Shelefttheroom。Iturnedawaytowardsthewindow，wherenothingfacedmebutthelonelyautumnlandscape——Iturnedawaytomastermyself，beforeItoolefttheroominmyturn，andleftitforever。
　　Aminutepassed——itcouldhardlyhavebeenmore——whenIheardthedooropenagainsoftly，andtherustlingofawoman’sdressonthecarpetmovedtowardsme。MyheartbeatviolentlyasIturnedround。MissFairliewasapproachingmefromthefartherendoftheroom。
　　Shestoppedandhesitatedwhenoureyesmet，andwhenshesawthatwewerealone。Then，withthatcouragewhichwomenlosesoofteninthesmallemergency，andsoseldominthegreat，shecameonnearertome，strangelypaleandstrangelyquiet，drawingonehandafterheralongthetablebywhichshewalked，andholdingsomethingathersideintheother，whichwashiddenbythefoldsofherdress。
　　`Ionlywentintothedrawing-room，’shesaid，`tolookforthis。Itmayremindyouofyourvisithere，andofthefriendsyouleavebehindyou。YoutoldmeIhadimprovedverymuchwhenIdidit，andIthoughtyoumightlike——’
　　Sheturnedherheadaway，andofferedmealittlesketch，drawnthroughoutbyherownpencil，ofthesummer-houseinwhichwehadfirstmet。Thepapertrembledinherhandasshehelditouttome——trembledinmineasI
　　tookitfromher。
　　IwasafraidtosaywhatIfelt——Ionlyanswered，`Itshallneverleaveme——allmylifelongitshallbethetreasurethatIPrizemost。
　　Iamverygratefulforit——verygratefultoyou，fornotlettingmegoawaywithoutbiddingyougood-bye。’
　　`Oh！’shesaidinnocently，`howcouldIletyougo，afterwehavepassedsomanyhappydaystogether！’
　　`Thosedaysmayneverreturn，MissFairlie——mywayoflifeandyoursareveryfarapart。Butifatimeshouldcome，whenthedevotionofmywholeheartandsoulandstrengthwillgiveyouamoment’shappiness，orspareyouamoment’ssorrow，willyoutrytorememberthepoordrawing-masterwhohastaughtyou？MissHalcombehaspromisedtotrustme——willyoupromisetoo？’
　　Thefarewellsadnessinthekindblueeyesshonedimlythroughhergatheringtears。
　　`Ipromiseit，’shesaidinbrokentones。`Oh，don’tlookatmelikethat！Ipromiseitwithallmyheart。’
　　Iventuredalittlenearertoher，andheldoutmyhand。
　　`Youhavemanyfriendswholoveyou，MissFairlie。Yourhappyfutureisthedearobjectofmanyhopes。MayIsay，atparting，thatitisthedearobjectofmyhopestoo？’
　　Thetearsflowedfastdownhercheeks-Sherestedonetremblinghandonthetabletosteadyherselfwhileshegavemetheother。Itookitinmine——Ihelditfast。Myheaddroopedoverit，mytearsfellonit，mylipspressedit——notinlove；oh，notinlove，atthatlastmoment，butintheagonyandtheself-abandonmentofdespair。
　　`ForGod’ssake，leaveme！’shesaidfaintly。
　　Theconfessionofherheart’ssecretburstfromherinthosepleadingwords。Ihadnorighttohearthem，norighttoanswerthem——theywerethewordsthatbanishedme，inthenameofhersacredweakness，fromtheroom。Itwasallover。Idroppedherhand，Isaidnomore。Theblindingtearsshutheroutfrommyeyes，andIdashedthemawaytolookatherforthelasttime。Onelookasshesankintoachair，asherarmsfellonthetable，asherfairheaddroppedonthemwearily。Onefarewelllook，andthedoorhadcloseduponher——thegreatgulfofseparationhadopenedbetweenus——theimageofLauraFairliewasamemoryofthepastalready。
　　[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter8[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter8THESTORYCONTINUEDBYVINCENTGILMOREofChanceryLane，SolicitorIIWRITEtheselinesattherequestofmyfriend，MrWalterHartright。TheyareintendedtoconveyadescriptionofcertaineventswhichseriouslyaffectedMissFairlie’sinterests，andwhichtookplaceaftertheperiodofMrHartright’sdeparturefromLimmeridgeHouse。
　　Thereisnoneedformetosaywhethermyownopiniondoesordoesnotsanctionthedisclosureoftheremarkablefamilystory，ofwhichmynarrativeformsanimportantcomponentpart。MrHartrighthastakenthatresponsibilityonhimself，andcircumstancesyettoberelatedwillshowthathehasamplyearnedtherighttodoso，ifhechoosestoexerciseit。Theplanhehasadoptedforpresentingthestorytoothers，inthemosttruthfulandmostvividmanner，requiresthatitshouldbetold，ateachsuccessivestageinthemarchofevents，bythepersonswhoweredirectlyconcernedinthoseeventsatthetimeoftheiroccurrence。Myappearancehere，asnarrator，isthenecessaryconsequenceofthisarrangement。IwaspresentduringthesojournofSirPercivalGlydeinCumberland，andwaspersonallyconcernedinoneimportantresultofhisshortresidenceunderMrFairlie’sroof。
　　Itismyduty，therefore，toaddthesenewlinkstothechainofevents，andtotakeupthechainitselfatthepointwhere，forthepresentonly，MrHartrighthasdroppedit。
　　IarrivedatLimmeridgeHouseonFridaythesecondofNovember。
　　MyobjectwastoremainatMrFairlie’suntilthearrivalofSirPercivalGlyde。IfthateventledtotheappointmentofanygivendayforSirPercival’sunionwithMissFairlie，IwastotakethenecessaryinstructionsbackwithmetoLondon，andtooccupymyselfindrawingthelady’smarriage-settlement。
　　OntheFridayIwasnotfavouredbyMrFairliewithaninterview。Hehadbeen，orhadfanciedhimselftobe，aninvalidforyearspast，andhewasnotwellenoughtoreceiveme。MissHalcombewasthefirstmemberofthefamilywhomIsaw。Shemetmeatthehousedoor，andintroducedmetoMrHartright，whohadbeenstayingatLimmeridgeforsometimepast。
　　IdidnotseeMissFairlieuntillaterintheday，atdinner-time。Shewasnotlookingwell，andIwassorrytoobserveit。Sheisasweetlovablegirl，asamiableandattentivetoeveryoneaboutherasherexcellentmotherusedtobe——though，personallyspeaking，shetakesafterherfather。
　　MrsFairliehaddarkeyesandhair，andherelderdaughter，MissHalcombe，stronglyremindsmeofher。MissFairlieplayedtousintheevening——
　　notsowellasusual，Ithought。Wehadarubberatwhist，amereprofanation，sofarasplaywasconcerned，ofthatnoblegame。IhadbeenfavourablyimpressedbyMrHartrightonourfirstintroductiontooneanother，butIsoondiscoveredthathewasnotfreefromthesocialfailingsincidentaltohisage。Therearethreethingsthatnoneoftheyoungmenofthepresentgenerationcando。Theycan’tsitovertheirwine，theycan’tplayatwhist，andtheycan’tpayaladyacompliment。MrHartrightwasnoexceptiontothegeneralrule。Otherwise，eveninthoseearlydaysandonthatshortacquaintance，hestruckmeasbeingamodestandgentlemanlikeyoungman。
　　SotheFridaypassed。Isaynothingaboutthemoreseriousmatterswhichengagedmyattentiononthatday——theanonymouslettertoMissFairlie，themeasuresIthoughtitrighttoadoptwhenthematterwasmentionedtome，andtheconvictionIentertainedthateverypossibleexplanationofthecircumstanceswouldbereadilyaffordedbySirPercivalGlyde，havingallbeenfullynoticed，asIunderstand，inthenarrativewhichprecedesthis。
　　OntheSaturdayMrHartrighthadleftbeforeIgotdowntobreakfast。
　　MissFairliekeptherroomallday，andMissHalcombeappearedtometobeoutofspirits。ThehousewasnotwhatitusedtobeinthetimeofMrandMrsPhilipFairlie。Itookawalkbymyselfintheforenoon，andlookedaboutatsomeoftheplaceswhichIfirstsawwhenIwasstayingatLimmeridgetotransactfamilybusiness，morethanthirtyyearssince。
　　Theywerenotwhattheyusedtobeeither。
　　Attwoo’clockMrFairliesenttosayhewaswellenoughtoseeme。
　　Hehadnotaltered，atanyrate，sinceIfirstknewhim。Histalkwastothesamepurposeasusual——allabouthimselfandhisailments，hiswonderfulcoins，andhismatchlessRembrandtetchings。ThemomentItriedtospeakofthebusinessthathadbroughtmetohishouse，heshuthiseyesandsaidI`upset’him。Ipersistedinupsettinghimbyreturningagainandagaintothesubject。AllIcouldascertainwasthathelookedonhisniece’smarriageasasettledthing，thatherfatherhadsanctionedit，thathesanctionedithimself，thatitwasadesirablemarriage，andthatheshouldbepersonallyrejoicedwhentheworryofitwasover。Astothesettlements，ifIwouldconsulthisniece，andafterwardsdiveasdeeplyasIpleasedintomyownknowledgeofthefamilyaffairs，andgeteverythingready，andlimithisshareinthebusiness，asguardian，tosayingYes，attherightmoment——why，ofcoursehewouldmeetmyviews，andeverybodyelse’sviews，withinfinitepleasure。Inthemeantime，thereIsawhim，ahelplesssufferer，confinedtohisroom。DidIthinkhelookedasifhewantedteasing？
　　No。Thenwhyteasehim？
　　Imight，perhaps，havebeenalittleastonishedatthisextraordinaryabsenceofallself-assertiononMrFairlie’spart，inthecharacterofguardian，ifmyknowledgeofthefamilyaffairshadnotbeensufficienttoremindmethathewasasingleman，andthathehadnothingmorethanalife-interestintheLimmeridgeproperty。Asmattersstood，therefore，Iwasneithersurprisednordisappointedattheresultoftheinterview。
　　MrFairliehadsimplyjustifiedmyexpectations——andtherewasanendofit。
　　Sundaywasadullday，outofdoorsandin。AletterarrivedformefromSirPercivalGlyde’ssolicitor，acknowledgingthereceiptofmycopyoftheanonymousletterandmyaccompanyingstatementofthecase。MissFairliejoinedusintheafternoon，lookingTaleanddepressed，andaltogetherunlikeherself。Ihadsometalkwithher，andventuredonadelicateallusiontoSirPercival。Shelistenedandsaidnothing。Allothersubjectsshepursuedwillingly，butthissubjectsheallowedtodrop。Ibegantodoubtwhethershemightnotberepentingofherengagement——justasyoungladiesoftendo，whenrepentancecomestoolate。
　　OnMondaySirPercivalGlydearrived。
　　Ifoundhimtobeamostprepossessingman，sofarasmannersandappearancewereconcerned。HelookedratherolderthanIhadexpected，hisheadbeingbaldovertheforehead，andhisfacesomewhatmarkedandworn，buthismovementswereasactiveandhisspiritsashighasayoungman’s。HismeetingwithMissHalcombewasdelightfullyheartyandunaffected，andhisreceptionofme，uponmybeingpresentedtohim，wassoeasyandpleasantthatwegotontogetherlikeoldfriends。MissFairliewasnotwithuswhenhearrived，butsheenteredtheroomabouttenminutesafterwards。