Never!Hewouldgobacktothebooks。Hewasnotattheendofthem。Theslightesthintinthepageswhichwerestilltobereadmightsethissluggishbrainworkingintherightdirection。Thewaytoberidofher，withoutexcitingthesuspicionofanylivingcreature，inthehouseoroutofit，wasawaythatmightbefoundyet。
Couldaman，inhispositionoflife，reasoninthisbrutalmanner？couldheactinthismercilessway？Surelythethoughtofwhathewasabouttodomusthavetroubledhimthistime!
Pauseforamoment——andlookbackathiminthepast。
DidhefeelanyremorsewhenhewasplottingthebetrayalofArnoldinthegardenatWindygates？Thesensewhichfeelsremorsehadnotbeenputintohim。Whatheisnowisthelegitimateconsequenceofwhathewasthen。Afarmoreserioustemptationisnowurginghimtocommitafarmoreseriouscrime。Howishetoresist？WillhisskillinrowingasSirPatrickonceputit，hisswiftnessinrunning，hisadmirablecapacityandenduranceinotherphysicalexercises，helphimtowinapurelymoralvictoryoverhisownselfishnessandhisowncruelty？No!Themoralandmentalneglectofhimself，whichthematerialtoneofpublicfeelingabouthimhastacitlyencouraged，haslefthimatthemercyoftheworstinstinctsinhisnature——ofallthatismostvileandofallthatismostdangerousinthecompositionofthenaturalman。Withthemassofhisfellows，noharmoutofthecommonhascomeofthis，becausenotemptationoutofthecommonhaspassedtheirway。Butwith_him，_thecaseisreversed。A
temptationoutofthecommonhaspassed_his_way。Howdoesitfindhimpreparedtomeetit？Itfindshim，literallyandexactly，whathistraininghaslefthim，inthepresenceofanytemptationsmallorgreat——adefenselessman。
Geoffreyreturnedtothecottage。Theservantstoppedhiminthepassage，toaskatwhattimehewishedtodine。Insteadofanswering，heinquiredangrilyforMrs。Dethridge。Mrs。Dethridgenotcomeback。
Itwasnowlateintheafternoon，andshehadbeenoutsincetheearlymorning。Thishadneverhappenedbefore。Vaguesuspicionsofher，onemoremonstrousthananother，begantoriseinGeoffrey’smind。Betweenthedrinkandthefever，hehadbeenasJuliushadtoldhimwanderinginhismindduringapartofthenight。Hadheletanythingoutinthatcondition？HadHesterheardit？Andwasit，byanychance，atthebottomofherlongabsenceandhernoticetoquit？Hedetermined——withoutlettingherseethathesuspectedher——toclearupthatdoubtassoonashislandladyreturnedtothehouse。
Theeveningcame。Itwaspastnineo’clockbeforetherewasaringatthebell。Theservantcametoaskforthekey。Geoffreyrosetogotothegatehimself——andchangedhismindbeforehelefttheroom。_Her_suspicionsmightberousedsupposingittobeHesterwhowaswaitingforadmissionifheopenedthegatetoherwhentheservantwastheretodoit。Hegavethegirlthekey，andkeptoutofsight。
“Deadtired!“——theservantsaidtoherself，seeinghermistressbythelightofthelampoverthegate。
“Deadtired!“——Geoffreysaidtohimself，observingHestersuspiciouslyasshepassedhiminthepassageonherwayupstairstotakeoffherbonnetinherownroom。
“Deadtired!“——Annesaidtoherself，meetingHesterontheupperfloor，andreceivingfromheraletterinBlanche’shandwriting，deliveredtothemistressofthecottagebythepostman，whohadmetheratherowngate。
HavinggiventhelettertoAnne，HesterDethridgewithdrewtoherbedroom。
Geoffreyclosedthedoorofthedrawing-room，inwhichthecandleswereburning，andwentintothedining-room，inwhichtherewasnolight。Leavingthedoorajar，hewaitedtointercepthislandladyonherwaybacktohersupperinthekitchen。
Hesterwearilysecuredherdoor，wearilylitthecandles，wearilyputthepenandinkonthetable。Forsomeminutesafterthisshewascompelledtositdown，andrallyherstrengthandfetchherbreath。Afteralittleshewasabletoremoveherupperclothing。
Thisdoneshetookthemanuscriptinscribed，“MyConfession，“outofthesecretpocketofherstays——turnedtothelastleafasbefore——andwroteanotherentry，undertheentrymadeonthepreviousnight。
“ThismorningIgavehimnoticetoquit，andofferedhimhismoneybackifhewantedit。Herefusestogo。Heshallgoto-morrow，orIwillburntheplaceoverhishead。Allthroughto-dayIhaveavoidedhimbykeepingoutofthehouse。Noresttoeasemymind，andnosleeptoclosemyeyes。Ihumblybearmycrossaslongasmystrengthwillletme。“
Atthosewordsthependroppedfromherfingers。Herheadnoddedonherbreast。Sherousedherselfwithastart。Sleepwastheenemyshedreaded：sleepbroughtdreams。
Sheunfastenedthewindow-shuttersandlookedoutatthenight。
Thepeacefulmoonlightwasshiningoverthegarden。Thecleardepthsofthenightskyweresoothingandbeautifultolookat。
What!Fadingalready？clouds？darkness？No!Nearlyasleeponcemore。Sherousedherselfagain，withastart。Therewasthemoonlight，andtherewasthegardenasbrightunderitasever。
Dreamsornodreams，itwasuselesstofightlongeragainstthewearinessthatoverpoweredher。Sheclosedtheshutters，andwentbacktothebed；andputherConfessioninitscustomaryplaceatnight，underherpillow。
Shelookedroundtheroom——andshuddered。Everycornerofitwasfilledwiththeterriblememoriesofthepastnight。ShemightwakefromthetortureofthedreamstofindtheterroroftheApparitionwatchingatherbedside。Wastherenoremedy？noblessedsafeguardunderwhichshemighttranquillyresignherselftosleep？Athoughtcrossedhermind。Thegoodbook——theBible。
IfshesleptwiththeBibleunderherpillow，therewashopeinthegoodbook——thehopeofsleepinginpeace。
Itwasnotworthwhiletoputonthegownandthestayswhichshehadtakenoff。Hershawlwouldcoverher。Itwasequallyneedlesstotakethecandle。Thelowershutterswouldnotbeclosedatthathour；andiftheywere，shecouldlayherhandontheBible，initsplaceontheparlorbook-shelf，inthedark。
SheremovedtheConfessionfromunderthepillow。Notevenforaminutecouldsheprevailonherselftoleaveitinoneroomwhileshewasawayfromitinanother。Withthemanuscriptfoldedup，andhiddeninherhand，sheslowlydescendedthestairsagain。
Herkneestrembledunderher。Shewasobligedtoholdbythebanister，withthehandthatwasfree。
Geoffreyobservedherfromthedining-room，onherwaydownthestairs。Hewaitedtoseewhatshedid，beforeheshowedhimself，andspoketoher。Insteadofgoingonintothekitchen，shestoppedshort，andenteredtheparlor。Anothersuspiciouscircumstance!Whatdidshewantintheparlor，withoutacandle，atthattimeofnight？
Shewenttothebook-case——herdarkfigureplainlyvisibleinthemoonlightthatfloodedthelittleroom。Shestaggeredandputherhandtoherhead；giddy，toallappearance，fromextremefatigue。
Sherecoveredherself，andtookabookfromtheshelf。Sheleanedagainstthewallaftershehadpossessedherselfofthebook。Tooweary，asitseemed，togetupstairsagainwithoutalittlerest。Herarm-chairwasnearher。Betterrest，foramomentortwo，tobehadinthatthancouldbegotbyleaningagainstthewall。Shesatdownheavilyinthechair，withthebookonherlap。Oneofherarmshungoverthearmofthechair，withthehandclosed，apparentlyholdingsomething。
Herheadnoddedonherbreast——recovereditself——andsankgentlyonthecushionatthebackofthechair。Asleep？Fastasleep。
Inlessthanaminutethemusclesoftheclosedhandthathungoverthearmofthechairslowlyrelaxed。Somethingwhiteslippedoutofherhand，andlayinthemoonlightonthefloor。
Geoffreytookoffhisheavyshoes，andenteredtheroomnoiselesslyinhisstockings。Hepickedupthewhitethingonthefloor。Itprovedtobeacollectionofseveralsheetsofthinpaper，neatlyfoldedtogether，andcloselycoveredwithwriting。
Writing？Aslongasshewasawakeshehadkeptithiddeninherhand。Whyhideit？
Hadheletoutanythingtocompromisehimselfwhenhewaslight-headedwiththefeverthenightbefore？andhadshetakenitdowninwritingtoproduceagainsthim？Possessedbyguiltydistrust，eventhatmonstrousdoubtassumedalookofprobabilitytoGeoffrey’smind。Helefttheparlorasnoiselesslyashehadenteredit，andmadeforthecandle-lightinthedrawing-room，determinedtoexaminethemanuscriptinhishand。
Aftercarefullysmoothingoutthefoldedleavesonthetable，heturnedtothefirstpage，andreadtheselines。
WHAThadhappenedinthehoursofdarkness？
ThiswasAnne’sfirstthought，whenthesunlightpouredinatherwindow，andwokeherthenextmorning。
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。