bonnet,shawl,andgownallofwhite——was,sofarasIcouldguess,certainlynotcomposedofverydelicateorveryexpensivematerials。Herfigurewasslight,andratherabovetheaverageheight——hergaitandactionsfreefromtheslightestapproachtoextravagance。ThiswasallthatIcouldobserveofherinthedimlightandundertheperplexinglystrangecircumstancesofourmeeting。Whatsortofawomanshewas,andhowshecametobeoutaloneinthehigh-road,anhouraftermidnight,Ialtogetherfailedtoguess。TheonethingofwhichIfeltcertainwas,thatthegrossestofmankindcouldnothavemisconstruedhermotiveinspeaking,evenatthatsuspiciouslylatehourandinthatsuspiciouslylonelyplace。
`Didyouhearme?’shesaid,stillquietlyandrapidly,andwithouttheleastfretfulnessorimpatience。`IaskedifthatwasthewaytoLondon。’
`Yes,’Ireplied,`thatistheway:itleadstoStJohn’sWoodandtheRegent’sPark。Youmustexcusemynotansweringyoubefore。Iwasratherstartledbyyoursuddenappearanceintheroad;andIam,evennow,quiteunabletoaccountforit。’
`Youdon’tsuspectmeofdoinganythingwrong,doyou?Ihavedonenothingwrong。Ihavemetwithanaccident——Iamveryunfortunateinbeingherealonesolate。Whydoyoususpectmeofdoingwrong?’
Shespokewithunnecessaryearnestnessandagitation,andshrankbackfrommeseveralplaces。Ididmybesttoreassureher。
`Praydon’tsupposethatIhaveanyideaofsuspectingyou,’Isaid,`oranyotherwishthantobeofassistancetoyou,ifIcan。Ionlywonderedatyourappearanceintheroad,becauseitseemedtometobeemptytheinstantbeforeIsawyou。’
Sheturned,andpointedbacktoaplaceatthejunctionoftheroadtoLondonandtheroadtoHampstead,wheretherewasagapinthehedge。
`Iheardyoucoming,’shesaid,`andhidtheretoseewhatsortofmanyouwere,beforeIriskedspeaking。Idoubtedandfearedaboutittillyoupassed;andthenIwasobligedtostealafteryou,andtouchyou。’
Stealaftermeandtouchme?Whynotcalltome?Strange,tosaytheleastofit`MayItrustyou?’sheasked。`Youdon’tthinktheworseofmebecauseIhavemetwithanaccident?’Shestoppedinconfusion;shiftedherbagfromonehandtotheother;andsighedbitterly。
Thelonelinessandhelplessnessofthewomantouchedme。Thenaturalimpulsetoassistherandtosparehergotthebetterofthejudgment,thecaution,theworldlytact,whichanolder,wiser,andcoldermanmighthavesummonedtohelphiminthisstrangeemergency。
`Youmaytrustmeforanyharmlesspurposes,’Isaid。`Ifittroublesyoutoexplainyourstrangesituationtome,don’tthinkofreturningtothesubjectagain。Ihavenorighttoaskyouforanyexplanations。TellmehowIcanhelpyou;andifIcan,Iwill。’
`Youareverykind,andIamvery,verythankfulltohavemetyou。’
ThefirsttouchofwomanlytendernessthatIhadheardfromhertrembledinhervoiceasshesaidthewords:butnotearsglistenedinthoselarge,wistfullyattentiveeyesofhers,whichwerestillfixedonme,`IhaveonlybeeninLondononcebefore,’shewenton,moreandmorerapidly,`andIknownothingaboutthatsideofit,yonder。CanISetafly,oracarriageofanykind?Isittoolate?Idon’tknow。Ifyoucouldshowmewheretogetafly——andifyouwillonlypromisenottointerferewithme,andtoletmeleaveyou,whenandhowIplease——IhaveafriendinLondonwhowillbegladtoreceiveme——Iwantnothingelse——willyoupromise?’
Shelookedanxiouslyupanddowntheroad;shiftedherbagagainfromonehandtotheother;repeatedthewords,`Willyoupromise?’andlookedhardinmyface,withapleadingfearandconfusionthatittroubledmetosee。
WhatcouldIdo?Herewasastrangerutterlyandhelplesslyatmymercy——andthatstrangeraforlornwoman。Nohousewasnear;noonewaspassingwhomIcouldconsult;andnoearthlyrightexistedonmyparttogivemeapowerofcontroloverher,evenifIhadknownhowtoexerciseit。I
tracetheselines,self-distrustfully,withtheshadowsofaftereventsdarkeningtheverypaperIwriteon;andstillIsay,whatcouldIdo?
WhatIdiddo,wastotryandgaintimebyquestioningher。
`AreyousurethatyourfriendinLondonwillreceiveyouatsuchalatehourasthis?’Isaid。
`Quitesure。OnlysayyouwillletmeleaveyouwhenandhowIplease——onlysayyouwon’tinterferewithme。Willyoupromise?’
Assherepeatedthewordsforthethirdtime,shecarneclosetomeandlaidherhand,withasuddengentlestealthiness,onmybosom——athinhand;acoldhandwhenIremoveditwithmineevenonthatsultrynight。RememberthatIwasyoung;rememberthatthehandwhichtouchedmewasawoman’s。
`Willyoupromise?’
`Yes。’
Oneword!Thelittlefamiliarwordthatisoneverybody’slips,everyhourintheday。Ohme!andItremble,now,whenIwriteit。
WesetourfacestowardsLondon,andwalkedontogetherinthefirststillhourofthenewday——I,andthiswoman,whosename,whosecharacter,whosestory,whoseobjectsinlife,whoseverypresencebymyside,atthatmoment,werefathomlessmysteriestome。Itwaslikeadream。WasIWalterHartright?Wasthisthewell-known,uneventfulroad,whereholidaypeoplestrolledonSundays?HadIreallyleft,littlemorethananhoursince,thequiet,decent,conventionallydomesticatmosphereofmymother’scottage?Iwastoobewildered——tooconsciousalsoofavaguesenseofsomethinglikeself-reproach——tospeaktomystrangecompanionforsomeminutes。Itwashervoiceagainthatfirstbrokethesilencebetweenus。
`Iwanttoaskyousomething,’shesaidsuddenly。`DoyouknowmanypeopleinLondon?’
`Yes,agreatmany。’
`Manymenofrankandtitle?’Therewasanunmistakabletoneofsuspicioninthestrangequestion。Ihesitatedaboutansweringit。
`Some,’Isaid,afteramoment’ssilence。
`Many’——shecametoafullstop,andlookedmesearchinglyintheface——`manymenoftherankofBaronet?’
Toomuchastonishedtoreply,Iquestionedherinmyturn。
`Whydoyouask?’
`BecauseIhope,formyownsake,thereisoneBaronetthatyoudon’tknow。’
`Willyoutellmehisname?’
`Ican’t——Idaren’t——IforgetmyselfwhenImentionit。’Shespokeloudlyandalmostfiercely,raisedherclenchedhandintheair,andshookitpassionately;then,onasudden,controlledherselfagain,andadded,intonesloweredtoawhisper,`Tellmewhichofthemyouknow。’
Icouldhardlyrefusetohumourherinsuchatrifle,andImentionedthreenames。Two,thenamesoffathersoffamilieswhosedaughtersItaught;
one,thenameofabachelorwhohadoncetakenmeacruiseinhisyacht,tomakesketchesforhim。
`Ah!youdon’tknowhim,’shesaid,withasighofrelief。`Areyouamanofrankandtitleyourself?’
`Farfromit。Iamonlyadrawing-master。’
Asthereplypassedmylips——alittlebitterly,perhaps——shetookmyarmwiththeabruptnesswhichcharacterisedallheractions。
`Notamanofrankandtitle,’sherepeatedtoherself。`ThankGod!
Imaytrusthim。’
Ihadhithertocontrivedtomastermycuriosityoutofconsiderationformycompanion;butitgotthebetterofmenow。
`Iamafraidyouhaveseriousreasontocomplainofsomemanofrankandtitle?’Isaid。`Iamafraidthebaronet,whosenameyouareunwillingtomentiontome,hasdoneyousomegrievouswrong?Ishethecauseofyourbeingouthereatthisstrangetimeofnight?’
`Don’taskme:don’tmakemetalkofit,’sheanswered。`I’mnotfitnow。Ihavebeencruellyusedandcruellywronged。Youwillbekinderthanever,ifyouwillwalkonfast,andnotspeaktome。Isadlywanttoquietmyself,ifIcan。’
Wemovedforwardagainataquickpace;andforhalfanhour,atleast,notawordpassedoneitherside。Fromtimetotime,beingforbiddentomakeanymoreinquiries,Istolealookatherface。Itwasalwaysthesame;thelipscloseshut,thebrowfrowning,theeyeslookingstraightforward,eagerlyandyetabsently。Wehadreachedthefirsthouses,andwerecloseonthenewWesleyancollege,beforehersetfeaturesrelaxed,andshespokeoncemore。
`DoyouliveinLondon?’shesaid。
`Yes。’AsIanswered,itstruckmethatshemighthaveformedsomeintentionofappealingtomeforassistanceoradvice,andthatIoughttospareherapossibledisappointmentbywarmingherofmyapproachingabsencefromhome。SoIadded,`ButtomorrowIshallbeawayfromLondonforsometime。Iamgoingintothecountry。’
`Where?’sheasked。`Northorsouth?’
`North——toCumberland。’
`Cumberland!’sherepeatedthewordtenderly。`Ah!IwishIwasgoingtheretoo。IwasoncehappyinCumberland。’
Itriedagaintolifttheveilthathungbetweenthiswomanandme。
`Perhapsyouwereborn,’Isaid,`inthebeautifulLakecountry。’
`No,’sheanswered。`IwasborninHampshire;butIoncewenttoschoolforalittlewhileinCumberland。Lakes?Idon’trememberanylakes。It’sLimmeridgevillage,andLimmeridgeHouse,Ishouldliketoseeagain。’
Itwasmyturnnowtostopsuddenly。Intheexcitedstateofmycuriosity,atthatmoment,thechancereferencetoMrFairlie’splaceofresidence,onthelipsofmystrangecompanion,staggeredmewithastonishment。