“Itwilldoforme。Idon’tknowgoodEnglishwhenIseeit。“
Withthatfrankacknowledgment——towhichthegreatmajorityofhiscompanionsatschoolandcollegemighthavesubscribedwithoutdoingtheslightestinjusticetothepresentstateofEnglisheducation——Geoffreydrewhischairtothetable，andopenedoneofthevolumesofhisrecordofcrime。
Theeveningnewspaperwaslyingonthesofa。Juliustookitup，andseatedhimselfoppositetohisbrother。Henoticed，withsomesurprise，thatGeoffreyappearedtohaveaspecialobjectinconsultinghisbook。Insteadofbeginningatthefirstpage，herantheleavesthroughhisfingers，andturnedthemdownatcertainplaces，beforeheenteredonhisreading。IfJuliushadlookedoverhisbrother’sshoulder，insteadofonlylookingathimacrossthetable，hewouldhaveseenthatGeoffreypassedbyallthelightercrimesreportedintheCalendar，andmarkedforhisownprivatereadingthecasesofmurderonly。
THEnighthadadvanced。Itwascloseontwelveo’clockwhenAnneheardtheservant’svoice，outsideherbedroomdoor，askingleavetospeakwithherforamoment。
“Whatisit？“
“Thegentlemandownstairswishestoseeyou，ma’am。“
“DoyoumeanMr。Delamayn’sbrother？“
“Yes。“
“WhereisMr。Delamayn？“
“Outinthegarden，ma’am。“
Annewentdownstairs，andfoundJuliusaloneinthedrawing-room。
“Iamsorrytodisturbyou，“hesaid。“IamafraidGeoffreyisill。Thelandladyhasgonetobed，Iamtold——andIdon’tknowwheretoapplyformedicalassistance。Doyouknowofanydoctorintheneighborhood？“
Anne，likeJulius，wasaperfectstrangertotheneighborhood。
Shesuggestedmakinginquiryoftheservant。Onspeakingtothegirl，itturnedoutthatsheknewofamedicalman，livingwithintenminutes’walkofthecottage。Shecouldgiveplaindirectionsenablinganypersontofindtheplace——butshewasafraid，atthathourofthenightandinthatlonelyneighborhood，togooutbyherself。
“Isheseriouslyill？“Anneasked。
“Heisinsuchastateofnervousirritability，“saidJulius，“thathecan’tremainstillfortwomomentstogetherinthesameplace。Itbeganwithincessantrestlessnesswhilehewasreadinghere。Ipersuadedhimtogotobed。Hecouldn’tliestillforaninstant——hecamedownagain，burningwithfever，andmorerestlessthanever。HeisoutinthegardeninspiteofeverythingIcoulddotopreventhim；trying，ashesays，to’runitoff。’Itappearstobeseriousto_me。_。Comeandjudgeforyourself。“
HeledAnneintothenextroom；and，openingtheshutter，pointedtothegarden。
Thecloudshadclearedoff；thenightwasfine。TheclearstarlightshowedGeoffrey，strippedtohisshirtanddrawers，runningroundandroundthegarden。HeapparentlybelievedhimselftobecontendingattheFulhamfoot-race。Attimes，asthewhitefigurecircledroundandroundinthestar-light，theyheardhimcheeringfor“theSouth。“Theslackeningthumpofhisfeetontheground，theheavierandheaviergaspsinwhichhedrewhisbreath，ashepassedthewindow，gavewarningthathisstrengthwasfailinghim。Exhaustion，ifitledtonoworseconsequences，wouldforcehimtoreturntothehouse。Inthestateofhisbrainatthatmomentwhocouldsaywhattheresultmightbe，ifmedicalhelpwasnotcalledin？
“Iwillgoforthedoctor，“saidJulius，“ifyoudon’tmindmyleavingyou。“
ItwasimpossibleforAnnetosetanyapprehensionsofherownagainsttheplainnecessityforsummoningassistance。TheyfoundthekeyofthegateinthepocketofGeoffrey’scoatupstairs。
AnnewentwithJuliustolethimout。“HowcanIthankyou!“shesaid，gratefully。“WhatshouldIhavedonewithout_you!_“
“Iwon’tbeamomentlongerthanIcanhelp，“heanswered，andlefther。
Shesecuredthegateagain，andwentbacktothecottage。Theservantmetheratthedoor，andproposedcallingupHesterDethridge。
“Wedon’tknowwhatthemastermaydowhilehisbrother’saway，“
saidthegirl。“Andonemoreofusisn’tonetoomany，whenweareonlywomeninthehouse。“
“Youarequiteright，“saidAnne。“Wakeyourmistress。“
Afterascendingthestairs，theylookedoutintothegarden，throughthewindowattheendofthepassageontheupperfloor。
Hewasstillgoingroundandround，butveryslowly：hispacewasfastslackeningtoawalk。
Annewentbacktoherroom，andwaitedneartheopendoor——readytocloseandfastenitinstantlyifanythingoccurredtoalarmher。“HowchangedIam!“shethoughttoherself。“Everythingfrightensme，now。“
Theinferencewasthenaturalone——butnotthetrueone。Thechangewasnotinherself，butinthesituationinwhichshewasplaced。HerpositionduringtheinvestigationatLadyLundie’shousehadtriedhermoralcourageonly。Ithadexactedfromheroneofthosenobleeffortsofself-sacrificewhichthehiddenforcesinawoman’snatureareessentiallycapableofmaking。Herpositionatthecottagetriedherphysicalcourage：itcalledonhertorisesuperiortothesenseofactualbodilydanger——whilethatdangerwaslurkinginthedark。There，thewoman’snaturesankunderthestresslaidonit——there，hercouragecouldstrikenorootinthestrengthofherlove——there，theanimalinstinctsweretheinstinctsappealedto；andthefirmnesswantedwasthefirmnessofaman。
HesterDethridge’sdooropened。ShewalkedstraightintoAnne’sroom。
Theyellowclay-coldcolorofherfaceshowedafaintflushofwarmth；itsdeathlikestillnesswasstirredbyatouchoflife。
Thestonyeyes，fixedaseverintheirgaze，shonestrangelywithadiminnerlustre。Hergrayhair，soneatlyarrangedatothertimes，wasindisorderunderhercap。Allhermovementswerequickerthanusual。Somethinghadrousedthestagnantvitalityinthewoman——itwasworkinginhermind；itwasforcingitselfoutwardintoherface。TheservantsatWindygates，inpasttimes，hadseenthesesigns，andhadknownthemforawarningtoleaveHesterDethridgetoherself。
Anneaskedherifshehadheardwhathadhappened。
Shebowedherhead。
“Ihopeyoudon’tmindbeingdisturbed？“
Shewroteonherslate：“I’mgladtobedisturbed。Ihavebeendreamingbaddreams。It’sgoodformetobewakened，whensleeptakesmebackwardinmylife。What’swrongwithyou？Frightened？“
“Yes。“
Shewroteagain，andpointedtowardthegardenwithonehand，whilesheheldtheslateupwiththeother：“Frightenedof_him？_“
“Terriblyfrightened。“
Shewroteforthethirdtime，andofferedtheslatetoAnnewithaghastlysmile：“Ihavebeenthroughitall。Iknow。You’reonlyatthebeginningnow。He’llputthewrinklesinyourface，andthegrayinyourhair。Therewillcomeatimewhenyou’llwishyourselfdeadandburied。Youwilllivethroughit，forallthat。
LookatMe。“
Asshereadthelastthreewords，Anneheardthegardendoorbelowopenedandbangedtoagain。ShecaughtHesterDethridgebythearm，andlistened。ThetrampofGeoffrey’sfeet，staggeringheavilyinthepassage，gavetokenofhisapproachtothestairs。
Hewastalkingtohimself，stillpossessedbythedelusionthathewasatthefoot-race。“FivetofouronDelamayn。Delamayn’swon。ThreecheersfortheSouth，andonecheermore。Devilishlongrace。Nightalready!Perry!where’sPerry？“
Headvanced，staggeringfromsidetosideofthepassage。Thestairsbelowcreakedashesethisfootonthem。HesterDethridgedraggedherselffreefromAnne，advanced，withhercandleinherhand，andthrewopenGeoffrey’sbedroomdoor；returnedtotheheadofthestairs；andstoodthere，firmasarock，waitingforhim。Helookedup，ashesethisfootonthenextstair，andmettheviewofHester’sface，brightlyilluminatedbythecandle，lookingdownathim。Ontheinstanthestopped，rootedtotheplaceonwhichhestood。“Ghost!witch!devil!“hecriedout，“takeyoureyesoffme!“Heshookhisfistatherfuriously，withanoath——sprangbackintothehall——andshuthimselfintothedining-roomfromthesightofher。Thepanicwhichhadseizedhimoncealreadyinthekitchen-gardenatWindygates，undertheeyesofthedumbcook，hadfasteneditsholdonhimoncemore。
Frightened——absolutelyfrightened——ofHesterDethridge!
Thegatebellrang。Juliushadreturnedwiththedoctor。
Annegavethekeytothegirltoletthemin。Hesterwroteonherslate，ascomposedlyasifnothinghadhappened：“They’llfindmeinthekitchen，iftheywantme。Isha’n’tgobacktomybedroom。
Mybedroom’sfullofbaddreams。“Shedescendedthestairs。Annewaitedintheupperpassage，lookingoverintothehallbelow。
“Yourbrotherisinthedrawing-room，“shecalleddowntoJulius。
“Thelandladyisinthekitchen，ifyouwanther。“Shereturnedtoherroom，andwaitedforwhatmighthappennext。