“Ifaman’sownconsciencejustifieshim，Mr。Delamayn，“saidSirPatrick，“theopinionsofothersareofverylittleimportance。
Myerrandhereisperformed。“
AsheturnedtobidAnnefarewell，theuneasinessthathefeltatleavingherforceditswaytoview。Thecolorfadedoutofhisface。Hishandtrembledasitclosedtenderlyandfirmlyonhers。
“Ishallseeyouto-morrow，atHolchesterHouse，“hesaid；givinghisarmwhilehespoketoBlanche。HetookleaveofGeoffrey，withoutlookingathimagain，andwithoutseeinghisofferedhand。Inanotherminutetheyweregone。
AnnewaitedonthelowerfloorofthecottagewhileGeoffreyclosedandlockedthegate。Shehadnowishtoappeartoavoidhim，aftertheanswerthathehadsenttohismother’smessage。
Hereturnedslowlyhalf-wayacrossthefrontgarden，lookedtowardthepassageinwhichshewasstanding，passedbeforethedoor，anddisappearedroundthecornerofthecottageonhiswaytothebackgarden。Theinferencewasnottobemistaken。ItwasGeoffreywhowasavoiding_her。_HadheliedtoSirPatrick？WhenthenextdaycamewouldhefindreasonsofhisownforrefusingtotakehertoHolchesterHouse？
Shewentupstairs。AtthesamemomentHesterDethridgeopenedherbedroomdoortocomeout。ObservingAnne，shecloseditagainandremainedinvisibleinherroom。Oncemoretheinferencewasnottobemistaken。HesterDethridge，also，hadherreasonsforavoidingAnne。
Whatdiditmean？WhatobjectcouldtherebeincommonbetweenHesterandGeoffrey？
Therewasnofathomingthemeaningofit。Anne’sthoughtsrevertedtothecommunicationwhichhadbeensecretlymadetoherbyBlanche。ItwasnotinwomanhoodtobeinsensibletosuchdevotionasSirPatrick’sconductimplied。Terribleasherpositionhadbecomeinitsever-growinguncertainty，initsnever-endingsuspense，theoppressionofityieldedforthemomenttotheglowofprideandgratitudewhichwarmedherheart，asshethoughtofthesacrificesthathadbeenmade，oftheperilsthatwerestilltobeencountered，solelyforhersake。ToshortentheperiodofsuspenseseemedtobeadutywhichsheowedtoSirPatrick，aswellastoherself。Why，inhersituation，waitforwhatthenextdaymightbringforth？Iftheopportunityoffered，shedeterminedtoputthesignalinthewindowthatnight。
Towardeveningsheheardoncemorethenoiseswhichappearedtoindicatethatrepairsofsomesortweregoingoninthehouse。
Thistimethesoundswerefainter；andtheycame，asshefancied，notfromthespareroom，asbefore，butfromGeoffrey’sroom，nexttoit。
Thedinnerwaslaterthanusualthatday。HesterDethridgedidnotappearwiththetraytilldusk。Annespoketoher，andreceivedamutesigninanswer。Determinedtoseethewoman’sfaceplainly，sheputaquestionwhichrequiredawrittenanswerontheslate；and，tellingHestertowait，wenttothemantle-piecetolighthercandle。Whensheturnedroundwiththelightedcandleinherhand，Hesterwasgone。
Nightcame。Sherangherbelltohavethetraytakenaway。Thefallofastrangefootstepstartledheroutsideherdoor。Shecalledout，“Who’sthere？“ThevoiceoftheladwhomGeoffreyemployedtogoonerrandsforhimansweredher。
“Whatdoyouwanthere？“sheasked，throughthedoor。
“Mr。Delamaynsentmeup，ma’am。Hewishestospeaktoyoudirectly。“
AnnefoundGeoffreyinthedining-room。Hisobjectinwishingtospeaktoherwas，onthesurfaceofit，trivialenough。HewantedtoknowhowshewouldprefergoingtoHolchesterHouseonthenextday——bytherailway，orinacarriage。“Ifyoupreferdriving，“hesaid，“theboyhascomeherefororders，andhecantellthemtosendacarriagefromthelivery-stables，ashegoeshome。“
“Therailwaywilldoperfectlywellforme，“Annereplied。
Insteadofacceptingtheanswer，anddroppingthesubject，heaskedhertoreconsiderherdecision。Therewasanabsent，uneasyexpressioninhiseyeashebeggedhernottoconsulteconomyattheexpenseofherowncomfort。Heappearedtohavesomereasonofhisownforpreventingherfromleavingtheroom。“Sitdownaminute，andthinkbeforeyoudecide，“hesaid。Havingforcedhertotakeachair，heputhisheadoutsidethedooranddirectedtheladtogoupstairs，andseeifhehadlefthispipeinhisbedroom。“Iwantyoutogoincomfort，asaladyshould，“herepeated，withtheuneasylookmoremarkedthanever。BeforeAnnecouldreply，thelad’svoicereachedthemfromthebedroomfloor，raisedinshrillalarm，andscreaming“Fire!“
Geoffreyranupstairs。Annefollowedhim。Theladmetthematthetopofthestairs。HepointedtotheopendoorofAnne’sroom。Shewasabsolutelycertainofhavingleftherlightedcandle，whenshewentdowntoGeoffrey，atasafedistancefromthebed-curtains。Thebed-curtains，nevertheless，wereinablazeoffire。
Therewasasupplyofwatertothecottage，ontheupperfloor。
Thebedroomjugsandcansusuallyintheirplacesatanearlierhour，werestandingthatnightatthecistern。Anemptypailwasleftnearthem。Directingtheladtobringhimwaterfromtheseresources，Geoffreytoredownthecurtainsinaflamingheap，partlyonthebedandpartlyonthesofanearit。Usingthecanandthepailalternately，astheboybroughtthem，hedrenchedthebedandthesofa。Itwasalloverinlittlemorethanaminute。Thecottagewassaved。Butthebed-furniturewasdestroyed；andtheroom，asamatterofcourse，wasrendereduninhabitable，forthatnightatleast，andprobablyformorenightstocome。
Geoffreysetdowntheemptypail；and，turningtoAnne，pointedacrossthepassage。
“Youwon’tbemuchinconveniencedbythis，“hesaid。“Youhaveonlytoshiftyourquarterstothespareroom。“
Withtheassistanceofthelad，hemovedAnne’sboxes，andthechestofdrawers，whichhadescapeddamage，intotheoppositeroom。Thisdone，hecautionedhertobecarefulwithhercandlesforthefuture——andwentdownstairs，withoutwaitingtohearwhatshesaidinreply。Theladfollowedhim，andwasdismissedforthenight。
Evenintheconfusionwhichattendedtheextinguishingofthefire，theconductofHesterDethridgehadbeenremarkableenoughtoforceitselfontheattentionofAnne。
Shehadcomeoutfromherbedroom，whenthealarmwasgiven；hadlookedattheflamingcurtains；andhaddrawnback，stolidlysubmissive，intoacornertowaittheevent。Thereshehadstood——toallappearance，utterlyindifferenttothepossibledestructionofherowncottage。Thefireextinguished，shestillwaitedimpenetrablyinhercorner，whilethechestofdrawersandtheboxeswerebeingmoved——thenlockedthedoor，withoutevenapassingglanceatthescorchedceilingandtheburnedbed-furniture——putthekeyintoherpocket——andwentbacktoherroom。
AnnehadhithertonotsharedtheconvictionfeltbymostotherpersonswhowerebroughtintocontactwithHesterDethridge，thatthewoman’smindwasderanged。Afterwhatshehadjustseen，however，thegeneralimpressionbecameherimpressiontoo。ShehadthoughtofputtingcertainquestionstoHester，whentheywerelefttogether，astotheoriginofthefire。Reflectiondecidedheronsayingnothing，forthatnightatleast。Shecrossedthepassage，andenteredthespareroom——theroomwhichshehaddeclinedtooccupyonherarrivalatthecottage，andwhichshewasobligedtosleepinnow。
Shewasinstantlystruckbyachangeinthedispositionofthefurnitureoftheroom。
Thebedhadbeenmoved。Thehead——set，whenshehadlastseenit，againstthesidewallofthecottage——wasplacednowagainstthepartitionwallwhichseparatedtheroomfromGeoffrey’sroom。
Thisnewarrangementhadevidentlybeeneffectedwithasettledpurposeofsomesort。Thehookintheceilingwhichsupportedthecurtainsthebed，unlikethebedintheotherroom，havingnocanopyattachedtoithadbeenmovedsoastoadaptitselftothechangethathadbeenmade。Thechairsandthewashhand-stand，formerlyplacedagainstthepartitionwall，werenow，asamatterofnecessity，shiftedovertothevacantspaceagainstthesidewallofthecottage。Fortherest，nootheralterationwasvisibleinanypartoftheroom。
InAnne’ssituation，anyeventnotimmediatelyintelligibleonthefaceofit，wasaneventtobedistrusted。Wasthereamotiveforthechangeinthepositionofthebed？Andwasit，byanychance，amotiveinwhichshewasconcerned？
Thedoubthadbarelyoccurredtoher，beforeastartlingsuspicionsucceededit。Wastheresomesecretpurposetobeansweredbymakinghersleepinthespareroom？DidthequestionwhichtheservanthadheardGeoffreyputtoHester，onthepreviousnight，refertothis？Hadthefirewhichhadsounaccountablycaughtthecurtainsinherownroom，been，byanypossibility，afirepurposelykindled，toforceherout？
Shedroppedintothenearestchair，faintwithhorror，asthosethreequestionsforcedthemselvesinrapidsuccessiononhermind。
Afterwaitingalittle，sherecoveredself-possessionenoughtorecognizethefirstplainnecessityofputtinghersuspicionstothetest。Itwaspossiblethatherexcitedfancyhadfilledherwithapurelyvisionaryalarm。Forallsheknewtothecontrary，theremightbesomeundeniablysufficientreasonforchangingthepositionofthebed。Shewentout，andknockedatthedoorofHesterDethridge’sroom。
“Iwanttospeaktoyou，“shesaid。
Hestercameout。Annepointedtothespareroom，andledthewaytoit。Hesterfollowedher。
“Whyhaveyouchangedtheplaceofthebed，“sheasked，“fromthewallthere，tothewallhere？“
Stolidlysubmissivetothequestion，asshehadbeenstolidlysubmissivetothefire，HesterDethridgewroteherreply。Onallotheroccasionsshewasaccustomedtolookthepersonstowhomsheofferedherslatesteadilyintheface。Now，forthefirsttime，shehandedittoAnnewithhereyesonthefloor。Theonelinewrittencontainednodirectanswer：thewordswerethese：
“Ihavemeanttomoveit，forsometimepast。“