There’snaesuchthingasanewspapereverdarkensmydoors。
　　Ye’vegottheAuldandNewTestamentsinyourbedchambers，andthenaturalhistoryo’Pairthshireonthecoffee-roomtable——andifthat’sno’readingeneughforye，yemayeengaebackSouthagain，andgettherestofitthere。“
　　ThiswastheinnatwhichAnneSilvesterhadappearedalone，withnothingbutalittlebaginherhand。Thiswasthewomanwhosereluctancetoreceivehersheinnocentlyexpectedtoovercomebyshowingherpurse。
　　“Mentionyourchargefortherooms，“shesaid。“Iamwillingtopayforthembeforehand。“
　　Hermajesty，Mrs。Inchbare，neverevenlookedathersubject’spoorlittlepurse。
　　“Itjustcomestothis，mistress，“sheanswered。“I’mno’freetotak’yourmoney，ifI’mno’freetoletyethelastroomsleftinthehoose。TheCraigFerniehottleisafaimilyhottle——andhasitsaingudenametokeepup。Ye’reower-well-looking，myyoungleddy，tobetravelingalone。“
　　ThetimehadbeenwhenAnnewouldhaveansweredsharplyenough。
　　Thehardnecessitiesofherpositionmadeherpatientnow。
　　“Ihavealreadytoldyou，“shesaid，“myhusbandiscomingheretojoinme。“Shesighedwearilyassherepeatedherready-madestory——anddroppedintothenearestchair，fromsheerinabilitytostandanylonger。
　　MistressInchbarelookedather，withtheexactmeasureofcompassionateinterestwhichshemighthaveshownifshehadbeenlookingatastraydogwhohadfallenfootsoreatthedooroftheinn。
　　“Weel!weel!saeletitbe。Bideawhile，andrestye。We’llno’
　　chairgeyeforthat——andwe’llseeifyourhusbandcomes。I’lljustlettherooms，mistress，to_him，_，insteado’lettin’themto_you。_And，sae，good-morrowt’ye。“Withthatfinalannouncementofherroyalwillandpleasure，theEmpressoftheInnwithdrew。
　　Annemadenoreply。Shewatchedthelandladyoutoftheroom——andthenstruggledtocontrolherselfnolonger。Inherposition，suspicionwasdoublyinsult。Thehottearsofshamegatheredinhereyes；andtheheart-achewrungher，poorsoul——wrungherwithoutmercy。
　　Atriflingnoiseintheroomstartledher。Shelookedup，anddetectedamaninacorner，dustingthefurniture，andapparentlyactinginthecapacityofattendantattheinn。Hehadshownherintotheparloronherarrival；buthehadremainedsoquietlyintheroomthatshehadnevernoticedhimsince，untilthatmoment。
　　Hewasanancientman——withoneeyefilmyandblind，andoneeyemoistandmerry。Hisheadwasbald；hisfeetweregouty；hisnosewasjustlycelebratedasthelargestnoseandthereddestnoseinthatpartofScotland。Themildwisdomofyearswasexpressedmysteriouslyinhismellowsmile。Incontactwiththiswickedworld，hismannerrevealedthathappymixtureoftwoextremes——theservilitywhichjusttouchesindependence，andtheindependencewhichjusttouchesservility——attainedbynomeninexistencebutScotchmen。Enormousnativeimpudence，whichamusedbutneveroffended；immeasurablecunning，masqueradinghabituallyunderthedoubledisguiseofquaintprejudiceanddryhumor，werethesolidmoralfoundationsonwhichthecharacterofthiselderlypersonwasbuilt。Noamountofwhiskyevermadehimdrunk；andnoviolenceofbell-ringingeverhurriedhismovements。SuchwastheheadwaiterattheCraigFernieInn；
　　known，farandwide，tolocalfame，as“MaisterBishopriggs，MistressInchbare’sright-handman。“
　　“Whatareyoudoingthere？“Anneasked，sharply。
　　Mr。Bishopriggsturnedhimselfaboutonhisgoutyfeet；wavedhisdustergentlyintheair；andlookedatAnne，withamild，paternalsmile。
　　“Eh!Amjustdoostin’thethings；andsetin’theroomindecentorderforye。“
　　“For_me？_Didyouhearwhatthelandladysaid？“
　　Mr。Bishopriggsadvancedconfidentially，andpointedwithaveryunsteadyforefingertothepursewhichAnnestillheldinherhand。
　　“Neverfashyoursel’abootthelandleddy!“saidthesagechiefoftheCraigFerniewaiters。“Yourpursespeaksforyou，mylassie。
　　Petitup!“criedMr。Bishopriggs，wavingtemptationawayfromhimwiththeduster。“Inwi’itintoyerpocket!Saelongasthewarld’sthewarld，I’lluphauditanywhere——whilethere’ssillerinthepurse，there’sgudeinthewoman!“
　　Anne’spatience，whichhadresistedhardertrials，gavewayatthis。
　　“Whatdoyoumeanbyspeakingtomeinthatfamiliarmanner？“sheasked，risingangrilytoherfeetagain。
　　Mr。Bishopriggstuckedhisdusterunderhisarm，andproceededtosatisfyAnnethathesharedthelandlady’sviewofherposition，withoutsharingtheseverityofthelandlady’sprinciples。
　　“There’snaemanlivin’，“saidMr。Bishopriggs，“lookswithmairindulgenceathumanfrailtythanmyainsel’。AmIno’tobefamiliarwi’ye——whenI’mauldeneughtobeafethertoye，andreadytobeafethertoyetillfurthernotice？Hech!hech!Orderyourbitdinnerlassie。Husbandornohusband，ye’vegotastomach，andyemusteeneat。There’sfeshandthere’sfowl——or，maybe，ye’llbeforthesheep’sheadsingit，whenthey’vedonewithitatthetabbledot？“
　　Therewasbutonewayofgettingridofhim：“Orderwhatyoulike，“Annesaid，“andleavetheroom。“Mr。Bishopriggshighlyapprovedofthefirsthalfofthesentence，andtotallyoverlookedthesecond。
　　“Ay，ay——justpeta’yerlittleinterestsinmyhands；it’sthewisestthingyecando。AskforMaisterBishopriggsthat’sme
　　whenyewantadecent’sponsiblemantogi’yeawordofadvice。
　　Setyedoonagain——setyedoon。Anddon’ttak’thearm-chair。
　　Hech!hech!yerhusbandwillbecoming，yeknow，andhe’ssuretowantit!“WiththatseasonablepleasantrythevenerableBishopriggswinked，andwentout。
　　Annelookedatherwatch。ByhercalculationitwasnotfarfromthehourwhenGeoffreymightbeexpectedtoarriveattheinn，assumingGeoffreytohaveleftWindygatesatthetimeagreedon。
　　Alittlemorepatience，andthelandlady’sscrupleswouldbesatisfied，andtheordealwouldbeatanend。
　　Couldshehavemethimnowhereelsethanatthisbarbaroushouse，andamongthesebarbarouspeople？
　　No。OutsidethedoorsofWindygatesshehadnotafriendtohelpherinallScotland。Therewasnoplaceatherdisposalbuttheinn；andshehadonlytobethankfulthatitoccupiedasequesteredsituation，andwasnotlikelytobevisitedbyanyofLadyLundie’sfriends。Whatevertheriskmightbe，theendinviewjustifiedherinconfrontingit。HerwholefuturedependedonGeoffrey’smakinganhonestwomanofher。Notherfuturewith_him_——thatwaytherewasnohope；thatwayherlifewaswasted。
　　HerfuturewithBlanche——shelookedforwardtonothingnowbutherfuturewithBlanche。
　　Herspiritssanklowerandlower。Thetearsroseagain。Itwouldonlyirritatehimifhecameandfoundhercrying。Shetriedtodiverthermindbylookingabouttheroom。
　　Therewasverylittletosee。Exceptthatitwassolidlybuiltofgoodsoundstone，theCraigFerniehoteldifferedinnootherimportantrespectfromtheaverageofsecond-rateEnglishinns。
　　Therewastheusualslipperyblacksofa——constructedtoletyouslidewhenyouwantedtorest。Therewastheusualhighly-varnishedarm-chair，expresslymanufacturedtotesttheenduranceofthehumanspine。Therewastheusualpaperonthewalls，ofthepatterndesignedtomakeyoureyesacheandyourheadgiddy。Thereweretheusualengravings，whichhumanitynevertiresofcontemplating。TheRoyalPortrait，inthefirstplaceofhonor。Thenextgreatestofallhumanbeings——theDukeofWellington——inthesecondplaceofhonor。Thethirdgreatestofallhumanbeings——thelocalmemberofparliament——inthethirdplaceofhonor；andahuntingscene，inthedark。Adooroppositethedoorofadmissionfromthepassageopenedintothebedroom；
　　andawindowatthesidelookedoutontheopenspaceinfrontofthehotel，andcommandedaviewofthevastexpanseoftheCraigFerniemoor，stretchingawaybelowtherisinggroundonwhichthehousewasbuilt。
　　Anneturnedindespairfromtheviewintheroomtotheviewfromthewindow。Withinthelasthalfhourithadchangedfortheworse。Thecloudshadgathered；thesunwashidden；thelightonthelandscapewasgrayanddull。Anneturnedfromthewindow，asshehadturnedfromtheroom。Shewasjustmakingthehopelessattempttorestherwearylimbsonthesofa，whenthesoundofvoicesandfootstepsinthepassagecaughtherear。
　　WasGeoffrey’svoiceamongthem？No。
　　Werethestrangerscomingin？
　　Thelandladyhaddeclinedtoletherhavetherooms：itwasquitepossiblethatthestrangersmightbecomingtolookatthem。
　　Therewasnoknowingwhotheymightbe。Intheimpulseofthemomentsheflewtothebedchamberandlockedherselfin。
　　Thedoorfromthepassageopened，andArnoldBrinkworth——showninbyMr。Bishopriggs——enteredthesitting-room。
　　“Nobodyhere!“exclaimedArnold，lookinground。“Whereisshe？“
　　Mr。Bishopriggspointedtothebedroomdoor。“Eh!yergoodleddy’sjoostinthebedchamber，naedoot!“
　　Arnoldstarted。HehadfeltnodifficultywhenheandGeoffreyhaddiscussedthequestionatWindygatesaboutpresentinghimselfattheinnintheassumedcharacterofAnne’shusband。