Shecamenearer，andlaidherhandpersuasivelyonhisarm。
　　“Haven’tyouawordtosaytome？Noanswer？Notevenalook？“
　　Shewaitedamomentmore。Amarkedchangecameoverher。Sheturnedslowlytoleavethesummer-house。“Iamsorrytohavetroubledyou，Mr。Delamayn。Iwon’tdetainyouanylonger。“
　　Helookedather。Therewasatoneinhervoicethathehadneverheardbefore。Therewasalightinhereyesthathehadneverseeninthembefore。Suddenlyandfiercelyhereachedouthishand，andstoppedher。
　　“Whereareyougoing？“heasked。
　　Sheanswered，lookinghimstraightintheface，“Wheremanyamiserablewomanhasgonebeforeme。Outoftheworld。“
　　Hedrewhernearertohim，andeyedherclosely。Even_his_
　　intelligencediscoveredthathehadbroughthertobay，andthatshereallymeantit!
　　“Doyoumeanyouwilldestroyyourself？“hesaid。
　　“Yes。ImeanIwilldestroymyself。“
　　Hedroppedherarm。“ByJupiter，she_does_meanit!“
　　Withthatconvictioninhim，hepushedoneofthechairsinthesummer-housetoherwithhisfoot，andsignedtohertotakeit。
　　“Sitdown!“hesaid，roughly。Shehadfrightenedhim——andfearcomesseldomtomenofhistype。Theyfeelit，whenitdoescome，withanangrydistrust；theygrowloudandbrutal，ininstinctiveprotestagainstit。“Sitdown!“herepeated。Sheobeyedhim。
　　“Haven’tyougotawordtosaytome？“heasked，withanoath。
　　No!thereshesat，immovable，recklesshowitended——asonlywomencanbe，whenwomen’smindsaremadeup。Hetookaturninthesummer-houseandcameback，andstruckhishandangrilyontherailofherchair。“Whatdoyouwant？“
　　“YouknowwhatIwant。“
　　Hetookanotherturn。Therewasnothingforitbuttogivewayonhisside，orruntheriskofsomethinghappeningwhichmightcauseanawkwardscandal，andcometohisfather’sears。
　　“Lookhere，Anne，“hebegan，abruptly。“Ihavegotsomethingtopropose。“
　　Shelookedupathim。
　　“Whatdoyousaytoaprivatemarriage？“
　　Withoutaskingasinglequestion，withoutmakingobjections，sheansweredhim，speakingasbluntlyashehadspokenhimself：
　　“Iconsenttoaprivatemarriage。“
　　Hebegantotemporizedirectly。
　　“IownIdon’tseehowit’stobemanaged——“
　　Shestoppedhimthere。
　　“Ido!“
　　“What!“hecriedout，suspiciously。“Youhavethoughtofityourself，haveyou？“
　　“Yes。“
　　“Andplannedforit？“
　　“Andplannedforit!“
　　“Whydidn’tyoutellmesobefore？“
　　Sheansweredhaughtily；insistingontherespectwhichisduetowomen——therespectwhichwasdoublyduefrom_him，_inherposition。
　　“Because_you_oweditto_me，_Sir，tospeakfirst。“
　　“Verywell。I’vespokenfirst。Willyouwaitalittle？“
　　“Notaday!“
　　Thetonewaspositive。Therewasnomistakingit。Hermindwasmadeup。
　　“Where’sthehurry？“
　　“Haveyoueyes？“sheasked，vehemently。“Haveyouears？DoyouseehowLadyLundielooksatme？DoyouhearhowLadyLundiespeakstome？Iamsuspectedbythatwoman。Myshamefuldismissalfromthishousemaybeaquestionofafewhours。“Herheadsunkonherbosom；shewrungherclaspedhandsastheyrestedonherlap。“And，oh，Blanche!“shemoanedtoherself，thetearsgatheringagain，andfalling，thistime，unchecked。“Blanche，wholooksuptome!Blanche，wholovesme!Blanche，whotoldme，inthisveryplace，thatIwastolivewithherwhenshewasmarried!“Shestartedupfromthechair；thetearsdriedsuddenly；theharddespairsettledagain，wanandwhite，onherface。“Letmego!Whatisdeath，comparedtosuchalifeasiswaitingfor_me？_“Shelookedhimover，inonedisdainfulglancefromheadtofoot；hervoicerosetoitsloudestandfirmesttones。“Why，even_you_；wouldhavethecouragetodieifyouwereinmyplace!“
　　Geoffreyglancedroundtowardthelawn。
　　“Hush!“hesaid。“Theywillhearyou!“
　　“Letthemhearme!When_I_ampasthearing_them_，whatdoesitmatter？“
　　Heputherbackbymainforceonthechair。Inanothermomenttheymusthaveheardher，throughallthenoiseandlaughterofthegame。
　　“Saywhatyouwant，“heresumed，“andI’lldoit。Onlybereasonable。Ican’tmarryyouto-day。“
　　“Youcan!“
　　“Whatnonsenseyoutalk!Thehouseandgroundsareswarmingwithcompany。Itcan’tbe!“
　　“Itcan!Ihavebeenthinkingaboutiteversincewecametothishouse。Ihavegotsomethingtoproposetoyou。Willyouhearit，ornot？“
　　“Speaklower!“
　　“Willyouhearit，ornot？“
　　“There’ssomebodycoming!“
　　“Willyouhearit，ornot？“
　　“Thedeviltakeyourobstinacy!Yes!“
　　Theanswerhadbeenwrungfromhim。Still，itwastheanswershewanted——itopenedthedoortohope。Theinstanthehadconsentedtohearherhermindawakenedtotheseriousnecessityofavertingdiscoverybyanythirdpersonwhomightstrayidlyintothesummer-house。Sheheldupherhandforsilence，andlistenedtowhatwasgoingforwardonthelawn。
　　Thedullthumpofthecroquet-malletagainsttheballwasnolongertobeheard。Thegamehadstopped。
　　Inamomentmoresheheardherownnamecalled。Anintervalofanotherinstantpassed，andafamiliarvoicesaid，“Iknowwheresheis。I’llfetchher。“
　　SheturnedtoGeoffrey，andpointedtothebackofthesummer-house。
　　“It’smyturntoplay，“shesaid。“AndBlancheiscomingheretolookforme。Waitthere，andI’llstopheronthesteps。“
　　Shewentoutatonce。Itwasacriticalmoment。Discovery，whichmeantmoral-ruintothewoman，meantmoney-ruintotheman。
　　Geoffreyhadnotexaggeratedhispositionwithhisfather。LordHolchesterhadtwicepaidhisdebts，andhaddeclinedtoseehimsince。Onemoreoutrageonhisfather’srigidsenseofpropriety，andhewouldbeleftoutofthewillaswellaskeptoutofthehouse。Helookedforameansofretreat，incasetherewasnoescapingunperceivedbythefrontentrance。Adoor——intendedfortheuseofservants，whenpicnicsandgipsytea-partiesweregiveninthesummer-house——hadbeenmadeinthebackwall。Itopenedoutward，anditwaslocked。Withhisstrengthitwaseasytoremovethatobstacle。Heputhisshouldertothedoor。Atthemomentwhenheburstitopenhefeltahandonhisarm。Annewasbehindhim，alone。
　　“Youmaywantitbeforelong，“shesaid，observingtheopendoor，withoutexpressinganysurprise，“Youdon’twantitnow。Anotherpersonwillplayforme——IhavetoldBlancheIamnotwell。Sitdown。Ihavesecuredarespiteoffiveminutes，andImustmakethemostofit。Inthattime，orless，LadyLundie’ssuspicionswillbringherhere——toseehowIam。Forthepresent，shutthedoor。“
　　Sheseatedherself，andpointedtoasecondchair。Hetookit——withhiseyeonthecloseddoor。
　　“Cometothepoint!“hesaid，impatiently。“Whatisit？“
　　“Youcanmarrymeprivatelyto-day，“sheanswered。“Listen——andIwilltellyouhow!“