Never!Hewouldgobacktothebooks。Hewasnotattheendofthem。Theslightesthintinthepageswhichwerestilltobereadmightsethissluggishbrainworkingintherightdirection。Thewaytoberidofher，withoutexcitingthesuspicionofanylivingcreature，inthehouseoroutofit，wasawaythatmightbefoundyet。
　　Couldaman，inhispositionoflife，reasoninthisbrutalmanner？couldheactinthismercilessway？Surelythethoughtofwhathewasabouttodomusthavetroubledhimthistime!
　　Pauseforamoment——andlookbackathiminthepast。
　　DidhefeelanyremorsewhenhewasplottingthebetrayalofArnoldinthegardenatWindygates？Thesensewhichfeelsremorsehadnotbeenputintohim。Whatheisnowisthelegitimateconsequenceofwhathewasthen。Afarmoreserioustemptationisnowurginghimtocommitafarmoreseriouscrime。Howishetoresist？WillhisskillinrowingasSirPatrickonceputit，hisswiftnessinrunning，hisadmirablecapacityandenduranceinotherphysicalexercises，helphimtowinapurelymoralvictoryoverhisownselfishnessandhisowncruelty？No!Themoralandmentalneglectofhimself，whichthematerialtoneofpublicfeelingabouthimhastacitlyencouraged，haslefthimatthemercyoftheworstinstinctsinhisnature——ofallthatismostvileandofallthatismostdangerousinthecompositionofthenaturalman。Withthemassofhisfellows，noharmoutofthecommonhascomeofthis，becausenotemptationoutofthecommonhaspassedtheirway。Butwith_him，_thecaseisreversed。A
　　temptationoutofthecommonhaspassed_his_way。Howdoesitfindhimpreparedtomeetit？Itfindshim，literallyandexactly，whathistraininghaslefthim，inthepresenceofanytemptationsmallorgreat——adefenselessman。
　　Geoffreyreturnedtothecottage。Theservantstoppedhiminthepassage，toaskatwhattimehewishedtodine。Insteadofanswering，heinquiredangrilyforMrs。Dethridge。Mrs。Dethridgenotcomeback。
　　Itwasnowlateintheafternoon，andshehadbeenoutsincetheearlymorning。Thishadneverhappenedbefore。Vaguesuspicionsofher，onemoremonstrousthananother，begantoriseinGeoffrey’smind。Betweenthedrinkandthefever，hehadbeenasJuliushadtoldhimwanderinginhismindduringapartofthenight。Hadheletanythingoutinthatcondition？HadHesterheardit？Andwasit，byanychance，atthebottomofherlongabsenceandhernoticetoquit？Hedetermined——withoutlettingherseethathesuspectedher——toclearupthatdoubtassoonashislandladyreturnedtothehouse。
　　Theeveningcame。Itwaspastnineo’clockbeforetherewasaringatthebell。Theservantcametoaskforthekey。Geoffreyrosetogotothegatehimself——andchangedhismindbeforehelefttheroom。_Her_suspicionsmightberousedsupposingittobeHesterwhowaswaitingforadmissionifheopenedthegatetoherwhentheservantwastheretodoit。Hegavethegirlthekey，andkeptoutofsight。
　　“Deadtired!“——theservantsaidtoherself，seeinghermistressbythelightofthelampoverthegate。
　　“Deadtired!“——Geoffreysaidtohimself，observingHestersuspiciouslyasshepassedhiminthepassageonherwayupstairstotakeoffherbonnetinherownroom。
　　“Deadtired!“——Annesaidtoherself，meetingHesterontheupperfloor，andreceivingfromheraletterinBlanche’shandwriting，deliveredtothemistressofthecottagebythepostman，whohadmetheratherowngate。
　　HavinggiventhelettertoAnne，HesterDethridgewithdrewtoherbedroom。
　　Geoffreyclosedthedoorofthedrawing-room，inwhichthecandleswereburning，andwentintothedining-room，inwhichtherewasnolight。Leavingthedoorajar，hewaitedtointercepthislandladyonherwaybacktohersupperinthekitchen。
　　Hesterwearilysecuredherdoor，wearilylitthecandles，wearilyputthepenandinkonthetable。Forsomeminutesafterthisshewascompelledtositdown，andrallyherstrengthandfetchherbreath。Afteralittleshewasabletoremoveherupperclothing。
　　Thisdoneshetookthemanuscriptinscribed，“MyConfession，“outofthesecretpocketofherstays——turnedtothelastleafasbefore——andwroteanotherentry，undertheentrymadeonthepreviousnight。
　　“ThismorningIgavehimnoticetoquit，andofferedhimhismoneybackifhewantedit。Herefusestogo。Heshallgoto-morrow，orIwillburntheplaceoverhishead。Allthroughto-dayIhaveavoidedhimbykeepingoutofthehouse。Noresttoeasemymind，andnosleeptoclosemyeyes。Ihumblybearmycrossaslongasmystrengthwillletme。“
　　Atthosewordsthependroppedfromherfingers。Herheadnoddedonherbreast。Sherousedherselfwithastart。Sleepwastheenemyshedreaded：sleepbroughtdreams。
　　Sheunfastenedthewindow-shuttersandlookedoutatthenight。
　　Thepeacefulmoonlightwasshiningoverthegarden。Thecleardepthsofthenightskyweresoothingandbeautifultolookat。
　　What!Fadingalready？clouds？darkness？No!Nearlyasleeponcemore。Sherousedherselfagain，withastart。Therewasthemoonlight，andtherewasthegardenasbrightunderitasever。
　　Dreamsornodreams，itwasuselesstofightlongeragainstthewearinessthatoverpoweredher。Sheclosedtheshutters，andwentbacktothebed；andputherConfessioninitscustomaryplaceatnight，underherpillow。
　　Shelookedroundtheroom——andshuddered。Everycornerofitwasfilledwiththeterriblememoriesofthepastnight。ShemightwakefromthetortureofthedreamstofindtheterroroftheApparitionwatchingatherbedside。Wastherenoremedy？noblessedsafeguardunderwhichshemighttranquillyresignherselftosleep？Athoughtcrossedhermind。Thegoodbook——theBible。
　　IfshesleptwiththeBibleunderherpillow，therewashopeinthegoodbook——thehopeofsleepinginpeace。
　　Itwasnotworthwhiletoputonthegownandthestayswhichshehadtakenoff。Hershawlwouldcoverher。Itwasequallyneedlesstotakethecandle。Thelowershutterswouldnotbeclosedatthathour；andiftheywere，shecouldlayherhandontheBible，initsplaceontheparlorbook-shelf，inthedark。
　　SheremovedtheConfessionfromunderthepillow。Notevenforaminutecouldsheprevailonherselftoleaveitinoneroomwhileshewasawayfromitinanother。Withthemanuscriptfoldedup，andhiddeninherhand，sheslowlydescendedthestairsagain。
　　Herkneestrembledunderher。Shewasobligedtoholdbythebanister，withthehandthatwasfree。
　　Geoffreyobservedherfromthedining-room，onherwaydownthestairs。Hewaitedtoseewhatshedid，beforeheshowedhimself，andspoketoher。Insteadofgoingonintothekitchen，shestoppedshort，andenteredtheparlor。Anothersuspiciouscircumstance!Whatdidshewantintheparlor，withoutacandle，atthattimeofnight？
　　Shewenttothebook-case——herdarkfigureplainlyvisibleinthemoonlightthatfloodedthelittleroom。Shestaggeredandputherhandtoherhead；giddy，toallappearance，fromextremefatigue。
　　Sherecoveredherself，andtookabookfromtheshelf。Sheleanedagainstthewallaftershehadpossessedherselfofthebook。Tooweary，asitseemed，togetupstairsagainwithoutalittlerest。Herarm-chairwasnearher。Betterrest，foramomentortwo，tobehadinthatthancouldbegotbyleaningagainstthewall。Shesatdownheavilyinthechair，withthebookonherlap。Oneofherarmshungoverthearmofthechair，withthehandclosed，apparentlyholdingsomething。
　　Herheadnoddedonherbreast——recovereditself——andsankgentlyonthecushionatthebackofthechair。Asleep？Fastasleep。
　　Inlessthanaminutethemusclesoftheclosedhandthathungoverthearmofthechairslowlyrelaxed。Somethingwhiteslippedoutofherhand，andlayinthemoonlightonthefloor。
　　Geoffreytookoffhisheavyshoes，andenteredtheroomnoiselesslyinhisstockings。Hepickedupthewhitethingonthefloor。Itprovedtobeacollectionofseveralsheetsofthinpaper，neatlyfoldedtogether，andcloselycoveredwithwriting。
　　Writing？Aslongasshewasawakeshehadkeptithiddeninherhand。Whyhideit？
　　Hadheletoutanythingtocompromisehimselfwhenhewaslight-headedwiththefeverthenightbefore？andhadshetakenitdowninwritingtoproduceagainsthim？Possessedbyguiltydistrust，eventhatmonstrousdoubtassumedalookofprobabilitytoGeoffrey’smind。Helefttheparlorasnoiselesslyashehadenteredit，andmadeforthecandle-lightinthedrawing-room，determinedtoexaminethemanuscriptinhishand。
　　Aftercarefullysmoothingoutthefoldedleavesonthetable，heturnedtothefirstpage，andreadtheselines。
　　WHAThadhappenedinthehoursofdarkness？
　　ThiswasAnne’sfirstthought，whenthesunlightpouredinatherwindow，andwokeherthenextmorning。
　　Shemadeimmediateinquiryoftheservant。Thegirlcouldonlyspeakforherself。Nothinghadoccurredtodisturbheraftershehadgonetobed。Hermasterwasstill，shebelieved，inhisroom。
　　Mrs。Dethridgewasatherworkinthekitchen。
　　Annewenttothekitchen。HesterDethridgewasatherusualoccupationatthattime——preparingthebreakfast。TheslightsignsofanimationwhichAnnehadnoticedinherwhentheylastmetappearednomore。Thedulllookwasbackagaininherstonyeyes；thelifelesstorporpossessedallhermovements。Askedifanythinghadhappenedinthenight，sheslowlyshookherstolidhead，slowlymadethesignwithherhandwhichsignified，“Nothing。“
　　Leavingthekitchen，AnnesawJuliusinthefrontgarden。Shewentoutandjoinedhim。
　　“IbelieveIhavetothankyourconsiderationformeforsomehoursofrest，“hesaid。“ItwasfiveinthemorningwhenIwoke。
　　Ihopeyouhadnoreasontoregrethavingleftmetosleep？I
　　wentintoGeoffrey’sroom，andfoundhimstirring。Aseconddoseofthemixturecomposedhimagain。Thefeverhasgone。Helooksweakerandpaler，butinotherrespectslikehimself。Wewillreturndirectlytothequestionofhishealth。Ihavesomethingtosaytoyou，first，aboutachangewhichmaybecominginyourlifehere。“
　　“Hasheconsentedtotheseparation？“
　　“No。Heisasobstinateaboutitasever。Ihaveplacedthematterbeforehimineverypossiblelight。Hestillrefuses，positivelyrefuses，aprovisionwhichwouldmakehimanindependentmanforlife。“
　　“Isittheprovisionhemighthavehad，LordHolchester，if——？“
　　“IfhehadmarriedMrs。Glenarm？No。Itisimpossible，consistentlywithmydutytomymother，andwithwhatIowetothepositioninwhichmyfather’sdeathhasplacedme，thatIcanofferhimsuchafortuneasMrs。Glenarm’s。Still，itisahandsomeincomewhichheismadenoughtorefuse。Ishallpersistinpressingitonhim。Hemustandshalltakeit。“
　　Annefeltnorevivinghoperousedinherbyhislastwords。Sheturnedtoanothersubject。