OngettingbacktothehouseIinformedMissHalcombeofwhatIintendedtodo。ShelookedsurPrisedanduneasywhileIwasexplainingmypurpose，butshemadenopositiveobjectiontotheexecutionofit。Sheonlysaid，`Ihopeitmayendwell。’Justasshewasleavingmeagain，Istoppedhertoinquire，ascalmlyasIcould，afterMissFairlie’shealth。Shewasinbetterspirits，andMissHalcombehopedshemightbeinducedtotakealittlewalkingexercisewhiletheafternoonsunlasted。
Ireturnedtomyownroomtoresumesettingthedrawingsinorder。Itwasnecessarytodothis，anddoublynecessarytokeepmymindemployedonanythingthatwouldhelptodistractmyattentionfrommyself，andfromthehopelessfuturethatlaybeforeme。FromtimetotimeIpausedinmyworktolookoutofwindowandwatchtheskyasthesunsanknearerandnearertothehorizon。OnoneofthoseoccasionsIsawafigureonthebroadgravelwalkundermywindow。ItwasMissFairlie。
Ihadnotseenhersincethemorning，andIhadhardlyspokentoherthen。AnotherdayatLimmeridgewasallthatremainedtome，andafterthatdaymyeyesmightneverlookonheragain。Thisthoughtwasenoughtoholdmeatthewindow。Ihadsufficientconsiderationforhertoarrangetheblindsothatshemightnotseemeifshelookedup，butIhadnostrengthtoresistthetemptationoflettingmyeyes，atleast，followherasfarastheycouldonherwalk。
Shewasdressedinabrowncloak，withaPlainblacksilkgownunderit。Onherheadwasthesamesimplestrawhatwhichshehadwornonthemorningwhenwefirstmet。Aveilwasattachedtoitnowwhichhidherfacefromme。ByhersidetrottedalittleItaliangreyhound，thepetcompanionofallherwalks，smartlydressedinascarletclothwrapper，tokeepthesharpairfromhisdelicateskin。Shedidnotseemtonoticethedog。Shewalkedstraightforward，withherheaddroopingalittle，andherarmsfoldedinhercloak。Thedeadleaves，whichhadwhirledinthewindbeforemewhenIhadheardofhermarriageengagementinthemorning，whirledinthewindbeforeher，androseandfellandscatteredthemselvesatherfeetasshewalkedoninthepalewaningsunlight-Thedogshiveredandtrembled，andpressedagainstherdressimpatientlyfornoticeandencouragement。
Butsheneverheededhim。Shewalkedon，fartherandfartherawayfromme，withthedeadleaveswhirlingaboutheronthepath——walkedon，tillmyachingeyescouldseehernomore，andIwasleftaloneagainwithmyownheavyheart。
Inanotherhour’stimeIhaddonemywork，andthesunsetwasathand。
Igotmyhatandcoatinthehall，andslippedoutofthehousewithoutmeetinganyone。
Thecloudswerewildinthewesternheaven，andthewindblewchillfromthesea。farastheshorewas，thesoundofthesurfsweptovertheinterveningmoorland，andbeatdrearilyinmyearswhenIenteredthechurchyard。
Notalivingcreaturewasinsight。TheplacelookedlonelierthaneverasIchosemyposition，andwaitedandwatched，withmyeyesonthewhitecrossthatroseoverMrsFairlie’sgrave。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter6[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter6XIITheexposedsituationofthechurchyardhadobligedmetobecautiousinchoosingthepositionthatIwastooccupy。
Themainentrancetothechurchwasonthesidenexttotheburial-ground，andthedoorwasscreenedbyaporchwalledinoneitherside。Aftersomelittlehesitation，causedbynaturalreluctancetoconcealmyself，indispensableasthatconcealmentwastotheobjectinview，Ihadresolvedonenteringtheporch。Aloopholewindowwaspiercedineachofitssidewalls。ThroughoneofthesewindowsIcouldseeMrsFairlie’sgrave。Theotherlookedtowardsthestonequarryinwhichthesexton’scottagewasbuilt。Beforeme，frontingtheporchentrance，wasapatchofbareburial-ground，alineoflowstonewall，andastripoflonelybrownhill，withthesunsetcloudssailingheavilyoveritbeforethestrong，steadywind。Nolivingcreaturewasvisibleoraudible——nobirdflewbyme，nodogbarkedfromthesexton’scottage。Thepausesinthedullheatingofthesurfwerefilledupbythedrearyrustlingofthedwarftreesnearthegrave，andthecoldfaintbubbleofthebrookoveritsstonybed。Adrearysceneandadrearyhour。MyspiritssankfastasIcountedouttheminutesoftheeveninginmyhiding-placeunderthechurchporch。
Itwasnottwilightyet——thelightofthesettingsunstilllingeredintheheavens，andlittlemorethanthefirsthalf-hourofmysolitarywatchhadelapsed——whenIheardfootstepsandavoice。Thefootstepswereapproachingfromtheothersideofthechurch，andthevoicewasawoman’s。
`Don’tyoufret，mydear，abouttheletter，’saidthevoice。`Igaveittotheladquitesafe，andtheladhetookitfrommewithoutaword。
HewenthiswayandIwentmine，andnotalivingsoulfollowedmeafterwards——thatI’llwarrant。’
Thesewordsstrungupmyattentiontoapitchofexpectationthatwasalmostpainful。Therewasapauseofsilence，butthefootstepsstilladvanced。
Inanothermomenttwopersons，bothwomen，passedwithinmyrangeofviewfromtheporchwindow。Theywerewalkingstraighttowardsthegrave；andthereforetheyhadtheirbacksturnedtowardsme。
Oneofthewomenwasdressedinabonnetandshawl。Theotherworealongtravelling-cloakofadark-bluecolour，withthehooddrawnoverherhead。Afewinchesofhergownwerevisiblebelowthecloak。MyheartbeatfastasInotedthecolour——itwaswhite。
Afteradvancingabouthalf-waybetweenthechurchandthegravetheystopped，andthewomaninthecloakturnedherheadtowardshercompanion。
Buthersideface，whichabonnetmightnowhaveallowedmetosee，washiddenbytheheavy，projectingedgeofthehood。
`Mindyoukeepthatcomfortablewarmcloakon，’saidthesamevoicewhichIhadalreadyheard——thevoiceofthewomanintheshawl。`MrsToddisrightaboutyourlookingtooparticular，yesterday，allinwhite。
I’llwalkaboutalittlewhileyou’rehere，churchyardsbeingnotatallinmyway，whatevertheymaybeinyours。FinishwhatyouwanttodobeforeIcomeback，andletusbesureandgethomeagainbeforenight。’
Withthosewordssheturnedabout，andretracinghersteps，advancedwithherfacetowardsme。Itwasthefaceofanelderlywoman，brown，rugged，andhealthy，withnothingdishonestorsuspiciousinthelookofit。Closetothechurchshestoppedtopullhershawlcloserroundher。
`Queer，’shesaidtoherself，`alwaysqueer，withherwhimsandherways，eversinceIcanrememberher。Harmless，though——asharmless，poorsoul，asalittlechild。’
Shesighed——lookedabouttheburial-groundnervously——shookherhead，asifthedrearyprospectbynomeanspleasedher，anddisappearedroundthecornerofthechurch。
IdoubtedforamomentwhetherIoughttofollowandspeaktoherornot。Myintenseanxietytofindmyselffacetofacewithhercompanionhelpedmetodecideinthenegative。Icouldensureseeingthewomanintheshawlbywaitingnearthechurchyarduntilshecameback——althoughitseemedmorethandoubtfulwhethershecouldgivemetheinformationofwhichIwasinsearch。Thepersonwhohaddeliveredtheletterwasoflittleconsequence。Thepersonwhohadwrittenitwastheonecentreofinterest，andtheonesourceofinformation，andthatpersonInowfeltconvincedwasbeforemeinthechurchyard。
WhiletheseideaswerepassingthroughmymindIsawthewomaninthecloakapproachclosetothegrave，andstandlookingatitforalittlewhile。Shethenglancedallroundher，andtakingawhitelinenclothorhandkerchieffromunderhercloak，turnedasidetowardsthebrook。Thelittlestreamranintothechurchyardunderatinyarchwayinthebottomofthewall，andranoutagain，afterawindingcourseofafewdozenyards，underasimilaropening。Shedippedtheclothinthewater，andreturnedtothegrave。Isawherkissthewhitecross，thenkneeldownbeforetheinscription，andapplyherwetclothtothecleansingofit。
AfterconsideringhowIcouldshowmyselfwiththeleastpossiblechanceoffrighteningher，Iresolvedtocrossthewallbeforeme，toskirtrounditoutside，andtoenterthechurchyardagainbythestilenearthegrave，inorderthatshemightseemeasIapproached。ShewassoabsorbedoverheremploymentthatshedidnothearmecominguntilIhadsteppedoverthestile。Thenshelookedup，startedtoherfeetwithafaintcry，andstoodfacingmeinspeechlessandmotionlessterror。
`Don’tbefrightened，’Isaid。`Surelyyourememberme？’
IstoppedwhileIspoke——thenadvancedafewstepsgently——thenstoppedagain——andsoapproachedbylittleandlittletillIwasclosetoher。Iftherehadbeenanydoubtstillleftinmymind，itmusthavebeennowsetatrest。There，speakingaffrightedlyforitself——therewasthesamefaceconfrontingmeoverMrsFairlie’sgravewhichhadfirstlookedintomineonthehigh-roadbynight。
`Yourememberme？’Isaid。`Wemetverylate，andIhelpedyoutofindthewaytoLondon。Surelyyouhavenotforgottenthat？’
Herfeaturesrelaxed，andshedrewaheavybreathofrelief。Isawthenewlifeofrecognitionstirringslowlyunderthedeathlikestillnesswhichfearhadsetonherface。
`Don’tattempttospeaktomejustyet，’Iwenton。`Taketimetorecoveryourself——taketimetofeelquitecertainthatIamafriend。’
`Youareverykindtome，’shemurmured。`Askindnowasyouwerethen。’
Shestopped，andIkeptsilenceonmyside。Iwasnotgrantingtimeforcomposuretoheronly，Iwasgainingtimealsoformyself。Underthewanwildeveninglight，thatwomanandIweremettogetheragain，agravebetweenus，thedeadaboutus，thelonesomehillsclosingusroundoneveryside。Thetime，theplace，thecircumstancesunderwhichwenowstoodfacetofaceintheeveningstillnessofthatdrearyvalley——thelifelonginterestswhichmighthangsuspendedonthenextchancewordsthatpassedbetweenus——thesensethat，foraughtIknewtothecontrary，thewholefutureofLauraFairlie’slifemightbedetermined，forgoodorforevil，bymywinningorlosingtheconfidenceoftheforlorncreaturewhostoodtremblingbyhermother’sgrave——allthreatenedtoshakethesteadinessandtheself-controlonwhicheveryinchoftheprogressImightyetmakenowdepended。Itriedhard，asIfeltthis，topossessmyselfofallmyresources；Ididmyutmosttoturnthefewmomentsforreflectiontothebestaccount。
`Areyoucalmernow？’Isaid，assoonasIthoughtittimetospeakagain。`Canyoutalktomewithoutfeelingfrightened，andwithoutforgettingthatIamafriend？’