`Aboutbusinessthatverymuchconcernsyou。’
Ilingeredlongenoughinpassingthroughthehall-doortohearthisquestionandanswer，andtoseeSirPercivalthrusthishandsintohispocketsinsullenhesitation。
`Ifyouwanttobadgermewithanymoreofyourinfernalscruples，’
hesaid，`Iforonewon’thearthem。Iwantmylunch。’
`Comeouthereandspeaktome，’repeatedtheCount，stillperfectlyuninfluencedbytherudestspeechthathisfriendcouldmaketohim。
SirPercivaldescendedthesteps。TheCounttookhimbythearm，andwalkedhimawaygently。The`business，’Iwassure，referredtothequestionofthesignature。TheywerespeakingofLauraandofmebeyondadoubt。
Ifeltheart-sickandfaintwithanxiety。Itmightbeofthelastimportancetobothofustoknowwhattheyweresayingtoeachotheratthatmoment，andnotonewordofitcouldbyanypossibilityreachmyears。
Iwalkedaboutthehouse，fromroomtoroom，withthelawyer’sletterinmybosomIwasafraidbythistimeeventotrustitunderlockandkey，tilltheoppressionofmysuspensehalfmaddenedme。TherewerenosignsofLaura’sreturn，andIthoughtofgoingouttolookforher。Butmystrengthwassoexhaustedbythetrialsandanxietiesofthemorningthattheheatofthedayquiteoverpoweredme，andafteranattempttogettothedoorIwasobligedtoreturntothedrawing-roomandliedownonthenearestsofatorecover。
IwasjustcomposingmyselfwhenthedooropenedsoftlyandtheCountlookedin。
`Athousandpardons，MissHalcombe，’hesaid：`IonlyventuretodisturbyoubecauseIamthebearerofgoodnews。Percival——whoiscapriciousineverything，asyouknow——hasseenfittoalterhismindatthelastmoment，andthebusinessofthesignatureisputoffforthepresent。A
greatrelieftoallofus，MissHalcombe，asIseewithpleasureinyourface。Praypresentmybestrespectsandfelicitations，whenyoumentionthispleasantchangeofcircumstancestoLadyGlyde。’
HeleftmebeforeIhadrecoveredmyastonishment。Therecouldbenodoubtthatthisextraordinaryalterationofpurposeinthematterofthesignaturewasduetohisinfluence，andthathisdiscoveryofmyapplicationtoLondonyesterday，andofmyhavingreceivedananswertoittoday，hadofferedhimthemeansofinterferingwithcertainsuccess。
Ifelttheseimpressions，butmymindseemedtosharetheexhaustionofmybody，andIwasinnoconditiontodwellonthemwithanyusefulreferencetothedoubtfulpresentorthethreateningfuture。ItriedasecondtimetorunoutandfindLaura，butmyheadwasgiddyandmykneestrembledunderme。Therewasnochoicebuttogiveitupagainandreturntothesofa，sorelyagainstmywill。
Thequietinthehouse，andthelowmurmuringhumofsummerinsectsoutsidetheopenwindow，soothedme。Myeyesclosedofthemselves，andIpassedgraduallyintoastrangecondition，whichwasnotwaking——forIknewnothingofwhatwasgoingonaboutme，andnotsleeping——forI
wasconsciousofmyownrepose。Inthisstatemyfeveredmindbrokeloosefromme，whilemywearybodywasatrest，andinatrance，orday-dreamofmyfancy——Iknownotwhattocallit——IsawWalterHartright。I
hadnotthoughtofhimsinceIrosethatmorning——Laurahadnotsaidonewordtomeeitherdirectlyorindirectlyreferringtohim——andyetIsawhimnowasplainlyasifthepasttimehadreturned，andwewerebothtogetheragainatLimmeridgeHouse。
Heappearedtomeasoneamongmanyothermen，noneofwhosefacesI
couldplainlydiscern。Theywerealllyingonthestepsofanimmenseruinedtemple。Colossaltropicaltrees——withrankcreeperstwiningendlesslyabouttheirtrunks，andhideousstoneidolsglimmeringandgrinningatintervalsbehindleavesandstalksandbranches——surroundedthetempleandshutoutthesky，andthrewadismalshadowovertheforlornbandofmenonthesteps。Whiteexhalationstwistedandcurledupstealthilyfromtheground，approachedthemeninwreathslikesmoke，touchedthem，andstretchedthemoutdead，onebyone，intheplaceswheretheylay。AnagonyofpityandfearforWalterloosenedmytongue，andIimploredhimtoescape。
`Comeback，comeback！’Isaid。`Rememberyourpromisetoherandtome。
Comebacktousbeforethepestilencereachesyouandlaysyoudeadliketherest！’
Helookedatmewithanunearthlyquietinhisface。`Wait，’hesaid，`Ishallcomeback。ThenightwhenImetthelostWomanonthehighwaywasthenightwhichsetmylifeaparttobetheinstrumentofaDesignthatisyetunseen。Here，lostinthewilderness，orthere，welcomedbackinthelandofmybirth，Iamstillwalkingonthedarkroadwhichleadsme，andyou，andthesisterofyourloveandmine，totheunknownRetributionandtheinevitableEnd。Waitandlook。Thepestilencewhichtouchestherestwillpassme。’
Isawhimagain。Hewasstillintheforest，andthenumbersofhislostcompanionshaddwindledtoveryfew。Thetemplewasgone，andtheidolsweregone——andintheirplacethefiguresofdark，dwarfishmenlurkedmurderouslyamongthetrees，withbowsintheirhands，andarrowsfittedtothestring。OncemoreIfearedforWalter，andcriedouttowarnhim。Oncemoreheturnedtome，withtheimmovablequietinhisface。
`Anotherstep，’hesaid，`onthedarkroad。Waitandlook。Thearrowsthatstriketherestwillspareme。’
Isawhimforthethirdtimeinawreckedship，strandedonawild，sandyshore。Theoverloadedboatsweremakingawayfromhimfortheland，andhealonewaslefttosinkwiththeship。Icriedtohimtohailthehindmostboat，andtomakealasteffortforhislife。Thequietfacelookedatmeinreturn，andtheunmovedvoicegavemebackthechangelessreply`Anothersteponthejourney。Waitandlook。TheSeawhichdrownstherestwillspareme。’
Isawhimforthelasttime。Hewaskneelingbyatombofwhitemarble，andtheshadowofaveiledwomanroseoutofthegravebeneathandwaitedbyhisside。Theunearthlyquietofhisfacehadchangedtoanunearthlysorrow。Buttheterriblecertaintyofhiswordsremainedthesame。`Darkeranddarker，’hesaid；`fartherandfartheryet。Deathtakesthegood，thebeautiful，andtheyoung——andsparesme。Thepestilencethatwastes，theArrowthatstrikes，theSeathatdrowns，theGravethatclosesoverLoveandHope，arestepsofmyjourney，andtakemenearerandnearertotheEnd。’
Myheartsankunderadreadbeyondwords，underagriefbeyondtears。
Thedarknessclosedroundthepilgrimatthemarbletomb——closedroundtheveiledwomanfromthegrave——closedroundthedreamerwholookedonthem。Isawandheardnomore。
Iwasarousedbyahandlaidonmyshoulder。ItwasLaura’s。
Shehaddroppedonherkneesbythesideofthesofa。Herfacewasflushedandagitated，andhereyesmetmineinawildbewilderedmanner。IstartedtheinstantIsawher。
`Whathashappened？’Iasked。`Whathasfrightenedyou？’
Shelookedroundatthehalf-opendoor，putherlipsclosetomyear，andansweredinawhisper——
`Marian！——thefigureatthelake——thefootstepslastnight——I’vejustseenher！I’vejustspokentoher！’
`Who，forHeaven’ssake？’
`AnneCatherick。’
[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter18[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter18IwassostartledbythedisturbanceinLaura’sfaceandmanner，andsodismayedbythefirstwakingimpressionsofmydream，thatIwasnotfittobeartherevelationwhichburstuponmewhenthatnamepassedherlips。
Icouldonlystandrootedtothefloor，lookingatherinbreathlesssilence。
Shewastoomuchabsorbedbywhathadhappenedtonoticetheeffectwhichherreplyhadproducedonme。`IhaveseenAnneCatherick！IhavespokentoAnneCatherick！’sherepeatedasifIhadnotheardher。`Oh，Marian，Ihavesuchthingstotellyou！Comeaway——wemaybeinterruptedhere——comeatonceintomyroom。’
Withthoseeagerwordsshecaughtmebythehand，andledmethroughthelibrary，totheendroomonthegroundfloor，whichhadbeenfittedupforherownespecialuse。Nothirdperson，excepthermaid，couldhaveanyexcuseforsurprisingushere。Shepushedmeinbeforeher，lockedthedoor，anddrewthechintzcurtainsthathungovertheinside。
Thestrange，stunnedfeelingwhichhadtakenpossessionofmestillremained。Butagrowingconvictionthatthecomplicationswhichhadlongthreatenedtogatherabouther，andtogatheraboutme，hadsuddenlyclosedfastroundusboth，wasnowbeginningtopenetratemymind。Icouldnotexpressitinwords——Icouldhardlyevenrealiseitdimlyinmyownthoughts。
`AnneCatherick！’Iwhisperedtomyself，withuseless，helplessreiteration——`AnneCatherick！’
Lauradrewmetothenearestseat，anottomaninthemiddleoftheroom。
`Look！’shesaid，`lookhere！’——andpointedtothebosomofherdress。
Isaw，forthefirsttime。thatthelostbroochwaspinnedinitsplaceagain。Therewassomethingrealinthesightofit，somethingrealinthetouchingofitafterwards，whichseemedtosteadythewhirlandconfusioninmythoughts，andtohelpmetocomposemyself。
`Wheredidyoufindyourbrooch？’ThefirstwordsIcouldsaytoherwerethewordswhichputthattrivialquestionatthatimportantmoment。
`Shefoundit，Marian。’
`Where？’
`Ontheflooroftheboat-house。Oh，howshallIbegin——howshallItellyouaboutit！Shetalkedtomesostrangely——shelookedsofearfullyill——sheleftmesosuddenly——！’