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　　`No，no，’shesaid，earnestlyandkindly，`leaveuslikeafriend——

　　breakbreadwithusoncemore。Stayhereanddine，stayhereandhelpustospendourlasteveningwithyouashappily，aslikeourfirstevenings，aswecan。Itismyinvitation——MrsVesey’sinvitation——’shehesitatedalittle，andthenadded，`Laura’sinvitationaswell。’

　　Ipromisedtoremain。GodknowsIhadnowishtoleaveeventheshadowofasorrowfulimpressionwithanyofthem。

　　Myownroomwasthebestplaceformetillthedinnerbellrang。Iwaitedtheretillitwastimetogodownstairs。

　　IhadnotspokentoMissFairlie——Ihadnotevenseenher——allthatday。Thefirstmeetingwithher，whenIenteredthedrawing-room，wasahardtrialtoherself-controlandtomine。She，too，haddoneherbesttomakeourlasteveningrenewthegoldenbygonetime——thetimethatcouldnevercomeagain。ShehadputonthedresswhichIusedtoadmiremorethananyotherthatshepossessed——adarkbluesilk，trimmedquaintlyandprettilywithold-fashionedlace；shecameforwardtomeetmewithherformerreadiness——shegavemeherhandwiththefrank，innocentgood-willofhappierdays。Thecoldfingersthattrembledroundmine——thepalecheekswithabrightredspotburninginthemidstofthem——thefaintsmilethatstruggledtoliveonherlipsanddiedawayfromthemwhileIlookedatit，toldmeatwhatsacrificeofherselfheroutwardcomposurewasmaintained。Myheartcouldtakehernoclosertome，orIshouldhavelovedherthenasIhadneverlovedheryet。

　　MrGilmorewasagreatassistancetous。Hewasinhighgood-humour，andheledtheconversationwithunflaggingspirit。MissHalcombesecondedhimresolutely，andIdidallIcouldtofollowherexample。Thekindblueeyes，whoseslightestchangesofexpressionIhadlearnttointerpretsowell，lookedatmeappealinglywhenwefirstsatdowntotable。Helpmysister——thesweetanxiousfaceseemedtosay——helpmysister，andyouwillhelpme。

　　Wegotthroughthedinner，toalloutwardappearanceatleast，happilyenough。Whentheladieshadrisenfromtable，andMrGilmoreandIwereleftaloneinthedining-room，anewinterestpresenteditselftooccupyourattention，andtogivemeanopportunityofquietingmyselfbyafewminutesofneedfulandwelcomesilence。TheservantwhohadbeendespatchedtotraceAnneCatherickandMrsClementsreturnedwithhisreport，andwasshownintothedining-roomimmediately。

　　`Well，’saidMrGilmore，`whathaveyoufoundout？’

　　`Ihavefoundout，sir，’answeredtheman，`thatboththewomentookticketsatourstationhereforCarlisle。’

　　`YouwenttoCarlisle，ofcourse，whenyouheardthat？’

　　`ldid，sir，butIamsorrytosayIcouldfindnofurthertraceofthem。’

　　`Youinquiredattherailway？’

　　`Yes，sir。’

　　`Andatthedifferentinns？’

　　`Yes，sir。’

　　`AndyouleftthestatementIwroteforyouatthePolicestation？’

　　`Idid，sir。’。

　　`Well，myfriend，youhavedoneallyoucould，andIhavedoneallI

　　could，andtherethemattermustresttillfurthernotice。Wehaveplayedourtrumpcards，MrHartright，’continuedtheoldgentlemanwhentheservanthadwithdrawn。`Forthepresent，atleast，thewomenhaveoutmanoeuvredus，andouronlyresourcenowistowaittillSirpercivalGlydecomeshereonMondaynext。Won’tyoufillyourglassagain？Goodbottleofport，that——sound，substantial，oldwine。Ihavegotbetterinmyowncellar，though。’

　　Wereturnedtothedrawing-room——theroominwhichthehappiesteveningsofmylifehadbeenpassed——theroomwhich，afterthislastnight，I

　　wasnevertoseeagain。Itsaspectwasalteredsincethedayshadshortenedandtheweatherhadgrowncold。Theglassdoorsontheterracesidewereclosed，andhiddenbythickcurtains。Insteadofthesofttwilightobscurity，inwhichweused-cosit，thebrightradiantglowoflamplightnowdazzledmyeyes。Allwaschanged-in-doorsandoutallwaschanged。

　　MissHalcombeandMrGilmoresatdowntogetheratthecard-table——

　　MrsVeseytookhercustomarychair。Therewasnorestraintonthedisposaloftheirevening，andIfelttherestraintonthedisposalofmineallthemorepainfullyfromobservingit。lsawMissFairlielingeringnearthemusic-stand。ThetimehadbeenwhenImighthavejoinedherthere。

　　Iwaitedirresolutely——Iknewneitherwheretogonorwhattodonext。

　　Shecastonequickglanceatme，tookapieceofmusicsuddenlyfromthestand，andcametowardsmeofherownaccord。

　　`ShallIplaysomeofthoselittlemelodiesofMozart’swhichyouusedtolikesomuch？’sheasked，openingthemusicnervously，andlookingdownatitwhileshespoke。

　　BeforeIcouldthankhershehastenedtothepiano。Thechairnearit，whichIhadalwaysbeenaccustomedtooccupy，stoodempty。Shestruckafewchords——thenglancedroundatme——thenlookedbackagainathermusic。

　　`Won’tyoutakeyouroldplace？’shesaid，speakingveryabruptlyandinverylowtones。

　　`Imaytakeitonthelastnight，’Ianswered。

　　Shedidnotreply——shekeptherattentionrivetedonthemusic——

　　musicwhichsheknewbymemory，whichshehadplayedoverandoveragain，informertimes，withoutthebook。Ionlyknewthatshehadheardme，I

　　onlyknewthatshewasawareofmybeingclosetoher，byseeingtheredspotonthecheekthatwasnearesttomefadeout，andthefacegrowpaleallover。

　　`Iamverysorryyouaregoing，’shesaid，hervoicealmostsinkingtoawhisper，hereyeslookingmoreandmoreintentlyatthemusic，herfingersflyingoverthekeysofthepianowithastrangefeverishenergywhichIhadnevernoticedinherbefore。

　　`Ishallrememberthosekindwords，MissFairlie，longaftertomorrowhascomeandgone。’

　　Thepalenessgrewwhiteronherface，andsheturneditfartherawayfromme。

　　`Don’tspeakoftomorrow，’shesaid。`Letthemusicspeaktousoftonight，inahappierlanguagethanours。’

　　Herlipstrembled——afaintsighflutteredfromthem，whichshetriedvainlytosuppress。Herfingerswaveredonthepiano——shestruckafalsenote，confusedherselfintryingtosetitright，anddroppedherhandsangrilyonherlap。MissHalcombeandMrGilmorelookedupinastonishmentfromthecard-tableatwhichtheywereplaying。EvenMrsVesey，dozinginherchair，wokeatthesuddencessationofthemusic，andinquiredwhathadhappened。

　　`Youplayatwhist，MrHartright？’askedMissHalcombe，withhereyesdirectedsignificantlyattheplaceIoccupied。

　　Iknewwhatshemeant——Iknewshewasright，andIroseatoncetogotothecard-table。AsIleftthepianoMissFairlieturnedapageofthemusic，andtouchedthekeysagainwithasurerhand。

　　`Iwillplayit，’shesaid，strikingthenotesalmostpassionately。

　　`Iwillplayitonthelastnight。’

　　`Come，MrsVesey，’saidMissHalcombe，`MrGilmoreandIaretiredof&eacute；cart&eacute；——comeandbeMrHartright’spartneratwhist。’

　　Theoldlawyersmiledsatirically。Hishadbeenthewinninghand，andhehadjustturnedupaking。HeevidentlyattributedMissHalcombe’sabruptchangeinthecard-tablearrangementstoalady’sinabilitytoplaythelosinggame。

　　Therestoftheeveningpassedwithoutawordoralookfromher。Shekeptherplaceatthepiano，andIkeptmineatthecard-table。Sheplayedunintermittingly——playedasifthemusicwasheronlyrefugefromherself。

　　Sometimesherfingerstouchedthenoteswithalingeringfondness——asoft，plaintive，dyingtenderness，unutterablybeautifulandmournfultohear；sometimestheyfalteredandfailedher，orhurriedovertheinstrumentmechanically，asiftheirtaskwasaburdentothem。Butstill，changeandwaverastheymightintheexpressiontheyimpartedtothemusic，theirresolutiontoplayneverfaltered。SheonlyrosefromthepianowhenweallrosetosayGood-night。

　　MrsVeseywasthenearesttothedoor，andthefirsttoshakehandswithme。

　　`Ishallnotseeyouagain，MrHartright，’saidtheoldlady。`Iamtrulysorryyouaregoingaway。Youhavebeenverykindandattentive，andanoldwomanlikemefeelskindnessandattention。Iwishyouhappy，sir——Iwishyouakindgood-bye。’

　　MrGilmorecamenext。

　　`Ihopeweshallhaveafutureopportunityofbetteringouracquaintance，MrHartright。Youquiteunderstandaboutthatlittlematterofbusinessbeingsafeinmyhands？Yes，yes，ofcourse。Blessme，howcolditis！

　　Don’tletmekeepyouatthedoor。Bonvoyage，mydearsir——bonvoyage，astheFrenchsay。’

　　Icouldaddnomore。Myvoicefaltered，myeyesmoistenedinspiteofme。

　　Shecaughtmebybothhands——shepressedthemwiththestrong，steadygraspofaman——herdarkeyesglittered——herbrowncomplexionflusheddeep——theforceandenergyofherfaceglowedandgrewbeautifulwiththepureinnerlightofhergenerosityandherpity。

　　`Iwilltrustyou——ifeverthetimecomesIwilltrustyouasmyfriendandherfriend，asmaybrotherandherbrother。’Shestopped，drewmenearertoher——thefearless，noblecreature——touchedmyforehead，sister-like，withherlips，andcalledmebymyChristianname。`Godblessyou，Walter！’shesaid。`Waitherealoneandcomposeyourself——Ihadbetternotstayforbothoursakes——Ihadbetterseeyougofromthebalconyupstairs。’