“Youhadsomethingtotellme，“shesaid。“Youspokeofachange。“
　　“True。Thelandladyhereisaverystrangeperson；andshehasdoneaverystrangething。ShehasgivenGeoffreynoticetoquittheselodgings。“
　　“Noticetoquit？“Annerepeated，inamazement。
　　“Yes。Inaformalletter。Shehandedittomeopen，assoonasI
　　wasupthismorning。Itwasimpossibletogetanyexplanationfromher。Thepoordumbcreaturesimplywroteonherslate：’Hemayhavehismoneyback，ifhelikes：heshallgo!’Greatlytomysurpriseforthewomaninspireshimwiththestrongestaversion
　　Geoffreyrefusestogountilhistermisup。Ihavemadethepeacebetweenthemforto-day。Mrs。Dethridge。veryreluctantly，consentstogivehimfour-and-twentyhours。Andtherethematterrestsatpresent。“
　　“Whatcanhermotivebe？“saidAnne。
　　“It’suselesstoinquire。Hermindisevidentlyoffitsbalance。
　　Onethingisclear，Geoffreyshallnotkeepyouheremuchlonger。
　　Thecomingchangewillremoveyoufromthisdismalplace——whichisonethinggained。AnditisquitepossiblethatnewscenesandnewsurroundingsmayhavetheirinfluenceonGeoffreyforgood。
　　Hisconduct——otherwisequiteincomprehensible——maybetheresultofsomelatentnervousirritationwhichmedicalhelpmightreach。
　　Idon’tattempttodisguisefrommyselforfromyou，thatyourpositionhereisamostdeplorableone。Butbeforewedespairofthefuture，letusatleastinquirewhetherthereisanyexplanationofmybrother’spresentbehaviortobefoundinthepresentstateofmybrother’shealth。Ihavebeenconsideringwhatthedoctorsaidtomelastnight。ThefirstthingtodoistogetthebestmedicaladviceonGeoffrey’scasewhichistobehad。Whatdoyouthink？“
　　“Idaren’ttellyouwhatIthink，LordHolchester。Iwilltry——itisaverysmallreturntomakeforyourkindness——Iwilltrytoseemypositionwithyoureyes，notwithmine。ThebestmedicaladvicethatyoucanobtainistheadviceofMr。Speedwell。Itwashewhofirstmadethediscoverythatyourbrotherwasinbrokenhealth。“
　　“Theverymanforourpurpose!Iwillsendhimhereto-dayorto-morrow。IsthereanythingelseIcandoforyou？IshallseeSirPatrickassoonasIgettotown。Haveyouanymessageforhim？“
　　Annehesitated。Lookingattentivelyather，JuliusnoticedthatshechangedcolorwhenhementionedSirPatrick’sname。
　　“WillyousaythatIgratefullythankhimfortheletterwhichLadyHolchesterwassogoodustogivemelastnight，“shereplied。“Andwillyouentreathim，fromme，nottoexposehimself，onmyaccount，to——“shehesitated，andfinishedthesentencewithhereyesontheground——“towhatmighthappen，ifhecamehereandinsistedonseeingme。“
　　“Doesheproposetodothat？“
　　Shehesitatedagain。Thelittlenervouscontractionofherlipsatonesideofthemouthbecamemoremarkedthanusual。“Hewritesthathisanxietyisunendurable，andthatheisresolvedtoseeme，“sheansweredsoftly。
　　“Heislikelytoholdtohisresolution，Ithink，“saidJulius。
　　“WhenIsawhimyesterday，SirPatrickspokeofyouintermsofadmiration——“
　　Hestopped。ThebrighttearswereglitteringonAnne’seyelashes；
　　oneofherhandswastoyingnervouslywithsomethinghiddenpossiblySirPatrick’sletterinthebosomofherdress。“I
　　thankhimwithmywholeheart，“shesaid，inlow，falteringtones。“Butitisbestthatheshouldnotcomehere。“
　　“Wouldyouliketowritetohim？“
　　“IthinkIshouldpreferyourgivinghimmymessage。“
　　Juliusunderstoodthatthesubjectwastoproceednofurther。SirPatrick’sletterhadproducedsomeimpressiononher，whichthesensitivenatureofthewomanseemedtoshrinkfromacknowledging，eventoherself。Theyturnedbacktoenterthecottage。Atthedoortheyweremetbyasurprise。HesterDethridge，withherbonneton——dressed，atthathourofthemorning，togoout!
　　“Areyougoingtomarketalready？“Anneasked。
　　Hestershookherhead。
　　“Whenareyoucomingback？“
　　Hesterwroteonherslate：“Nottillthenight-time。“
　　Withoutanotherwordofexplanationshepulledherveildownoverherface，andmadeforthegate。Thekeyhadbeenleftinthedining-roombyJulius，afterhehadletthedoctorout。Hesterhaditinherhand。Sheopenedhegateandclosedthedoorafterher，leavingthekeyinthelock。AtthemomentwhenthedoorbangedtoGeoffreyappearedinthepassage。
　　“Where’sthekey？“heasked。“Who’sgoneout？“
　　Hisbrotheransweredthequestion。HelookedbackwardandforwardsuspiciouslybetweenJuliusandAnne。“Whatdoesshegooutforathistime？“hesaid。“HassheleftthehousetoavoidMe？“
　　Juliusthoughtthisthelikelyexplanation。Geoffreywentdownsulkilytothegatetolockit，andreturnedtothem，withthekeyinhispocket。
　　“I’mobligedtobecarefulofthegate，“hesaid。“Theneighborhoodswarmswithbeggarsandtramps。Ifyouwanttogoout，“headded，turningpointedlytoAnne，“I’matyourservice，asagoodhusbandoughttobe。“
　　AfterahurriedbreakfastJuliustookhisdeparture。“Idon’tacceptyourrefusal，“hesaidtohisbrother，beforeAnne。“Youwillseemehereagain。“Geoffreyobstinatelyrepeatedtherefusal。“Ifyoucomehereeverydayofyourlife，“hesaid，“itwillbejustthesame。“
　　ThegateclosedonJulius。Annereturnedagaintothesolitudeofherownchamber。Geoffreyenteredthedrawing-room，placedthevolumesoftheNewgateCalendaronthetablebeforehim，andresumedthereadingwhichhehadbeenunabletocontinueontheeveningbefore。
　　Hourafterhourhedoggedlyploddedthroughonecaseofmurderafteranother。Hehadreadonegoodhalfofthehorridchronicleofcrimebeforehispoweroffixinghisattentionbegantofailhim。Thenhelithispipe，andwentouttothinkoveritinthegarden。Howevertheatrocitiesofwhichhehadbeenreadingmightdifferinotherrespects，therewasoneterriblepointofresemblance，whichhehadnotanticipated，andinwhicheveryoneofthecasesagreed。Soonerorlater，therewasthedeadbodyalwayscertaintobefound；alwaysbearingitsdumbwitness，inthetracesofpoisonorinthemarksofviolence，tothecrimecommittedonit。
　　Hewalkedtoandfroslowly，stillponderingovertheproblemwhichhadfirstfounditswayintohismindwhenhehadstoppedinthefrontgardenandhadlookedupatAnne’swindowinthedark。“How？“Thathadbeentheonequestionbeforehim，fromthetimewhenthelawyerhadannihilatedhishopesofadivorce。Itremainedtheonequestionstill。Therewasnoanswertoitinhisownbrain；therewasnoanswertoitinthebookwhichhehadbeenconsulting。Everythingwasinhisfavorifhecouldonlyfindout“how。“Hehadgothishatedwifeupstairsathismercy——thankstohisrefusalofthemoneywhichJuliushadofferedtohim。Hewaslivinginaplaceabsolutelysecludedfrompublicobservationonallsidesofit——thankstohisresolutiontoremainatthecottage，evenafterhislandladyhadinsultedhimbysendinghimanoticetoquit。Everythinghadbeenprepared，everythinghadbeensacrificed，tothefulfillmentofonepurpose——andhowtoattainthatpurposewasstillthesameimpenetrablemysterytohimwhichithadbeenfromthefirst!
　　Whatwastheotheralternative？ToaccepttheproposalwhichJuliushadmade。Inotherwords，togiveuphisvengeanceonAnne，andtoturnhisbackonthesplendidfuturewhichMrs。
　　Glenarm’sdevotionstillofferedtohim。
　　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。