TherewasastrangeanxietyinhermannerwhichdidnotescapeMrs。
Harnham，andultimatelyresolveditselfintoafloodoftears。
SinkingdownatEdith’sknees，shemadeconfessionthattheresultofherrelationswithherloveritwouldsoonbecomenecessarytodisclose。
EdithHarnhamwasgenerousenoughtobeveryfarfrominclinedtocastAnnaadriftatthisconjuncture。Notruewomaneverissoinclinedfromherownpersonalpointofview，howeverpromptshemaybeintakingsuchstepstosafeguardthosedeartoher。AlthoughshehadwrittentoRayesoshortatimepreviously，sheinstantlypennedanotherAnna-notehintingclearlythoughdelicatelythestateofaffairs。
Rayerepliedbyahastylinetosayhowmuchhewasaffectedbyhernews：hefeltthathemustrundowntoseeheralmostimmediately。
Butaweeklaterthegirlcametohermistress’sroomwithanothernote，whichonbeingreadinformedherthatafterallhecouldnotfindtimeforthejourney。Annawasbrokenwithgrief；butbyMrs。
Harnham’scounselstrictlyrefrainedfromhurlingathimthereproachesandbitternesscustomaryfromyoungwomensosituated。
Onethingwasimperative：tokeeptheyoungman’sromanticinterestinheralive。RatherthereforedidEdith，inthenameofherprotegee，requesthimonnoaccounttobedistressedabouttheloomingevent，andnottoinconveniencehimselftohastendown。Shedesiredaboveeverythingtobenoweightuponhiminhiscareer，nocloguponhishighactivities。Shehadwishedhimtoknowwhathadbefallen：hewastodismissitagainfromhismind。Onlyhemustwritetenderlyasever，andwhenheshouldcomeagainonthespringcircuititwouldbesoonenoughtodiscusswhathadbetterbedone。
ItmaywellbesupposedthatAnna’sownfeelingshadnotbeenquiteinaccordwiththesegenerousexpressions；butthemistress’sjudgmenthadruled，andAnnahadacquiesced。’AllIwantisthatNICENESSyoucansowellputintoyourletters，mydear，dearmistress，andthatIcan’tforthelifeo’memakeupoutofmyownhead；thoughImeanthesamethingandfeelitexactlywhenyou’vewrittenitdown!’
Whentheletterhadbeensentoff，andEdithHarnhamwasleftalone，shebowedherselfonthebackofherchairandwept。
’Iwishitwasmine——Iwishitwas!’shemurmured。’YethowcanI
saysuchawickedthing!’
ThelettermovedRayeconsiderablywhenitreachedhim。Theintelligenceitselfhadaffectedhimlessthanherunexpectedmanneroftreatinghiminrelationtoit。Theabsenceofanywordofreproach，thedevotiontohisinterests，theself-sacrificeapparentineveryline，allmadeupanobilityofcharacterthathehadneverdreamtoffindinginwomankind。
’Godforgiveme!’hesaidtremulously。’Ihavebeenawickedwretch。
Ididnotknowshewassuchatreasureasthis!’
Hereassuredherinstantly；declaringthathewouldnotofcoursedeserther，thathewouldprovideahomeforhersomewhere。
Meanwhileshewastostaywhereshewasaslongashermistresswouldallowher。
Butamisfortunesupervenedinthisdirection。WhetheraninklingofAnna’scircumstancesreachedtheknowledgeofMrs。Harnham’shusbandornotcannotbesaid，butthegirlwascompelled，inspiteofEdith’sentreaties，toleavethehouse。ByherownchoiceshedecidedtogobackforawhiletothecottageonthePlain。Thisarrangementledtoaconsultationastohowthecorrespondenceshouldbecarriedon；andinthegirl’sinabilitytocontinuepersonallywhathadbeenbeguninhername，andinthedifficultyoftheiractinginconcertasheretofore，sherequestedMrs。Harnham——theonlywell-to-dofriendshehadintheworld——toreceivethelettersandreplytothemoff-hand，sendingthemonafterwardstoherselfonthePlain，whereshemightatleastgetsomeneighbourtoreadthemtoher，ifatrustworthyonecouldbemetwith。AnnaandherboxthendepartedforthePlain。
ThusitbefelthatEdithHarnhamfoundherselfinthestrangepositionofhavingtocorrespond，undernosupervisionbytherealwoman，withamannotherhusband，intermswhichwerevirtuallythoseofawife，concerningaconditionthatwasnotEdith’satall；
themanbeingoneforwhom，mainlythroughthesympathiesinvolvedinplayingthispart，shesecretlycherishedapredilection，subtleandimaginativetruly，butstrongandabsorbing。Sheopenedeachletter，readitasifintendedforherself，andrepliedfromthepromptingsofherownheartandnoother。
Throughoutthiscorrespondence，carriedoninthegirl’sabsence，thehigh-strungEdithHarnhamlivedintheecstasyoffancy；thevicariousintimacyengenderedsuchaflowofpassionatenessaswasneverexceeded。Forconscience’sakeEdithatfirstsentoneachofhisletterstoAnna，andevenroughcopiesofherreplies；butlaterontheseso-calledcopiesweremuchabridged，andmanylettersonbothsideswerenotsentonatall。
Thoughselfish，and，superficiallyatleast，infestedwiththeself-
indulgentvicesofartificialsociety，therewasasubstratumofhonestyandfairnessinRaye’scharacter。Hehadreallyatenderregardforthecountrygirl，anditgrewmoretenderthaneverwhenhefoundherapparentlycapableofexpressingthedeepestsensibilitiesinthesimplestwords。Hemeditated，hewavered；andfinallyresolvedtoconsulthissister，amaidenladymucholderthanhimself，oflivelysympathiesandgoodintent。Inmakingthisconfidenceheshowedhersomeoftheletters。
’Sheseemsfairlyeducated，’MissRayeobserved。’Andbrightinideas。Sheexpressesherselfwithatastethatmustbeinnate。’
’Yes。Shewritesveryprettily，doesn’tshe，thankstotheseelementaryschools？’
’Oneisdrawnouttowardsher，inspiteofone’sself，poorthing。’
Theupshotofthediscussionwasthatthoughhehadnotbeendirectlyadvisedtodoit，Rayewrote，inhisrealname，whathewouldneverhavedecidedtowriteonhisownresponsibility；namelythathecouldnotlivewithouther，andwouldcomedowninthespringandshelveherloomingdifficultybymarryingher。
ThisboldacceptanceofthesituationwasmadeknowntoAnnabyMrs。
HarnhamdrivingoutimmediatelytothecottageonthePlain。Annajumpedforjoylikealittlechild。Andpoor，crudedirectionsforansweringappropriatelyweregiventoEdithHarnham，whoonherreturntothecitycarriedthemoutwithwarmintensification。
’O!’shegroaned，asshethrewdownthepen。’Anna——poorgoodlittlefool——hasn’tintelligenceenoughtoappreciatehim!Howshouldshe？
WhileI——don’tbearhischild!’
ItwasnowFebruary。Thecorrespondencehadcontinuedaltogetherforfourmonths；andthenextletterfromRayecontainedincidentallyastatementofhispositionandprospects。Hesaidthatinofferingtowedherhehad，atfirst，contemplatedthestepofretiringfromaprofessionwhichhithertohadbroughthimveryslightemolument，andwhich，tospeakplainly，hehadthoughtmightbedifficultofpracticeafterhisunionwithher。Buttheunexpectedminesofbrightnessandwarmththatherlettershaddisclosedtobelurkinginhersweetnaturehadledhimtoabandonthatsomewhatsadprospect。
Hefeltsurethat，withherpowersofdevelopment，afteralittleprivatetraininginthesocialformsofLondonunderhissupervision，andalittlehelpfromagovernessifnecessary，shewouldmakeasgoodaprofessionalman’swifeascouldbedesired，evenifheshouldrisetothewoolsack。ManyaLordChancellor’swifehadbeenlessintuitivelyaladythanshehadshownherselftobeinherlinestohim。
’O——poorfellow，poorfellow!’mournedEdithHarnham。
Herdistressnowragedashighasherinfatuation。Itwasshewhohadwroughthimtothispitch——toamarriagewhichmeanthisruin；
yetshecouldnot，inmercytohermaid，doanythingtohinderhisplan。AnnawascomingtoMelchesterthatweek，butshecouldhardlyshowthegirlthislastreplyfromtheyoungman；ittoldtoomuchofthesecondindividualitythathadusurpedtheplaceofthefirst。
Annacame，andhermistresstookherintoherownroomforprivacy。
Annabeganbysayingwithsomeanxietythatshewasgladtheweddingwassonear。
’OAnna!’repliedMrs。Harnham。’Ithinkwemusttellhimall——thatIhavebeendoingyourwritingforyou？——lestheshouldnotknowittillafteryoubecomehiswife，anditmightleadtodissensionandrecriminations——’
’Omis’ess，dearmis’ess——pleasedon’ttellhimnow!’criedAnnaindistress。’Ifyouweretodoit，perhapshewouldnotmarryme；andwhatshouldIdothen？Itwouldbeterriblewhatwouldcometome!
AndIamgettingonwithmywriting，too。Ihavebroughtwithmethecopybookyouweresogoodastogiveme，andIpractiseeveryday，andthoughitisso，sohard，Ishalldoitwellatlast，Ibelieve，ifIkeepontrying。’
Edithlookedatthecopybook。Thecopieshadbeensetbyherself，andsuchprogressasthegirlhadmadewasinthewayofgrotesquefacsimileofhermistress’shand。ButevenifEdith’sflowingcaligraphywerereproducedtheinspirationwouldbeanotherthing。
’Youdoitsobeautifully，’continuedAnna，’andsayallthatIwanttosaysomuchbetterthanIcouldsayit，thatIdohopeyouwon’tleavemeinthelurchjustnow!’
’Verywell，’repliedtheother。’ButI——butIthoughtIoughtnottogoon!’
’Why？’
HerstrongdesiretoconfidehersentimentsledEdithtoanswertruly：
’Becauseofitseffectuponme。’
’ButitCAN’Thaveany!’
’Why，child？’
’Becauseyouaremarriedalready!’saidAnnawithlucidsimplicity。
’Ofcourseitcan’t，’saidhermistresshastily；yetglad，despiteherconscience，thattwoorthreeoutpouringsstillremainedtoher。
’ButyoumustconcentrateyourattentiononwritingyournameasI
writeithere。’
SoonRayewroteaboutthewedding。Havingdecidedtomakethebestofwhathefearedwasapieceofromanticfolly，hehadacquiredmorezestforthegrandexperiment。HewishedtheceremonytobeinLondon，forgreaterprivacy。EdithHarnhamwouldhavepreferreditatMelchester；Annawaspassive。Hisreasoningprevailed，andMrs。
HarnhamthrewherselfwithmournfulzealintothepreparationsforAnna’sdeparture。Inalastdesperatefeelingthatshemustateveryhazardbeinatthedeathofherdream，andseeonceagainthemanwhobyaspeciesoftelepathyhadexercisedsuchaninfluenceonher，sheofferedtogoupwithAnnaandbewithherthroughtheceremony——
’toseetheendofher，’ashermistressputitwithforcedgaiety；
anofferwhichthegirlgratefullyaccepted；forshehadnootherfriendcapableofplayingthepartofcompanionandwitness，inthepresenceofagentlemanlybridegroom，insuchawayasnottohastenanopinionthathehadmadeanirremediablesocialblunder。
ItwasamuddymorninginMarchwhenRayealightedfromafour-wheelcabatthedoorofaregistry-officeintheS。W。districtofLondon，andcarefullyhandeddownAnnaandhercompanionMrs。Harnham。AnnalookedattractiveinthesomewhatfashionableclotheswhichMrs。
Harnhamhadhelpedhertobuy，thoughnotquitesoattractiveas，aninnocentchild，shehadappearedinhercountrygownonthebackofthewoodenhorseatMelchesterFair。
Mrs。Harnhamhadcomeupthismorningbyanearlytrain，andayoungman——afriendofRaye’s——havingmetthematthedoor，allfourenteredtheregistry-officetogether。TillanhourbeforethistimeRayehadneverknownthewine-merchant’swife，exceptatthatfirstcasualencounter，andintheflutteroftheperformancebeforethemhehadlittleopportunityformorethanabriefacquaintance。Thecontractofmarriageataregistryissoongotthrough；butsomehow，duringitsprogress，RayediscoveredastrangeandsecretgravitationbetweenhimselfandAnna’sfriend。
Theformalitiesofthewedding——orratherratificationofapreviousunion——beingconcluded，thefourwentinonecabtoRaye’slodgings，newlytakeninanewsuburbinpreferencetoahouse，therentofwhichhecouldillaffordjustthen。HereAnnacutthelittlecakewhichRayehadboughtatapastrycook’sonhiswayhomefromLincoln’sInnthenightbefore。Butshedidnotdomuchbesides。
Raye’sfriendwasobligedtodepartalmostimmediately，andwhenhehadlefttheonlyonesvirtuallypresentwereEdithandRayewhoexchangedideaswithmuchanimation。Theconversationwasindeedtheirsonly，Annabeingasadomesticanimalwhohumblyheardbutunderstoodnot。Rayeseemedstartledinawakeningtothisfact，andbegantofeeldissatisfiedwithherinadequacy。