TheideainmymindwhenIwrotetohim，andthenatureofmyinquiries，willbeeasilyinferredfromhisreply。Hisletteransweredmyquestionsbycommunicatingtheseimportantfacts——
Inthefirstplace，`thelateSirPercivalGlyde，ofBlackwaterPark，’
hadneversetfootinVarneckHall。ThedeceasedgentlemanwasatotalstrangertoMajorDonthorne，andtoallhisfamily。
Inthesecondplace，`thelateMrPhilipFairlie，ofLimmeridgeHouse，’
hadbeen，inhisyoungerdays，theintimatefriendandconstantguestofMajorDonthorne。Havingrefreshedhismemorybylookingbacktooldlettersandotherpapers，theMajorwasinapositiontosaypositivelythatMrPhilipFairliewasstayingatVarneckHallinthemonthofAugust，eighteenhundredandtwenty-six，andthatheremainedtherefortheshootingduringthemonthofSeptemberandpartofOctoberfollowing。Hethenleft，tothebestoftheMajor’sbelief，forScotland，anddidnotreturntoVarneckHalltillafteralapseoftime，whenhereappearedinthecharacterofanewly-marriedman。
Takenbyitself，thisstatementwas，perhaps，oflittlepositivevalue，buttakeninconnectionwithcertainfacts，everyoneofwhicheitherMarianorIknewtobetrue，itsuggestedoneplainconclusionthatwas，toourminds，irresistible。
Knowing，now，thatMrPhilipFairliehadbeenatVarneckHallintheautumnofeighteenhundredandtwenty-six，andthatMrsCatherickhadbeenlivingthereinserviceatthesametime，weknewalso——first，thatAnnehadbeenborninJune，eighteenhundredandtwenty-seven；secondly，thatshehadalwayspresentedanextraordinarypersonalresemblancetoLaura；
and，thirdly，thatLauraherselfwasstrikinglylikeherfather-MrPhilipFairliehadbeenoneofthenotoriouslyhandsomemenofhistime。IndispositionentirelyunlikehisbrotherFrederick，hewasthespoiltdarlingofsociety，especiallyofthewomen——aneasy，light-hearted，impulsive，affectionateman——generoustoafault——constitutionallylaxinhisprinciples，andnotoriouslythoughtlessofmoralobligationswherewomenwereconcerned。
Suchwerethefactsweknew——suchwasthecharacteroftheman。Surelytheplaininferencethatfollowsneedsnopointingout？
Readbythenewlightwhichhadnowbrokenuponme，evenMrsCatherick’sletter，indespiteofherself，rendereditsmiteofassistancetowardsstrengtheningtheconclusionatwhichIhadarrived。ShehaddescribedMrsFairlieinwritingtomeas`plain-looking，’andashaving`entrappedthehandsomestmaninEnglandintomarryingher。’Bothassertionsweregratuitouslymade，andbothwerefalse。Jealousdislikewhich，insuchawomanasMrsCatherick，wouldexpressitselfinpettymaliceratherthannotexpressitselfatallappearedtometobetheonlyassignablecauseforthepeculiarinsolenceofherreferencetoMrsFairlie，undercircumstanceswhichdidnotnecessitateanyreferenceatall。
ThementionhereofMrsFairlie’snamenaturallysuggestsoneotherquestion。DidsheeversuspectwhosechildthelittlegirlbroughttoheratLimmeridgemightbe？
Marian’stestimonywaspositiveonthispoint。MrsFairlie’slettertoherhusband，whichhadbeenreadtomeinformerdays——theletterdescribingAnne’sresemblancetoLaura，andacknowledgingheraffectionateinterestinthelittlestranger——hadbeenwritten，beyondallquestion，inperfectinnocenceofheart。Itevenseemeddoubtful，onconsideration，whetherMrPhilipFairliehimselfhadbeennearerthanhiswifetoanysuspicionofthetruth。ThedisgracefullydeceitfulcircumstancesunderwhichMrsCatherickhadmarried，thepurposeofconcealmentwhichthemarriagewasintendedtoanswer，mightwellkeephersilentforcaution’ssake，perhapsforherownpride’ssakealso，evenassumingthatshehadthemeans，inhisabsence，ofcommunicatingwiththefatherofherunbornchild。
Asthissurmisefloatedthroughmymind，thereroseonmymemorytheremembranceoftheScripturedenunciationwhichwehaveallthoughtofinourtimewithwonderandwithawe：`Thesinsofthefathersshallbevisitedonthechildren。’Butforthefatalresemblancebetweenthetwodaughtersofonefather，theconspiracyofwhichAnnehadbeentheinnocentinstrumentandLauratheinnocentvictimcouldneverhavebeenplanned。
Withwhatunerringandterribledirectnessthelongchainofcircumstancesleddownfromthethoughtlesswrongcommittedbythefathertotheheartlessinjuryinflictedonthechild！
Thesethoughtscametome，andotherswiththem，whichdrewmymindawaytothelittleCumberlandchurchyardwhereAnneCathericknowlayburied。
IthoughtofthebygonedayswhenIhadmetherbyMrsFairlie’sgrave，andmetherforthelasttime。Ithoughtofherpoorhelplesshandsbeatingonthetombstone，andherweary，yearningwords，murmuredtothedeadremainsofherprotectressandherfriend：`Oh，ifIcoulddie，andbehiddenandatrestwithyou！’Littlemorethanayearhadpassedsinceshebreathedthatwish；andhowinscrutably，howawfully，ithadbeenfulledIThewordsshehadspokentoLaurabytheshoresofthelake，theverywordshadnowcomerue。`Oh，ifIcouldonlybeburiedwithyourmotherIIfIcouldonlywakeathersidewhentheangel’strumpetsoundsandthegravesgiveuptheirdeadattheresurrection！’Throughwhatmortalcrimeandhorror，throughwhatdarkestwindingsofthewaydowntodeath——thelostcreaturehadwanderedinGod’sleadingtothelasthomethat，living，sheneverhopedtoreach！InthatsacredrestIleaveher——inthatdreadcompanionshipletherremainundisturbed。
Sotheghostlyfigurewhichhashauntedthesepages，asithauntedmylife，goesdownintotheimpenetrablegloom。Likeashadowshefirstcametomeinthelonelinessofthenight。Likeashadowshepassesawayinthelonelinessofthedead。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter38[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter38HARTRIGHT’SNARRATIVEIFourmonthselapsed。Aprilcame——themonthofspring——themonthofchange。
Thecourseoftimehadflowedthroughtheintervalsincethewinterpeacefullyandhappilyinournewhome。Ihadturnedmylongleisuretogoodaccount，hadlargelyincreasedmysourcesofemployment，andhadplacedourmeansofsubsistenceonsurergrounds。Freedfromthesuspenseandtheanxietywhichhadtriedhersosorelyandhungoverhersolong，Marian’sspiritsrallied，andhernaturalenergyofcharacterbegantoassertitselfagain，withsomething，ifnotall，ofthefreedomandthevigourofformertimes。
Morepliableunderchangethanhersister，Laurashowedmoreplainlytheprogressmadebythehealinginfluencesofhernewlife。Thewornandwastedlookwhichhadprematurelyagedherfacewasfastleavingit，andtheexpressionwhichhadbeenthefirstofitscharmsinpastdayswasthefirstofitsbeautiesthatnowreturned。Myclosestobservationsofherdetectedbutoneseriousresultoftheconspiracywhichhadoncethreatenedherreasonandherlife。Hermemoryofevents，fromtheperiodofherleavingBlackwaterParktotheperiodofourmeetingintheburial-groundofLimmeridgeChurch，waslostbeyondallhopeofrecovery。Attheslightestreferencetothattimeshechangedandtrembledstill，herwordsbecameconfused，hermemorywanderedandlostitselfashelplesslyasever。Here，andhereonly，thetracesofthepastlaydeep——toodeeptobeeffaced。
Inallelseshewasnowsofaronthewaytorecoverythat。onherbestandbrightestdays，shesometimeslookedandspokeliketheLauraofoldtimes。Thehappychangewroughtitsnaturalresultinusboth。Fromthelongslumber，onhersideandonmine，thoseimperishablememoriesofourpastlifeinCumberlandnowawoke，whichwereoneandallalike，thememoriesofourlove。
Graduallyandinsensiblyourdailyrelationstowardseachotherbecameconstrained。ThefondwordswhichIhadspokentohersonaturally，inthedaysofhersorrowandhersuffering，falteredstrangelyonmylips。
Inthetimewhenmydreadoflosingherwasmostpresenttomymind，I
hadalwayskissedherwhensheleftmeatnightandwhenshemetmeinthemorning。Thekissseemednowtohavedroppedbetweenus——tobelostoutofourlives。Ourhandsbegantotrembleagainwhentheymet。WehardlyeverlookedlongatoneanotheroutofMarian’spresence。Thetalkoftenflaggedbetweenuswhenwewerealone。WhenItouchedherbyaccidentI
feltmyheartbeatingfast，asitusedtobeatatLimmeridgeHouse——I
sawthelovelyansweringflushglowingagaininhercheeks，asifwewerebackamongtheCumberlandHillsinourpastcharactersofmasterandpupiloncemore。Shehadlongintervalsofsilenceandthoughtfulness，anddeniedshehadbeenthinkingwhenMarianaskedherthequestion。Isurprisedmyselfonedayneglectingmyworktodreamoverthelittlewater-colourportraitofherwhichIhadtakeninthesummer-housewherewefirstmet——justasIusedtoneglectMrFairlie’sdrawingstodreamoverthesamelikenesswhenitwasnewlyfinishedinthebygonetime。Changedasallthecircumstancesnowwere，ourpositiontowardseachotherinthegoldendaysofourfirstcompanionshipseemedtoberevivedwiththerevivalofourlove。ItwasasifTimehaddriftedusbackonthewreckofourearlyhopestotheoldfamiliarshore！
ToanyotherwomanIcouldhavespokenthedecisivewordswhichIstillhesitatedtospeaktoher。Theutterhelplessnessofherposition——herfriendlessdependenceonalltheforbearinggentlenessthatIcouldshowher——myfearoftouchingtoosoonsomesecretsensitivenessinherwhichmyinstinctasamanmightnothavebeenfineenoughtodiscover——theseconsiderations，andotherslikethem，keptmeself-distrustfullysilent。
AndyetIknewthattherestraintonbothridesmustbeended，thattherelationsinwhichwestoodtowardsoneanothermustbealteredinsomesettledmannerforthefuture，andthatitrestedwithme，inthefirstinstance，torecognisethenecessityforachange。
ThemoreIthoughtofourposition，thehardertheattempttoalteritappeared，whilethedomesticconditionsinwhichwethreehadbeenlivingtogethersincethewinterremainedundisturbed。Icannotaccountforthecapriciousstateofmindinwhichthisfeelingoriginated，buttheideaneverthelesspossessedmethatsomepreviouschangeofplaceandcircumstances，somesuddenbreakinthequietmonotonyofourlives，somanagedastovarythehomeaspectunderwhichwehadbeenaccustomedtoseeeachother，mightpreparethewayformetospeak，andmightmakeiteasierandlessembarrassingforLauraandMariantohear。
Withthispurposeinview，Isaid，onemorning，thatIthoughtwehadallearnedalittleholidayandachangeofscene。Aftersomeconsideration，itwasdecidedthatweshouldgoforafortnighttotheseaside。
OnthenextdayweleftFulhamforaquiettownonthesouthcoast。
Atthatearlyseasonoftheyearweweretheonlyvisitorsintheplace。
Thecliffs，thebeach，andthewalksinlandwereallinthesolitaryconditionwhichwasmostwelcometous。Theairwasmild——theprospectsoverhillandwoodanddownwerebeautifullyvariedbytheshiftingAprillightandshade，andtherestlesssealeaptunderourwindows，asifitfelt，liketheland，theglowandfreshnessofspring。