ItwasalmostasgreatarelieftomymindastoLaura’s，tofindthatmymemoryhadservedme，onthisoccasion，asfaithfullyasusual。Intheperilousuncertaintyofourpresentsituation，itishardtosaywhatfutureinterestsmaynotdependupontheregularityoftheentriesinmyjournal，anduponthereliabilityofmyrecollectionatthetimewhenImakethem。
Laura’sfaceandmannersuggestedtomethatthislastconsiderationhadoccurredtoheraswellastomyself。Anyway，itisonlyatriflingmatter，andIamalmostashamedtoputitdownhereinwriting——itseemstosettheforlornnessofoursituationinsuchamiserablyvividlight。
Wemusthavelittleindeedtodependon，whenthediscoverythatmymemorycanstillbetrustedtoserveusishailedasifitwasthediscoveryofanewfriend！
Thefirstbellfordinnerseparatedus。rustasithaddoneringing，SirPercivalandtheCountreturnedfromtheirwalk。Weheardthemasterofthehousestormingattheservantsforbeingfiveminuteslate，andthemaster’sguestinterposing，asusual，intheinterestsofpropriety，patience，andpeace。
Theeveninghascomeandgone。Noextraordinaryeventhashappened。
ButIhavenoticedcertainpeculiaritiesintheconductofSirPercivalandtheCount，whichhavesentmetomybedfeelingveryanxiousanduneasyaboutAnneCatherick，andabouttheresultswhichtomorrowmayproduce。
Iknowenoughbythistime，tobesurethattheaspectofSirPercivalwhichisthemostfalse，andwhich，therefore，meanstheworst，ishispoliteaspect。Thatlongwalkwithhisfriendhadendedinimprovinghismanners，especiallytowardshiswife。ToLaura’ssecretsurpriseandtomysecretalarm，hecalledherbyherChristianname，askedifshehadheardlatelyfromheruncle，inquiredwhenMrsVeseywastoreceiveherinvitationtoBlackwater，andshowedhersomanyotherlittleattentionsthathealmostrecalledthedaysofhishatefulcourtshipatLimmeridgeHouse。Thiswasabadsigntobeginwith，andIthoughtitmoreominousstillthatheshouldpretendafterdinnertofallasleepinthedrawing-room，andthathiseyesshouldcunninglyfollowLauraandmewhenhethoughtweneitherofussuspectedhim。IhaveneverhadanydoubtthathissuddenjourneybyhimselftookhimtoWelminghamtoquestionMrsCatherick——
buttheexperienceoftonighthasmademefearthattheexpeditionwasnotundertakeninvain，andthathehasgottheinformationwhichheunquestionablyleftustocollect。IfIknewwhereAnneCatherickwastobefound，Iwouldbeuptomorrowwithsunriseandwarnher。
WhiletheaspectunderwhichSirPercivalpresentedhimselftonightwasunhappilybuttoofamiliartome，theaspectunderwhichtheCountappearedwas，ontheotherhand，entirelynewinmyexperienceofhim。
Hepermittedme，thisevening，tomakehisacquaintance，forthefirsttime，inthecharacterofaManofSentiment——ofsentiment，asIbelieve，reallyfelt，notassumedfortheoccasion。
Forinstance，hewasquietandsubdued——hiseyesandhisvoiceexpressedarestrainedsensibility。Heworeasiftherewassomehiddenconnectionbetweenhisshowiestfineryandhisdeepestfeelingthemostmagnificentwaistcoathehasyetappearedin——itwasmadeofpalesea-greensilk，anddelicatelytrimmedwithfinesilverbraid。Hisvoicesankintothetenderestinflections，hissmileexpressedathoughtful，fatherlyadmiration，wheneverhespoketoLauraortome。Hepressedhiswife’shandunderthetablewhenshethankedhimfortriflinglittleattentionsatdinner。Hetookwinewithher。`Yourhealthandhappiness，myangel！’hesaid，withfondglisteningeyes。Heatelittleornothing，andsighed，andsaid`GoodPercival！’whenhisfriendlaughedathim。Afterdinner，hetookLaurabythehand，andaskedherifshewouldbe`sosweetastoplaytohim。’
Shecomplied，throughsheerastonishment。Hesatbythepiano，withhiswatch-chainrestinginfolds，likeagoldenserpent，onthesea-greenprotuberanceofhiswaistcoat。Hisimmenseheadlaylanguidlyononeside，andhegentlybeattimewithtwoofhisyellow-whitefingers。Hehighlyapprovedofthemusic，andtenderlyadmiredLaura’smannerofplaying——notaspoorHartrightusedtopraiseit，withaninnocentenjoymentofthesweetsounds，butwithaclear，cultivated，practicalknowledgeofthemeritsofthecomposition，inthefirstplace，andofthemeritsoftheplayer’stouchinthesecond。
Astheeveningclosedin，hebeggedthatthelovelydyinglightmightnotbeprofaned，justyet，bytheappearanceofthelamps。Hecame，withhishorriblysilenttread，tothedistantwindowatwhichIwasstanding，tobeoutofhiswayandtoavoidtheverysightofhim——hecametoaskmetosupporthisprotestagainstthelamps。Ifanyoneofthemcouldonlyhaveburnthimupatthatmoment，Iwouldhavegonedowntothekitchen，andfetcheditmyself。
`Surelyyoulikethismodest，tremblingEnglishtwilight？’hesaidsoftly。
`Ah！Iloveit。Ifeelmyinbornadmirationofallthatisnoble，andgreat，andgood，purifiedbythebreathofheavenonaneveninglikethis。Naturehassuchimperishablecharms，suchinextinguishabletendernessforme！——
Iamanold，fatman——talkwhichwouldbecomeyourlips，MissHalcombe，soundslikeaderisionandamockeryonmine。Itishardtobelaughedatinmymomentofsentiment，asifmysoulwaslikemyself，oldandovergrown。
Observe，dearlady，whatalightisdyingonthetrees！Doesitpenetrateyourheart，asitpenetratesmine？’
Hepaused，lookedatme，andrepeatedthefamouslinesofDanteontheEvening-time，withamelodyandtendernesswhichaddedacharmoftheirowntothematchlessbeautyofthepoetryitself。
`Bah！’hecriedsuddenly，asthelastcadenceofthosenobleItalianwordsdiedawayonhislips；`Imakeanoldfoolofmyself，andonlywearyyouall！Letusshutupthewindowinourbosonsandgetbacktothematter-of-factworld。Percival！Isanctiontheadmissionofthelamps。LadyGlyde——MissHalcombe——Eleanor，mygoodwife——whichofyouwillindulgemewithagameatdominoes？’
Headdressedusall，buthelookedespeciallyatLaura。
Shehadlearnttofeelmydreadofoffendinghim，andsheacceptedhisproposal。ItwasmorethanIcouldhavedoneatthatmoment。Icouldnothavesatdownatthesametablewithhimforanyconsideration。Hiseyesseemedtoreachmyinmostsoulthroughthethickeningobscurityofthetwilight。Hisvoicetrembledalongeverynerveinmybody，andturnedmehotandcoldalternately。Themysteryandterrorofmydream，whichhadhauntedmeatintervalsallthroughtheevening，nowoppressedmymindwithanunendurableforebodingandanunutterableawe。Isawthewhitetombagain，andtheveiledwomanrisingoutofitbyHartright’sside。
ThethoughtofLaurawelleduplikeaspringinthedepthsofmyheart，andfilleditwithwatersofbitterness，never，neverknowntoitbefore。
Icaughtherbythehandasshepassedmeonherwaytothetable，andkissedherasifthatnightwastopartusforever。Whiletheywereallgazingatmeinastonishment，Iranoutthroughthelowwindowwhichwasopenbeforemetotheground——ranouttohidefromtheminthedarkness，tohideevenfrommyself。
Weseparatedthateveninglaterthanusual。Towardsmidnightthesummersilencewasbrokenbytheshudderingofalow，melancholywindamongthetrees。Weallfeltthesuddenchillintheatmosphere，buttheCountwasthefirsttonoticethestealthyrisingofthewind。Hestoppedwhilehewaslightingmycandleforme，andhelduphishandwarningly——
`Listen！’hesaid。`Therewillbeachangetomorrow。’
[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter19[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter19June19th——Theeventsofyesterdaywarnedmetobeready，soonerorlater，tomeettheworst。Todayisnotyetatanend，andtheworsthascome。
JudgingbytheclosestcalculationoftimethatLauraandIcouldmake，wearrivedattheconclusionthatAnneCatherickmusthaveappearedattheboat-houseathalf-pasttwoo’clockontheafternoonofyesterday。
IaccordinglyarrangedthatLaurashouldjustshowherselfattheluncheon-cabletoday，andshouldthenslipoutatthefirstopportunity，leavingmebehindtopreserveappearances，andtofollowherassoonasIcouldsafelydoso。Thismodeofproceeding，ifnoobstaclesoccurredtothwartus，wouldenablehertobeattheboat-housebeforehalf-pasttwo，andwhenIleftthetable，inmyturnwouldtakemetoasafepositionintheplantationbeforethree。
Thechangeintheweather，whichlastnight’swindwarnedustoexpect，camewiththemorning。ItwasrainingheavilywhenIgotup，anditcontinuedtorainuntiltwelveo’clock——whenthecloudsdispersed，theblueskyappeared，andthesunshoneagainwiththebrightpromiseofafineafternoon。
MyanxietytoknowhowSirPercivalandtheCountwouldoccupytheearlypartofthedaywasbynomeanssetatrest，sofarasSirPercivalwasconcerned，byhisleavingusimmediatelyafterbreakfast，andgoingoutbyhimself，inspiteoftherain。Heneithertolduswherehewasgoingnorwhenwemightexpecthimback。Wesawhimpassthebreakfast-roomwindowhastily，withhishighbootsandhiswaterproofcoaton——andthatwasall。
TheCountpassedthemorningquietlyindoors，somepartofitinthelibrary，somepartinthedrawing-room，playingoddsandendsofmusiconthepiano，andhummingtohimself。Judgingbyappearances，thesentimentalsideofhischaracterwaspersistentlyinclinedtobetrayitselfstill。
Hewassilentandsensitive，andreadytosighandlanguishponderouslyasonlyfatmenFansighandlanguishonthesmallestprovocation。
Luncheon-timecameandSirPercivaldidnotreturn。TheCounttookhisfriend’splaceatthetable，plaintivelydevouredthegreaterpartofafruittart，submergedunderawholejugfulofcream，andexplainedthefullmeritoftheachievementtousassoonashehaddone。`Atasteforsweets，’hesaidinhissoftesttonesandhistenderestmanner，`istheinnocenttasteofwomenandchildren。Ilovetoshareitwiththem——itisanotherbond，dearladies，betweenyouandme。’
Lauraleftthetableintenminutes’time。Iwassorelytemptedtoaccompanyher。Butifwehadbothgoneouttogetherwemusthaveexcitedsuspicion，andworsestill，ifweallowedAnneCathericktoseeLaura，accompaniedbyasecondpersonwhowasastrangertoher，weshouldinallprobabilityforfeitherconfidencefromthatmoment，nevertoregainitagain。