Thepangpassed，andnothingbutthedullnumbingpainofitremained。
　　IfeltMissHalcombe’shandagain，tighteningitsholdonmyarm——Iraisedmyheadandlookedather。Herlargeblackeyeswererootedonme，watchingthewhitechangeonmyface，whichIfelt，andwhichshesaw。
　　`Crushit！’shesaid。`Here，whereyoufirstsawher，crushit！Don’tshrinkunderitlikeawoman。Tearitout；trampleitunderfootlikeaman！’
　　Thesuppressedvehemencewithwhichshespoke，thestrengthwhichherwill——concentratedinthelookshefixedonme，andintheholdonmyarmthatshehadnotyetrelinquished——communicatedtomine，steadiedme。Webothwaitedforaminuteinsilence。AttheendofthattimeIhadjustifiedhergenerousfaithinmymanhood——Ihad，outwardlyatleast，recoveredmyself-control。
　　`Areyouyourselfagain？’
　　`Enoughmyself，MissHalcombe，toaskyourpardonandhers。Enoughtobeguidedbyyouradvice，andtoprovemygratitudeinthatway，ifIcanproveitinnoother。’
　　`Youhaveproveditalready，’sheanswered，`bythosewords。MrHartright，concealmentisatanendbetweenus。Icannotaffecttohidefromyouwhatmysisterhasunconsciouslyshowntome。Youmustleaveusforhersake，aswellasforyourown。Yourpresencehere，yournecessaryintimacywithus，harmlessasithasbeen，Godknows，inallotherrespects，hasunsteadiedherandmadeherwretched。I，wholoveherbetterthanmyownlife——I，whohavelearnttobelieveinthatpure，noble，innocentnatureasIbelieveinmyreligion——knowbuttoowellthesecretmiseryofself-reproachthatshehasbeensufferingsincethefirstshadowofafeelingdisloyaltohermarriageengagemententeredherheartinspiteofher。Idon’tsay——itwouldbeuselesstoattempttosayitafterwhathashappened——
　　thatherengagementhaseverhadastrongholdonheraffections。Itisanengagementofhonour，notoflove；herfathersanctioneditonhisdeathbed，twoyearssince；sheherselfneitherwelcomeditnorshrankfromit——
　　shewascontenttomakeit。Tillyoucamehereshewasinthepositionofhundredsofotherwomen，whomarrymenwithoutbeinggreatlyattractedtothemorgreatlyrepelledbythem，andwholearntolovethemwhentheydon’tlearntohate！aftermarriage，insteadofbefore。Ihopemoreearnestlythanwordscansay——andyoushouldhavetheself-sacrificingcouragetohopetoo——thatthenewthoughtsandfeelingswhichhavedisturbedtheoldcalmnessandtheoldcontenthavenottakenroottoodeeplytobeeverremoved。YourabsenceifIhadlessbeliefinyourhonour，andyourcourage，andyoursense，IshouldnottrusttothemasIamtrustingnow——yourabsencewillhelpmyefforts，andtimewillhelpusallthree。
　　Itissomethingtoknowthatmyfirstconfidenceinyouwasnotallmisplaced。
　　Itissomethingtoknowthatyouwillnotbelesshonest，lessmanly，lessconsideratetowardsthepupilwhoserelationtoyourselfyouhavehadthemisfortunetoforget，thantowardsthestrangerandtheoutcastwhoseappealtoyouwasnotmadeinvain。’
　　Againthechancereferencetothewomaninwhite！WastherenopossibilityofspeakingofMissFairlieandofmewithoutraisingthememoryofAnneCatherick，andsettingherbetweenuslikeafatalitythatitwashopelesstoavoid？
　　`TellmewhatapologyIcanmaketoMrFairlieforbreakingmyengagement，’
　　Isaid。`Tellmewhentogoafterthatapologyisaccepted。Ipromiseimplicitobediencetoyouandtoyouradvice。
　　`Timeiseverywayofimportance，’sheanswered。`YouheardmereferthismorningtoMondaynext，andtothenecessityofsettingthepurpleroominorder。ThevisitorwhomweexpectonMonday——’
　　Icouldnotwaitforhertobemoreexplicit。KnowingwhatIknewnow，thememoryofMissFairlie’slookandmanneratthebreakfast-tabletoldmethattheexpectedvisitoratLimmeridgeHousewasherfuturehusband。
　　Itriedtoforceitback；butsomethingrosewithinmeatthatmomentstrongerthanmyownwill，andIinterruptedMissHalcombe。
　　`Letmegotoday，’Isaidbitterly。`Thesoonerthebetter。’
　　`No，nottoday，’shereplied。`TheonlyreasonyoucanassigntoMrFairlieforyourdeparture，beforetheendofyourengagement，mustbethatanunforeseennecessitycompelsyoutoaskhispermissiontoreturnatoncetoLondon。Youmustwaittilltomorrowtotellhimthat，atthetimewhenthepostcomesin，becausehewillthenunderstandthesuddenchangeinyourplans，byassociatingitwiththearrivalofaletterfromLondon。Itismiserableandsickeningtodescendtodeceit，evenofthemostharmlesskind——butIknowMrFairlie，andifyouonceexcitehissuspicionsthatyouaretriflingwithhim，hewillrefusetoreleaseyou。
　　SpeaktohimonFridaymorning：occupyyourselfafterwardsforthesakeofyourowninterestswithyouremployerinleavingyourunfinishedworkinaslittleconfusionaspossible，andquitthisplaceonSaturday。Itwillbetimeenoughthen，MrHartright，foryou，andforallofus。’
　　BeforeIcouldassureherthatshemightdependonmyactinginthestrictestaccordancewithherwishes，wewerebothstartledbyadvancingfootstepsintheshrubbery。Someonewascomingfromthehousetoseekforus！Ifeltthebloodrushintomycheeksandthenleavethemagain。Couldthethirdpersonwhowasfastapproachingus，atsuchatimeandundersuchcircumstances，beMissFairlie？
　　Itwasarelief——sosadly，sohopelesslywasmypositiontowardsherchangedalready——itwasabsolutelyarelieftome，whenthepersonwhohaddisturbedusappearedattheentranceofthesummer-house，andprovedtobeonlyMissFairlie’smaid。
　　`CouldIspeaktoyouforamoment，miss？’saidthegirl，inratheraflurried，unsettledmanner。
　　MissHalcombedescendedthestepsintotheshrubbery，andwalkedasideafewpaceswiththemaid。
　　Leftbymyself，mymindreverted，withasenseofforlornwretchednesswhichitisnotinanywordsthatIcanfindtodescribe，tomyapproachingreturntothesolitudeandthedespairofmylonelyLondonhome。Thoughtsofmykindoldmother，andofmysister，whohadrejoicedwithhersoinnocentlyovermyprospectsinCumberland——thoughtswhoselongbanishmentfrommyheartitwasnowmyshameandmyreproachtorealizeforthefirsttime——camebacktomewiththelovingmournfulnessofold，neglectedfriends。
　　Mymotherandmysister，whatwouldtheyfeelwhenIreturnedtothemfrommybrokenengagement，withtheconfessionofmymiserablesecret——theywhohadpartedfrommesohopefullyonthatlasthappynightintheHampsteadcottage！
　　AnneCatherickagain！EventhememoryofthefarewellevenIngwithmymotherandmysistercouldnotreturntomenowunconnectedwiththatothermemoryofthemoonlightwalkbacktoLondon。Whatdiditmean？WerethatwomanandItomeetoncemore？Itwaspossible，attheleast。DidsheknowthatIlivedinLondon？Yes；Ihadtoldherso，eitherbeforeorafterthatstrangequestionofhers，whenshehadaskedmesodistrustfullyifIknewmanymenoftherankofBaronet。Eitherbeforeorafter——mymindwasnotcalmenough，then，torememberwhich。
　　AfewminuteselapsedbeforeMissHalcombedismissedthemaidandcamebacktome。She，too，lookedflurriedandunsettlednow。
　　`Wehavearrangedallthatisnecessary，MrHartright，’shesaid。`Wehaveunderstoodeachother，asfriendsshould，andwemaygobackatoncetothehouse。Totellyouthetruth，IamuneasyaboutLaura。Shehassenttosayshewantstoseemedirectly，andthemaidreportsthathermistressisapparentlyverymuchagitatedbyaletterthatshehasreceivedthismorning——thesameletter，nodoubt，whichIsentontothehousebeforewecamehere。’
　　Weretracedourstepstogetherhastilyalongtheshrubberypath。AlthoughMissHalcombehadendedallthatshethoughtitnecessarytosayonherside，IhadnotendedallthatIwantedtosayonmine。FromthemomentwhenIhaddiscoveredthattheexpectedvisitoratLimmeridgewasMissFairlie’sfuturehusband，Ihadfeltabittercuriosity，aburningenviouseagerness，toknowwhohewas。Itwaspossiblethatafutureopportunityofputtingthequestionmightnoteasilyoffer，soIriskedaskingitonourwaybacktothehouse。
　　`Nowthatyouarekindenoughtotellmewehaveunderstoodeachother，MissHalcombe，’Isaid，`nowthatyouaresureofmygratitudeforyourforbearanceandmyobediencetoyourwishes，mayIventuretoaskwho’——
　　Ihesitated——Ihadforcedmyselftothinkofhim，butitwasharderstilltospeakofhim，asherpromisedhusband——`whothegentlemanengagedtoMissFairlieis？’
　　Hermindwasevidentlyoccupiedwiththemessageshehadreceivedfromhersister。Sheansweredinahasty，absentway——
　　`AgentlemanoflargepropertyinHampshire。’
　　Hampshire！AnneCatherick’snativeplace。Again，andyetagain，thewomaninwhite。Therewasafatalityinit。
　　`Andhisname？’Isaid，asquietlyandindifferentlyasIcould。
　　`SirPercivalGlyde。’
　　Sir——SirPercival！AnneCatherick’squestion——thatsuspiciousquestionaboutthemenoftherankofBaronetwhomImighthappentoknow——hadhardlybeendismissedfrommymindbyMissHalcombe’sreturntomeinthesummer-house，beforeitwasrecalledagainbyherownanswer。Istoppedsuddenly，andlookedather。
　　`SirPercivalGlyde，’sherepeated，imaginingthatIhadnotheardherformerreply。
　　`Knight，orBaronet？’Iasked，withanagitationthatIcouldhidenolonger。
　　Shepausedforamoment，andthenanswered，rathercoldly——
　　`Baronet，ofcourse。’
　　[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter5[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter5XNotawordmorewassaid，oneitherside，aswewalkedbacktothehouse。
　　MissHalcombehastenedimmediatelytohersister’sroom，andIwithdrewtomystudiotosetinorderallofMrFairlie’sdrawingsthatIhadnotyetmountedandrestoredbeforeIresignedthemtothecareofotherhands。