Shewasstandingmotionlessinthemiddleoftheroom——notlikealivingwoman——likeamachinewaitingtobesetinmovement。
Findingituselesstospeaktoher，hetouchedherwithastrangesensationofshrinkinginhimashedidit，andpointedtothepartitionwall。
Thetouchrousedher。Withslowstepandvacantface——movingasifshewaswalkinginhersleep——sheledthewaytothepaperedwall；kneltdownattheskirting-board；and，takingouttwosmallsharpnails，liftedupalongstripofthepaperwhichhadbeendetachedfromtheplasterbeneath。Mountingonachair，sheturnedbackthestripandpinneditup，outoftheway，usingthetwonails，whichshehadkeptreadyinherhand。
Bythelastdimraysoftwilight，Geoffreylookedatthewall。
Ahollowspacemethisview。Atadistanceofsomethreefeetfromthefloor，thelathshadbeensawnaway，andtheplasterhadbeenrippedout，piecemeal，soastoleaveacavity，sufficientinheightandwidthtoallowfreepowerofworkinginanydirection，toaman’sarms。Thecavitycompletelypiercedthesubstanceofthewall。Nothingbutthepaperontheothersidepreventedeyeorhandfrompenetratingintothenextroom。
HesterDethridgegotdownfromthechair，andmadesignsforalight。
Geoffreytookamatchfromthebox。Thesamestrangeuncertaintywhichhadalreadypossessedhisfeet，appearednowtopossesshishands。Hestruckthematchtooheavilyagainstthesandpaper，andbrokeit。Hetriedanother，andstruckittoolightlytokindletheflame。Hestertooktheboxoutofhishands。Havinglitthecandle，shehelditlow，andpointedtotheskirting-board。
Twolittlehookswerefixedintothefloor，nearthepartofthewallfromwhichthepaperhadbeenremoved。Twolengthsoffineandstrongstringweretwistedonceortwiceroundthehooks。Thelooseendsofthestringextendingtosomelengthbeyondthetwistedparts，wereneatlycoiledawayagainsttheskirting-board。Theotherends，drawntight，disappearedintwosmallholesdrilledthroughthewall，ataheightofafootfromthefloor。
Afterfirstuntwistingthestringsfromthehooks，Hesterrose，andheldthecandlesoastolightthecavityinthewall。Twomorepiecesofthefinestringwereseenhere，restinglooseupontheunevensurfacewhichmarkedthelowerboundaryofthehollowedspace。Liftingthesehigherstrings，Hesterliftedtheloosenedpaperinthenextroom——thelowerstrings，whichhadpreviouslyheldthestripfirmandflatagainstthesoundportionofthewall，workingintheirholes，andallowingthepapertomoveupfreely。Asitrosehigherandhigher，Geoffreysawthinstripsofcottonwoollightlyattached，atintervals，tothebackofthepaper，soaseffectuallytopreventitfrommakingagratingsoundagainstthewall。Upandupitcameslowly，tillitcouldbepulledthroughthehollowspace，andpinnedupoutoftheway，asthestrippreviouslyliftedhadbeenpinnedbeforeit。Hesterdrewback，andmadewayforGeoffreytolookthrough。
TherewasAnne’sroom，visiblethroughthewall!Hesoftlypartedthelightcurtainsthathangoverthebed。Therewasthepillow，onwhichherheadwouldrestatnight，withinreachofhishands!
Thedeadlydexterityofitstruckhimcold。Hisnervesgaveway。
Hedrewbackwithastartofguiltyfear，andlookedroundtheroom。Apocketflaskofbrandylayonthetableathisbedside。
Hesnatcheditup，andemptieditatadraught——andfeltlikehimselfagain。
HebeckonedtoHestertoapproachhim。
“Beforewegoanyfurther，“hesaid，“there’sonethingIwanttoknow。Howisitalltobeputrightagain？Supposethisroomisexamined？Thosestringswillshow。“
Hesteropenedacupboardandproducedajar。Shetookoutthecork。Therewasamixtureinsidewhichlookedlikeglue。Partlybysigns，andpartlybyhelpoftheslate，sheshowedhowthemixturecouldbeappliedtothebackoftheloosenedstripofpaperinthenextroom——howthepapercouldbegluedtothesoundlowerpartofthewallbytighteningthestrings——howthestrings，havingservedthatpurpose，couldbesafelyremoved——howthesameprocesscouldbefollowedinGeoffrey’sroom，afterthehollowedplacehadbeenfilledupagainwiththematerialswaitinginthescullery，orevenwithoutfillingupthehollowedplaceifthetimefailedfordoingit。Ineithercase，therefastenedpaperwouldhideeverything，andthewallwouldtellnotales。
Geoffreywassatisfied。Hepointednexttothetowelsinhisroom。
“Takeoneofthem，“hesaid，“andshowmehowyoudidit，withyourownhands。“
Ashesaidthewords，Anne’svoicereachedhisearfrombelow，callingfor“Mrs。Dethridge。“
Itwasimpossibletosaywhatmighthappennext。Inanotherminute，shemightgouptoherroom，anddiscovereverything。
Geoffreypointedtothewall。
“Putitrightagain，“hesaid。“Instantly!“
Itwassoondone。Allthatwasnecessarywastoletthetwostripsofpaperdropbackintotheirplaces——tofastenthestriptothewallinAnne’sroom，bytighteningthetwolowerstrings——andthentoreplacethenailswhichheldtheloosestriponGeoffrey’sside。Inaminute，thewallhadreassumeditscustomaryaspect。
Theystoleout，andlookedoverthestairsintothepassagebelow。Aftercallinguselesslyforthesecondtime，Anneappeared，crossedovertothekitchen；and，returningagainwiththekettleinherhand，closedthedrawing-roomdoor。
HesterDethridgewaitedimpenetrablytoreceivehernextdirections。Therewerenofurtherdirectionstogive。Thehideousdramaticrepresentationofthewoman’scrimeforwhichGeoffreyhadaskedwasinnorespectnecessary：themeanswereallprepared，andthemannerofusingthemwasself-evident。Nothingbuttheopportunity，andtheresolutiontoprofitbyit，werewantingtoleadthewaytotheend。GeoffreysignedtoHestertogodownstairs。
“Getbackintothekitchen，“hesaid，“beforeshecomesoutagain。Ishallkeepinthegarden。Whenshegoesupintoherroomforthenight，showyourselfattheback-door——andIshallknow。“
Hestersetherfootonthefirststair——stopped——turnedround——andlookedslowlyalongthetwowallsofthepassage，fromendtoend——shuddered——shookherhead——andwentslowlyondownthestairs。
“Whatwereyoulookingfor？“hewhisperedafterher。
Sheneitheranswered，norlookedback——shewentherwayintothekitchen。
Hewaitedaminute，andthenfollowedher。
Onhiswayouttothegarden，hewentintothedining-room。Themoonhadrisen；andthewindow-shutterswerenotclosed。Itwaseasytofindthebrandyandthejugofwateronthetable。Hemixedthetwo，andemptiedthetumbleratadraught。“Myhead’squeer，“hewhisperedtohimself。Hepassedhishandkerchiefoverhisface。“Howinfernallyhotitisto-night!“Hemadeforthedoor。Itwasopen，andplainlyvisible——andyet，hefailedtofindhiswaytoit。Twice，hefoundhimselftryingtowalkthroughthewall，oneitherside。Thethirdtime，hegotout，andreachedthegarden。Astrangesensationpossessedhim，ashewalkedroundandround。Hehadnotdrunkenough，ornearlyenough，tointoxicatehim。Hismind，inadullway，feltthesameasusual；buthisbodywaslikethebodyofadrunkenman。
Thenightadvanced；theclockofPutneyChurchstruckten。
Anneappearedagainfromthedrawingroom，withherbedroomcandleinherhand。
“Putoutthelights，“shesaidtoHester，atthekitchendoor；“I
amgoingupstairs。“
Sheenteredherroom。Theinsupportablesenseofweariness，afterthesleeplessnightthatshehadpassed，weighedmoreheavilyonherthanever。Shelockedherdoor，butforbore，onthisoccasion，tofastenthebolts。Thedreadofdangerwasnolongerpresenttohermind；andtherewasthispositiveobjectiontolosingthebolts，thattheunfasteningofthemwouldincreasethedifficultyofleavingtheroomnoiselesslylaterinthenight。
Sheloosenedherdress，andliftedherhairfromhertemples——andpacedtoandfrointheroomwearily，thinking。Geoffrey’shabitswereirregular；Hesterseldomwenttobedearly。
Twohoursatleast——moreprobablythree——mustpass，beforeitwouldbesafetocommunicatewithSirPatrickbymeansofthesignalinthewindow。Herstrengthwasfastfailingher。Ifshepersisted，forthenextthreehours，indenyingherselfthereposewhichshesorelyneeded，thechanceswerethathernervesmightfailher，throughsheerexhaustion，whenthetimecameforfacingtheriskandmakingtheefforttoescape。Sleepwasfallingonherevennow——andsleepshemusthave。Shehadnofearoffailingtowakeattheneedfultime。Fallingasleep，withaspecialnecessityforrisingatagivenhourpresenttohermind，Annelikemostothersensitivelyorganizedpeoplecouldtrustherselftowakeatthatgivenhour，instinctively。Sheputherlightedcandleinasafeposition，andlaiddownonthebed。Inlessthanfiveminutes，shewasinadeepsleep。
Thechurchclockstruckthequartertoeleven。HesterDethridgeshowedherselfatthebackgardendoor。Geoffreycrossedthelawn，andjoinedher。Thelightofthelampinthepassagefellonhisface。Shestartedbackfromthesightofit。
“What’swrong？“heasked。
Sheshookherhead；andpointedthroughthedining-roomdoortothebrandy-bottleonthetable。
“I’massoberasyouare，youfool!“hesaid。“Whateverelseitis，it’snotthat。“
Hesterlookedathimagain。Hewasright。Howeverunsteadyhisgaitmightbe，hisspeechwasnotthespeech，hiseyeswerenottheeyes，ofadrunkenman。
“Issheinherroomforthenight？“
Hestermadetheaffirmativesign。
Geoffreyascendedthestairs，swayingfromsidetoside。Hestoppedatthetop，andbeckonedtoHestertojoinhim。Hewentonintohisroom；and，signingtohertofollowhim，closedthedoor。
Helookedatthepartitionwall——withoutapproachingit。Hesterwaited，behindhim“Issheasleep？“heasked。
Hesterwenttothewall；listenedatit；andmadetheaffirmativereply。
Hesatdown。“Myhead’squeer，“hesaid。“Givemeadrinkofwater。“Hedrankpartofthewater，andpouredtherestoverhishead。Hesterturnedtowardthedoortoleavehim。Heinstantlystoppedher。“_I_can’tunwindthestrings。_I_can’tliftupthepaper。Doit。“