“Itwilldoforme。Idon’tknowgoodEnglishwhenIseeit。“
　　Withthatfrankacknowledgment——towhichthegreatmajorityofhiscompanionsatschoolandcollegemighthavesubscribedwithoutdoingtheslightestinjusticetothepresentstateofEnglisheducation——Geoffreydrewhischairtothetable，andopenedoneofthevolumesofhisrecordofcrime。
　　Theeveningnewspaperwaslyingonthesofa。Juliustookitup，andseatedhimselfoppositetohisbrother。Henoticed，withsomesurprise，thatGeoffreyappearedtohaveaspecialobjectinconsultinghisbook。Insteadofbeginningatthefirstpage，herantheleavesthroughhisfingers，andturnedthemdownatcertainplaces，beforeheenteredonhisreading。IfJuliushadlookedoverhisbrother’sshoulder，insteadofonlylookingathimacrossthetable，hewouldhaveseenthatGeoffreypassedbyallthelightercrimesreportedintheCalendar，andmarkedforhisownprivatereadingthecasesofmurderonly。
　　THEnighthadadvanced。Itwascloseontwelveo’clockwhenAnneheardtheservant’svoice，outsideherbedroomdoor，askingleavetospeakwithherforamoment。
　　“Whatisit？“
　　“Thegentlemandownstairswishestoseeyou，ma’am。“
　　“DoyoumeanMr。Delamayn’sbrother？“
　　“Yes。“
　　“WhereisMr。Delamayn？“
　　“Outinthegarden，ma’am。“
　　Annewentdownstairs，andfoundJuliusaloneinthedrawing-room。
　　“Iamsorrytodisturbyou，“hesaid。“IamafraidGeoffreyisill。Thelandladyhasgonetobed，Iamtold——andIdon’tknowwheretoapplyformedicalassistance。Doyouknowofanydoctorintheneighborhood？“
　　Anne，likeJulius，wasaperfectstrangertotheneighborhood。
　　Shesuggestedmakinginquiryoftheservant。Onspeakingtothegirl，itturnedoutthatsheknewofamedicalman，livingwithintenminutes’walkofthecottage。Shecouldgiveplaindirectionsenablinganypersontofindtheplace——butshewasafraid，atthathourofthenightandinthatlonelyneighborhood，togooutbyherself。
　　“Isheseriouslyill？“Anneasked。
　　“Heisinsuchastateofnervousirritability，“saidJulius，“thathecan’tremainstillfortwomomentstogetherinthesameplace。Itbeganwithincessantrestlessnesswhilehewasreadinghere。Ipersuadedhimtogotobed。Hecouldn’tliestillforaninstant——hecamedownagain，burningwithfever，andmorerestlessthanever。HeisoutinthegardeninspiteofeverythingIcoulddotopreventhim；trying，ashesays，to’runitoff。’Itappearstobeseriousto_me。_。Comeandjudgeforyourself。“
　　HeledAnneintothenextroom；and，openingtheshutter，pointedtothegarden。
　　Thecloudshadclearedoff；thenightwasfine。TheclearstarlightshowedGeoffrey，strippedtohisshirtanddrawers，runningroundandroundthegarden。HeapparentlybelievedhimselftobecontendingattheFulhamfoot-race。Attimes，asthewhitefigurecircledroundandroundinthestar-light，theyheardhimcheeringfor“theSouth。“Theslackeningthumpofhisfeetontheground，theheavierandheaviergaspsinwhichhedrewhisbreath，ashepassedthewindow，gavewarningthathisstrengthwasfailinghim。Exhaustion，ifitledtonoworseconsequences，wouldforcehimtoreturntothehouse。Inthestateofhisbrainatthatmomentwhocouldsaywhattheresultmightbe，ifmedicalhelpwasnotcalledin？
　　“Iwillgoforthedoctor，“saidJulius，“ifyoudon’tmindmyleavingyou。“
　　ItwasimpossibleforAnnetosetanyapprehensionsofherownagainsttheplainnecessityforsummoningassistance。TheyfoundthekeyofthegateinthepocketofGeoffrey’scoatupstairs。
　　AnnewentwithJuliustolethimout。“HowcanIthankyou!“shesaid，gratefully。“WhatshouldIhavedonewithout_you!_“
　　“Iwon’tbeamomentlongerthanIcanhelp，“heanswered，andlefther。
　　Shesecuredthegateagain，andwentbacktothecottage。Theservantmetheratthedoor，andproposedcallingupHesterDethridge。
　　“Wedon’tknowwhatthemastermaydowhilehisbrother’saway，“
　　saidthegirl。“Andonemoreofusisn’tonetoomany，whenweareonlywomeninthehouse。“
　　“Youarequiteright，“saidAnne。“Wakeyourmistress。“
　　Afterascendingthestairs，theylookedoutintothegarden，throughthewindowattheendofthepassageontheupperfloor。
　　Hewasstillgoingroundandround，butveryslowly：hispacewasfastslackeningtoawalk。
　　Annewentbacktoherroom，andwaitedneartheopendoor——readytocloseandfastenitinstantlyifanythingoccurredtoalarmher。“HowchangedIam!“shethoughttoherself。“Everythingfrightensme，now。“
　　Theinferencewasthenaturalone——butnotthetrueone。Thechangewasnotinherself，butinthesituationinwhichshewasplaced。HerpositionduringtheinvestigationatLadyLundie’shousehadtriedhermoralcourageonly。Ithadexactedfromheroneofthosenobleeffortsofself-sacrificewhichthehiddenforcesinawoman’snatureareessentiallycapableofmaking。Herpositionatthecottagetriedherphysicalcourage：itcalledonhertorisesuperiortothesenseofactualbodilydanger——whilethatdangerwaslurkinginthedark。There，thewoman’snaturesankunderthestresslaidonit——there，hercouragecouldstrikenorootinthestrengthofherlove——there，theanimalinstinctsweretheinstinctsappealedto；andthefirmnesswantedwasthefirmnessofaman。
　　HesterDethridge’sdooropened。ShewalkedstraightintoAnne’sroom。
　　Theyellowclay-coldcolorofherfaceshowedafaintflushofwarmth；itsdeathlikestillnesswasstirredbyatouchoflife。
　　Thestonyeyes，fixedaseverintheirgaze，shonestrangelywithadiminnerlustre。Hergrayhair，soneatlyarrangedatothertimes，wasindisorderunderhercap。Allhermovementswerequickerthanusual。Somethinghadrousedthestagnantvitalityinthewoman——itwasworkinginhermind；itwasforcingitselfoutwardintoherface。TheservantsatWindygates，inpasttimes，hadseenthesesigns，andhadknownthemforawarningtoleaveHesterDethridgetoherself。
　　Anneaskedherifshehadheardwhathadhappened。
　　Shebowedherhead。
　　“Ihopeyoudon’tmindbeingdisturbed？“
　　Shewroteonherslate：“I’mgladtobedisturbed。Ihavebeendreamingbaddreams。It’sgoodformetobewakened，whensleeptakesmebackwardinmylife。What’swrongwithyou？Frightened？“
　　“Yes。“
　　Shewroteagain，andpointedtowardthegardenwithonehand，whilesheheldtheslateupwiththeother：“Frightenedof_him？_“
　　“Terriblyfrightened。“
　　Shewroteforthethirdtime，andofferedtheslatetoAnnewithaghastlysmile：“Ihavebeenthroughitall。Iknow。You’reonlyatthebeginningnow。He’llputthewrinklesinyourface，andthegrayinyourhair。Therewillcomeatimewhenyou’llwishyourselfdeadandburied。Youwilllivethroughit，forallthat。
　　LookatMe。“
　　Asshereadthelastthreewords，Anneheardthegardendoorbelowopenedandbangedtoagain。ShecaughtHesterDethridgebythearm，andlistened。ThetrampofGeoffrey’sfeet，staggeringheavilyinthepassage，gavetokenofhisapproachtothestairs。
　　Hewastalkingtohimself，stillpossessedbythedelusionthathewasatthefoot-race。“FivetofouronDelamayn。Delamayn’swon。ThreecheersfortheSouth，andonecheermore。Devilishlongrace。Nightalready!Perry!where’sPerry？“
　　Headvanced，staggeringfromsidetosideofthepassage。Thestairsbelowcreakedashesethisfootonthem。HesterDethridgedraggedherselffreefromAnne，advanced，withhercandleinherhand，andthrewopenGeoffrey’sbedroomdoor；returnedtotheheadofthestairs；andstoodthere，firmasarock，waitingforhim。Helookedup，ashesethisfootonthenextstair，andmettheviewofHester’sface，brightlyilluminatedbythecandle，lookingdownathim。Ontheinstanthestopped，rootedtotheplaceonwhichhestood。“Ghost!witch!devil!“hecriedout，“takeyoureyesoffme!“Heshookhisfistatherfuriously，withanoath——sprangbackintothehall——andshuthimselfintothedining-roomfromthesightofher。Thepanicwhichhadseizedhimoncealreadyinthekitchen-gardenatWindygates，undertheeyesofthedumbcook，hadfasteneditsholdonhimoncemore。
　　Frightened——absolutelyfrightened——ofHesterDethridge!
　　Thegatebellrang。Juliushadreturnedwiththedoctor。
　　Annegavethekeytothegirltoletthemin。Hesterwroteonherslate，ascomposedlyasifnothinghadhappened：“They’llfindmeinthekitchen，iftheywantme。Isha’n’tgobacktomybedroom。
　　Mybedroom’sfullofbaddreams。“Shedescendedthestairs。Annewaitedintheupperpassage，lookingoverintothehallbelow。
　　“Yourbrotherisinthedrawing-room，“shecalleddowntoJulius。
　　“Thelandladyisinthekitchen，ifyouwanther。“Shereturnedtoherroom，andwaitedforwhatmighthappennext。