Shemadeimmediateinquiryoftheservant。Thegirlcouldonlyspeakforherself。Nothinghadoccurredtodisturbheraftershehadgonetobed。Hermasterwasstill，shebelieved，inhisroom。
　　Mrs。Dethridgewasatherworkinthekitchen。
　　Annewenttothekitchen。HesterDethridgewasatherusualoccupationatthattime——preparingthebreakfast。TheslightsignsofanimationwhichAnnehadnoticedinherwhentheylastmetappearednomore。Thedulllookwasbackagaininherstonyeyes；thelifelesstorporpossessedallhermovements。Askedifanythinghadhappenedinthenight，sheslowlyshookherstolidhead，slowlymadethesignwithherhandwhichsignified，“Nothing。“
　　Leavingthekitchen，AnnesawJuliusinthefrontgarden。Shewentoutandjoinedhim。
　　“IbelieveIhavetothankyourconsiderationformeforsomehoursofrest，“hesaid。“ItwasfiveinthemorningwhenIwoke。
　　Ihopeyouhadnoreasontoregrethavingleftmetosleep？I
　　wentintoGeoffrey’sroom，andfoundhimstirring。Aseconddoseofthemixturecomposedhimagain。Thefeverhasgone。Helooksweakerandpaler，butinotherrespectslikehimself。Wewillreturndirectlytothequestionofhishealth。Ihavesomethingtosaytoyou，first，aboutachangewhichmaybecominginyourlifehere。“
　　“Hasheconsentedtotheseparation？“
　　“No。Heisasobstinateaboutitasever。Ihaveplacedthematterbeforehimineverypossiblelight。Hestillrefuses，positivelyrefuses，aprovisionwhichwouldmakehimanindependentmanforlife。“
　　“Isittheprovisionhemighthavehad，LordHolchester，if——？“
　　“IfhehadmarriedMrs。Glenarm？No。Itisimpossible，consistentlywithmydutytomymother，andwithwhatIowetothepositioninwhichmyfather’sdeathhasplacedme，thatIcanofferhimsuchafortuneasMrs。Glenarm’s。Still，itisahandsomeincomewhichheismadenoughtorefuse。Ishallpersistinpressingitonhim。Hemustandshalltakeit。“
　　Annefeltnorevivinghoperousedinherbyhislastwords。Sheturnedtoanothersubject。
　　“Youhadsomethingtotellme，“shesaid。“Youspokeofachange。“
　　“True。Thelandladyhereisaverystrangeperson；andshehasdoneaverystrangething。ShehasgivenGeoffreynoticetoquittheselodgings。“
　　“Noticetoquit？“Annerepeated，inamazement。
　　“Yes。Inaformalletter。Shehandedittomeopen，assoonasI
　　wasupthismorning。Itwasimpossibletogetanyexplanationfromher。Thepoordumbcreaturesimplywroteonherslate：’Hemayhavehismoneyback，ifhelikes：heshallgo!’Greatlytomysurpriseforthewomaninspireshimwiththestrongestaversion
　　Geoffreyrefusestogountilhistermisup。Ihavemadethepeacebetweenthemforto-day。Mrs。Dethridge。veryreluctantly，consentstogivehimfour-and-twentyhours。Andtherethematterrestsatpresent。“
　　“Whatcanhermotivebe？“saidAnne。
　　“It’suselesstoinquire。Hermindisevidentlyoffitsbalance。
　　Onethingisclear，Geoffreyshallnotkeepyouheremuchlonger。
　　Thecomingchangewillremoveyoufromthisdismalplace——whichisonethinggained。AnditisquitepossiblethatnewscenesandnewsurroundingsmayhavetheirinfluenceonGeoffreyforgood。
　　Hisconduct——otherwisequiteincomprehensible——maybetheresultofsomelatentnervousirritationwhichmedicalhelpmightreach。
　　Idon’tattempttodisguisefrommyselforfromyou，thatyourpositionhereisamostdeplorableone。Butbeforewedespairofthefuture，letusatleastinquirewhetherthereisanyexplanationofmybrother’spresentbehaviortobefoundinthepresentstateofmybrother’shealth。Ihavebeenconsideringwhatthedoctorsaidtomelastnight。ThefirstthingtodoistogetthebestmedicaladviceonGeoffrey’scasewhichistobehad。Whatdoyouthink？“
　　“Idaren’ttellyouwhatIthink，LordHolchester。Iwilltry——itisaverysmallreturntomakeforyourkindness——Iwilltrytoseemypositionwithyoureyes，notwithmine。ThebestmedicaladvicethatyoucanobtainistheadviceofMr。Speedwell。Itwashewhofirstmadethediscoverythatyourbrotherwasinbrokenhealth。“
　　“Theverymanforourpurpose!Iwillsendhimhereto-dayorto-morrow。IsthereanythingelseIcandoforyou？IshallseeSirPatrickassoonasIgettotown。Haveyouanymessageforhim？“
　　Annehesitated。Lookingattentivelyather，JuliusnoticedthatshechangedcolorwhenhementionedSirPatrick’sname。
　　“WillyousaythatIgratefullythankhimfortheletterwhichLadyHolchesterwassogoodustogivemelastnight，“shereplied。“Andwillyouentreathim，fromme，nottoexposehimself，onmyaccount，to——“shehesitated，andfinishedthesentencewithhereyesontheground——“towhatmighthappen，ifhecamehereandinsistedonseeingme。“
　　“Doesheproposetodothat？“
　　Shehesitatedagain。Thelittlenervouscontractionofherlipsatonesideofthemouthbecamemoremarkedthanusual。“Hewritesthathisanxietyisunendurable，andthatheisresolvedtoseeme，“sheansweredsoftly。
　　“Heislikelytoholdtohisresolution，Ithink，“saidJulius。
　　“WhenIsawhimyesterday，SirPatrickspokeofyouintermsofadmiration——“
　　Hestopped。ThebrighttearswereglitteringonAnne’seyelashes；
　　oneofherhandswastoyingnervouslywithsomethinghiddenpossiblySirPatrick’sletterinthebosomofherdress。“I
　　thankhimwithmywholeheart，“shesaid，inlow，falteringtones。“Butitisbestthatheshouldnotcomehere。“
　　“Wouldyouliketowritetohim？“
　　“IthinkIshouldpreferyourgivinghimmymessage。“
　　Juliusunderstoodthatthesubjectwastoproceednofurther。SirPatrick’sletterhadproducedsomeimpressiononher，whichthesensitivenatureofthewomanseemedtoshrinkfromacknowledging，eventoherself。Theyturnedbacktoenterthecottage。Atthedoortheyweremetbyasurprise。HesterDethridge，withherbonneton——dressed，atthathourofthemorning，togoout!
　　“Areyougoingtomarketalready？“Anneasked。
　　Hestershookherhead。
　　“Whenareyoucomingback？“
　　Hesterwroteonherslate：“Nottillthenight-time。“
　　Withoutanotherwordofexplanationshepulledherveildownoverherface，andmadeforthegate。Thekeyhadbeenleftinthedining-roombyJulius，afterhehadletthedoctorout。Hesterhaditinherhand。Sheopenedhegateandclosedthedoorafterher，leavingthekeyinthelock。AtthemomentwhenthedoorbangedtoGeoffreyappearedinthepassage。
　　“Where’sthekey？“heasked。“Who’sgoneout？“
　　Hisbrotheransweredthequestion。HelookedbackwardandforwardsuspiciouslybetweenJuliusandAnne。“Whatdoesshegooutforathistime？“hesaid。“HassheleftthehousetoavoidMe？“
　　Juliusthoughtthisthelikelyexplanation。Geoffreywentdownsulkilytothegatetolockit，andreturnedtothem，withthekeyinhispocket。
　　“I’mobligedtobecarefulofthegate，“hesaid。“Theneighborhoodswarmswithbeggarsandtramps。Ifyouwanttogoout，“headded，turningpointedlytoAnne，“I’matyourservice，asagoodhusbandoughttobe。“
　　AfterahurriedbreakfastJuliustookhisdeparture。“Idon’tacceptyourrefusal，“hesaidtohisbrother，beforeAnne。“Youwillseemehereagain。“Geoffreyobstinatelyrepeatedtherefusal。“Ifyoucomehereeverydayofyourlife，“hesaid，“itwillbejustthesame。“
　　ThegateclosedonJulius。Annereturnedagaintothesolitudeofherownchamber。Geoffreyenteredthedrawing-room，placedthevolumesoftheNewgateCalendaronthetablebeforehim，andresumedthereadingwhichhehadbeenunabletocontinueontheeveningbefore。
　　Hourafterhourhedoggedlyploddedthroughonecaseofmurderafteranother。Hehadreadonegoodhalfofthehorridchronicleofcrimebeforehispoweroffixinghisattentionbegantofailhim。Thenhelithispipe，andwentouttothinkoveritinthegarden。Howevertheatrocitiesofwhichhehadbeenreadingmightdifferinotherrespects，therewasoneterriblepointofresemblance，whichhehadnotanticipated，andinwhicheveryoneofthecasesagreed。Soonerorlater，therewasthedeadbodyalwayscertaintobefound；alwaysbearingitsdumbwitness，inthetracesofpoisonorinthemarksofviolence，tothecrimecommittedonit。
　　Hewalkedtoandfroslowly，stillponderingovertheproblemwhichhadfirstfounditswayintohismindwhenhehadstoppedinthefrontgardenandhadlookedupatAnne’swindowinthedark。“How？“Thathadbeentheonequestionbeforehim，fromthetimewhenthelawyerhadannihilatedhishopesofadivorce。Itremainedtheonequestionstill。Therewasnoanswertoitinhisownbrain；therewasnoanswertoitinthebookwhichhehadbeenconsulting。Everythingwasinhisfavorifhecouldonlyfindout“how。“Hehadgothishatedwifeupstairsathismercy——thankstohisrefusalofthemoneywhichJuliushadofferedtohim。Hewaslivinginaplaceabsolutelysecludedfrompublicobservationonallsidesofit——thankstohisresolutiontoremainatthecottage，evenafterhislandladyhadinsultedhimbysendinghimanoticetoquit。Everythinghadbeenprepared，everythinghadbeensacrificed，tothefulfillmentofonepurpose——andhowtoattainthatpurposewasstillthesameimpenetrablemysterytohimwhichithadbeenfromthefirst!
　　Whatwastheotheralternative？ToaccepttheproposalwhichJuliushadmade。Inotherwords，togiveuphisvengeanceonAnne，andtoturnhisbackonthesplendidfuturewhichMrs。
　　Glenarm’sdevotionstillofferedtohim。