Themereutteranceofthelovedfamiliarnameseemedtoquiether。Herfacesoftenedandgrewlikeitselfagain。
`YouneedhavenofearofMissFairlie，’Icontinued，`andnofearofgettingintotroublethroughtheletter。Sheknowssomuchaboutitalready，thatyouwillhavenodifficultintellingherall。Therecanbelittlenecessityforconcealmentwherethereishardlyanythinglefttoconceal。
Youmentionnonamesintheletter；butMissFairlieknowsthatthepersonyouwriteofisSirPercivalGlyde——’
TheinstantIpronouncedthatnameshestartedtoherfeet，andascreamburstfromherthatrangthroughthechurchyard，andmademyheartleapinmewiththeterrorofit。Thedarkdeformityoftheexpressionwhichhadjustleftherfaceloweredonitoncemore，withdoubledandtrebledintensity。Theshriekatthename，thereiteratedlookofhatredandfearthatinstantlyfollowed，toldall。Notevenalastdoubtnowremained。
HermotherwasguiltlessofimprisoningherintheAsylum。Amanhadshutherup——andthatmanwasSirPercivalGlyde。
Thescreamhadreachedotherearsthanmine。OnonesideIheardthedoorofthesexton’scottageopen；ontheotherIheardthevoiceofhercompanion，thewomanintheshawl，thewomanwhomshehadspokenofasMrsClements。
`I’mcoming！I’mcoming！’criedthevoicefrombehindtheclumpofdwarftrees。
InamomentmoreMrsClementshurriedintoview。
`Whoareyou？’shecried，facingmeresolutelyasshesetherfootonthestile。`Howdareyoufrightenapoorhelplesswomanlikethat？’
ShewasatAnneCatherick’sside，andhadputonearmaroundher，beforeIcouldanswer。`Whatisit，mydear？’shesaid。`Whathashedonetoyou？’
`Nothing，’thepoorcreatureanswered。`Nothing。I’monlyfrightened。’
MrsClementsturnedonmewithafearlessindignation，forwhichIrespectedher。
`IshouldbeheartilyashamedofmyselfifIdeservedthatangrylook，’
Isaid。`ButIdonotdeserveit。Ihaveunfortunatelystartledherwithoutintendingit。Thisisnotthefirsttimeshehasseenme。Askheryourself，andshewilltellyouthatIamincapableofwillinglyharmingheroranywoman。’
Ispokedistinctly，sothatAnneCatherickmighthearandunderstandme，andIsawthatthewordsandtheirmeaninghadreachedher。
`Yes，yes，’shesaid——`hewasgoodtomeonce——hehelpedme——’
Shewhisperedtherestintoherfriend’sear。
`Strange，indeed！’saidMrsClements，withalookofperplexity。`Itmakesallthedifference，though。I’msorryIspokesoroughtoyou，sir；
butyoumustownthatappearanceslookedsuspicioustoastranger。It’smoremyfaultthanyours，forhumouringherwhims，andlettingherbealoneinsuchaplaceasthis。Come，mydear——comehomenow。’
Ithoughtthegoodwomanlookedalittleuneasyattheprospectofthewalkback，andIofferedtogowiththemuntiltheywerebothwithinsightofhome。MrsClementsthankedmecivilly，anddeclined。Shesaidtheyweresuretomeetsomeofthefarm-labourersassoonastheygottothemoor。
`Trytoforgiveme，’Isaid，whenAnneCathericktookherfriend’sarmtogoaway。InnocentasIhadbeenofanyintentiontoterrifyandagitateher，myheartsmotemeasIlookedatthepoor，pale，frightenedface。
`Iwilltry，’sheanswered。`Butyouknowtoomuch——I’mafraidyou’llalwaysfrightenmenow。’
MrsClementsglancedatme，andshookherheadpityingly。
`Good-night，sir，’shesaid。`Youcouldn’thelpit，Iknow；butIwishitwasmeyouhadfrightened，andnother。’
Theymovedawayafewsteps。Ithoughttheyhadleftme，butAnnesuddenlystopped，andseparatedherselffromherfriend。
`Waitalittle，’shesaid。`Imustsaygood-bye。’
Shereturnedtothegrave，restedbothhandstenderlyonthemarblecross，andkissedit。
`I’mbetternow，’shesighed，lookingupatmequietly。`Iforgiveyou。’
Shejoinedhercompanionagain，andtheylefttheburial-ground。Isawthemstopnearthechurchandspeaktothesexton’swife，whohadcomefromthecottage，andhadwaited，watchingusfromadistance。Thentheywentonagainupthepaththatledtothemoor。IlookedafterAnneCatherickasshedisappeared，tillalltraceofherhadfadedinthetwilight——
lookedasanxiouslyandsorrowfullyasifthatwasthelastIwastoseeinthiswearyworldofthewomaninwhite。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chpater7[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter7XIIIHalfanhourlaterIwasbackatthehouse，andwasinformingMissHalcombeofallthathadhappened。
Shelistenedtomefrombeginningtoendwithasteady，silentattention，which，inawomanofhertemperamentanddisposition，wasthestrongestproofthatcouldbeofferedoftheseriousmannerinwhichmynarrativeaffectedher。
`Mymindmisgivesme，’wasallshesaidwhenIhaddone。`Mymindmisgivesmesadlyaboutthefuture。’
`Thefuturemaydepend，’Isuggested，`ontheusewemakeofthepresent。
ItisnotimprobablethatAnneCatherickmayspeakmorereadilyandunreservedlytoawomanthanshehasspokentome。IfMissFairlie。’
`Nottobethoughtofforamoment，’interposedMissHalcombe，inhermostdecidedmanner。
`Letmesuggest，then，’Icontinued，`thatyoushouldseeAnneCatherickyourself，anddoallyoucantowinherconfidence。Formyownpart，I
shrinkfromtheideaofalarmingthepoorcreatureasecondtime，asI
havemostunhappilyalarmedheralready。Doyouseeanyobjectiontoaccompanyingmetothefarmhousetomorrow？’
`Nonewhatever。IwillgoanywhereanddoanythingtoserveLaura’sinterests。Whatdidyousaytheplacewascalled？’
`Youmustknowitwell。ItiscalledTodd’sCorner。’
`Certainly。Todd’sCornerisoneofMrFairlie’sfarms。Ourdairymaidhereisthefarmer’sseconddaughter。Shegoesbackwardsandforwardsconstantlybetweenthishouseandherfather’sfarm，andshemayhaveheardorseensomethingwhichitmaybeusefultoustoknow。ShallIascertain，atonce，ifthegirlisdownstairs？’
Sherangthebell，andsenttheservantwithhismessage。Hereturned，andannouncedthatthedairymaidwasthenatthefarm。Shehadnotbeenthereforthelastthreedays，andthehousekeeperhadgivenherleavetogohomeforanhourortwothatevening。
`Icanspeaktohertomorrow，’saidMissHalcombe，whentheservanthadlefttheroomagain。`Inthemeantime，letmethoroughlyunderstandtheobjecttobegainedbymyinterviewwithAnneCatherick。IstherenodoubtinyourmindthatthepersonwhoconfinedherintheAsylumwasSirPercivalGlyde？’
`Thereisnottheshadowofadoubt。Theonlymysterythatremainsisthemysteryofhismotive。Lookingtothegreatdifferencebetweenhisstationinlifeandhers，whichseemstoprecludeallideaofthemostdistantrelationshipbetweenthem，itisofthelastimportance——evenassumingthatshereallyrequiredtobeplacedunderrestraint——toknowwhyheshouldhavebeenthepersontoassumetheseriousresponsibilityofshuttingherup——’
`InaprivateAsylum，Ithinkyousaid？’
`Yes，inaprivateAsylum，whereasunofmoney，whichnopoorpersoncouldaffordtogive，musthavebeenpaidforhermaintenanceasapatient。’
`Iseewherethedoubtlies，MrHartright，andIpromiseyouthatitshallbesetatrest，whetherAnneCatherickassistsustomorrowornot。
SirPercivalGlydeshallnotbelonginthishousewithoutsatisfyingMrGilmore，andsatisfyingme。Mysister’sfutureismydearestcareinlife，andIhaveinfluenceenoughoverhertogivemesomepower，wherehermarriageisconcerned，inthedisposalofit。’
Wepartedforthenight。
Afterbreakfastthenextmorning，anobstacle，whichtheeventsoftheeveningbeforehadputoutofmymemory，interposedtopreventourproceedingimmediatelytothefarm。ThiswasmylastdayatLimmeridgeHouse，anditwasnecessary，assoonasthepostcamein，tofollowMissHalcombe’sadvice，andtoaskMrFairlie’spermissiontoshortenmyengagementbyamonth，inconsiderationofanunforeseennecessityformyreturntoLondon。
Fortunatelyfortheprobabilityofthisexcuse，sofarasappearanceswereconcerned，thepostbroughtmetwolettersfromLondonfriendsthatmorning。Itookthemawayatoncetomyownroom，andsenttheservantwithamessagetoMrFairlie，requestingtoknowwhenIcouldseehimonamatterofbusiness。
Iawaitedtheman’sreturn，freefromtheslightestfeelingofanxietyaboutthemannerinwhichhismastermightreceivemyapplication。WithMrFairlie’sleaveorwithoutit，Imustgo。TheconsciousnessofhavingnowtakenthefirststeponthedrearyjourneywhichwashenceforthtoseparatemylifefromMissFairlie’sseemedtohavebluntedmysensibilitytoeveryconsiderationconnectedwithmyself。Ihaddonewithmypoorman’stouchypride——Ihaddonewithallmylittleartistvanities。NoinsolenceofMrFairlie’s，ifhechosetobeinsolent，couldwoundmenow。
TheservantreturnedwithamessageforwhichIwasnotunprepared。