“Ican’tgoback，“shesaid。“Theinnisnoplaceforme。Acurseseemstofollowme，Blanche，whereverIgo。Iamthecauseofquarrelingandwretchedness，withoutmeaningit，Godknows。Theoldmanwhoishead-waiterattheinnhasbeenkindtome，mydear，inhisway，andheandthelandladyhadhardwordstogetheraboutit。Aquarrel，ashocking，violentquarrel。Hehaslosthisplaceinconsequence。Thewoman，hismistress，laysalltheblameofittomydoor。Sheisahardwoman；andshehasbeenharderthaneversinceBishopriggswentaway。Ihavemissedaletterattheinn——Imusthavethrownitaside，Isuppose，andforgottenit。IonlyknowthatIrememberedaboutit，andcouldn’tfinditlastnight。Itoldthelandlady，andshefastenedaquarrelonmealmostbeforethewordswereoutofmymouth。AskedmeifI
　　chargedherwithstealingmyletter。Saidthingstome——Ican’trepeatthem。Iamnotverywell，andnotabletodealwithpeopleofthatsort。IthoughtitbesttoleaveCraigFerniethismorning。IhopeandprayIshallneverseeCraigFernieagain。“
　　Shetoldherlittlestorywithatotalabsenceofemotionofanysort，andlaidherheadbackwearilyonthechairwhenitwasdone。
　　Blanche’seyesfilledwithtearsatthesightofher。
　　“Iwon’tteaseyouwithquestions，Anne，“shesaid，gently。“Comeupstairsandrestinmyroom。You’renotfittotravel，love。
　　I’lltakecarethatnobodycomesnearus。“
　　Thestable-clockatWindygatesstruckthequartertotwo。Anneraisedherselfinthechairwithastart。
　　“Whattimewasthat？“sheasked。
　　Blanchetoldher。
　　“Ican’tstay，“shesaid。“IhavecomeheretofindsomethingoutifIcan。Youwon’taskmequestions？Don’t，Blanche，don’t!forthesakeofoldtimes。“
　　Blancheturnedaside，heart-sick。“Iwilldonothing，dear，toannoyyou，“shesaid，andtookAnne’shand，andhidthetearsthatwerebeginningtofalloverhercheeks。
　　“Iwanttoknowsomething，Blanche。Willyoutellme？“
　　“Yes。Whatisit？“
　　“Whoarethegentlemenstayinginthehouse？“
　　Blanchelookedroundatheragain，insuddenastonishmentandalarm。AvaguefearseizedherthatAnne’smindhadgivenwayundertheheavyweightoftroublelaidonit。Annepersistedinpressingherstrangerequest。
　　“Runovertheirnames，Blanche。Ihaveareasonforwishingtoknowwhothegentlemenarewhoarestayinginthehouse。“
　　BlancherepeatedthenamesofLadyLundie’sguests，leavingtothelasttheguestswhohadarrivedlast。
　　“Twomorecamebackthismorning，“shewenton。“ArnoldBrinkworthandthathatefulfriendofhis，Mr。Delamayn。“
　　Anne’sheadsankbackoncemoreonthechair。Shehadfoundherwaywithoutexcitingsuspicionofthetruth，totheonediscoverywhichshehadcometoWindygatestomake。HewasinScotlandagain，andhehadonlyarrivedfromLondonthatmorning。TherewasbarelytimeforhimtohavecommunicatedwithCraigFerniebeforeshelefttheinn——he，too，whohatedletter-writing!Thecircumstanceswereallinhisfavor：therewasnoreason，therewasreallyandtrulynoreason，sofar，tobelievethathehaddesertedher。Theheartoftheunhappywomanboundedinherbosom，underthefirstrayofhopethathadwarmeditforfourdayspast。Underthatsuddenrevulsionoffeeling，herweakenedframeshookfromheadtofoot。Herfaceflusheddeepforamoment——thenturneddeadlypaleagain。Blanche，anxiouslywatchingher，sawtheseriousnecessityforgivingsomerestorativetoherinstantly。
　　“Iamgoingtogetyousomewine——youwillfaint，Anne，ifyoudon’ttakesomething。Ishallbebackinamoment；andIcanmanageitwithoutanybodybeingthewiser。“
　　ShepushedAnne’schairclosetothenearestopenwindow——awindowattheupperendofthelibrary——andranout。
　　Blanchehadbarelylefttheroom，bythedoorthatledintothe，hall，whenGeoffreyentereditbyoneofthelowerwindowsopeningfromthelawn。
　　Withhismindabsorbedintheletterthathewasabouttowrite，heslowlyadvanceduptheroomtowardthenearesttable。Anne，hearingthesoundoffootsteps，started，andlookedround。Herfailingstrengthralliedinaninstant，underthesuddenreliefofseeinghimagain。Sheroseandadvancedeagerly，withafainttingeofcolorinhercheeks。Helookedup。Thetwostoodfacetofacetogether——alone。
　　“Geoffrey!“
　　Helookedatherwithoutanswering——withoutadvancingastep，onhisside。Therewasanevillightinhiseyes；hissilencewasthebrutesilencethatthreatensdumbly。Hehadmadeuphismindnevertoseeheragain，andshehadentrappedhimintoaninterview。Hehadmadeuphismindtowrite，andthereshestoodforcinghimtospeak。Thesumofheroffensesagainsthimwasnowcomplete。Iftherehadeverbeenthefaintesthopeofherraisingevenapassingpityinhisheart，thathopewouldhavebeenannihilatednow。
　　Shefailedtounderstandthefullmeaningofhissilence。Shemadeherexcuses，poorsoul，forventuringbacktoWindygates——herexcusestothemanwhosepurposeatthatmomentwastothrowherhelplessontheworld。
　　“Prayforgivemeforcominghere，“shesaid。“Ihavedonenothingtocompromiseyou，Geoffrey。NobodybutBlancheknowsIamatWindygates。AndIhavecontrivedtomakemyinquiriesaboutyouwithoutallowinghertosuspectoursecret。“Shestopped，andbegantotremble。Shesawsomethingmoreinhisfacethanshehadreadinitatfirst。“Igotyourletter，“shewenton，rallyinghersinkingcourage。“Idon’tcomplainofitsbeingsoshort：youdon’tlikeletter-writing，Iknow。ButyoupromisedIshouldhearfromyouagain。AndIhaveneverheard。Andoh，Geoffrey，itwassolonelyattheinn!“
　　Shestoppedagain，andsupportedherselfbyrestingherhandonthetable。Thefaintnesswasstealingbackonher。Shetriedtogoonagain。Itwasuseless——shecouldonlylookathimnow。
　　“Whatdoyouwant？“heasked，inthetoneofamanwhowasputtinganunimportantquestiontoatotalstranger。
　　Alastgleamofheroldenergyflickeredupinherface，likeadyingflame。
　　“IambrokenbywhatIhavegonethrough，“shesaid。“Don’tinsultmebymakingmeremindyouofyourpromise。“
　　“Whatpromise？“’
　　“Forshame，Geoffrey!forshame!Yourpromisetomarryme。“
　　“Youclaimmypromiseafterwhatyouhavedoneattheinn？“
　　Shesteadiedherselfagainstthetablewithonehand，andputtheotherhandtoherhead。Herbrainwasgiddy。Theefforttothinkwastoomuchforher。Shesaidtoherself，vacantly，“Theinn？
　　WhatdidIdoattheinn？“
　　“Ihavehadalawyer’sadvice，mind!IknowwhatIamtalkingabout。“
　　Sheappearednottohaveheardhim。Sherepeatedthewords，“WhatdidIdoattheinn？“andgaveitupindespair。Holdingbythetable，shecameclosetohimandlaidherhandonhisarm。
　　“Doyourefusetomarryme？“sheasked。
　　Hesawthevileopportunity，andsaidthevilewords。
　　“You’remarriedalreadytoArnoldBrinkworth。“
　　Withoutacrytowarnhim，withoutanefforttosaveherself，shedroppedsenselessathisfeet；ashermotherhaddroppedathisfather’sfeetintheby-gonetime。
　　Hedisentangledhimselffromthefoldsofherdress。“Done!“hesaid，lookingdownatherasshelayonthefloor。
　　Asthewordfellfromhislipshewasstartledbyasoundintheinnerpartofthehouse。Oneofthelibrarydoorshadnotbeencompletelyclosed。Lightfootstepswereaudible，advancingrapidlyacrossthehall。
　　Heturnedandfled，leavingthelibrary，ashehadenteredit，bytheopenwindowatthelowerendoftheroom……
　　BLANCHEcamein，withaglassofwineinherhand，andsawtheswooningwomanonthefloor。
　　Shewasalarmed，butnotsurprised，asshekneltbyAnne，andraisedherhead。Herownpreviousobservationofherfriendnecessarilypreventedherfrombeingatanylosstoaccountforthefaintingfit。Theinevitabledelayingettingthewinewas——naturallytohermind——alonetoblamefortheresultwhichnowmetherview。
　　Ifshehadbeenlessreadyinthustracingtheeffecttothecause，shemighthavegonetothewindowtoseeifanythinghadhappened，out-of-doors，tofrightenAnne——mighthaveseenGeoffreybeforehehadtimetoturnthecornerofthehouse——and，makingthatonediscovery，mighthavealteredthewholecourseofevents，notinhercominglifeonly，butinthecominglivesofothers。Sodoweshapeourowndestinies，blindfold。SodoweholdourpoorlittletenureofhappinessatthecapriciousmercyofChance。Itissurelyablesseddelusionwhichpersuadesusthatwearethehighestproductofthegreatschemeofcreation，andsetsusdoubtingwhetherotherplanetsareinhabited，becauseotherplanetsarenotsurroundedbyanatmospherewhich_we_canbreathe!
　　Aftertryingsuchsimpleremediesaswerewithinherreach，andtryingthemwithoutsuccess，Blanchebecameseriouslyalarmed。
　　Annelay，toalloutwardappearance，deadinherarms。Shewasonthepointofcallingforhelp——comewhatmightofthediscoverywhichwouldensue——whenthedoorfromthehallopenedoncemore，andHesterDethridgeenteredtheroom。