TheladappearedinthefrontgardendepartingtoperformhiserrandtoLondon。Geoffreywentwithhimtoopenthegate，andcalledafterhim，ashepassedthroughit，“Don’tforgetthebooks!“
The“books？“What“books？“Whowantedthem？TheslightestthingnowrousedAnne’ssuspicion。Forhoursafterwardthebookshauntedhermind。
Hesecuredthegateandcamebackagain。HestoppedunderAnne’swindowandcalledtoher。Sheshowedherself。“Whenyouwantairandexercise，“hesaid，“thebackgardenisatyourowndisposal。“Heputthekeyofthegateinhispocketandreturnedtothehouse。
AftersomehesitationAnnedecidedontakinghimathisword。Inherstateofsuspense，toremainwithinthefourwallsofthebedroomwasunendurable。Ifsomelurkingsnarelayhidunderthefair-soundingproposalwhichGeoffreyhadmade，itwaslessrepellenttoherboldlytoprovewhatitmightbethantowaitponderingoveritwithhermindinthedark。Sheputonherhatandwentdownintothegarden。Nothinghappenedoutofthecommon。Whereverhewashenevershowedhimself。Shewanderedupanddown，keepingonthesideofthegardenwhichwasfarthestfromthedining-roomwindow。Toawoman，escapefromtheplacewassimplyimpossible。Settingoutofthequestiontheheightofthewalls，theywerearmedatthetopwithathicksettingofjaggedbrokenglass。Asmallback-doorintheendwallintendedprobablyforthegardener’susewasboltedandlocked——thekeyhavingbeentakenout。Therewasnotahousenear。Thelandsofthelocalgrowersofvegetablessurroundedthegardenonallsides。Inthenineteenthcentury，andintheimmediateneighborhoodofagreatmetropolis，Annewasasabsolutelyisolatedfromallcontactwiththehumanityaroundherasifshelayinhergrave。
Afterthelapseofhalfanhourthesilencewasbrokenbyanoiseofcarriagewheelsonthepublicroadinfront，andaringatthebell。Annekeptclosetothecottage，attheback；determined，ifachanceoffered，onspeakingtothevisitor，whoeverthevisitormightbe。
Sheheardvoicesinthedining-roomthroughtheopenwindow——Geoffrey’svoiceandthevoiceofawoman。Whowasthewoman？NotMrs。Glenarm，surely？Afterawhilethevisitor’svoicewassuddenlyraised。“Whereisshe？“itsaid。“Iwishtoseeher。“Anneinstantlyadvancedtotheback-doorofthehouse——andfoundherselffacetofacewithaladywhowasatotalstrangertoher。
“Areyoumyson’swife？“askedthelady。
“Iamyourson’sprisoner，“Anneanswered。
LadyHolchester’spalefaceturnedpalerstill。ItwasplainthatAnne’sreplyhadconfirmedsomedoubtinthemothersmindwhichhadbeenalreadysuggestedtoitbytheson。
“Whatdoyoumean？“sheasked，inawhisper。
Geoffrey’sheavyfootstepscrossedthedining-room。Therewasnotimetoexplain。Annewhisperedback，“TellmyfriendswhatIhavetoldyou。“
Geoffreyappearedatthedining-roomdoor。
“Nameoneofyourfriends，“saidLadyHolchester。
“SirPatrickLundie。“
Geoffreyheardtheanswer。“WhataboutSirPatrickLundie？“heasked。
“IwishtoseeSirPatrickLundie，“saidhismother。“Andyourwifecantellmewheretofindhim。“
AnneinstantlyunderstoodthatLadyHolchesterwouldcommunicatewithSirPatrick。ShementionedhisLondonaddress。LadyHolchesterturnedtoleavethecottage。Hersonstoppedher。
“Let’ssetthingsstraight，“hesaid，“beforeyougo。Mymother，“
hewenton，addressinghimselftoAnne，“don’tthinkthere’smuchchanceforustwooflivingcomfortablytogether。Bearwitnesstothetruth——willyou？WhatdidItellyouatbreakfast-time？
Didn’tIsayitshouldbemyendeavortomakeyouagoodhusband？
Didn’tIsay——inMrs。Dethridge’spresence——Iwantedtomakeitup？“HewaiteduntilAnnehadansweredintheaffirmative，andthenappealedtohismother。“Well？whatdoyouthinknow？“
LadyHolchesterdeclinedtorevealwhatshethought。“Youshallseeme，orhearfromme，thisevening，“shesaidtoAnne。
Geoffreyattemptedtorepeathisunansweredquestion。Hismotherlookedathim。Hiseyesinstantlydroppedbeforehers。ShegravelybentherheadtoAnne，anddrewherveil。Hersonfollowedheroutinsilencetothegate。
Annereturnedtoherroom，sustainedbythefirstsenseofreliefwhichshehadfeltsincethemorning。“Hismotherisalarmed，“
shesaidtoherself。“Achangewillcome。“
Achange_was_tocome——withthecomingnight。
TOWARDsunset，LadyHolchester’scarriagedrewupbeforethegateofthecottage。
Threepersonsoccupiedthecarriage：LadyHolchester，hereldestsonnowLordHolchester，andSirPatrickLundie。
“Willyouwaitinthecarriage，SirPatrick？“saidJulius。“Orwillyoucomein？“
“Iwillwait。IfIcanbeoftheleastuseto_her，_，sendformeinstantly。Inthemeantimedon’tforgettomakethestipulationwhichIhavesuggested。Itistheonecertainwayofputtingyourbrother’srealfeelinginthismattertothetest。“
Theservanthadrungthebellwithoutproducinganyresult。Herangagain。LadyHolchesterputaquestiontoSirPatrick。
“IfIhaveanopportunityofspeakingtomyson’swifealone，“
shesaid，“haveyouanymessagetogive？“
SirPatrickproducedalittlenote。
“MayIappealtoyourladyship’skindnesstogiveherthis？“Thegatewasopenedbytheservant-girl，asLadyHolchestertookthenote。“Remember，“reiteratedSirPatrick，earnestly“ifIcanbeofthesmallestservicetoher——don’tthinkofmypositionwithMr。Delamayn。Sendformeatonce。“
Juliusandhismotherwereconductedintothedrawing-room。Thegirlinformedthemthathermasterhadgoneupstairstoliedown，andthathewouldbewiththemimmediately。
Bothmotherandsonweretooanxioustospeak。Juliuswandereduneasilyabouttheroom。Somebooksattractedhisnoticeonatableinthecorner——fourdirty，greasyvolumes，withaslipofpaperprojectingfromtheleavesofoneofthem，andcontainingthisinscription，“WithMr。Perry’srespects。“Juliusopenedthevolume。ItwastheghastlypopularrecordofCriminalTrialsinEngland，calledtheNewgateCalendar。Juliusshowedittohismother。
“Geoffrey’stasteinliterature!“hesaid，withafaintsmile。
LadyHolchestersignedtohimtoputthebookback。
“YouhaveseenGeoffrey’swifealready——haveyounot？“sheasked。
TherewasnocontemptnowinhertonewhenshereferredtoAnne。
Theimpressionproducedonherbyhervisittothecottage，earlierintheday，associatedGeoffrey’swifewithfamilyanxietiesofnotrivialkind。ShemightstillforMrs。Glenarm’ssakebeawomantobedisliked——butshewasnolongerawomantobedespised。
“IsawherwhenshecametoSwanhaven，“saidJulius。“IagreewithSirPatrickinthinkingheraveryinterestingperson。“
“WhatdidSirPatricksaytoyouaboutGeoffreythisafternoon——whileIwasoutoftheroom？“
“Onlywhathesaidto_you。_Hethoughttheirpositiontowardeachotherhereaverydeplorableone。Heconsideredthatthereasonswereseriousforourinterferingimmediately。“
“SirPatrick’sownopinion，Julius，goesfartherthanthat。“
“Hehasnotacknowledgedit，thatIknowof。“
“How_can_heacknowledgeit——tous？“
Thedooropened，andGeoffreyenteredtheroom。
Juliuseyedhimcloselyastheyshookhands。Hiseyeswerebloodshot；hisfacewasflushed；hisutterancewasthick——thelookofhimwasthelookofamanwhohadbeendrinkinghard。
“Well？“hesaidtohismother。“Whatbringsyouback？“
“Juliushasaproposaltomaketoyou，“LadyHolchesteranswered。
“Iapproveofit；andIhavecomewithhim。“
Geoffreyturnedtohisbrother。
“Whatcanarichmanlikeyouwantwithapoordevillikeme？“heasked。
“Iwanttodoyoujustice，Geoffrey——ifyouwillhelpme，bymeetingmehalf-way。Ourmotherhastoldyouaboutthewill？“
“I’mnotdownforahalf-pennyinthewill。Iexpectedasmuch。
Goon。“
“Youarewrong——you_are_downinit。Thereisliberalprovisionmadeforyouinacodicil。Unhappily，myfatherdiedwithoutsigningit。ItisneedlesstosaythatIconsideritbindingonmeforallthat。Iamreadytodoforyouwhatyourfatherwouldhavedoneforyou。AndIonlyaskforoneconcessioninreturn。“