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Hester Dethridge, also, had her reasons for avoiding Anne. What did it mean? What object could there be in common between Hester and Geoffrey? There was no fathoming the meaning of it. Anne's thoughts reverted to the communication which had been secretly made to her by Blanche. It was not in womanhood to be insensible to such devotion as Sir Patrick's conduct implied.
It was only when this had been done that Blanche received any answer to her entreaties for help. Slowly and deliberately Hester Dethridge walked up to the spot where the young girl knelt with Anne's head on her bosom, and looked at the two without a trace of human emotion in her stern and stony face. "Don't you see what's happened?" cried Blanche. "Are you alive or dead?
The panic which had seized him once already in the kitchen-garden at Windygates, under the eyes of the dumb cook, had fastened its hold on him once more. Frightened absolutely frightened of Hester Dethridge! The gate bell rang. Julius had returned with the doctor. Anne gave the key to the girl to let them in.
"Don't you see how tired I am?" she said, gently. Hester Dethridge dropped the slate looked with a steady and uncompassionate attention in Anne's face nodded her head, as much as to say, "I see it now" and led the way into one of the empty rooms. It was the front bedroom, over the drawing-room. The first glance round showed it to be scrupulously clean, and solidly and tastelessly furnished.
She put her lighted candle in a safe position, and laid down on the bed. In less than five minutes, she was in a deep sleep. The church clock struck the quarter to eleven. Hester Dethridge showed herself at the back garden door. Geoffrey crossed the lawn, and joined her. The light of the lamp in the passage fell on his face. She started back from the sight of it. "What's wrong?" he asked.
Anne said to herself, meeting Hester on the upper floor, and receiving from her a letter in Blanche's handwriting, delivered to the mistress of the cottage by the postman, who had met her at her own gate. Having given the letter to Anne, Hester Dethridge withdrew to her bedroom.
Sir Patrick's letter had produced some impression on her, which the sensitive nature of the woman seemed to shrink from acknowledging, even to herself. They turned back to enter the cottage. At the door they were met by a surprise. Hester Dethridge, with her bonnet on dressed, at that hour of the morning, to go out! "Are you going to market already?" Anne asked. Hester shook her head.
I am equally ignorant of what you mean when you speak of defending your good name. All I understand is, that we are separate persons in this house, and that I am to have a room of my own. I am grateful, whatever your motives may be, for the arrangement that you have proposed. Direct one of these two women to show me my room." Geoffrey turned to Hester Dethridge.
The eyes of Hester Dethridge steadily read the worn white face, telling its own tale of sorrow mutely on Blanche's breast. The mind of Hester Dethridge steadily looked back at her own knowledge of her own miserable married life. She again returned to writing on her slate again showed the written words to Blanche. "Brought to it by a man. Let her be and God will take her."
As she read the last three words, Anne heard the garden door below opened and banged to again. She caught Hester Dethridge by the arm, and listened. The tramp of Geoffrey's feet, staggering heavily in the passage, gave token of his approach to the stairs. He was talking to himself, still possessed by the delusion that he was at the foot-race. "Five to four on Delamayn. Delamayn's won.
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