shoulddiefirst——’
Shepausedagain。Thecolourthathadspreadoverhercheekssuddenly，assuddenlyleftthem。Thehandonthealbumresigneditshold，trembledalittle，andmovedthebookawayfromher。Shelookedatmeforaninstant——thenturnedherheadasideinthechair。Herhandkerchieffelltothefloorasshechangedherposition，andshehurriedlyhidherfacefrommeinherhands。
Sad！Torememberher，asIdid，theliveliest，happiestchildthateverlaughedthedaythrough，andtoseehernow，intheflowerofherageandherbeauty，sobrokenandsobroughtdownasthis！
InthedistressthatshecausedmeIforgottheyearsthathadpassed，andthechangetheyhadmadeinourpositiontowardsoneanother。Imovedmychairclosetoher，andpickedupherhandkerchieffromthecarpet，anddrewherhandsfromherfacegently。`Don’tcry，mylove，’Isaid，anddriedthetearsthatweregatheringinhereyeswithmyownhand，asifshehadbeenthelittleLauraFairlieoftenlongyearsago。
ItwasthebestwayIcouldhavetakentocomposeher。Shelaidherheadonmyshoulder，andsmiledfaintlythroughhertears。
`Iamverysorryforforgettingmyself，’shesaidartlessly。`Ihavenotbeenwell——Ihavefeltsadlyweakandnervouslately，andIoftencrywithoutreasonwhenIamalone。Iambetternow——IcanansweryouasIought，MrGilmore，Icanindeed。’
`No，no，mydear，’Ireplied，`wewillconsiderthesubjectasdonewithforthepresent。Youhavesaidenoughtosanctionmytakingthebestpossiblecareofyourinterests，andwecansettledetailsatanotheropportunity。
Letushavedonewithbusinessnow，andtalkofsomethingelse。’
Iledheratonceintospeakingonothertopics。Intenminutes’timeshewasinbetterspirits，andIrosetotakemyleave。
`Comehereagain，’shesaidearnestly。`Iwilltrytobeworthierofyourkindfeelingformeandformyinterestsifyouwillonlycomeagain。’
Stillclingingtothepast——thatpastwhichIrepresentedtoher，inmyway，asMissHalcombedidinhers！Ittroubledmesorelytoseeherlookingback，atthebeginningofhercareer，justasIlookbackattheendofmine。
`IfIdocomeagain，IhopeIshallfindyoubetter，’Isaid；`betterandhappier。Godblessyou，mydear！’
Sheonlyansweredbyputtinguphercheektometobekissed。Evenlawyershavehearts，andmineachedalittleasItookleaveofher。
Thewholeinterviewbetweenushadhardlylastedmorethanhalfanhour——shehadnotbreathedaword，inmypresence，toexplainthemysteryofherevidentdistressanddismayattheprospectofhermarriage，andyetshehadcontrivedtowinmeovertohersideofthequestion，Ineitherknewhownorwhy。Ihadenteredtheroom，feelingthatSirPercivalGlydehadfairreasontocomplainofthemannerinwhichshewastreatinghim。
Ileftit，secretlyhopingthatmattersmightendinhertakinghimathiswordandclaimingherrelease。Amanofmyageandexperienceoughttohaveknownbetterthantovacillateinthisunreasonablemanner。Icanmakenoexcuseformyself；Icanonlytellthetruth，andsay——soitwas。
Thehourformydeparturewasnowdrawingnear。IsenttoMrFairlietosaythatIwouldwaitonhimtotakeleaveifheliked，butthathemustexcusemybeingratherinahurry。Hesentamessageback，writteninpencilonaslipofpaper：`Kindloveandbestwishes，dearGilmore。
Hurryofanykindisinexpressiblyinjurioustome。Praytakecareofyourself。
Goodbye。’
rustbeforeIleftIsawMissHalcombeforamomentalone。
`HaveyousaidallyouwantedtoLaura？’sheasked。
`Yes，’Ireplied。`Sheisveryweakandnervous——Iamgladshehasyoutotakecareofher。’
MissHalcombe’ssharpeyesstudiedmyfaceattentively。
`YouarealteringyouropinionaboutLaura，’shesaid。`Youarereadiertomakeallowancesforherthanyouwereyesterday。’
Nosensiblemaneverengages，unprepared，inafencingmatchofwordswithawoman。Ionlyanswered——
`Letmeknowwhathappens。IwilldonothingtillIhearfromyou。’
Shestilllookedhardinmyface。`Iwishitwasallover，andwellover，MrGilmore——andsodoyou。’Withthosewordssheleftme。
SirPercivalmostpolitelyinsistedonseeingmetothecarriagedoor。
`Ifyouareeverinmyneighbourhood，’hesaid，`praydon’tforgetthatIamsincerelyanxioustoimproveouracquaintance。Thetriedandtrustedoldfriendofthisfamilywillbealwaysawelcomevisitorinanyhouseofmine。’
Areallyirresistibleman——courteous，considerate，delightfullyfreefrompride——agentleman，everyinchofhim。AsIdroveawaytothestationIfeltasifIcouldcheerfullydoanythingtopromotetheinterestsofSirPercivalGlyde——anythingintheworld，exceptdrawingthemarriagesettlementofhiswife。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter9[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter9IIIAweekpassed，aftermyreturntoLondon，withoutthereceiptofanycommunicationfromMissHalcombe。
Ontheeighthdayaletterinherhandwritingwasplacedamongtheotherlettersonmytable。
ItannouncedthatSirPercivalGlydehadbeendefinitelyaccepted，andthatthemarriagewastotakeplace，ashehadoriginallydesired，beforetheendoftheyear。InallprobabilitytheceremonywouldbeperformedduringthelastfortnightinDecember。MissFairlie’stwenty-firstbirthdaywaslateinMarch。Shewould，therefore，bythisarrangementbecomeSirPercival’swifeaboutthreemonthsbeforeshewasofage。
Ioughtnottohavebeensurprised，Ioughtnottohavebeensorry，butIwassurprisedandsorry，nevertheless。Somelittledisappointment，causedbytheunsatisfactoryshortnessofMissHalcombe’sletter，mingleditselfwiththesefeelings，andcontributeditssharetowardsupsettingmyserenityfortheday。Insixlinesmycorrespondentannouncedtheproposedmarriage——inthreemore，shetoldmethatSirPercivalhadleftCumberlandtoreturntohishouseinHampshire，andintwoconcludingsentencessheinformedme，first，thatLaurawassadlyinwantofchangeandcheerfulsociety；secondly，thatshehadresolvedtotrytheeffectofsomesuchchangeforthwith，bytakinghersisterawaywithheronavisittocertainoldfriendsinYorkshire。Theretheletterended，withoutawordtoexplainwhatthecircumstanceswerewhichhaddecidedMissFairlietoacceptSirPercivalGlydeinoneshortweekfromthetimewhenIhadlastseenher。
Atalaterperiodthecauseofthissuddendeterminationwasfullyexplainedtome。Itisnotmybusinesstorelateitimperfectly，onhearsayevidence。
ThecircumstancescamewithinthepersonalexperienceofMissHalcombe，andwhenhernarrativesucceedsmine，shewilldescribethemineveryparticularexactlyastheyhappened。Inthemeantime，theplaindutyformetoperform——beforeI，inmyturn，laydownmypenandwithdrawfromthestory——
istorelatetheoneremainingeventconnectedwithMissFairlie’sproposedmarriageinwhichIwasconcerned，namely，thedrawingofthesettlement。
Itisimpossibletoreferintelligiblytothisdocumentwithoutfirstenteringintocertainparticularsinrelationtothebride’specuniaryaffairs。Iwilltrytomakemyexplanationbrieflyandplainly，andtokeepitfreefromprofessionalobscuritiesandtechnicalities。Thematterisoftheutmostimportance。IwarnallreadersoftheselinesthatMissFairlie’sinheritanceisaveryseriouspartofMissFairlie’sstory，andthatMrGilmore’sexperience，inthisparticular，mustbetheirexperiencealso，iftheywishtounderstandthenarrativeswhichareyettocome。
MissFairlie’sexpectations，then，wereofatwofoldkind，comprisingherpossibleinheritanceofrealproperty，orland，whenheruncledied，andherabsoluteinheritanceofpersonalproperty，ormoney，whenshecameofage。
Letustakethelandfirst。
InthetimeofMissFairlie’spaternalgrandfatherwhomwewillcallMrFairlie，theeldertheentailedsuccessiontotheLimmeridgeestatestoodthus