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。
“MYConfession：Tobeputintomycoffin；andtobeburiedwithmewhenIdie。
“ThisisthehistoryofwhatIdidinthetimeofmymarriedlife。Here——knowntonoothermortalcreature，confessedtomyCreatoralone——isthetruth。
“AtthegreatdayoftheResurrection，weshallallriseagaininourbodiesaswehavelived。WhenIamcalledbeforetheJudgmentSeatIshallhavethisinmyhand。
“Oh，justandmercifulJudge，ThouknowestwhatIhavesuffered。
MytrustisinThee。
“Iamtheeldestofalargefamily，bornofpiousparents。WebelongedtothecongregationofthePrimitiveMethodists。
“Mysisterswereallmarriedbeforeme。Iremainedforsomeyearstheonlyoneathome。Atthelatterpartofthetimemymother’shealthfailed；andImanagedthehouseinherplace。Ourspiritualpastor，goodMr。Bapchild，usedoftentodinewithus，onSundays，betweentheservices。Heapprovedofmymanagementofthehouse，and，inparticular，ofmycooking。Thiswasnotpleasanttomymother，whofeltajealousyofmybeing，asitwere，setoverherinherplace。Myunhappinessathomebeganinthisway。Mymother’stempergotworseasherhealthgotworse。
Myfatherwasmuchawayfromus，travelingforhisbusiness。I
hadtobearitall。AboutthistimeIbegantothinkitwouldbewellformeifIcouldmarryasmysistershaddone；andhavegoodMr。Bapchildtodinner，betweentheservices，inahouseofmyown。
“InthisframeofmindImadeacquaintancewithayoungmanwhoattendedserviceatourchapel。
“HisnamewasJoelDethridge。Hehadabeautifulvoice。Whenwesanghymns，hesangoffthesamebookwithme。Bytradehewasapaper-hanger。Wehadmuchserioustalktogether。IwalkedwithhimonSundays。HewasagoodtenyearsyoungerthanIwas；and，beingonlyajourneyman，hisworldlystationwasbelowmine。Mymotherfoundoutthelikingthathadgrownupbetweenus。Shetoldmyfatherthenexttimehewasathome。Alsomymarriedsistersandmybrothers。TheyalljoinedtogethertostopthingsfromgoingfurtherbetweenmeandJoelDethridge。Ihadahardtimeofit。Mr。Bapchildexpressedhimselfasfeelingmuchgrievedattheturnthingsweretaking。Heintroducedmeintoasermon——notbyname，butIknewwhoitwasmeantfor。PerhapsI
mighthavegivenwayiftheyhadnotdoneonething。Theymadeinquiriesofmyyoungman’senemies，andbroughtwickedstoriesofhimtomebehindhisback。This，afterwehadsungoffthesamehymn-book，andwalkedtogether，andagreedonewiththeotheronreligioussubjects，wastoomuchtobear。Iwasofagetojudgeformyself。AndImarriedJoelDethridge。
“Myrelationsallturnedtheirbacksonme。Notoneofthemwaspresentatmymarriage；mybrotherReuben，inparticular，wholedtherest，sayingthattheyhaddonewithmefromthattimeforth。
Mr。Bapchildwasmuchmoved；shedtears，andsaidhewouldprayforme。
“IwasmarriedinLondonbyapastorwhowasastranger；andwesettledinLondonwithfairprospects。Ihadalittlefortuneofmyown——myshareofsomemoneylefttousgirlsbyourauntHester，whomIwasnamedafter。Itwasthreehundredpounds。
NearlyonehundredofthisIspentinbuyingfurnituretofitupthelittlehousewetooktolivein。TherestIgavetomyhusbandtoputintothebankagainstthetimewhenhewantedittosetupinbusinessforhimself。
“Forthreemonths，moreorless，wegotonnicely——exceptinoneparticular。Myhusbandneverstirredinthematterofstartinginbusinessforhimself。