Shemadeimmediateinquiryoftheservant。Thegirlcouldonlyspeakforherself。Nothinghadoccurredtodisturbheraftershehadgonetobed。Hermasterwasstill，shebelieved，inhisroom。
Mrs。Dethridgewasatherworkinthekitchen。
Annewenttothekitchen。HesterDethridgewasatherusualoccupationatthattime——preparingthebreakfast。TheslightsignsofanimationwhichAnnehadnoticedinherwhentheylastmetappearednomore。Thedulllookwasbackagaininherstonyeyes；thelifelesstorporpossessedallhermovements。Askedifanythinghadhappenedinthenight，sheslowlyshookherstolidhead，slowlymadethesignwithherhandwhichsignified，“Nothing。“
Leavingthekitchen，AnnesawJuliusinthefrontgarden。Shewentoutandjoinedhim。
“IbelieveIhavetothankyourconsiderationformeforsomehoursofrest，“hesaid。“ItwasfiveinthemorningwhenIwoke。
Ihopeyouhadnoreasontoregrethavingleftmetosleep？I
wentintoGeoffrey’sroom，andfoundhimstirring。Aseconddoseofthemixturecomposedhimagain。Thefeverhasgone。Helooksweakerandpaler，butinotherrespectslikehimself。Wewillreturndirectlytothequestionofhishealth。Ihavesomethingtosaytoyou，first，aboutachangewhichmaybecominginyourlifehere。“
“Hasheconsentedtotheseparation？“
“No。Heisasobstinateaboutitasever。Ihaveplacedthematterbeforehimineverypossiblelight。Hestillrefuses，positivelyrefuses，aprovisionwhichwouldmakehimanindependentmanforlife。“
“Isittheprovisionhemighthavehad，LordHolchester，if——？“
“IfhehadmarriedMrs。Glenarm？No。Itisimpossible，consistentlywithmydutytomymother，andwithwhatIowetothepositioninwhichmyfather’sdeathhasplacedme，thatIcanofferhimsuchafortuneasMrs。Glenarm’s。Still，itisahandsomeincomewhichheismadenoughtorefuse。Ishallpersistinpressingitonhim。Hemustandshalltakeit。“
Annefeltnorevivinghoperousedinherbyhislastwords。Sheturnedtoanothersubject。
“Youhadsomethingtotellme，“shesaid。“Youspokeofachange。“
“True。Thelandladyhereisaverystrangeperson；andshehasdoneaverystrangething。ShehasgivenGeoffreynoticetoquittheselodgings。“
“Noticetoquit？“Annerepeated，inamazement。
“Yes。Inaformalletter。Shehandedittomeopen，assoonasI
wasupthismorning。Itwasimpossibletogetanyexplanationfromher。Thepoordumbcreaturesimplywroteonherslate：’Hemayhavehismoneyback，ifhelikes：heshallgo!’Greatlytomysurpriseforthewomaninspireshimwiththestrongestaversion
Geoffreyrefusestogountilhistermisup。Ihavemadethepeacebetweenthemforto-day。Mrs。Dethridge。veryreluctantly，consentstogivehimfour-and-twentyhours。Andtherethematterrestsatpresent。“
“Whatcanhermotivebe？“saidAnne。
“It’suselesstoinquire。Hermindisevidentlyoffitsbalance。
Onethingisclear，Geoffreyshallnotkeepyouheremuchlonger。
Thecomingchangewillremoveyoufromthisdismalplace——whichisonethinggained。AnditisquitepossiblethatnewscenesandnewsurroundingsmayhavetheirinfluenceonGeoffreyforgood。
Hisconduct——otherwisequiteincomprehensible——maybetheresultofsomelatentnervousirritationwhichmedicalhelpmightreach。
Idon’tattempttodisguisefrommyselforfromyou，thatyourpositionhereisamostdeplorableone。Butbeforewedespairofthefuture，letusatleastinquirewhetherthereisanyexplanationofmybrother’spresentbehaviortobefoundinthepresentstateofmybrother’shealth。Ihavebeenconsideringwhatthedoctorsaidtomelastnight。ThefirstthingtodoistogetthebestmedicaladviceonGeoffrey’scasewhichistobehad。Whatdoyouthink？“
“Idaren’ttellyouwhatIthink，LordHolchester。Iwilltry——itisaverysmallreturntomakeforyourkindness——Iwilltrytoseemypositionwithyoureyes，notwithmine。ThebestmedicaladvicethatyoucanobtainistheadviceofMr。Speedwell。Itwashewhofirstmadethediscoverythatyourbrotherwasinbrokenhealth。“
“Theverymanforourpurpose!Iwillsendhimhereto-dayorto-morrow。IsthereanythingelseIcandoforyou？IshallseeSirPatrickassoonasIgettotown。Haveyouanymessageforhim？“
Annehesitated。Lookingattentivelyather，JuliusnoticedthatshechangedcolorwhenhementionedSirPatrick’sname。
“WillyousaythatIgratefullythankhimfortheletterwhichLadyHolchesterwassogoodustogivemelastnight，“shereplied。“Andwillyouentreathim，fromme，nottoexposehimself，onmyaccount，to——“shehesitated，andfinishedthesentencewithhereyesontheground——“towhatmighthappen，ifhecamehereandinsistedonseeingme。“
“Doesheproposetodothat？“
Shehesitatedagain。Thelittlenervouscontractionofherlipsatonesideofthemouthbecamemoremarkedthanusual。“Hewritesthathisanxietyisunendurable，andthatheisresolvedtoseeme，“sheansweredsoftly。
“Heislikelytoholdtohisresolution，Ithink，“saidJulius。
“WhenIsawhimyesterday，SirPatrickspokeofyouintermsofadmiration——“
Hestopped。ThebrighttearswereglitteringonAnne’seyelashes；
oneofherhandswastoyingnervouslywithsomethinghiddenpossiblySirPatrick’sletterinthebosomofherdress。“I
thankhimwithmywholeheart，“shesaid，inlow，falteringtones。“Butitisbestthatheshouldnotcomehere。“
“Wouldyouliketowritetohim？“
“IthinkIshouldpreferyourgivinghimmymessage。“
Juliusunderstoodthatthesubjectwastoproceednofurther。SirPatrick’sletterhadproducedsomeimpressiononher，whichthesensitivenatureofthewomanseemedtoshrinkfromacknowledging，eventoherself。Theyturnedbacktoenterthecottage。Atthedoortheyweremetbyasurprise。HesterDethridge，withherbonneton——dressed，atthathourofthemorning，togoout!
“Areyougoingtomarketalready？“Anneasked。
Hestershookherhead。
“Whenareyoucomingback？“
Hesterwroteonherslate：“Nottillthenight-time。“
Withoutanotherwordofexplanationshepulledherveildownoverherface，andmadeforthegate。Thekeyhadbeenleftinthedining-roombyJulius，afterhehadletthedoctorout。Hesterhaditinherhand。Sheopenedhegateandclosedthedoorafterher，leavingthekeyinthelock。AtthemomentwhenthedoorbangedtoGeoffreyappearedinthepassage。
“Where’sthekey？“heasked。“Who’sgoneout？“
Hisbrotheransweredthequestion。HelookedbackwardandforwardsuspiciouslybetweenJuliusandAnne。“Whatdoesshegooutforathistime？“hesaid。“HassheleftthehousetoavoidMe？“
Juliusthoughtthisthelikelyexplanation。Geoffreywentdownsulkilytothegatetolockit，andreturnedtothem，withthekeyinhispocket。
“I’mobligedtobecarefulofthegate，“hesaid。“Theneighborhoodswarmswithbeggarsandtramps。Ifyouwanttogoout，“headded，turningpointedlytoAnne，“I’matyourservice，asagoodhusbandoughttobe。“
AfterahurriedbreakfastJuliustookhisdeparture。“Idon’tacceptyourrefusal，“hesaidtohisbrother，beforeAnne。“Youwillseemehereagain。“Geoffreyobstinatelyrepeatedtherefusal。“Ifyoucomehereeverydayofyourlife，“hesaid，“itwillbejustthesame。“
ThegateclosedonJulius。Annereturnedagaintothesolitudeofherownchamber。Geoffreyenteredthedrawing-room，placedthevolumesoftheNewgateCalendaronthetablebeforehim，andresumedthereadingwhichhehadbeenunabletocontinueontheeveningbefore。
Hourafterhourhedoggedlyploddedthroughonecaseofmurderafteranother。Hehadreadonegoodhalfofthehorridchronicleofcrimebeforehispoweroffixinghisattentionbegantofailhim。Thenhelithispipe，andwentouttothinkoveritinthegarden。Howevertheatrocitiesofwhichhehadbeenreadingmightdifferinotherrespects，therewasoneterriblepointofresemblance，whichhehadnotanticipated，andinwhicheveryoneofthecasesagreed。Soonerorlater，therewasthedeadbodyalwayscertaintobefound；alwaysbearingitsdumbwitness，inthetracesofpoisonorinthemarksofviolence，tothecrimecommittedonit。
Hewalkedtoandfroslowly，stillponderingovertheproblemwhichhadfirstfounditswayintohismindwhenhehadstoppedinthefrontgardenandhadlookedupatAnne’swindowinthedark。“How？“Thathadbeentheonequestionbeforehim，fromthetimewhenthelawyerhadannihilatedhishopesofadivorce。Itremainedtheonequestionstill。Therewasnoanswertoitinhisownbrain；therewasnoanswertoitinthebookwhichhehadbeenconsulting。Everythingwasinhisfavorifhecouldonlyfindout“how。“Hehadgothishatedwifeupstairsathismercy——thankstohisrefusalofthemoneywhichJuliushadofferedtohim。Hewaslivinginaplaceabsolutelysecludedfrompublicobservationonallsidesofit——thankstohisresolutiontoremainatthecottage，evenafterhislandladyhadinsultedhimbysendinghimanoticetoquit。Everythinghadbeenprepared，everythinghadbeensacrificed，tothefulfillmentofonepurpose——andhowtoattainthatpurposewasstillthesameimpenetrablemysterytohimwhichithadbeenfromthefirst!
Whatwastheotheralternative？ToaccepttheproposalwhichJuliushadmade。Inotherwords，togiveuphisvengeanceonAnne，andtoturnhisbackonthesplendidfuturewhichMrs。
Glenarm’sdevotionstillofferedtohim。