Afterabriefintervalsheheardthedrawing-roomdooropen，andthevoicesofthemenoutside。ThereseemedtobesomedifficultyinpersuadingGeoffreytoascendthestairs；hepersistedindeclaringthatHesterDethridgewaswaitingforhimatthetopofthem。Afteralittletheypersuadedhimthatthewaywasfree。Anneheardthemascendthestairsandclosehisbedroomdoor。
　　Anotherandalongerintervalpassedbeforethedooropenedagain。Thedoctorwasgoingaway。HesaidhispartingwordstoJuliusinthepassage。“Lookinathimfromtimetotimethroughthenight，andgivehimanotherdoseofthesedativemixtureifhewakes。Thereisnothingtobealarmedaboutintherestlessnessandthefever。Theyareonlytheoutwardmanifestationsofsomeseriousmischiefhiddenunderthem。Sendforthemedicalmanwhohaslastattendedhim。Knowledgeofthepatient’sconstitutionisveryimportantknowledgeinthiscase。“
　　AsJuliusreturnedfromlettingthedoctorout，Annemethiminthehall。Shewasatoncestruckbythewornlookinhisface，andbythefatiguewhichexpresseditselfinallhismovements。
　　“Youwantrest，“shesaid。“Praygotoyourroom。Ihaveheardwhatthedoctorsaidtoyou。Leaveittothelandladyandtometositup。“
　　JuliusownedthathehadbeentravelingfromScotlandduringthepreviousnight。Buthewasunwillingtoabandontheresponsibilityofwatchinghisbrother。“Youarenotstrongenough，Iamsure，totakemyplace，“hesaid，kindly。“AndGeoffreyhassomeunreasoninghorrorofthelandladywhichmakesitveryundesirablethatheshouldseeheragain，inhispresentstate。Iwillgouptomyroom，andrestonthebed。Ifyouhearanythingyouhaveonlytocomeandcallme。“
　　Anhourmorepassed。
　　AnnewenttoGeoffrey’sdoorandlistened。Hewasstirringinhisbed，andmutteringtohimself。Shewentontothedoorofthenextroom，whichJuliushadleftpartlyopen。Fatiguehadoverpoweredhim；sheheard，within，thequietbreathingofamaninasoundsleep。Anneturnedbackagainresolvednottodisturbhim。
　　Attheheadofthestairsshehesitated——notknowingwhattodo。
　　HerhorrorofenteringGeoffrey’sroom，byherself，wasinsurmountable。Butwhoelsewastodoit？“Thegirlhadgonetobed。ThereasonwhichJuliushadgivenfornotemployingtheassistanceofHesterDethridgewasunanswerable。ShelistenedagainatGeoffrey’sdoor。Nosoundwasnowaudibleintheroomtoapersoninthepassageoutside。Woulditbewelltolookin，andmakesurethathehadonlyfallenasleepagain？Shehesitatedoncemore——shewasstillhesitating，whenHesterDethridgeappearedfromthekitchen。
　　ShejoinedAnneatthetopofthestairs——lookedather——andwrotealineonherslate：“Frightenedtogoin？LeaveittoMe。“
　　Thesilenceintheroomjustifiedtheinferencethathewasasleep。IfHesterlookedin，Hestercoulddonoharmnow。Anneacceptedtheproposal。
　　“Ifyoufindanythingwrong，“shesaid，“don’tdisturbhisbrother。Cometomefirst。“
　　Withthatcautionshewithdrew。Itwasthennearlytwointhemorning。She，likeJulius，wassinkingfromfatigue。Afterwaitingalittle，andhearingnothing，shethrewherselfonthesofainherroom。Ifanythinghappened，aknockatthedoorwouldrouseherinstantly。
　　InthemeanwhileHesterDethridgeopenedGeoffrey’sbedroomdoorandwentin。
　　ThemovementsandthemutteringswhichAnnehadheard，hadbeenmovementsandmutteringsinhissleep。Thedoctor’scomposingdraught，partiallydisturbedinitsoperationforthemomentonly，hadrecovereditssedativeinfluenceonhisbrain。Geoffreywasinadeepandquietsleep。
　　Hesterstoodnearthedoor，lookingathim。Shemovedtogooutagain——stopped——andfixedhereyessuddenlyononeoftheinnercornersoftheroom。
　　ThesamesinisterchangewhichhadpassedoverheroncealreadyinGeoffrey’spresence，whentheymetinthekitchen-gardenatWindygates，nowpassedoverheragain。Herclosedlipsdroppedapart。Hereyesslowlydilated——moved，inchbyinchfromthecorner，followingsomethingalongtheemptywall，inthedirectionofthebed——stoppedattheheadofthebed，exactlyaboveGeoffrey’ssleepingface——stared，rigidandglittering，asiftheysawasightofhorrorcloseoverit。Hesighedfaintlyinhissleep。Thesound，slightasitwas，brokethespellthatheldher。Sheslowlyliftedherwitheredhands，andwrungthemaboveherhead；fledbackacrossthepassage；and，rushingintoherroom，sankonherkneesatthebedside。
　　Now，inthedeadofnight，astrangethinghappened。Now，inthesilenceandthedarkness，ahideoussecretwasrevealed。
　　Inthesanctuaryofherownroom——withalltheotherinmatesofthehousesleepingroundher——thedumbwomanthrewoffthemysteriousandterribledisguiseunderwhichshedeliberatelyisolatedherselfamongherfellow-creaturesinthehoursoftheday。HesterDethridgespoke。Inlow，thick，smotheredaccents——inawildlitanyofherown——sheprayed。ShecalleduponthemercyofGodfordeliverancefromherself；fordeliverancefromthepossessionoftheDevil；forblindnesstofallonher，fordeathtostrikeher，sothatshemightneverseethatunnamedHorrormore!Sobsshookthewholeframeofthestonywomanwhomnothinghumanmovedatothertimes。Tearspouredoverthoseclay-coldcheeks。Onebyone，thefranticwordsofherprayerdiedawayonherlips。Fierceshudderingfitsshookherfromheadtofoot。Shestartedupfromherkneesinthedarkness。Light!light!light!
　　TheunnamedHorrorwasbehindherinhisroom。TheunnamedHorrorwaslookingatherthroughhisopendoor。Shefoundthematch-box，andlitthecandleonhertable——litthetwoothercandlessetforornamentonlyonthemantlepiece——andlookedallroundthebrightlylightedlittleroom。“Aha!“shesaidtoherself，wipingthecoldsweatofheragonyfromherface。
　　“Candlestootherpeople。God’slightto_me。_Nothingtobeseen!nothingtobeseen!“Takingoneofthecandlesinherhand，shecrossedthepassage，withherheaddown，turnedherbackonGeoffrey’sopendoor，closeditquicklyandsoftly，stretchingoutherhandbehindher，andretreatedagaintoherownroom。Shefastenedthedoor，andtookanink-bottleandapenfromthemantle-piece。Afterconsideringforamoment，shehungahandkerchiefoverthekeyhole，andlaidanoldshawllongwiseatthebottomofthedoor，soastohidethelightinherroomfromtheobservationofanyoneinthehousewhomightwakeandcomethatway。Thisdone，sheopenedtheupperpartofherdress，and，slippingherfingersintoasecretpockethiddenintheinnersideofherstays，producedfromitsomeneatlyfoldedleavesofthinpaper。Spreadoutonthetable，theleavesrevealedthemselves——allbutthelast——ascloselycoveredwithwriting，inherownhand。
　　Thefirstleafwasheadedbythisinscription：“MyConfession。Tobeputintomycoffin，andtobeburiedwithmewhenIdie。“
　　Sheturnedthemanuscriptover，soastogetatthelastpage。
　　Thegreaterpartofitwasleftblank。Afewlinesofwriting，atthetop，borethedateofthedayoftheweekandmonthonwhichLadyLundiehaddismissedherfromhersituationatWindygates。
　　Theentrywasexpressedintheseterms：
　　“IhaveseenITagainto-day。Thefirsttimefortwomonthspast。
　　Inthekitchen-garden。StandingbehindtheyounggentlemanwhosenameisDelamayn。ResisttheDevil，andhewillfleefromyou。I
　　haveresisted。Byprayer。Bymeditationinsolitude。Byreadinggoodbooks。Ihaveleftmyplace。Ihavelostsightoftheyounggentlemanforgood。WhowillITstandbehind？andpointtonext？
　　Lordhavemercyuponme!Christhavemercyuponme!“
　　Underthisshenowaddedthefollowinglines，firstcarefullyprefixingthedate：
　　“IhaveseenITagainto-night。Inoticeoneawfulchange。IThasappearedtwicebehindthesameperson。Thishasneverhappenedbefore。Thismakesthetemptationmoreterriblethanever。
　　To-night，inhisbedroom，betweenthebed-headandthewall，I
　　haveseenITbehindyoungMr。Delamaynagain。Theheadjustabovehisface，andthefingerpointingdownwardathisthroat。Twicebehindthisoneman。Andnevertwicebehindanyotherlivingcreaturetillnow。IfIseeITathirdtimebehindhim——Lorddeliverme!Christdeliverme!Idaren’tthinkofit。Heshallleavemycottageto-morrow。Iwouldfainhavedrawnbackfromthebargain，whenthestrangertookthelodgingsforhisfriend，andthefriendprovedtobeMr。Delamayn。Ididn’tlikeit，eventhen。Afterthewarningto-night，mymindismadeup。Heshallgo。Hemayhavehismoneyback，ifhelikes。Heshallgo。
　　Memorandum：Feltthetemptationwhisperingthistime，andtheterrortearingatmeallthewhile，asIhaveneverfeltthemyet。Resisted，asbefore，byprayer。Amnowgoingdownstairstomeditateagainstitinsolitude——tofortifymyselfagainstitbygoodbooks。Lordbemercifultomeasinner!“
　　Inthosewordssheclosedtheentry，andputthemanuscriptbackinthesecretpocketinherstays。
　　Shewentdowntothelittleroomlookingonthegarden，whichhadoncebeenherbrother’sstudy。Thereshelitalamp，andtooksomebooksfromashelfthathungagainstthewall。ThebooksweretheBible，avolumeofMethodistsermons，andasetofcollectedMemoirsofMethodistsaints。Rangingtheselastcarefullyroundher，inanorderofherown，HesterDethridgesatdownwiththeBibleonherlaptowatchoutthenight。
　　WHAThadhappenedinthehoursofdarkness？
　　ThiswasAnne’sfirstthought，whenthesunlightpouredinatherwindow，andwokeherthenextmorning。