Rememberthisdaymonth——notonewordsooner。’
Hethenrose，andIlefttheroom，muchagitatedandexhausted。
Thisinterview，allthecircumstancesattendingit，butmostparticularlytheformidableexpressionofmyuncle’scountenancewhilehetalked，thoughhypothetically，ofmurder，combinedtoarouseallmyworstsuspicionsofhim。Idreadedtolookuponthefacethathadsorecentlyworntheappallingliveryofguiltandmalignity。Iregardeditwiththemingledfearandloathingwithwhichonelooksuponanobjectwhichhastorturedtheminanightmare。
Inafewdaysaftertheinterview，theparticularsofwhichIhavejustrelated，I
foundanoteuponmytoilet-table，andonopeningitIreadasfollows：
’MYDEARLADYMARGARET，’Youwillbeperhapssurprisedtoseeastrangefaceinyourroomto-day。I
havedismissedyourIrishmaid，andsecuredaFrenchonetowaituponyou——asteprenderednecessarybymyproposingshortlytovisittheContinent，withallmyfamily。
’Yourfaithfulguardian，’ARTHURT——N。’
Oninquiry，Ifoundthatmyfaithfulattendantwasactuallygone，andfaronherwaytothetownofGalway；andinhersteadthereappearedatall，raw-boned，ill-looking，elderlyFrenchwoman，whosesullenandpresumingmannersseemedtoimplythathervocationhadneverbeforebeenthatofalady’s-maid。Icouldnothelpregardingherasacreatureofmyuncle’s，andthereforetobedreaded，evenhadshebeeninnootherwaysuspicious。
Daysandweekspassedawaywithoutany，evenamomentarydoubtuponmypart，astothecoursetobepursuedbyme。
Theallottedperiodhadatlengthelapsed；
thedayarrivedonwhichIwastocommunicatemydecisiontomyuncle。
Althoughmyresolutionhadneverforamomentwavered，Icouldnotshakeofthedreadoftheapproachingcolloquy；
andmyheartsunkwithinmeasIheardtheexpectedsummons。
IhadnotseenmycousinEdwardsincetheoccurrenceofthegrandeclaircissment；
hemusthavestudiouslyavoidedme——Isupposefrompolicy，itcouldnothavebeenfromdelicacy。Iwaspreparedforaterrificburstoffuryfrommyuncle，assoonasIshouldmakeknownmydetermination；andInotunreasonablyfearedthatsomeactofviolenceorofintimidationwouldnextberesortedto。
Filledwiththesedrearyforebodings，I
fearfullyopenedthestudydoor，andthenextminuteIstoodinmyuncle’spresence。HereceivedmewithapolitenesswhichIdreaded，asarguingafavourableanticipationrespectingtheanswerwhichIwastogive；andaftersomeslightdelay，hebeganbysaying：
’Itwillbearelieftobothofus，I
believe，tobringthisconversationassoonaspossibletoanissue。Youwillexcuseme，then，mydearniece，forspeakingwithanabruptnesswhich，underothercircumstances，wouldbeunpardonable。Youhave，Iamcertain，giventhesubjectofourlastinterviewfairandseriouscon-
sideration；andItrustthatyouarenowpreparedwithcandourtolayyouranswerbeforeme。Afewwordswillsuffice——weperfectlyunderstandoneanother。’
Hepaused，andI，thoughfeelingthatI
stooduponaminewhichmightinaninstantexplode，neverthelessansweredwithperfectcomposure：
’Imustnow，sir，makethesamereplywhichIdiduponthelastoccasion，andI
reiteratethedeclarationwhichIthenmade，thatInevercannorwill，whilelifeandreasonremain，consenttoaunionwithmycousinEdward。’
ThisannouncementwroughtnoapparentchangeinSirArthur，exceptthathebecamedeadly，almostlividlypale。Heseemedlostindarkthoughtforaminute，andthenwithaslighteffortsaid：
’Youhaveansweredmehonestlyanddirectly；andyousayyourresolutionisunchangeable。Well，wouldithadbeenotherwise——wouldithadbeenotherwise——
butbeitasitis——Iamsatisfied。’
Hegavemehishand——itwascoldanddampasdeath；underanassumedcalmness，itwasevidentthathewasfearfullyagitated。Hecontinuedtoholdmyhandwithanalmostpainfulpressure，while，asifunconsciously，seemingtoforgetmypresence，hemuttered：
’Strange，strange，strange，indeed!
fatuity，helplessfatuity!’therewasherealongpause。’MadnessINDEEDtostrainacablethatisrottentotheveryheart——itmustbreak——andthen——allgoes。’
Therewasagainapauseofsomeminutes，afterwhich，suddenlychanginghisvoiceandmannertooneofwakefulalacrity，heexclaimed：
’Margaret，mysonEdwardshallplagueyounomore。Heleavesthiscountryonto-morrowforFrance——heshallspeaknomoreuponthissubject——never，nevermore——whatevereventsdependeduponyouranswermustnowtaketheirowncourse；but，asforthisfruitlessproposal，ithasbeentriedenough；itcanberepeatednomore。’
Atthesewordshecoldlysufferedmyhandtodrop，asiftoexpresshistotalabandonmentofallhisprojectedschemesofalliance；andcertainlytheaction，withtheaccompanyingwords，produceduponmymindamoresolemnanddepressingeffectthanIbelievedpossibletohavebeencausedbythecoursewhichIhaddeterminedtopursue；itstruckuponmyheartwithanaweandheavinesswhichWILLaccompanytheaccomplishmentofanimportantandirrevocableact，eventhoughnodoubtorscrupleremainstomakeitpossiblethattheagentshouldwishitundone。
’Well，’saidmyuncle，afteralittletime，’wenowceasetospeakuponthistopic，nevertoresumeitagain。RememberyoushallhavenofartheruneasinessfromEdward；heleavesIrelandforFranceonto-morrow；thiswillbearelieftoyou。
MayIdependuponyourHONOURthatnowordtouchingthesubjectofthisinterviewshalleverescapeyou？’
Igavehimthedesiredassurance；hesaid：
’Itiswell——Iamsatisfied——wehavenothingmore，Ibelieve，tosayuponeitherside，andmypresencemustbearestraintuponyou，Ishallthereforebidyoufarewell。’
Ithenlefttheapartment，scarcelyknowingwhattothinkofthestrangeinterviewwhichhadjusttakenplace。
OnthenextdaymyuncletookoccasiontotellmethatEdwardhadactuallysailed，ifhisintentionhadnotbeeninterferedwithbyadversecircumstances；andtwodayssubsequentlyheactuallyproducedaletterfromhisson，written，asitsaid，ONBOARD，anddespatchedwhiletheshipwasgettingunderweigh。Thiswasagreatsatisfactiontome，andasbeinglikelytoproveso，itwasnodoubtcommunicatedtomebySirArthur。
Duringallthistryingperiod，IhadfoundinfiniteconsolationinthesocietyandsympathyofmydearcousinEmily。
Ineverinafter-lifeformedafriendshipsoclose，sofervent，anduponwhich，inallitsprogress，Icouldlookbackwithfeelingsofsuchunalloyedpleasure，uponwhoseterminationImusteverdwellwithsodeep，yetsounembitteredregret。IncheerfulconversewithherIsoonrecoveredmyspiritsconsiderably，andpassedmytimeagreeablyenough，althoughstillinthestrictestseclusion。
Matterswentonsufficientlysmooth，althoughIcouldnothelpsometimesfeelingamomentary，buthorribleuncertaintyrespectingmyuncle’scharacter；
whichwasnotaltogetherunwarrantedbythecircumstancesofthetwotryinginterviewswhoseparticularsIhavejustdetailed。Theunpleasantimpressionwhichtheseconferenceswerecalculatedtoleaveuponmymind，wasfastwearingaway，whenthereoccurredacircumstance，slightindeedinitself，butcalculatedirresistiblytoawakenallmyworstsuspicions，andtooverwhelmmeagainwithanxietyandterror。
IhadonedayleftthehousewithmycousinEmily，inordertotakearambleofconsiderablelength，forthepurposeofsketchingsomefavouriteviews，andwehadwalkedabouthalfamilewhenI
perceivedthatwehadforgottenourdrawingmaterials，theabsenceofwhichwouldhavedefeatedtheobjectofourwalk。Laughingatourownthoughtlessness，wereturnedtothehouse，andleavingEmilywithout，I
ranupstairstoprocurethedrawing-booksandpencils，whichlayinmybedroom。
AsIranupthestairsIwasmetbythetall，ill-lookingFrenchwoman，evidentlyagooddealflurried。
’Queveut，madame？’saidshe，withamoredecidedefforttobepolitethanIhadeverknownhermakebefore。
’No，no——nomatter，’saidI，hastilyrunningbyherinthedirectionofmyroom。
’Madame，’criedshe，inahighkey，’restezici，s’ilvousplait；votrechambren’estpasfaite——yourroomisnotreadyforyourreceptionyet。’
Icontinuedtomoveonwithoutheedingher。Shewassomewaybehindme，andfeelingthatshecouldnototherwisepreventmyentrance，forIwasnowupontheverylobby，shemadeadesperateattempttoseizeholdofmyperson：shesucceededingraspingtheendofmyshawl，whichshedrewfrommyshoulders；butslippingatthesametimeuponthepolishedoakfloor，shefellatfulllengthupontheboards。
Alittlefrightenedaswellasangryattherudenessofthisstrangewoman，I
hastilypushedopenthedoorofmyroom，atwhichInowstood，inordertoescapefromher；butgreatwasmyamazementonenteringtofindtheapartmentpreoccupied。
Thewindowwasopen，andbesideitstoodtwomalefigures；theyappearedtobeexaminingthefasteningsofthecasement，andtheirbackswereturnedtowardsthedoor。Oneofthemwasmyuncle；
theybothturnedonmyentrance，asifstartled。Thestrangerwasbootedandcloaked，andworeaheavybroad-leafedhatoverhisbrows。Heturnedbutforamoment，andavertedhisface；butIhadseenenoughtoconvincemethathewasnootherthanmycousinEdward。Myunclehadsomeironinstrumentinhishand，whichhehastilyconcealedbehindhisback；
andcomingtowardsme，saidsomethingasifinanexplanatorytone；butIwastoomuchshockedandconfoundedtounderstandwhatitmightbe。Hesaidsomethingabout’REPAIRS——window——frames——
cold，andsafety。’
Ididnotwait，however，toaskortoreceiveexplanations，buthastilylefttheroom。AsIwentdownthestairsI
thoughtIheardthevoiceoftheFrenchwomaninalltheshrillvolubilityofexcuse，whichwasmet，however，bysuppressedbutvehementimprecations，orwhatseemedtometobesuch，inwhichthevoiceofmycousinEdwarddistinctlymingled。
IjoinedmycousinEmilyquiteoutofbreath。Ineednotsaythatmyheadwastoofullofotherthingstothinkmuchofdrawingforthatday。Iimpartedtoherfranklythecauseofmyalarms，butatthesametimeasgentlyasIcould；andwithtearsshepromisedvigilance，anddevotion，andlove。IneverhadreasonforamomenttorepenttheunreservedconfidencewhichIthenreposedinher。ShewasnolesssurprisedthanIattheunexpectedappearanceofEdward，whosedepartureforFranceneitherofushadforamomentdoubted，butwhichwasnowprovedbyhisactualpresencetobenothingmorethananimposture，practised，Ifeared，fornogoodend。
ThesituationinwhichIhadfoundmyunclehadremovedcompletelyallmydoubtsastohisdesigns。Imagnifiedsuspicionsintocertainties，anddreadednightafternightthatIshouldbemurderedinmybed。Thenervousnessproducedbysleeplessnightsanddaysofanxiousfearsincreasedthehorrorsofmysituationtosuchadegree，thatIatlengthwrotealettertoaMr。Jefferies，anoldandfaithfulfriendofmyfather’s，andperfectlyacquaintedwithallhisaffairs，prayinghim，forGod’ssake，torelievemefrommypresentterriblesituation，andcommunicatingwithoutreservethenatureandgroundsofmysuspicions。
ThisletterIkeptsealedanddirectedfortwoorthreedaysalwaysaboutmyperson，fordiscoverywouldhavebeenruinous，inexpectationofanopportunitywhichmightbesafelytrusted，wherebytohaveitplacedinthepost-office。AsneitherEmilynorIwerepermittedtopassbeyondtheprecinctsofthedemesneitself，whichwassurroundedbyhighwallsformedofdrystone，thedifficultyofprocuringsuchanopportunitywasgreatlyenhanced。
AtthistimeEmilyhadashortconver-
sationwithherfather，whichshereportedtomeinstantly。
Aftersomeindifferentmatter，hehadaskedherwhethersheandIwereupongoodterms，andwhetherIwasunreservedinmydisposition。Sheansweredintheaffirmative；andhetheninquiredwhetherIhadbeenmuchsurprisedtofindhiminmychamberontheotherday。SheansweredthatIhadbeenbothsurprisedandamused。
’AndwhatdidshethinkofGeorgeWilson’sappearance？’
’Who？’inquiredshe。
’Oh，thearchitect，’heanswered，’whoistocontractfortherepairsofthehouse；
heisaccountedahandsomefellow。’