“Ifaman’sownconsciencejustifieshim，Mr。Delamayn，“saidSirPatrick，“theopinionsofothersareofverylittleimportance。
　　Myerrandhereisperformed。“
　　AsheturnedtobidAnnefarewell，theuneasinessthathefeltatleavingherforceditswaytoview。Thecolorfadedoutofhisface。Hishandtrembledasitclosedtenderlyandfirmlyonhers。
　　“Ishallseeyouto-morrow，atHolchesterHouse，“hesaid；givinghisarmwhilehespoketoBlanche。HetookleaveofGeoffrey，withoutlookingathimagain，andwithoutseeinghisofferedhand。Inanotherminutetheyweregone。
　　AnnewaitedonthelowerfloorofthecottagewhileGeoffreyclosedandlockedthegate。Shehadnowishtoappeartoavoidhim，aftertheanswerthathehadsenttohismother’smessage。
　　Hereturnedslowlyhalf-wayacrossthefrontgarden，lookedtowardthepassageinwhichshewasstanding，passedbeforethedoor，anddisappearedroundthecornerofthecottageonhiswaytothebackgarden。Theinferencewasnottobemistaken。ItwasGeoffreywhowasavoiding_her。_HadheliedtoSirPatrick？WhenthenextdaycamewouldhefindreasonsofhisownforrefusingtotakehertoHolchesterHouse？
　　Shewentupstairs。AtthesamemomentHesterDethridgeopenedherbedroomdoortocomeout。ObservingAnne，shecloseditagainandremainedinvisibleinherroom。Oncemoretheinferencewasnottobemistaken。HesterDethridge，also，hadherreasonsforavoidingAnne。
　　Whatdiditmean？WhatobjectcouldtherebeincommonbetweenHesterandGeoffrey？
　　Therewasnofathomingthemeaningofit。Anne’sthoughtsrevertedtothecommunicationwhichhadbeensecretlymadetoherbyBlanche。ItwasnotinwomanhoodtobeinsensibletosuchdevotionasSirPatrick’sconductimplied。Terribleasherpositionhadbecomeinitsever-growinguncertainty，initsnever-endingsuspense，theoppressionofityieldedforthemomenttotheglowofprideandgratitudewhichwarmedherheart，asshethoughtofthesacrificesthathadbeenmade，oftheperilsthatwerestilltobeencountered，solelyforhersake。ToshortentheperiodofsuspenseseemedtobeadutywhichsheowedtoSirPatrick，aswellastoherself。Why，inhersituation，waitforwhatthenextdaymightbringforth？Iftheopportunityoffered，shedeterminedtoputthesignalinthewindowthatnight。
　　Towardeveningsheheardoncemorethenoiseswhichappearedtoindicatethatrepairsofsomesortweregoingoninthehouse。
　　Thistimethesoundswerefainter；andtheycame，asshefancied，notfromthespareroom，asbefore，butfromGeoffrey’sroom，nexttoit。
　　Thedinnerwaslaterthanusualthatday。HesterDethridgedidnotappearwiththetraytilldusk。Annespoketoher，andreceivedamutesigninanswer。Determinedtoseethewoman’sfaceplainly，sheputaquestionwhichrequiredawrittenanswerontheslate；and，tellingHestertowait，wenttothemantle-piecetolighthercandle。Whensheturnedroundwiththelightedcandleinherhand，Hesterwasgone。
　　Nightcame。Sherangherbelltohavethetraytakenaway。Thefallofastrangefootstepstartledheroutsideherdoor。Shecalledout，“Who’sthere？“ThevoiceoftheladwhomGeoffreyemployedtogoonerrandsforhimansweredher。
　　“Whatdoyouwanthere？“sheasked，throughthedoor。
　　“Mr。Delamaynsentmeup，ma’am。Hewishestospeaktoyoudirectly。“
　　AnnefoundGeoffreyinthedining-room。Hisobjectinwishingtospeaktoherwas，onthesurfaceofit，trivialenough。HewantedtoknowhowshewouldprefergoingtoHolchesterHouseonthenextday——bytherailway，orinacarriage。“Ifyoupreferdriving，“hesaid，“theboyhascomeherefororders，andhecantellthemtosendacarriagefromthelivery-stables，ashegoeshome。“
　　“Therailwaywilldoperfectlywellforme，“Annereplied。
　　Insteadofacceptingtheanswer，anddroppingthesubject，heaskedhertoreconsiderherdecision。Therewasanabsent，uneasyexpressioninhiseyeashebeggedhernottoconsulteconomyattheexpenseofherowncomfort。Heappearedtohavesomereasonofhisownforpreventingherfromleavingtheroom。“Sitdownaminute，andthinkbeforeyoudecide，“hesaid。Havingforcedhertotakeachair，heputhisheadoutsidethedooranddirectedtheladtogoupstairs，andseeifhehadlefthispipeinhisbedroom。“Iwantyoutogoincomfort，asaladyshould，“herepeated，withtheuneasylookmoremarkedthanever。BeforeAnnecouldreply，thelad’svoicereachedthemfromthebedroomfloor，raisedinshrillalarm，andscreaming“Fire!“
　　Geoffreyranupstairs。Annefollowedhim。Theladmetthematthetopofthestairs。HepointedtotheopendoorofAnne’sroom。Shewasabsolutelycertainofhavingleftherlightedcandle，whenshewentdowntoGeoffrey，atasafedistancefromthebed-curtains。Thebed-curtains，nevertheless，wereinablazeoffire。
　　Therewasasupplyofwatertothecottage，ontheupperfloor。
　　Thebedroomjugsandcansusuallyintheirplacesatanearlierhour，werestandingthatnightatthecistern。Anemptypailwasleftnearthem。Directingtheladtobringhimwaterfromtheseresources，Geoffreytoredownthecurtainsinaflamingheap，partlyonthebedandpartlyonthesofanearit。Usingthecanandthepailalternately，astheboybroughtthem，hedrenchedthebedandthesofa。Itwasalloverinlittlemorethanaminute。Thecottagewassaved。Butthebed-furniturewasdestroyed；andtheroom，asamatterofcourse，wasrendereduninhabitable，forthatnightatleast，andprobablyformorenightstocome。
　　Geoffreysetdowntheemptypail；and，turningtoAnne，pointedacrossthepassage。
　　“Youwon’tbemuchinconveniencedbythis，“hesaid。“Youhaveonlytoshiftyourquarterstothespareroom。“
　　Withtheassistanceofthelad，hemovedAnne’sboxes，andthechestofdrawers，whichhadescapeddamage，intotheoppositeroom。Thisdone，hecautionedhertobecarefulwithhercandlesforthefuture——andwentdownstairs，withoutwaitingtohearwhatshesaidinreply。Theladfollowedhim，andwasdismissedforthenight。
　　Evenintheconfusionwhichattendedtheextinguishingofthefire，theconductofHesterDethridgehadbeenremarkableenoughtoforceitselfontheattentionofAnne。
　　Shehadcomeoutfromherbedroom，whenthealarmwasgiven；hadlookedattheflamingcurtains；andhaddrawnback，stolidlysubmissive，intoacornertowaittheevent。Thereshehadstood——toallappearance，utterlyindifferenttothepossibledestructionofherowncottage。Thefireextinguished，shestillwaitedimpenetrablyinhercorner，whilethechestofdrawersandtheboxeswerebeingmoved——thenlockedthedoor，withoutevenapassingglanceatthescorchedceilingandtheburnedbed-furniture——putthekeyintoherpocket——andwentbacktoherroom。
　　AnnehadhithertonotsharedtheconvictionfeltbymostotherpersonswhowerebroughtintocontactwithHesterDethridge，thatthewoman’smindwasderanged。Afterwhatshehadjustseen，however，thegeneralimpressionbecameherimpressiontoo。ShehadthoughtofputtingcertainquestionstoHester，whentheywerelefttogether，astotheoriginofthefire。Reflectiondecidedheronsayingnothing，forthatnightatleast。Shecrossedthepassage，andenteredthespareroom——theroomwhichshehaddeclinedtooccupyonherarrivalatthecottage，andwhichshewasobligedtosleepinnow。
　　Shewasinstantlystruckbyachangeinthedispositionofthefurnitureoftheroom。
　　Thebedhadbeenmoved。Thehead——set，whenshehadlastseenit，againstthesidewallofthecottage——wasplacednowagainstthepartitionwallwhichseparatedtheroomfromGeoffrey’sroom。
　　Thisnewarrangementhadevidentlybeeneffectedwithasettledpurposeofsomesort。Thehookintheceilingwhichsupportedthecurtainsthebed，unlikethebedintheotherroom，havingnocanopyattachedtoithadbeenmovedsoastoadaptitselftothechangethathadbeenmade。Thechairsandthewashhand-stand，formerlyplacedagainstthepartitionwall，werenow，asamatterofnecessity，shiftedovertothevacantspaceagainstthesidewallofthecottage。Fortherest，nootheralterationwasvisibleinanypartoftheroom。
　　InAnne’ssituation，anyeventnotimmediatelyintelligibleonthefaceofit，wasaneventtobedistrusted。Wasthereamotiveforthechangeinthepositionofthebed？Andwasit，byanychance，amotiveinwhichshewasconcerned？
　　Thedoubthadbarelyoccurredtoher，beforeastartlingsuspicionsucceededit。Wastheresomesecretpurposetobeansweredbymakinghersleepinthespareroom？DidthequestionwhichtheservanthadheardGeoffreyputtoHester，onthepreviousnight，refertothis？Hadthefirewhichhadsounaccountablycaughtthecurtainsinherownroom，been，byanypossibility，afirepurposelykindled，toforceherout？
　　Shedroppedintothenearestchair，faintwithhorror，asthosethreequestionsforcedthemselvesinrapidsuccessiononhermind。
　　Afterwaitingalittle，sherecoveredself-possessionenoughtorecognizethefirstplainnecessityofputtinghersuspicionstothetest。Itwaspossiblethatherexcitedfancyhadfilledherwithapurelyvisionaryalarm。Forallsheknewtothecontrary，theremightbesomeundeniablysufficientreasonforchangingthepositionofthebed。Shewentout，andknockedatthedoorofHesterDethridge’sroom。
　　“Iwanttospeaktoyou，“shesaid。
　　Hestercameout。Annepointedtothespareroom，andledthewaytoit。Hesterfollowedher。
　　“Whyhaveyouchangedtheplaceofthebed，“sheasked，“fromthewallthere，tothewallhere？“
　　Stolidlysubmissivetothequestion，asshehadbeenstolidlysubmissivetothefire，HesterDethridgewroteherreply。Onallotheroccasionsshewasaccustomedtolookthepersonstowhomsheofferedherslatesteadilyintheface。Now，forthefirsttime，shehandedittoAnnewithhereyesonthefloor。Theonelinewrittencontainednodirectanswer：thewordswerethese：
　　“Ihavemeanttomoveit，forsometimepast。“