Tousehisownphrase，hewas“outofsorts。“Asluggishreluctancetofacechangeofanykindpossessedhim。HedecidedonstayingatSaltPatchuntilhismarriagetoMrs。Glenarmwhichhethenlookeduponasacertaintyobligedhimtoalterhishabitscompletely，onceforall。FromFulhamhehadgone，thenextday，toattendtheinquiryinPortlandPlace。AndtoFulhamhereturned，whenhebroughtthewifewhohadbeenforceduponhimtoher“home。“
　　Suchwasthepositionofthetenant，andsuchwerethearrangementsoftheinteriorofthecottage，onthememorableeveningwhenAnneSilvesterentereditasGeoffrey’swife。
　　CHAPTERTHEFORTY-NINTH。
　　THENIGHT。
　　ONleavingLadyLundie’shouse，Geoffreycalledthefirstemptycabthatpassedhim。Heopenedthedoor，andsignedtoAnnetoenterthevehicle。Sheobeyedhimmechanically。Heplacedhimselfontheseatoppositetoher，andtoldthemantodrivetoFulham。
　　Thecabstartedonitsjourney；husbandandwifepreservingabsolutesilence。Annelaidherheadbackwearily，andclosedhereyes。Herstrengthhadbrokendownundertheeffortwhichhadsustainedherfromthebeginningtotheendoftheinquiry。Herpowerofthinkingwasgone。Shefeltnothing，knewnothing，fearednothing。Halfinfaintness，halfinslumber，shehadlostallsenseofherownterriblepositionbeforethefirstfiveminutesofthejourneytoFulhamhadcometoanend。
　　Sittingoppositetoher，savagelyself-concentratedinhisownthoughts，Geoffreyrousedhimselfonasudden。Anideahadsprungtolifeinhissluggishbrain。Heputhisheadoutofthewindowofthecab，anddirectedthedrivertoturnback，andgotoanhotelneartheGreatNorthernRailway。
　　Resuminghisseat，helookedfurtivelyatAnne。Sheneithermovednoropenedhereyes——shewas，toallappearance，unconsciousofwhathadhappened。Heobservedherattentively。Wasshereallyill？Wasthetimecomingwhenhewouldbefreedfromher？Heponderedoverthatquestion——watchingherclosely。Littlebylittlethevilehopeinhimslowlydiedaway，andavilesuspiciontookitsplace。What，ifthisappearanceofillnesswasapretense？What，ifshewaswaitingtothrowhimoffhisguard，andescapefromhimatthefirstopportunity？Heputhisheadoutofthewindowagain，andgaveanotherordertothedriver。Thecabdivergedfromthedirectroute，andstoppedatapublichouseinHolborn，keptunderanassumednamebyPerrythetrainer。
　　Geoffreywrotealineinpencilonhiscard，andsentitintothehousebythedriver。Afterwaitingsomeminutes，aladappearedandtouchedhishat。Geoffreyspoketohim，outofthewindow，inanunder-tone。Theladtookhisplaceontheboxbythedriver。
　　Thecabturnedback，andtooktheroadtothehotelneartheGreatNorthernRailway。
　　Arrivedattheplace，Geoffreypostedtheladcloseatthedoorofthe。cab，andpointedtoAnne，stillrecliningwithclosedeyes；still，asitseemed，toowearytoliftherhead，toofainttonoticeanythingthathappened。“Ifsheattemptstogetout，stopher，andsendforme。“Withthosepartingdirectionsheenteredthehotel，andaskedforMr。Moy。
　　Mr。Moywasinthehouse；hehadjustreturnedfromPortlandPlace。Herose，andbowedcoldly，whenGeoffreywasshownintohissitting-room。
　　“Whatisyourbusinesswithme？“heasked。
　　“I’vehadanotioncomeintomyhead，“saidGeoffrey。“AndIwanttospeaktoyouaboutitdirectly。“
　　“Imustrequestyoutoconsultsomeoneelse。Considerme，ifyouplease，ashavingwithdrawnfromallfurtherconnectionwithyouraffairs。“
　　Geoffreylookedathiminstolidsurprise。
　　“Doyoumeantosayyou’regoingtoleavemeinthelurch？“heasked。
　　“ImeantosaythatIwilltakenofreshstepinanybusinessofyours，“answeredMr。Moy，firmly。“Astothefuture，Ihaveceasedtobeyourlegaladviser。Astothepast，Ishallcarefullycompletetheformaldutiestowardyouwhichremaintobedone。Mrs。InchbareandBishopriggsarecomingherebyappointment，atsixthisevening，toreceivethemoneyduetothembeforetheygoback。IshallreturntoScotlandmyselfbythenightmail。Thepersonsreferredto，inthematterofthepromiseofmarriage，bySirPatrick，areallinScotland。Iwilltaketheirevidenceastothehandwriting，andastothequestionofresidenceintheNorth——andIwillsendittoyouinwrittenform。Thatdone，Ishallhavedoneall。Ideclinetoadviseyouinanyfuturestepwhichyouproposetotake。“
　　Afterreflectingforamoment，Geoffreyputalastquestion。
　　“YousaidBishopriggsandthewomanwouldbehereatsixthisevening。“
　　“Yes。“
　　“Wherearetheytobefoundbeforethat？“
　　Mr。Moywroteafewwordsonaslipofpaper，andhandedittoGeoffrey。“Attheirlodgings，“hesaid。“Thereistheaddress。“
　　Geoffreytooktheaddress，andlefttheroom。Lawyerandclientpartedwithoutawordoneitherside。
　　Returningtothecab，Geoffreyfoundtheladsteadilywaitingathispost。
　　“Hasanythinghappened？“
　　“Theladyhasn’tmoved，Sir，sinceyoulefther。“
　　“IsPerryatthepublichouse？“
　　“Notatthistime，Sir。“
　　“Iwantalawyer。DoyouknowwhoPerry’slawyeris？“
　　“Yes，Sir。“
　　“Andwhereheistobefound？“
　　“Yes，Sir。“
　　“Getuponthebox，andtellthemanwheretodriveto。“
　　ThecabwentonagainalongtheEustonRoad，andstoppedatahouseinaside-street，withaprofessionalbrassplateonthedoor。Theladgotdown，andcametothewindow。
　　“Hereitis，Sir。“
　　“Knockatthedoor，andseeifheisathome。“
　　Heprovedtobeathome。Geoffreyenteredthehouse，leavinghisemissaryoncemoreonthewatch。Theladnoticedthattheladymovedthistime。Sheshiveredasifshefeltcold——openedhereyesforamomentwearily，andlookedoutthroughthewindow——sighed，andsankbackagaininthecornerofthecab。
　　AfteranabsenceofmorethanhalfanhourGeoffreycameoutagain。HisinterviewwithPerry’slawyerappearedtohaverelievedhismindofsomethingthathadoppressedit。HeoncemoreorderedthedrivertogotoFulham——openedthedoortogetintothecab——then，asitseemed，suddenlyrecollectedhimself——and，callingtheladdownfromthebox，orderedhimtogetinside，andtookhisplacebythedriver。
　　AsthecabstartedhelookedoverhisshoulderatAnnethroughthefrontwindow。“Wellworthtrying，“hesaidtohimself。“It’sthewaytobeevenwithher。Andit’sthewaytobefree。“
　　Theyarrivedatthecottage。Possibly，reposehadrestoredAnne’sstrength。Possibly，thesightoftheplacehadrousedtheinstinctofself-preservationinheratlast。ToGeoffrey’ssurprise，sheleftthecabwithoutassistance。Whenheopenedthewoodengate，withhisownkey，sherecoiledfromit，andlookedathimforthefirsttime。
　　Hepointedtotheentrance。
　　“Goin，“hesaid。
　　“Onwhatterms？“sheasked，withoutstirringastep。
　　Geoffreydismissedthecab；andsenttheladin，towaitforfurtherorders。Thesethingsdone，heansweredherloudlyandbrutallythemomenttheywerealone：
　　“OnanytermsIplease。“
　　“Nothingwillinduceme，“shesaid，firmly，“tolivewithyouasyourwife。Youmaykillme——butyouwillneverbendmetothat。“
　　Headvancedastep——openedhislips——andsuddenlycheckedhimself。Hewaitedawhile，turningsomethingoverinhismind。
　　Whenhespokeagain，itwaswithmarkeddeliberationandconstraint——withtheairofamanwhowasrepeatingwordsputintohislips，orwordspreparedbeforehand。
　　“Ihavesomethingtotellyouinthepresenceofwitnesses，“hesaid。“Idon’taskyou，orwishyou，toseemeinthecottagealone。“
　　Shestartedatthechangeinhim。Hissuddencomposure，andhissuddennicetyinthechoiceofwords，triedhercouragefarmoreseverelythanithadbeentriedbyhisviolenceofthemomentbefore。
　　Hewaitedherdecision，stillpointingthroughthegate。Shetrembledalittle——steadiedherselfagain——andwentin。Thelad，waitinginthefrontgarden，followedher。
　　Hethrewopenthedrawing-roomdoor，ontheleft-handsideofthepassage。Sheenteredtheroom。Theservant-girlappeared。Hesaidtoher，“FetchMrs。Dethridge；andcomebackwithheryourself。“
　　Thenhewentintotheroom；thelad，byhisowndirections，followinghimin；andthedoorbeingleftwideopen。
　　HesterDethridgecameoutfromthekitchenwiththegirlbehindher。AtthesightofAnne，afaintandmomentarychangepassedoverthestonystillnessofherface。Adulllightglimmeredinhereyes。Sheslowlynoddedherhead。Adumbsound，vaguelyexpressiveofsomethinglikeexultationorrelief，escapedherlips。