Ilikedtofeelherheartyindignationflashoutonmeinthatway。
　　Weseesomuchmaliceandsolittleindignationinmyprofession。
　　`Inthatcase，’Isaid，`excusemeifItellyou，inourlegalphrase，thatyouaretravellingoutoftherecord。Whatevertheconsequencesmaybe，SirPercivalhasarighttoexpectthatyoursistershouldcarefullyconsiderherengagementfromeveryreasonablepointofviewbeforesheclaimsherreleasefromit。Ifthatunluckyletterhasprejudicedheragainsthim，goatonce，andtellherthathehasclearedhimselfinyoureyesandinmine。Whatobjectioncansheurgeagainsthimafterthat？Whatexcusecanshepossiblyhaveforchanginghermindaboutamanwhomshehadvirtuallyacceptedforherhusbandmorethantwoyearsago？’
　　`Intheeyesoflawandreason，MrGilmore，noexcuse，Idaresay。Ifshestillhesitates，andifIstillhesitate，youmustattributeourstrangeconduct，ifyoulike，tocapriceinbothcases，andwemustbeartheimputationaswellaswecan。’
　　Withthosewordsshesuddenlyroseandleftme。Whenasensiblewomanhasaseriousquestionputtoher，andevadesitbyaflippantanswer，itisasuresign，inninety-ninecasesoutofahundred，thatshehassomethingtoconceal。Ireturnedtotheperusalofthenewspaper，stronglysuspectingthatMissHalcombeandMissFairliehadasecretbetweenthemwhichtheywerekeepingfromSirPercival，andkeepingfromme。Ithoughtthishardonbothofus，especiallyonSirPercival。
　　Mydoubts——ortospeakmorecorrectly，myconvictions——wereconfirmedbyMissHalcombe’slanguageandmannerwhenIsawheragainlaterintheday。Shewassuspiciouslybriefandreservedintellingmetheresultofherinterviewwithhersister。MissFairlie，itappeared，hadlistenedquietlywhiletheaffairoftheletterwasplacedbeforeherintherightpointofview，butwhenMissHalcombenextproceededtosaythattheobjectofSirPercival’svisitatLimmeridgewastoprevailonhertoletadaybefixedforthemarriage，shecheckedallfurtherreferencetothesubjectbybeggingfortime。IfSirPercivalwouldconsenttospareherforthepresent，shewouldundertaketogivehimhisfinalanswerbeforetheendoftheyear。Shepleadedforthisdelaywithsuchanxietyandagitation，thatMissHalcombehadpromisedtouseherinfluence，ifnecessary，toobtainit，andthere，atMissFairlie’searnestentreaty，allfurtherdiscussionofthemarriagequestionhadended。
　　Thepurelytemporaryarrangementthusproposedmighthavebeenconvenientenoughtotheyounglady，butitprovedsomewhatembarrassingtothewriteroftheselines。Thatmorning’sposthadbroughtaletterfrommypartner，whichobligedmetoreturntotownthenextdaybytheafternoontrain。
　　ItwasextremelyprobablethatIshouldfindnosecondopportunityofpresentingmyselfatLimmeridgeHouseduringtheremainderoftheyear。Inthatcase，supposingMissFairlieultimatelydecidedonholdingtoherengagement，mynecessarypersonalcommunicationwithher，beforeIdrewhersettlement，wouldbecomesomethinglikeadownrightimpossibility，andweshouldbeobligedtocommittowritingquestionswhichoughtalwaystobediscussedonbothsidesbywordofmouth。IsaidnothingaboutthisdifficultyuntilSirPercivalhadbeenconsultedonthesubjectofthedesireddelay。Hewastoogallantagentlemannottogranttherequestimmediately。WhenMissHalcombeinformedmeofthisItoldherthatImustabsolutelyspeaktohersisterbeforeIleftLimmeridge，anditwas，therefore，arrangedthatIshouldseeMissFairlieinherownsitting-roomthenextmorning。
　　Shedidnotcomedowntodinner，orjoinusintheevening。Indispositionwastheexcuse，andIthoughtSirPercivallooked，aswellhemight，alittleannoyedwhenheheardofit。
　　Thenextmorning，assoonasbreakfastwasover，IwentuptoMissFairlie’ssitting-room。Thepoorgirllookedsopaleandsad，andcameforwardtowelcomemesoreadilyandprettily，thattheresolutiontolectureheronhercapriceandindecision，whichIhadbeenformingallthewayupstairs，failedmeonthespot。Iledherbacktothechairfromwhichshehadrisen，andplacedmyselfoppositetoher。Hercross-grainedpetgreyhoundwasintheroom，andIfullyexpectedabarkingandsnappingreception。Strangetosay，thewhimsicallittlebrutefalsifiedmyexpectationsbyjumpingintomylapandpokingitssharpmuzzlefamiliarlyintomyhandthemomentIsatdown。
　　`Youusedoftentositonmykneewhenyouwereachild，mydear，’I
　　said，`andnowyourlittledogseemsdeterminedtosucceedyouinthevacantthrone。Isthatprettydrawingyourdoing？’
　　Ipointedtoalittlealbumwhichlayonthetablebyherside，andwhichshehadevidentlybeenlookingoverwhenIcamein。Thepagethatlayopenhadasmallwater-colourlandscapeveryneatlymountedonit。
　　Thiswasthedrawingwhichhadsuggestedmyquestion——anidlequestionenough——buthowcouldIbegintotalkofbusinesstoherthemomentI
　　openedmylips？
　　`No，’shesaid，lookingawayfromthedrawingratherconfusedly，`itisnotmydoing。’
　　Herfingershadarestlesshabit，whichIrememberedinherasachild，ofalwaysplayingwiththefirstthingthatcametohandwheneveranyonewastalkingtoher-Onthisoccasiontheywanderedtothealbum，andtoyedabsentlyaboutthemarginofthelittlewater-colourdrawing。Theexpressionofmelancholydeepenedonherface。Shedidnotlookatthedrawing，orlookatme。Hereyesmoveduneasilyfromobjecttoobjectintheroom，betrayingplainlythatshesuspectedwhatmypurposewasincomingtospeaktoher。Seeingthat，Ithoughtitbesttogettothepurposewithaslittledelayaspossible。
　　`Oneoftheerrands，mydear，whichbringsmehereistobidyougood-bye，’
　　Ibegan。`ImustgetbacktoLondontoday：and，beforeIleave，Iwanttohaveawordwithyouonthesubjectofyourownaffairs。’
　　`Iamverysorryyouaregoing，MrGilmore，’shesaid，lookingatmekindly。`Itislikethehappyoldtimestohaveyouhere。’
　　`IhopeImaybeabletocomebackandrecallthosepleasantmemoriesoncemore，’Icontinued；`butasthereissomeuncertaintyaboutthefuture，ImusttakemyopportunitywhenIcangetit，andspeaktoyounow。Iamyouroldlawyerandyouroldfriend，andImayremindyou，Iamsure，withoutoffence，ofthepossibilityofyourmarryingSirPercivalGlyde。’
　　Shetookherhandoffthelittlealbumassuddenlyasifithadturnedhotandburnther。Herfingerstwinedtogethernervouslyinherlap，hereyeslookeddownagainatthefloor，andanexpressionofconstraintsettledonherfacewhichlookedalmostlikeanexpressionofpain。
　　`Isitabsolutelynecessarytospeakofmymarriageengagement？’sheaskedinlowtones。
　　`Itisnecessarytorefertoit，’Ianswered，`butnottodwellonit。
　　Letusmerelysaythatyoumaymarry，orthatyoumaynotmarry。Inthefirstcase，Imustbeprepared，beforehand，todrawyoursettlement，andIoughtnottodothatwithout，asamatterofpoliteness，firstconsultingyou。Thismaybemyonlychanceofhearingwhatyourwishesare。Letus，therefore，supposethecaseofyourmarrying，andletmeinformyou，inasfewwordsaspossible，whatyourpositionisnow，andwhatyoumaymakeit，ifyouplease，inthefuture。’
　　Iexplainedtohertheobjectofamarriage-settlement，andthentoldherexactlywhatherprospectswere——inthefirstplace，onhercomingofage，andinthesecondplace，onthedeceaseofheruncle——markingthedistinctionbetweenthepropertyinwhichshehadalife-interestonly，andthepropertywhichwasleftatherowncontrol。Shelistenedattentively，withtheconstrainedexpressionstillonherface，andherhandsstillnervouslyclaspedtogetherinherlap。
　　`Andnow，’Isaidinconclusion，`tellmeifyoucanthinkofanyconditionwhich，inthecasewehavesupposed，youwouldwishmetomakeforyou——subject，ofcourse，toyourguardian’sapproval，asyouarenotyetofage。’
　　Shemoveduneasilyinherchair，thenlookedinmyfaceonasuddenveryearnestly。
　　`Ifitdoeshappen，’shebeganfaintly，`ifIam——’
　　`Ifyouaremarried，’Iadded，helpingherout。
　　`Don’tlethimpartmefromMarian，’shecried，withasuddenoutbreakofenergy。`Oh，MrGilmore，praymakeitlawthatMarianistolivewithme！’
　　UnderothercircumstancesImight，perhaps，havebeenamusedatthisessentiallyfeminineinterpretationofmyquestion，andofthelongexplanationwhichhadprecededit。Butherlooksandtones，whenshespoke，wereofakindtomakememorethanserious——theydistressedme。Herwords，fewastheywere，betrayedadesperateclingingtothepastwhichbodedillforthefuture。
　　`YourhavingMarianHalcombetolivewithyoucaneasilybesettledbyprivatearrangement，’Isaid。`Youhardlyunderstoodmyquestion，I
　　think。Itreferredtoyourownproperty——tothedisposalofyourmoney。
　　Supposingyouweretomakeawillwhenyoucomeofage，whowouldyoulikethemoneytogoto？’
　　`Marianhasbeenmotherandsisterbothtome，’saidthegood，affectionategirl，herprettyblueeyesglisteningwhileshespoke。`MayIleaveittoMarian，MrGilmore？’
　　`Certainly，mylove，’Ianswered。`Butrememberwhatalargesumitis-WouldyoulikeitalltogotoMissHalcombe？’
　　Shehesitated；hercolourcameandwent，andherhandstolebackagaintothelittlealbum。
　　`Notallofit，’shesaid。`ThereissomeoneelsebesidesMarian——’
　　Shestopped；hercolourheightened，andthefingersofthehandthatresteduponthealbumbeatgentlyonthemarginofthedrawing，asifhermemoryhadsetthemgoingmechanicallywiththeremembranceofafavouritetune。
　　`YoumeansomeothermemberofthefamilybesidesMissHalcombe？’I
　　suggested，seeingheratalosstoproceed，Theheighteningcolourspreadtoherforeheadandherneck，andthenervousfingerssuddenlyclaspedthemselvesfastroundtheedgeofthebook。
　　`Thereissomeoneelse，’shesaid，notnoticingmylastwords，thoughshehadevidentlyheardthem；`thereissomeoneelsewhomightlikealittlekeepsakeif——ifImightleaveit。TherewouldbenoharmifI