ButwhenIcametothinkthematterovermyconsciencereproachedmebitterlyforhavingonanypretextallowedhimtogooutofmysight。
IimaginedwhatmyfeelingswouldbeifIhadtoreturntoyouandtoconfessthatsomemisfortunehadoccurredthroughmydisregardforyourinstructions。
Iassureyoumycheeksflushedattheverythought。Itmightnotevennowbetoolatetoovertakehim，soIsetoffatonceinthedirectionofMerripitHouse。
IhurriedalongtheroadatthetopofmyspeedwithoutseeinganythingofSirHenry，untilIcametothepointwherethemoorpathbranchesoff。There，fearingthatperhapsIhadcomeinthewrongdirectionafterall，ImountedahillfromwhichIcouldcommandaview—thesamehillwhichiscutintothedarkquarry。ThenceIsawhimatonce。Hewasonthemoorpathaboutaquarterofamileoff，andaladywasbyhissidewhocouldonlybeMissStapleton。Itwasclearthattherewasalreadyanunderstandingbetweenthemandthattheyhadmetbyappointment。Theywerewalkingslowlyalongindeepconversation，andIsawhermakingquicklittlemovementsofherhandsasifshewereveryearnestinwhatshewassaying，whilehelistenedintently，andonceortwiceshookhisheadinstrongdissent。Istoodamongtherockswatchingthem，verymuchpuzzledastowhatIshoulddonext。Tofollowthemandbreakintotheirintimateconversationseemedtobeanoutrage，andyetmycleardutywasneverforaninstanttolethimoutofmysight。Toactthespyuponafriendwasahatefultask。Still，Icouldseenobettercoursethantoobservehimfromthehill，andtoclearmyconsciencebyconfessingtohimafterwardswhatI
haddone。ItistruethatifanysuddendangerhadthreatenedhimIwastoofarawaytobeofuse，andyetIamsurethatyouwillagreewithmethatthepositionwasverydifficult，andthattherewasnothingmorewhichIcoulddo。