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。