“Therestofthishistoryiscountedinmymindbyfourdays——Wednesday，Thursday，Friday，Saturday。Afterthatitallfadesofflike，andthenewyearscomewithastrangelook，beingtheyearsofanewlife。
“Whatabouttheoldlifefirst？WhatdidIfeel，inthehorridquietofthemorning，whenIhaddoneit？
“Idon’tknowwhatIfelt。Ican’trememberit，orIcan’ttellit，Idon’tknowwhich。Icanwritethehistoryofthefourdays，andthat’sall。
“Wednesday——Igavethealarmtowardnoon。Hoursbefore，Ihadputthingsstraightandfittobeseen。Ihadonlytocallforhelp，andtoleavethepeopletodoastheypleased。Theneighborscamein，andthenthepolice。Theyknocked，uselessly，athisdoor。Thentheybrokeitopen，andfoundhimdeadinhisbed。
“Nottheghostofasuspicionofmeenteredthemindofanyone。
Therewasnofearofhumanjusticefindingmeout：myoneunutterabledreadwasdreadofanAvengingProvidence。
Ihadashortsleepthatnight，andadream，inwhichIdidthedeedoveragain。Foratimemymindwasbusywiththoughtsofconfessingtothepolice，andofgivingmyselfup。IfIhadnotbelongedtoarespectablefamily，Ishouldhavedoneit。Fromgenerationtogenerationtherehadbeennostainonourgoodname。Itwouldbedeathtomyfather，anddisgracetoallmyfamily，ifIownedwhatIhaddone，andsufferedforitonthepublicscaffold。Iprayedtobeguided；andIhadarevelation，towardmorning，ofwhattodo。
“Iwascommanded，inavision，toopentheBible，andvowonittosetmyguiltyselfapartamongmyinnocentfellow-creaturesfromthatdayforth；toliveamongthemaseparateandsilentlife，todedicatetheuseofmyspeechtothelanguageofprayeronly，offeredupinthesolitudeofmyownchamberwhennohumanearcouldhearme。Alone，inthemorning，Isawthevision，andvowedthevow。Nohumanear_has_heardmefromthattime。Nohumanear_will_hearme，tothedayofmydeath。
“Thursday——Thepeoplecametospeaktome，asusual。Theyfoundmedumb。
“Whathadhappenedtomeinthepast，whenmyheadhadbeenhurt，andmyspeechaffectedbyit，gavealikelierlooktomydumbnessthanitmighthaveborneinthecaseofanotherperson。Theytookmebackagaintothehospital。Thedoctorsweredividedinopinion。Somesaidtheshockofwhathadtakenplaceinthehouse，comingonthebackoftheothershock，might，foralltheyknew，havedonethemischief。Andotherssaid，’Shegotherspeechagainaftertheaccident；therehasbeennonewinjurysincethattime；thewomanisshammingdumb，forsomepurposeofherown。’Iletthemdisputeitastheyliked。Allhumantalkwasnothingnowtome。Ihadsetmyselfapartamongmyfellow-creatures；Ihadbegunmyseparateandsilentlife。
“Throughallthistimethesenseofacomingpunishmenthangingovermeneverleftmymind。Ihadnothingtodreadfromhumanjustice。ThejudgmentofanAvengingProvidence——therewaswhatI
waswaitingfor。
“Friday——Theyheldtheinquest。Hehadbeenknownforyearspastasaninveteratedrunkard，hehadbeenseenovernightgoinghomeinliquor；hehadbeenfoundlockedupinhisroom，withthekeyinsidethedoor，andthelatchofthewindowboltedalso。Nofire-placewasinthisgarret；nothingwasdisturbedoraltered：
nobodybyhumanpossibilitycouldhavegotin。Thedoctorreportedthathehaddiedofcongestionofthelungs；andthejurygavetheirverdictaccordingly。
“Saturday——Markedforeverinmycalendarasthememorabledayonwhichthejudgmentdescendedonme。Towardthreeo’clockintheafternoon——inthebroadsunlight，underthecloudlesssky，withhundredsofinnocenthumancreaturesallaroundme——I，HesterDethridge，saw，forthefirsttime，theAppearancewhichisappointedtohauntmefortherestofmylife。
“Ihadhadaterriblenight。MymindfeltmuchasithadfeltontheeveningwhenIhadgonetotheplay。Iwentouttoseewhattheairandthesunshineandthecoolgreenoftreesandgrasswoulddoforme。ThenearestplaceinwhichIcouldfindwhatI
wantedwastheRegent’sPark。Iwentintooneofthequietwalksinthemiddleofthepark，wherethehorsesandcarriagesarenotallowedtogo，andwhereoldpeoplecansunthemselves，andchildrenplay，withoutdanger。
“Isatmedowntorestonabench。Amongthechildrennearmewasabeautifullittleboy，playingwithabrand-newtoy——ahorseandwagon。WhileIwaswatchinghimbusilypluckingupthebladesofgrassandloadinghiswagonwiththem，Ifeltforthefirsttime——whatIhaveoftenandoftenfeltsince——acreepingchillcomeslowlyovermyflesh，andthenasuspicionofsomethinghiddennearme，whichwouldstealoutandshowitselfifIlookedthatway。
“Therewasabigtreehardby。Ilookedtowardthetree，andwaitedtoseethesomethinghiddenappearfrombehindit。
“TheThingstoleout，darkandshadowyinthepleasantsunlight。
AtfirstIsawonlythedimfigureofawoman。Afteralittleitbegantogetplainer，brighteningfromwithinoutward——brightening，brightening，brightening，tillitsetbeforemethevisionofMYOWNSELF，repeatedasifIwasstandingbeforeaglass——thedoubleofmyself，lookingatmewithmyowneyes。Isawitmoveoverthegrass。Isawitstopbehindthebeautifullittleboy。Isawitstandandlisten，asIhadstoodandlistenedatthedawnofmorning，forthechimingofthebellbeforetheclockstruckthehour。Whenitheardthestrokeitpointeddowntotheboywithmyownhand；anditsaidtome，withmyownvoice，’Killhim。’
“Atimepassed。Idon’tknowwhetheritwasaminuteoranhour。
Theheavensandtheearthdisappearedfrombeforeme。Isawnothingbutthedoubleofmyself，withthepointinghand。Ifeltnothingbutthelongingtokilltheboy。
“Then，asitseemed，theheavensandtheearthrushedbackuponme。Isawthepeoplenearstaringinsurpriseatme，andwonderingifIwasinmyrightmind。
“Igot，bymainforce，tomyfeet；Ilooked，bymainforce，awayfromthebeautifulboy；Iescaped，bymainforce，fromthesightoftheThing，backintothestreets。Icanonlydescribetheoverpoweringstrengthofthetemptationthattriedmeinoneway。
Itwasliketearingthelifeoutofmetotearmyselffromkillingtheboy。Andwhatitwasonthisoccasionithasbeeneversince。Noremedyagainstitbutinthattorturingeffort，andnoquenchingtheafter-agonybutbysolitudeandprayer。
“Thesenseofacomingpunishmenthadhungoverme。Andthepunishmenthadcome。IhadwaitedforthejudgmentofanAvengingProvidence。Andthejudgmentwaspronounced。WithpiousDavidI
couldnowsay，Thyfiercewrathgoethoverme；thyterrorshavecutmeoff。“
Arrivedatthatpointinthenarrative，Geoffreylookedupfromthemanuscriptforthefirsttime。Somesoundoutsidetheroomhaddisturbedhim。Wasitasoundinthepassage？
Helistened。Therewasanintervalofsilence。HelookedbackagainattheConfession，turningoverthelastleavestocounthowmuchwasleftofitbeforeitcametoanend。
Afterrelatingthecircumstancesunderwhichthewriterhadreturnedtodomesticservice，thenarrativewasresumednomore。
Itsfewremainingpageswereoccupiedbyafragmentaryjournal。
ThebriefentriesreferredtothevariousoccasionsonwhichHesterDethridgehadagainandagainseentheterribleapparitionofherself，andhadagainandagainresistedthehomicidalfrenzyrousedinherbythehideouscreationofherowndistemperedbrain。Intheeffortwhichthatresistancecostherlaythesecretofherobstinatedeterminationtoinsistonbeingfreedfromherworkatcertaintimes，andtomakeitaconditionwithanymistresswhoemployedherthatsheshouldbeprivilegedtosleepinaroomofherownatnight。Havingcountedthepagesthusfilled，Geoffreyturnedbacktotheplaceatwhichhehadleftoff，toreadthemanuscriptthroughtotheend。
Ashiseyesrestedonthefirstlinethenoiseinthepassage——intermittedforamomentonly——disturbedhimagain。
Thistimetherewasnodoubtofwhatthesoundimplied。Heheardherhurriedfootsteps；heheardherdreadfulcry。HesterDethridgehadwokeinherchairinthepallor，andhaddiscoveredthattheConfessionwasnolongerinherownhands。
Heputthemanuscriptintothebreast-pocketofhiscoat。On_this_occasionhisreadinghadbeenofsomeusetohim。Needlesstogoonfurtherwithit。NeedlesstoreturntotheNewgateCalendar。Theproblemwassolved。
Asherosetohisfeethisheavyfacebrightenedslowlywithaterriblesmile。Whilethewoman’sConfessionwasinhispocketthewomanherselfwasinhispower。“Ifshewantsitback，“hesaid，“shemustgetitonmyterms。“Withthatresolution，heopenedthedoor，andmetHesterDethridge，facetoface，inthepassage。