Thepangpassed，andnothingbutthedullnumbingpainofitremained。
IfeltMissHalcombe’shandagain，tighteningitsholdonmyarm——Iraisedmyheadandlookedather。Herlargeblackeyeswererootedonme，watchingthewhitechangeonmyface，whichIfelt，andwhichshesaw。
`Crushit！’shesaid。`Here，whereyoufirstsawher，crushit！Don’tshrinkunderitlikeawoman。Tearitout；trampleitunderfootlikeaman！’
Thesuppressedvehemencewithwhichshespoke，thestrengthwhichherwill——concentratedinthelookshefixedonme，andintheholdonmyarmthatshehadnotyetrelinquished——communicatedtomine，steadiedme。Webothwaitedforaminuteinsilence。AttheendofthattimeIhadjustifiedhergenerousfaithinmymanhood——Ihad，outwardlyatleast，recoveredmyself-control。
`Areyouyourselfagain？’
`Enoughmyself，MissHalcombe，toaskyourpardonandhers。Enoughtobeguidedbyyouradvice，andtoprovemygratitudeinthatway，ifIcanproveitinnoother。’
`Youhaveproveditalready，’sheanswered，`bythosewords。MrHartright，concealmentisatanendbetweenus。Icannotaffecttohidefromyouwhatmysisterhasunconsciouslyshowntome。Youmustleaveusforhersake，aswellasforyourown。Yourpresencehere，yournecessaryintimacywithus，harmlessasithasbeen，Godknows，inallotherrespects，hasunsteadiedherandmadeherwretched。I，wholoveherbetterthanmyownlife——I，whohavelearnttobelieveinthatpure，noble，innocentnatureasIbelieveinmyreligion——knowbuttoowellthesecretmiseryofself-reproachthatshehasbeensufferingsincethefirstshadowofafeelingdisloyaltohermarriageengagemententeredherheartinspiteofher。Idon’tsay——itwouldbeuselesstoattempttosayitafterwhathashappened——
thatherengagementhaseverhadastrongholdonheraffections。Itisanengagementofhonour，notoflove；herfathersanctioneditonhisdeathbed，twoyearssince；sheherselfneitherwelcomeditnorshrankfromit——
shewascontenttomakeit。Tillyoucamehereshewasinthepositionofhundredsofotherwomen，whomarrymenwithoutbeinggreatlyattractedtothemorgreatlyrepelledbythem，andwholearntolovethemwhentheydon’tlearntohate！aftermarriage，insteadofbefore。Ihopemoreearnestlythanwordscansay——andyoushouldhavetheself-sacrificingcouragetohopetoo——thatthenewthoughtsandfeelingswhichhavedisturbedtheoldcalmnessandtheoldcontenthavenottakenroottoodeeplytobeeverremoved。YourabsenceifIhadlessbeliefinyourhonour，andyourcourage，andyoursense，IshouldnottrusttothemasIamtrustingnow——yourabsencewillhelpmyefforts，andtimewillhelpusallthree。
Itissomethingtoknowthatmyfirstconfidenceinyouwasnotallmisplaced。
Itissomethingtoknowthatyouwillnotbelesshonest，lessmanly，lessconsideratetowardsthepupilwhoserelationtoyourselfyouhavehadthemisfortunetoforget，thantowardsthestrangerandtheoutcastwhoseappealtoyouwasnotmadeinvain。’
Againthechancereferencetothewomaninwhite！WastherenopossibilityofspeakingofMissFairlieandofmewithoutraisingthememoryofAnneCatherick，andsettingherbetweenuslikeafatalitythatitwashopelesstoavoid？
`TellmewhatapologyIcanmaketoMrFairlieforbreakingmyengagement，’
Isaid。`Tellmewhentogoafterthatapologyisaccepted。Ipromiseimplicitobediencetoyouandtoyouradvice。
`Timeiseverywayofimportance，’sheanswered。`YouheardmereferthismorningtoMondaynext，andtothenecessityofsettingthepurpleroominorder。ThevisitorwhomweexpectonMonday——’
Icouldnotwaitforhertobemoreexplicit。KnowingwhatIknewnow，thememoryofMissFairlie’slookandmanneratthebreakfast-tabletoldmethattheexpectedvisitoratLimmeridgeHousewasherfuturehusband。
Itriedtoforceitback；butsomethingrosewithinmeatthatmomentstrongerthanmyownwill，andIinterruptedMissHalcombe。
`Letmegotoday，’Isaidbitterly。`Thesoonerthebetter。’
`No，nottoday，’shereplied。`TheonlyreasonyoucanassigntoMrFairlieforyourdeparture，beforetheendofyourengagement，mustbethatanunforeseennecessitycompelsyoutoaskhispermissiontoreturnatoncetoLondon。Youmustwaittilltomorrowtotellhimthat，atthetimewhenthepostcomesin，becausehewillthenunderstandthesuddenchangeinyourplans，byassociatingitwiththearrivalofaletterfromLondon。Itismiserableandsickeningtodescendtodeceit，evenofthemostharmlesskind——butIknowMrFairlie，andifyouonceexcitehissuspicionsthatyouaretriflingwithhim，hewillrefusetoreleaseyou。
SpeaktohimonFridaymorning：occupyyourselfafterwardsforthesakeofyourowninterestswithyouremployerinleavingyourunfinishedworkinaslittleconfusionaspossible，andquitthisplaceonSaturday。Itwillbetimeenoughthen，MrHartright，foryou，andforallofus。’
BeforeIcouldassureherthatshemightdependonmyactinginthestrictestaccordancewithherwishes，wewerebothstartledbyadvancingfootstepsintheshrubbery。Someonewascomingfromthehousetoseekforus！Ifeltthebloodrushintomycheeksandthenleavethemagain。Couldthethirdpersonwhowasfastapproachingus，atsuchatimeandundersuchcircumstances，beMissFairlie？
Itwasarelief——sosadly，sohopelesslywasmypositiontowardsherchangedalready——itwasabsolutelyarelieftome，whenthepersonwhohaddisturbedusappearedattheentranceofthesummer-house，andprovedtobeonlyMissFairlie’smaid。
`CouldIspeaktoyouforamoment，miss？’saidthegirl，inratheraflurried，unsettledmanner。
MissHalcombedescendedthestepsintotheshrubbery，andwalkedasideafewpaceswiththemaid。
Leftbymyself，mymindreverted，withasenseofforlornwretchednesswhichitisnotinanywordsthatIcanfindtodescribe，tomyapproachingreturntothesolitudeandthedespairofmylonelyLondonhome。Thoughtsofmykindoldmother，andofmysister，whohadrejoicedwithhersoinnocentlyovermyprospectsinCumberland——thoughtswhoselongbanishmentfrommyheartitwasnowmyshameandmyreproachtorealizeforthefirsttime——camebacktomewiththelovingmournfulnessofold，neglectedfriends。
Mymotherandmysister，whatwouldtheyfeelwhenIreturnedtothemfrommybrokenengagement，withtheconfessionofmymiserablesecret——theywhohadpartedfrommesohopefullyonthatlasthappynightintheHampsteadcottage！
AnneCatherickagain！EventhememoryofthefarewellevenIngwithmymotherandmysistercouldnotreturntomenowunconnectedwiththatothermemoryofthemoonlightwalkbacktoLondon。Whatdiditmean？WerethatwomanandItomeetoncemore？Itwaspossible，attheleast。DidsheknowthatIlivedinLondon？Yes；Ihadtoldherso，eitherbeforeorafterthatstrangequestionofhers，whenshehadaskedmesodistrustfullyifIknewmanymenoftherankofBaronet。Eitherbeforeorafter——mymindwasnotcalmenough，then，torememberwhich。
AfewminuteselapsedbeforeMissHalcombedismissedthemaidandcamebacktome。She，too，lookedflurriedandunsettlednow。
`Wehavearrangedallthatisnecessary，MrHartright，’shesaid。`Wehaveunderstoodeachother，asfriendsshould，andwemaygobackatoncetothehouse。Totellyouthetruth，IamuneasyaboutLaura。Shehassenttosayshewantstoseemedirectly，andthemaidreportsthathermistressisapparentlyverymuchagitatedbyaletterthatshehasreceivedthismorning——thesameletter，nodoubt，whichIsentontothehousebeforewecamehere。’
Weretracedourstepstogetherhastilyalongtheshrubberypath。AlthoughMissHalcombehadendedallthatshethoughtitnecessarytosayonherside，IhadnotendedallthatIwantedtosayonmine。FromthemomentwhenIhaddiscoveredthattheexpectedvisitoratLimmeridgewasMissFairlie’sfuturehusband，Ihadfeltabittercuriosity，aburningenviouseagerness，toknowwhohewas。Itwaspossiblethatafutureopportunityofputtingthequestionmightnoteasilyoffer，soIriskedaskingitonourwaybacktothehouse。
`Nowthatyouarekindenoughtotellmewehaveunderstoodeachother，MissHalcombe，’Isaid，`nowthatyouaresureofmygratitudeforyourforbearanceandmyobediencetoyourwishes，mayIventuretoaskwho’——
Ihesitated——Ihadforcedmyselftothinkofhim，butitwasharderstilltospeakofhim，asherpromisedhusband——`whothegentlemanengagedtoMissFairlieis？’
Hermindwasevidentlyoccupiedwiththemessageshehadreceivedfromhersister。Sheansweredinahasty，absentway——
`AgentlemanoflargepropertyinHampshire。’
Hampshire！AnneCatherick’snativeplace。Again，andyetagain，thewomaninwhite。Therewasafatalityinit。
`Andhisname？’Isaid，asquietlyandindifferentlyasIcould。
`SirPercivalGlyde。’
Sir——SirPercival！AnneCatherick’squestion——thatsuspiciousquestionaboutthemenoftherankofBaronetwhomImighthappentoknow——hadhardlybeendismissedfrommymindbyMissHalcombe’sreturntomeinthesummer-house，beforeitwasrecalledagainbyherownanswer。Istoppedsuddenly，andlookedather。
`SirPercivalGlyde，’sherepeated，imaginingthatIhadnotheardherformerreply。
`Knight，orBaronet？’Iasked，withanagitationthatIcouldhidenolonger。
Shepausedforamoment，andthenanswered，rathercoldly——
`Baronet，ofcourse。’
[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter5[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter5XNotawordmorewassaid，oneitherside，aswewalkedbacktothehouse。
MissHalcombehastenedimmediatelytohersister’sroom，andIwithdrewtomystudiotosetinorderallofMrFairlie’sdrawingsthatIhadnotyetmountedandrestoredbeforeIresignedthemtothecareofotherhands。