itwasveryshort。Exceptingsomebriefexpressionsoffondness，itwasstudiouslyconfinedtostatingthepurposeforwhichithadbeenwritten。BlancheproposedtovisitAnnethatafternoon，accompaniedbyheruncle，shesentwordbeforehand，tomakesureoffindingAnneathome。Thatwasall。TheletterhadevidentlybeenwrittenunderSirPatrick’sadvice。
Geoffreyhandeditback，afterfirstwaitingamomenttothink。
“Myfatherdiedyesterday，“hesaid。“Mywifecan’treceivevisitorsbeforeheisburied。Idon’twishtoforceyourinclinations。IonlysayIcan’tletvisitorsinherebeforethefuneral——exceptmyownfamily。Sendanotedownstairs。TheladwilltakeittoyourfriendwhenhegoestoLondon。“WiththosewordsheleftAnappealtotheproprietiesoflife，inthemouthofGeoffreyDelamayn，couldonlymeanoneoftwothings。Eitherhehadspokeninbrutalmockery——orhehadspokenwithsomeulteriorobjectinview。Hadheseizedontheeventofhisfather’sdeathasapretextforisolatinghiswifefromallcommunicationwiththeouterworld？Weretherereasons，whichhadnotyetassertedthemselves，forhisdreadingtheresult，ifheallowedAnnetocommunicatewithherfriends？
Thehourworeon，andHesterDethridgeappearedagain。TheladwaswaitingforAnne’sordersforhermourning，andforhernotetoMrs。ArnoldBrinkworth。
Annewrotetheordersandthenote。Oncemorethehorribleslateappearedwhenshehaddone，betweenthewritingpaperandhereyes，withthehardlinesofwarningpitilesslytracedonit。“
Hehaslockedthegate。Whenthere’saringwearetocometohimforthekey。Hehaswrittentoawoman。Nameoutsidetheletter，Mrs。Glenarm。Hehashadmorebrandy。Likemyhusband。Mindyourself。“
Theonewayoutofthehighwallsallroundthecottagelocked。
Friendsforbiddentoseeher。Solitaryimprisonment，withherhusbandforajailer。Beforeshehadbeenfour-and-twentyhoursinthecottageithadcometothat。Andwhatwastofollow？
Shewentbackmechanicallytothewindow。Thesightoftheouterworld，theoccasionalviewofapassingvehicle，helpedtosustainher。