as they were, failed to convince her. The presentiment
of some hidden treachery, steadily getting nearer and nearer to her in
the dark, had rooted itself firmly in her mind. She sat down, and tried
to trace her way back to the clew, through the earlier events of the
day.

The effort was fruitless: nothing definite, nothing tangible, rewarded
it. Worse still, a new doubt grew out of it--a doubt whether the motive
which Sir Patrick had avowed (through Blanche) was the motive for
helping her which was really in his mind.

Did he sincerely believe Geoffrey's conduct to be animated by no worse
object than a mercenary object? and was his only purpose in planning to
remove her out of her husband's reach, to force Geoffrey's consent to
their separation on the terms which Julius had proposed? Was this really
the sole end that he had in view? or was he secretly convinced (knowing
Anne's position as he knew it) that she was in personal danger at the
cottage? and had he considerately kept that conviction concealed, in
the fear that he might otherwise encourage her to feel alarmed about
herself? She looked round the strange room, in the silence of the
night, and she felt that the latter interpretation was the likeliest
interpretation of the two.

The sounds caused by the closing of the doors and windows reached her
from the ground-floor. What was to be done?

It was impossible, to show the signal which had been agreed on to Sir
Patrick and Arnold. The window in which they expected to see it was
the window of the room in which the fire had broken out--the room which
Hester Dethridge had locked up for the night.

It was equally hopeless to wait until the policeman passed on his beat,
and to call for help. Even if she could prevail upon herself to make
that open acknowledgment of distrust under her husband's roof, and even
if help was near, what valid reason could she give for raising an alarm?
There was not the shadow of a reason to justify any one in placing her
under the protection of the law.

As a last resource, impelled by her blind distrust of the change in the
position of the bed, she attempted to move it. The utmost exertion of
her strength did not suffice to stir the heavy piece of furniture out of
its place, by so much as a hair's breadth.

There was no alternative but to trust to the security of the locked
and bolted door, and to keep watch through the night--certain that Sir
Patrick and Arnold were, on their part,