Atlast，moredisappointedthanhecaredtoown，hesaid，’Mrs。
Harnham，mydarlingissoflurriedthatshedoesn’tknowwhatsheisdoingorsaying。Iseethatafterthiseventalittlequietudewillbenecessarybeforeshegivestonguetothattenderphilosophywhichsheusedtotreatmetoinherletters。’
TheyhadplannedtostartearlythatafternoonforKnollsea，tospendthefewopeningdaysoftheirmarriedlifethere，andasthehourfordeparturewasdrawingnearRayeaskedhiswifeifshewouldgotothewriting-deskinthenextroomandscribblealittlenotetohissister，whohadbeenunabletoattendthroughindisposition，informingherthattheceremonywasover，thankingherforherlittlepresent，andhopingtoknowherwellnowthatshewasthewriter’ssisteraswellasCharles’s。
’Sayitintheprettypoeticalwayyouknowsowellhowtoadopt，’headded，’forIwantyouparticularlytowinher，andbothofyoutobedearfriends。’
Annalookeduneasy，butdepartedtohertask，Rayeremainingtotalktotheirguest。Annawasalongwhileabsent，andherhusbandsuddenlyroseandwenttoher。
Hefoundherstillbendingoverthewriting-table，withtearsbrimmingupinhereyes；andhelookeddownuponthesheetofnote-
paperwithsomeinterest，todiscoverwithwhattactshehadexpressedhergood-willinthedelicatecircumstances。Tohissurpriseshehadprogressedbutafewlines，inthecharactersandspellingofachildofeight，andwiththeideasofagoose。
’Anna，’hesaid，staring；’what’sthis？’
’Itonlymeans——thatIcan’tdoitanybetter!’sheanswered，throughhertears。
’Eh？Nonsense!’
’Ican’t!’sheinsisted，withmiserable，sobbinghardihood。’I——I——
didn’twritethoseletters，Charles!IonlytoldHERwhattowrite!
Andnotalwaysthat!ButIamlearning，Osofast，mydear，dearhusband!Andyou’llforgiveme，won’tyou，fornottellingyoubefore？’Sheslidtoherknees，abjectlyclaspedhiswaistandlaidherfaceagainsthim。
Hestoodafewmoments，raisedher，abruptlyturned，andshutthedooruponher，rejoiningEdithinthedrawing-room。Shesawthatsomethinguntowardhadbeendiscovered，andtheireyesremainedfixedoneachother。
’DoIguessrightly？’heasked，withwanquietude。’YOUwereherscribethroughallthis？’
’Itwasnecessary，’saidEdith。
’Didshedictateeverywordyoueverwrotetome？’
’Noteveryword。’
’Infact，verylittle？’
’Verylittle。’
’Youwroteagreatpartofthosepageseveryweekfromyourownconceptions，thoughinhername!’
’Yes。’
’Perhapsyouwrotemanyoftheletterswhenyouwerealone，withoutcommunicationwithher？’
’Idid。’
Heturnedtothebookcase，andleantwithhishandoverhisface；andEdith，seeinghisdistress，becamewhiteasasheet。
’Youhavedeceivedme——ruinedme!’hemurmured。
’O，don’tsayit!’shecriedinheranguish，jumpingupandputtingherhandonhisshoulder。’Ican’tbearthat!’
’Delightingmedeceptively!Whydidyoudoit——WHYdidyou!’
’Ibegandoingitinkindnesstoher!HowcouldIdootherwisethantrytosavesuchasimplegirlfrommisery？ButIadmitthatI
continueditforpleasuretomyself。’
Rayelookedup。’Whydiditgiveyoupleasure？’heasked。
’Imustnottell，’saidshe。
Hecontinuedtoregardher，andsawthatherlipssuddenlybegantoquiverunderhisscrutiny，andhereyestofillanddroop。Shestartedaside，andsaidthatshemustgotothestationtocatchthereturntrain：couldacabbecalledimmediately？
ButRayewentuptoher，andtookherunresistinghand。’Well，tothinkofsuchathingasthis!’hesaid。’Why，youandIarefriends——lovers——devotedlovers——bycorrespondence!’
’Yes；Isuppose。’
’More。’
’More？’
’Plainlymore。Itisnouseblinkingthat。LegallyIhavemarriedher——Godhelpusboth!——insoulandspiritIhavemarriedyou，andnootherwomanintheworld!’
’Hush!’
’ButIwillnothush!Whyshouldyoutrytodisguisethefulltruth，whenyouhavealreadyownedhalfofit？Yes，itisbetweenyouandmethatthebondis——notbetweenmeandher!NowI’llsaynomore。
But，Omycruelone，IthinkIhaveoneclaimuponyou!’
Shedidnotsaywhat，andhedrewhertowardshim，andbentoverher。
’Ifitwasallpureinventioninthoseletters，’hesaidemphatically，’givemeyourcheekonly。Ifyoumeantwhatyousaid，letitbelips。Itisforthefirstandlasttime，remember!’
Sheputuphermouth，andhekissedherlong。’Youforgiveme？’shesaidcrying。
’Yes。’
’Butyouareruined!’
’Whatmatter!’hesaidshrugginghisshoulders。’Itservesmeright!’
Shewithdrew，wipedhereyes，enteredandbadegood-byetoAnna，whohadnotexpectedhertogososoon，andwasstillwrestlingwiththeletter。RayefollowedEdithdownstairs，andinthreeminutesshewasinahansomdrivingtotheWaterloostation。
Hewentbacktohiswife。’Nevermindtheletter，Anna，to-day，’hesaidgently。’Putonyourthings。We，too，mustbeoffshortly。’
Thesimplegirl，upheldbythesensethatshewasindeedmarried，showedherdelightatfindingthathewasaskindaseverafterthedisclosure。Shedidnotknowthatbeforehiseyeshebeheldasitwereagalley，inwhichhe，thefastidiousurban，waschainedtoworkfortheremainderofhislife，withher，theunletteredpeasant，chainedtohisside。
EdithtravelledbacktoMelchesterthatdaywithafacethatshowedtheverystuporofgrief；herlipsstilltinglingfromthedesperatepressureofhiskiss。Theendofherimpassioneddreamhadcome。
WhenatduskshereachedtheMelchesterstationherhusbandwastheretomeether，butinhisperfunctorinessandherpreoccupationtheydidnotseeeachother，andshewentoutofthestationalone。
Shewalkedmechanicallyhomewardswithoutcallingafly。Entering，shecouldnotbearthesilenceofthehouse，andwentupinthedarktowhereAnnahadslept，wheresheremainedthinkingawhile。Shethenreturnedtothedrawing-room，andnotknowingwhatshedid，croucheddownuponthefloor。
’Ihaveruinedhim!’shekeptrepeating。’Ihaveruinedhim；becauseIwouldnotdealtreacherouslytowardsher!’
Inthecourseofhalfanhourafigureopenedthedooroftheapartment。
’Ah——who’sthat？’shesaid，startingup，foritwasdark。
’Yourhusband——whoshoulditbe？’saidtheworthymerchant。
’Ah——myhusband!——IforgotIhadahusband!’shewhisperedtoherself。
’Imissedyouatthestation，’hecontinued。’DidyouseeAnnasafelytiedup？Ihopeso，for’twastime。’
’Yes——Annaismarried。’
SimultaneouslywithEdith’sjourneyhomeAnnaandherhusbandweresittingattheoppositewindowsofasecond-classcarriagewhichspedalongtoKnollsea。Inhishandwasapocket-bookfullofcreasedsheetscloselywrittenover。Unfoldingthemoneafteranotherhereadtheminsilence，andsighed。
’Whatareyoudoing，dearCharles？’shesaidtimidlyfromtheotherwindow，anddrewnearertohimasifhewereagod。
’Readingoverallthosesweetletterstomesigned“Anna，“’herepliedwithdrearyresignation。
Autumn1891。
TOPLEASEHISWIFE
TheinteriorofSt。James’sChurch，inHavenpoolTown，wasslowlydarkeningundertheclosecloudsofawinterafternoon。ItwasSunday：servicehadjustended，thefaceoftheparsoninthepulpitwasburiedinhishands，andthecongregation，withacheerfulsighofrelease，wererisingfromtheirkneestodepart。
Forthemomentthestillnesswassocompletethatthesurgingoftheseacouldbeheardoutsidetheharbour-bar。Thenitwasbrokenbythefootstepsoftheclerkgoingtowardsthewestdoortoopenitintheusualmannerfortheexitoftheassembly。Before，however，hehadreachedthedoorway，thelatchwasliftedfromwithout，andthedarkfigureofamaninasailor’sgarbappearedagainstthelight。
Theclerksteppedaside，thesailorclosedthedoorgentlybehindhim，andadvancedupthenavetillhestoodatthechancel-step。Theparsonlookedupfromtheprivatelittleprayerwhich，aftersomanyfortheparish，hequitefairlytookforhimself；rosetohisfeet，andstaredattheintruder。
’Ibegyourpardon，sir，’saidthesailor，addressingtheministerinavoicedistinctlyaudibletoallthecongregation。’Ihavecomeheretoofferthanksformynarrowescapefromshipwreck。Iamgiventounderstandthatitisaproperthingtodo，ifyouhavenoobjection？’
Theparson，afteramoment’spause，saidhesitatingly，’Ihavenoobjection；certainly。Itisusualtomentionanysuchwishbeforeservice，sothattheproperwordsmaybeusedintheGeneralThanksgiving。But，ifyouwish，wecanreadfromtheformforuseafterastormatsea。’
’Ay，sure；Iain’tparticular，’saidthesailor。
Theclerkthereupondirectedthesailortothepageintheprayer-
bookwherethecollectofthanksgivingwouldbefound，andtherectorbeganreadingit，thesailorkneelingwherehestood，andrepeatingitafterhimwordbywordinadistinctvoice。Thepeople，whohadremainedagapeandmotionlessattheproceeding，mechanicallykneltdownlikewise；buttheycontinuedtoregardtheisolatedformofthesailorwho，intheprecisemiddleofthechancel-step，remainedfixedonhisknees，facingtheeast，hishatbesidehim，hishandsjoined，andhequiteunconsciousofhisappearanceintheirregard。
Whenhisthanksgivinghadcometoanendherose；thepeoplerosealso，andallwentoutofchurchtogether。Assoonasthesailoremerged，sothattheremainingdaylightfelluponhisface，oldinhabitantsbegantorecognizehimasnootherthanShadrachJolliffe，ayoungmanwhohadnotbeenseenatHavenpoolforseveralyears。Asonofthetown，hisparentshaddiedwhenhewasquiteyoung，onwhichaccounthehadearlygonetosea，intheNewfoundlandtrade。
Hetalkedwiththisandthattownsmanashewalked，informingthemthat，sinceleavinghisnativeplaceyearsbefore，hehadbecomecaptainandownerofasmallcoasting-ketch，whichhadprovidentiallybeensavedfromthegaleaswellashimself。Presentlyhedrewneartotwogirlswhoweregoingoutofthechurchyardinfrontofhim；
theyhadbeensittinginthenaveathisentry，andhadwatchedhisdoingswithdeepinterest，afterwardsdiscussinghimastheymovedoutofchurchtogether。Onewasaslightandgentlecreature，theotheratall，large-framed，deliberativegirl。CaptainJollifferegardedtheloosecurlsoftheirhair，theirbacksandshoulders，downtotheirheels，forsometime。