第137章

“Iaskyouwhyyouhavemovedit。“

Shewrotethesefourwordsontheslate：“Thewallisdamp。“

Annelookedatthewall。Therewasnosignofdamponthepaper。

Shepassedherhandoverit。Feelwhereshemight，thewallwasdry。

“Thatisnotyourreason，“shesaid。

Hesterstoodimmovable。

“Thereisnodampnessinthewall。“

Hesterpointedpersistentlywithherpenciltothefourwords，stillwithoutlookingup——waitedamomentforAnnetoreadthemagain——andlefttheroom。

Itwasplainlyuselesstocallherback。Anne’sfirstimpulsewhenshewasaloneagainwastosecurethedoor。Shenotonlylockedit，butbolteditattopandbottom。Themortiseofthelockandthestaplesofthebolts，whenshetriedthem，werefirm。Thelurkingtreachery——whereverelseitmightbe——wasnotinthefasteningsofthedoor。

Shelookedallroundtheroom；examiningthefireplace，thewindowanditsshutters，theinteriorofthewardrobe，thehiddenspaceunderthebed。Nothingwasanywheretobediscoveredwhichcouldjustifythemosttimidpersonlivinginfeelingsuspicionoralarm。

Appearances，fairastheywere，failedtoconvinceher。Thepresentimentofsomehiddentreachery，steadilygettingnearerandnearertoherinthedark，hadrooteditselffirmlyinhermind。Shesatdown，andtriedtotraceherwaybacktotheclew，throughtheearliereventsoftheday。

Theeffortwasfruitless：nothingdefinite，nothingtangible，rewardedit。Worsestill，anewdoubtgrewoutofit——adoubtwhetherthemotivewhichSirPatrickhadavowed(throughBlanche)

wasthemotiveforhelpingherwhichwasreallyinhismind。

DidhesincerelybelieveGeoffrey’sconducttobeanimatedbynoworseobjectthanamercenaryobject？andwashisonlypurposeinplanningtoremoveheroutofherhusband’sreach，toforceGeoffrey’sconsenttotheirseparationonthetermswhichJuliushadproposed？Wasthisreallythesoleendthathehadinview？

orwashesecretlyconvinced(knowingAnne’spositionasheknewit)thatshewasinpersonaldangeratthecottage？andhadheconsideratelykeptthatconvictionconcealed，inthefearthathemightotherwiseencouragehertofeelalarmedaboutherself？Shelookedroundthestrangeroom，inthesilenceofthenight，andshefeltthatthelatterinterpretationwasthelikeliestinterpretationofthetwo。

Thesoundscausedbytheclosingofthedoorsandwindowsreachedherfromtheground-floor。W