Geoffreyhadrouseditatlast。
　　“Whenyoucometoyoursenses，“hesaid，“I’llrememberoldtimes——andreceiveyourapology。Tillyou_do_cometoyoursenses，goyourwaybyyourself。Ihavenomoretosaytoyou。“
　　Geoffreysethisteeth，andcameonestepnearer。Arnold’seyesmethis，withalookwhichsteadilyandfirmlychallengedhim——thoughhewasthestrongermanofthetwo——toforcethequarrelastepfurther，ifhedared。TheonehumanvirtuewhichGeoffreyrespectedandunderstoodwasthevirtueofcourage。Andthereitwasbeforehim——theundeniablecourageoftheweakerman。Thecallousscoundrelwastouchedontheonetenderplaceinhiswholebeing。Heturned，andwentonhiswayinsilence。
　　Leftbyhimself，Arnold’sheaddroppedonhisbreast。Thefriendwhohadsavedhislife——theonefriendhepossessed，whowasassociatedwithhisearliestandhappiestremembrancesofolddays——hadgrosslyinsultedhim：andhadlefthimdeliberately，withouttheslightestexpressionofregret。Arnold’saffectionatenature——simple，loyal，clingingwhereitoncefastened——waswoundedtothequick。Geoffrey’sfast-retreatingfigure，intheopenviewbeforehim，becameblurredandindistinct。Heputhishandoverhiseyes，andhid，withaboyishshame，thehottearsthattoldoftheheartache，andthathonoredthemanwhoshedthem。
　　Hewasstillstrugglingwiththeemotionwhichhadoverpoweredhim，whensomethinghappenedattheplacewheretheroadsmet。
　　Thefourroadspointedasnearlyasmightbetowardthefourpointsofthecompass。Arnoldwasnowontheroadtotheeastward，havingadvancedinthatdirectiontomeetGeoffrey，betweentwoandthreehundredyardsfromthefarm-houseinclosurebeforewhichhehadkepthiswatch。Theroadtothewestward，curvingawaybehindthefarm，ledtothenearestmarket-town。Theroadtothesouthwasthewaytothestation。AndtheroadtothenorthledbacktoWindygatesHouse。
　　WhileGeoffreywasstillfiftyyardsfromtheturningwhichwouldtakehimbacktoWindygates——whilethetearswerestillstandingthicklyinArnold’seyes——thegateofthefarminclosureopened。
　　Alightfour-wheelchaisecameoutwithamandriving，andawomansittingbyhisside。ThewomanwasAnneSilvester，andthemanwastheownerofthefarm。
　　Insteadoftakingthewaywhichledtothestation，thechaisepursuedthewestwardroadtothemarket-town。
　　Proceedinginthisdirection，thebacksofthepersonsinthevehiclewerenecessarilyturnedonGeoffrey，advancingbehindthemfromtheeastward。Hejustcarelesslynoticedtheshabbylittlechaise，andthenturnedoffnorthonhiswaytoWindygates。
　　BythetimeArnoldwascomposedenoughtolookroundhim，thechaisehadtakenthecurveintheroadwhichwoundbehindthefarmhouse。Hereturned——faithfultotheengagementwhichhehadundertaken——tohispostbeforetheinclosure。Thechaisewasthenaspeckinthedistance。Inaminutemoreitwasaspeckoutofsight。
　　SotouseSirPatrick’sphrasehadthewomanbrokenthroughdifficultieswhichwouldhavestoppedaman。So，inhersoreneed，hadAnneSilvesterwonthesympathywhichhadgivenheraplace，bythefarmer’sside，inthevehiclethattookhimonhisownbusinesstothemarket-town。Andso，byahair’s-breadth，didsheescapethetrebleriskofdiscoverywhichthreatenedher——fromGeoffrey，onhiswayback；fromArnold，athispost；
　　andfromthevalet，onthewatchforherappearanceatthestation。
　　Theafternoonworeon。TheservantsatWindygates，airingthemselvesinthegrounds——intheabsenceoftheirmistressandherguests——weredisturbed，forthemoment，bytheunexpectedreturnofoneof“thegentlefolks。“Mr。GeoffreyDelamaynreappearedatthehousealone；wentstraighttothesmoking-room；
　　andcallingforanothersupplyoftheoldale，settledhimselfinanarm-chairwiththenewspaper，andbegantosmoke。
　　Hesoontiredofreading，andfellintothinkingofwhathadhappenedduringthelatterpartofhiswalk。
　　Theprospectbeforehimhadmorethanrealizedthemostsanguineanticipationsthathecouldhaveformedofit。Hehadbracedhimself——afterwhathadhappenedinthelibrary——tofacetheoutbreakofaseriousscandal，onhisreturntothehouse。Andhere——whenhecameback——wasnothingtoface!HerewerethreepeopleSirPatrick，Arnold，andBlanchewhomustatleastknowthatAnnewasinsomeserioustroublekeepingthesecretascarefullyasiftheyfeltthathisinterestswereatstake!And，morewonderfulstill，herewasAnneherself——sofarfromraisingahueandcryafterhim——actuallytakingflightwithoutsayingawordthatcouldcompromisehimwithanylivingsoul!
　　Whatinthenameofwonderdiditmean？Hedidhisbesttofindhiswaytoanexplanationofsomesort；andheactuallycontrivedtoaccountforthesilenceofBlancheandheruncle，andArnold。
　　ItwasprettyclearthattheymusthaveallthreecombinedtokeepLadyLundieinignoranceofherrunawaygoverness’sreturntothehouse。
　　ButthesecretofAnne’ssilencecompletelybaffledhim。
　　HewassimplyincapableofconceivingthatthehorrorofseeingherselfsetupasanobstacletoBlanche’smarriagemighthavebeenvividenoughtooverpowerallsenseofherownwrongs，andtohurryheraway，resolute，inherignoranceofwhatelsetodo，nevertoreturnagain，andnevertoletlivingeyesrestonherinthecharacterofArnold’swife。“It’scleanbeyond_my_makingout，“wasthefinalconclusionatwhichGeoffreyarrived。“Ifit’sherinteresttoholdhertongue，it’smyinteresttoholdmine，andthere’sanendofitforthepresent!“
　　Heputuphisfeetonachair，andrestedhismagnificentmusclesafterhiswalk，andfilledanotherpipe，inthoroughcontentmentwithhimself。NointerferencetodreadfromAnne，nomoreawkwardquestionsonthetermstheywereonnowtocomefromArnold。Helookedbackatthequarrelontheheathwithacertaincomplacency——hedidhisfriendjustice；thoughthey_had_
　　disagreed。“Whowouldhavethoughtthefellowhadsomuchpluckinhim!“hesaidtohimselfashestruckthematchandlithissecondpipe。
　　Anhourmoreworeon；andSirPatrickwasthenextpersonwhoreturned。
　　Hewasthoughtful，butinnosensedepressed。Judgingbyappearances，hiserrandtoCraigFerniehadcertainlynotendedindisappointment。TheoldgentlemanhummedhisfavoritelittleScotchair——ratherabsently，perhaps——andtookhispinchofsnufffromtheknobofhisivorycanemuchasusual。Hewenttothelibrarybellandsummonedaservant。
　　“Anybodybeenhereforme？“——“No，SirPatrick。“——“Noletters？“——“No，SirPatrick。“——“Verywell。Comeupstairstomyroom，andhelpmeonwithmydressing-gown。“Themanhelpedhimtohisdressing-gownandslippers“IsMissLundieathome？“——“No，SirPatrick。They’reallawaywithmyladyonanexcursion。“——“Verygood。Getmeacupofcoffee；andwakemehalfanhourbeforedinner，incaseItakeanap。“Theservantwentout。SirPatrickstretchedhimselfonthesofa。“Ay!ay!alittleachingintheback，andacertainstiffnessinthelegs。IdaresaytheponyfeelsjustasIdo。Age，Isuppose，inbothcases？
　　Well!well!well!let’stryandbeyoungatheart。’Therest’asPopesays’isleatherandprunella。’“HereturnedresignedlytohislittleScotchair。Theservantcameinwiththecoffee。Andthentheroomwasquiet，exceptforthelowhummingofinsectsandthegentlerustlingofthecreepersatthewindow。ForfiveminutesorsoSirPatricksippedhiscoffee，andmeditated——bynomeansinthecharacterofamanwhowasdepressedbyanyrecentdisappointment。Infiveminutesmorehewasasleep。
　　Alittlelater，andthepartyreturnedfromtheruins。
　　Withtheoneexceptionoftheirlady-leader，thewholeexpeditionwasdepressed——SmithandJones，inparticular，beingquitespeechless。LadyLundiealonestillmetfeudalantiquitieswithacheerfulfront。Shehadcheatedthemanwhoshowedtheruinsofhisshilling，andshewasthoroughlywellsatisfiedwithherself。
　　Hervoicewasflute-likeinitsmelody，andthecelebrated“smile“hadneverbeeninbetterorder。“Deeplyinteresting!“
　　saidherladyship，descendingfromthecarriagewithponderousgrace，andaddressingherselftoGeoffrey，loungingundertheporticoofthehouse。“Youhavehadaloss，Mr。Delamayn。Thenexttimeyougooutforawalk，giveyourhostessawordofwarning，andyouwon’trepentit。“Blanchelookingverywearyandanxiousquestionedtheservant，themomentshegotin，aboutArnoldandheruncle。SirPatrickwasinvisibleupstairs。Mr。
　　Brinkworthhadnotcomeback。Itwantedonlytwentyminutesofdinner-time；andfullevening-dresswasinsistedonatWindygates。Blanche，nevertheless，stilllingeredinthehallinthehopeofseeingArnoldbeforeshewentupstairs。Thehopewasrealized。Astheclockstruckthequarterhecamein。Andhe，too，wasoutofspiritsliketherest!
　　“Haveyouseenher？“askedBlanche。
　　“No，“saidArnold，inthemostperfectgoodfaith。“Thewayshehasescapedbyisnotthewaybythecross-roads——Ianswerforthat。“
　　Theyseparatedtodress。Whenthepartyassembledagain，inthelibrary，beforedinner，Blanchefoundherway，themomentheenteredtheroom，toSirPatrick’sside。
　　“News，uncle!I’mdyingfornews。“
　　“Goodnews，mydear——sofar。“
　　“YouhavefoundAnne？“
　　“Notexactlythat。“
　　“YouhaveheardofheratCraigFernie？“
　　“IhavemadesomeimportantdiscoveriesatCraigFernie，Blanche。
　　Hush!here’syourstep-mother。Waittillafterdinner，andyoumayhearmorethanIcantellyounow。Theremaybenewsfromthestationbetweenthisandthen。“