Afterabriefintervalsheheardthedrawing-roomdooropen，andthevoicesofthemenoutside。ThereseemedtobesomedifficultyinpersuadingGeoffreytoascendthestairs；hepersistedindeclaringthatHesterDethridgewaswaitingforhimatthetopofthem。Afteralittletheypersuadedhimthatthewaywasfree。Anneheardthemascendthestairsandclosehisbedroomdoor。
Anotherandalongerintervalpassedbeforethedooropenedagain。Thedoctorwasgoingaway。HesaidhispartingwordstoJuliusinthepassage。“Lookinathimfromtimetotimethroughthenight，andgivehimanotherdoseofthesedativemixtureifhewakes。Thereisnothingtobealarmedaboutintherestlessnessandthefever。Theyareonlytheoutwardmanifestationsofsomeseriousmischiefhiddenunderthem。Sendforthemedicalmanwhohaslastattendedhim。Knowledgeofthepatient’sconstitutionisveryimportantknowledgeinthiscase。“
AsJuliusreturnedfromlettingthedoctorout，Annemethiminthehall。Shewasatoncestruckbythewornlookinhisface，andbythefatiguewhichexpresseditselfinallhismovements。
“Youwantrest，“shesaid。“Praygotoyourroom。Ihaveheardwhatthedoctorsaidtoyou。Leaveittothelandladyandtometositup。“
JuliusownedthathehadbeentravelingfromScotlandduringthepreviousnight。Buthewasunwillingtoabandontheresponsibilityofwatchinghisbrother。“Youarenotstrongenough，Iamsure，totakemyplace，“hesaid，kindly。“AndGeoffreyhassomeunreasoninghorrorofthelandladywhichmakesitveryundesirablethatheshouldseeheragain，inhispresentstate。Iwillgouptomyroom，andrestonthebed。Ifyouhearanythingyouhaveonlytocomeandcallme。“
Anhourmorepassed。
AnnewenttoGeoffrey’sdoorandlistened。Hewasstirringinhisbed，andmutteringtohimself。Shewentontothedoorofthenextroom，whichJuliushadleftpartlyopen。Fatiguehadoverpoweredhim；sheheard，within，thequietbreathingofamaninasoundsleep。Anneturnedbackagainresolvednottodisturbhim。
Attheheadofthestairsshehesitated——notknowingwhattodo。
HerhorrorofenteringGeoffrey’sroom，byherself，wasinsurmountable。Butwhoelsewastodoit？“Thegirlhadgonetobed。ThereasonwhichJuliushadgivenfornotemployingtheassistanceofHesterDethridgewasunanswerable。ShelistenedagainatGeoffrey’sdoor。Nosoundwasnowaudibleintheroomtoapersoninthepassageoutside。Woulditbewelltolookin，andmakesurethathehadonlyfallenasleepagain？Shehesitatedoncemore——shewasstillhesitating，whenHesterDethridgeappearedfromthekitchen。
ShejoinedAnneatthetopofthestairs——lookedather——andwrotealineonherslate：“Frightenedtogoin？LeaveittoMe。“
Thesilenceintheroomjustifiedtheinferencethathewasasleep。IfHesterlookedin，Hestercoulddonoharmnow。Anneacceptedtheproposal。
“Ifyoufindanythingwrong，“shesaid，“don’tdisturbhisbrother。Cometomefirst。“
Withthatcautionshewithdrew。Itwasthennearlytwointhemorning。She，likeJulius，wassinkingfromfatigue。Afterwaitingalittle，andhearingnothing，shethrewherselfonthesofainherroom。Ifanythinghappened，aknockatthedoorwouldrouseherinstantly。
InthemeanwhileHesterDethridgeopenedGeoffrey’sbedroomdoorandwentin。
ThemovementsandthemutteringswhichAnnehadheard，hadbeenmovementsandmutteringsinhissleep。Thedoctor’scomposingdraught，partiallydisturbedinitsoperationforthemomentonly，hadrecovereditssedativeinfluenceonhisbrain。Geoffreywasinadeepandquietsleep。
Hesterstoodnearthedoor，lookingathim。Shemovedtogooutagain——stopped——andfixedhereyessuddenlyononeoftheinnercornersoftheroom。
ThesamesinisterchangewhichhadpassedoverheroncealreadyinGeoffrey’spresence，whentheymetinthekitchen-gardenatWindygates，nowpassedoverheragain。Herclosedlipsdroppedapart。Hereyesslowlydilated——moved，inchbyinchfromthecorner，followingsomethingalongtheemptywall，inthedirectionofthebed——stoppedattheheadofthebed，exactlyaboveGeoffrey’ssleepingface——stared，rigidandglittering，asiftheysawasightofhorrorcloseoverit。Hesighedfaintlyinhissleep。Thesound，slightasitwas，brokethespellthatheldher。Sheslowlyliftedherwitheredhands，andwrungthemaboveherhead；fledbackacrossthepassage；and，rushingintoherroom，sankonherkneesatthebedside。
Now，inthedeadofnight，astrangethinghappened。Now，inthesilenceandthedarkness，ahideoussecretwasrevealed。
Inthesanctuaryofherownroom——withalltheotherinmatesofthehousesleepingroundher——thedumbwomanthrewoffthemysteriousandterribledisguiseunderwhichshedeliberatelyisolatedherselfamongherfellow-creaturesinthehoursoftheday。HesterDethridgespoke。Inlow，thick，smotheredaccents——inawildlitanyofherown——sheprayed。ShecalleduponthemercyofGodfordeliverancefromherself；fordeliverancefromthepossessionoftheDevil；forblindnesstofallonher，fordeathtostrikeher，sothatshemightneverseethatunnamedHorrormore!Sobsshookthewholeframeofthestonywomanwhomnothinghumanmovedatothertimes。Tearspouredoverthoseclay-coldcheeks。Onebyone，thefranticwordsofherprayerdiedawayonherlips。Fierceshudderingfitsshookherfromheadtofoot。Shestartedupfromherkneesinthedarkness。Light!light!light!
TheunnamedHorrorwasbehindherinhisroom。TheunnamedHorrorwaslookingatherthroughhisopendoor。Shefoundthematch-box，andlitthecandleonhertable——litthetwoothercandlessetforornamentonlyonthemantlepiece——andlookedallroundthebrightlylightedlittleroom。“Aha!“shesaidtoherself，wipingthecoldsweatofheragonyfromherface。
“Candlestootherpeople。God’slightto_me。_Nothingtobeseen!nothingtobeseen!“Takingoneofthecandlesinherhand，shecrossedthepassage，withherheaddown，turnedherbackonGeoffrey’sopendoor，closeditquicklyandsoftly，stretchingoutherhandbehindher，andretreatedagaintoherownroom。Shefastenedthedoor，andtookanink-bottleandapenfromthemantle-piece。Afterconsideringforamoment，shehungahandkerchiefoverthekeyhole，andlaidanoldshawllongwiseatthebottomofthedoor，soastohidethelightinherroomfromtheobservationofanyoneinthehousewhomightwakeandcomethatway。Thisdone，sheopenedtheupperpartofherdress，and，slippingherfingersintoasecretpockethiddenintheinnersideofherstays，producedfromitsomeneatlyfoldedleavesofthinpaper。Spreadoutonthetable，theleavesrevealedthemselves——allbutthelast——ascloselycoveredwithwriting，inherownhand。
Thefirstleafwasheadedbythisinscription：“MyConfession。Tobeputintomycoffin，andtobeburiedwithmewhenIdie。“
Sheturnedthemanuscriptover，soastogetatthelastpage。
Thegreaterpartofitwasleftblank。Afewlinesofwriting，atthetop，borethedateofthedayoftheweekandmonthonwhichLadyLundiehaddismissedherfromhersituationatWindygates。
Theentrywasexpressedintheseterms：
“IhaveseenITagainto-day。Thefirsttimefortwomonthspast。
Inthekitchen-garden。StandingbehindtheyounggentlemanwhosenameisDelamayn。ResisttheDevil，andhewillfleefromyou。I
haveresisted。Byprayer。Bymeditationinsolitude。Byreadinggoodbooks。Ihaveleftmyplace。Ihavelostsightoftheyounggentlemanforgood。WhowillITstandbehind？andpointtonext？
Lordhavemercyuponme!Christhavemercyuponme!“
Underthisshenowaddedthefollowinglines，firstcarefullyprefixingthedate：
“IhaveseenITagainto-night。Inoticeoneawfulchange。IThasappearedtwicebehindthesameperson。Thishasneverhappenedbefore。Thismakesthetemptationmoreterriblethanever。
To-night，inhisbedroom，betweenthebed-headandthewall，I
haveseenITbehindyoungMr。Delamaynagain。Theheadjustabovehisface，andthefingerpointingdownwardathisthroat。Twicebehindthisoneman。Andnevertwicebehindanyotherlivingcreaturetillnow。IfIseeITathirdtimebehindhim——Lorddeliverme!Christdeliverme!Idaren’tthinkofit。Heshallleavemycottageto-morrow。Iwouldfainhavedrawnbackfromthebargain，whenthestrangertookthelodgingsforhisfriend，andthefriendprovedtobeMr。Delamayn。Ididn’tlikeit，eventhen。Afterthewarningto-night，mymindismadeup。Heshallgo。Hemayhavehismoneyback，ifhelikes。Heshallgo。
Memorandum：Feltthetemptationwhisperingthistime，andtheterrortearingatmeallthewhile，asIhaveneverfeltthemyet。Resisted，asbefore，byprayer。Amnowgoingdownstairstomeditateagainstitinsolitude——tofortifymyselfagainstitbygoodbooks。Lordbemercifultomeasinner!“
Inthosewordssheclosedtheentry，andputthemanuscriptbackinthesecretpocketinherstays。
Shewentdowntothelittleroomlookingonthegarden，whichhadoncebeenherbrother’sstudy。Thereshelitalamp，andtooksomebooksfromashelfthathungagainstthewall。ThebooksweretheBible，avolumeofMethodistsermons，andasetofcollectedMemoirsofMethodistsaints。Rangingtheselastcarefullyroundher，inanorderofherown，HesterDethridgesatdownwiththeBibleonherlaptowatchoutthenight。
WHAThadhappenedinthehoursofdarkness？
ThiswasAnne’sfirstthought，whenthesunlightpouredinatherwindow，andwokeherthenextmorning。