wish，withallmyheart，theresponsibilitywasoffmyshoulders；butheisobstinate——orletmerathersay，resolute——andhewon’ttakeitoff。``Merriman，Ileavedetailstoyou。Dowhatyouthinkrightformyinterests，andconsidermeashavingpersonallywithdrawnfromthebusinessuntilitisallover。’’ThosewereSirPercival’swordsafortnightago，andallIcangethimtodonowistorepeatthem。Iamnotahardman，MrGilmore，asyouknow。Personallyandprivately，Idoassureyou，Ishouldliketospongeoutthatnoteofmineatthisverymoment。ButifSirPercivalwon’tgointothematter，ifSirPercivalwillblindlyLeaveallhisinterestsinmysolecare，whatcoursecanIpossiblytakeexceptthecourseofassertingthem？Myhandsarebound——don’tyousee，mydearsir？——myhandsarebound。’
　　`Youmaintainyournoteontheclause，then，totheletter？’Isaid。
　　`Yes——deucetakeit！Ihavenootheralternative。’Hewalkedtothefireplaceandwarmedhimself，hummingthefagendofatuneinarichconvivialbassvoice。`Whatdoesyoursidesay？’hewenton；`nowpraytellme——
　　whatdoesyoursidesay？’
　　Iwasashamedtotellhim。Iattemptedtogaintime——nay，Ididworse。
　　Mylegalinstinctsgotthebetterofme，andIeventriedtobargain。
　　`Twentythousandpoundsisratheralargesumtobegivenupbythelady’sfriendsattwodays’notice，’Isaid。
　　`Verytrue，’repliedMrMerriman，lookingdownthoughtfullyathisboots。
　　`Properlyput，sir——mostproperlyput！’
　　`Acompromise，recognisingtheinterestsofthelady’sfamilyaswellastheinterestsofthehusband，mightnotperhapshavefrightenedmyclientquitesomuch，’Iwenton。`Come，come！thiscontingencyresolvesitselfintoamatterofbargainingafterall。Whatistheleastyouwilltake？’
　　`Theleastwewilltake，’saidMrMerriman，`isnineteen-thousand——
　　nine——hundred——and——ninety——nine——pounds——nineteen-shillings-and-eleven-pence-three-farthings。
　　Ha！haIha！Excuseme，MrGilmore。Imusthavemylittlejoke。’
　　`Littleenough，’Iremarked。`Thejokeisjustworththeoddfarthingitwasmadefor。’
　　MrMerrimanwasdelighted。Helaughedovermyretorttilltheroomrangagain。Iwasnothalfsogood-humouredonmyside；Icamebacktobusiness，andclosedtheinterview。
　　`ThisisFriday，’Isaid。`GiveustillTuesdaynextforourfinalanswer。’
　　`Byallmeans，’repliedMrMerriman。`Longer，mydearsir，ifyoulike。’
　　Hetookuphishattogo，andthenaddressedmeagain。`Bytheway，’hesaid，`yourclientsinCumberlandhavenotheardanythingmoreofthewomanwhowrotetheanonymousletter，havethey？’
　　`Nothingmore，’Ianswered。`Haveyoufoundnotraceofher？’
　　`Notyet，’saidmylegalfriend。`Butwedon’tdespair。SirPercivalhashissuspicionsthatSomebodyiskeepingherinhiding，andwearehavingthatSomebodywatched。’
　　`YoumeantheoldwomanwhowaswithherinCumberland，’Isaid。
　　`Quiteanotherparty，sir，’answeredMrMerriman。`Wedon’thappentohavelaidhandsontheoldwomanyet。OurSomebodyisaman。WehavegothimcloseunderoureyehereinLondon，andwestronglysuspecthehadsomethingtodowithhelpingherinthefirstinstancetoescapefromtheAsylum。SirPercivalwantedtoquestionhimatonce，butIsaid，``No。
　　Questioninghimwillonlyputhimonhisguard——watchhim，andwait。’’
　　Weshallseewhathappens。Adangerouswomantobeatlarge，MrGilmore；
　　nobodyknowswhatshemaydonext。Iwishyougoodmorning，sir。OnTuesdaynextIshallhopeforthepleasureofhearingfromyou。’Hesmiledamiablyandwentout。
　　Mymindhadbeenratherabsentduringthelatterpartoftheconversationwithmylegalfriend。IwassoanxiousaboutthematterofthesettlementthatIhadlittleattentiontogivetoanyothersubject，andthemomentIwasleftaloneagainIbegantothinkoverwhatmynextproceedingoughttobe。
　　InthecaseofanyotherclientIshouldhaveactedonmyinstructions，howeverpersonallydistastefultome，andhavegivenupthepointaboutthetwentythousandpoundsonthespot。ButIcouldnotactwiththisbusiness-likeindifferencetowardsMissFairlie。Ihadanhonestfeelingofaffectionandadmirationforher——Irememberedgratefullythatherfatherhadbeenthekindestpatronandfriendtomethatevermanhad——IhadfelttowardsherwhileIwasdrawingthesettlementasImighthavefelt，ifIhadnotbeenanoldbachelor，towardsadaughterofmyown，andIwasdeterminedtosparenopersonalsacrificeinherserviceandwhereherinterestswereconcerned。WritingasecondtimetoMrFairliewasnottobethoughtof——itwouldonlybegivinghimasecondopportunityofslippingthroughmyfingers。Seeinghimandpersonallyremonstratingwithhimmightpossiblybeofmoreuse。ThenextdaywasSaturday。IdeterminedtotakeareturnticketandjoltmyoldbonesdowntoCumberland，onthechanceofpersuadinghimtoadoptthejust，theindependent，andthehonourablecourse。Itwasapoorchanceenough，nodoubt，butwhenIhadtrieditmyconsciencewouldbeatease。Ishouldthenhavedoneallthatamaninmypositioncoulddotoservetheinterestsofmyoldfriend’sonlychild。
　　TheweatheronSaturdaywasbeautiful，awestwindandabrightsun。
　　Havingfeltlatterlyareturnofthatfulnessandoppressionofthehead，againstwhichmydoctorwarnedmesoseriouslymorethantwoyearssince，IresolvedtotaketheopportunityofgettingalittleextraexercisebysendingmybagonbeforemeandwalkingtotheterminusinEustonSquare。
　　AsIcameoutintoHolbornagentlemanwalkingbyrapidlystoppedandspoketome。ItwasMrWalterHartright。
　　IfhehadnotbeenthefirsttogreetmeIshouldcertainlyhavepassedhim。HewassochangedthatIhardlyknewhimagain。Hisfacelookedpaleandhaggard——hismannerwashurriedanduncertain——andhisdress，whichIrememberedasneatandgentleman-likewhenIsawhimatLimmeridge，wassoslovenlynowthatIshouldreallyhavebeenashamedoftheappearanceofitononeofmyownclerks。
　　`HaveyoubeenlongbackfromCumberland？’heasked。`IheardfromMissHalcombelately。IamawarethatSirPercivalGlyde’sexplanationhasbeenconsideredsatisfactory。Willthemarriagetakeplacesoon？Doyouhappentoknow，MrGilmore？’
　　Hespokesofast，andcrowdedhisquestionstogethersostrangelyandconfusedly，thatIcouldhardlyfollowhim。HoweveraccidentallyintimatehemighthavebeenwiththefamilyatLimmeridge，Icouldnotseethathehadanyrighttoexpectinformationontheirprivateaffairs，andI
　　determinedtodroPhim，aseasilyasmightbe，onthesubjectofMissFairlie’smarriage。
　　`Timewillshow，MrHartright，’Isaid——`timewillshow。Idaresayifwelookoutforthemarriageinthepapersweshallnotbefarwrong。
　　Excusemynoticingit，butIamsorrytoseeyounotlookingsowellasyouwerewhenwelastmet。’
　　Amomentarynervouscontractionquiveredabouthislipsandeyes，andmademehalfreproachmyselfforhavingansweredhiminsuchasignificantlyguardedmanner。
　　`Ihadnorighttoaskabouthermarriage，’hesaidbitterly。`Imustwaittoseeitinthenewspaperslikeotherpeople。Yes，’——hewentonbeforeIcouldmakeanyapologies——`Ihavenotbeenwelllately。Iamgoingtoanothercountrytotryachangeofsceneandoccupation。MissHalcombehaskindlyassistedmewithherinfluence，andmytestimonialshavebeenfoundsatisfactory。Itisalongdistanceoff，butIdon’tcarewhereIgo，whattheclimateis，orhowlongIamaway。’Helookedabouthimwhilehesaidthisatthethrongofstrangerspassingusbyoneitherside，inastrange，suspiciousmanner，asifhethoughtthatsomeofthemmightbewatchingus。
　　`Iwishyouwellthroughit，andsafebackagain，’Isaid，andthenadded，soasnottokeephimaltogetheratarm’slengthonthesubjectoftheFairlies，`IamgoingdowntoLimmeridgetodayonbusiness-MissHalcombeandMissFairlieareawayjustnowonavisittosomefriendsinYorkshire。’
　　Hiseyesbrightened，andheseemedabouttosaysomethinginanswer，butthesamemomentarynervousspasmcrossedhisfaceagain。Hetookmyhand，pressedithard，anddisappearedamongthecrowdwithoutsayinganotherword。Thoughhewaslittlemorethanastrangertome，Iwaitedforamoment，lookingafterhimalmostwithafeelingofregret。Ihadgainedinmyprofessionsufficientexperienceofyoungmentoknowwhattheoutwardsignsandtokenswereoftheirbeginningtogowrong，andwhenIresumedmywalktotherailwayIamsorrytosayIfeltmorethandoubtfulaboutMrHartright’sfuture。IVLeavingbyanearlytrain，IgottoLimmeridgeintimefordinner。Thehousewasoppressivelyemptyanddull。IhadexpectedthatgoodMrsVeseywouldhavebeencompanyformeintheabsenceoftheyoungladies，butshewasconfinedtoherroombyacold。Theservantsweresosurprisedatseeingmethattheyhurriedandbustledabsurdly，andmadeallsortsofannoyingmistakes。Eventhebutler，whowasoldenoughtohaveknownbetter，broughtmeabottleofportthatwaschilled。ThereportsofMrFairlie’shealthwerejustasusual，andwhenIsentupamessagetoannouncemyarrival，Iwastoldthathewouldbedelightedtoseemethenextmorning，butthatthesuddennewsofmyappearancehadprostratedhimwithpalpitationsfortherestoftheevening。Thewindhowleddismallyallnight，andstrangecrackingandgroaningnoisessoundedhere，there，andeverywhereintheemptyhouse。Isleptaswretchedlyaspossible，andgotupinamightybadhumourtobreakfastbymyselfthenextmorning。
　　Atteno’clockIwasconductedtoMrFairlie’sapartments。Hewasinhisusualroom，hisusualchair，andhisusualaggravatingstateofmindandbody。WhenIwentin，hisvaletwasstandingbeforehim，holdingupforinspectionaheavyvolumeofetchings，aslongandasbroadasmyofficewriting-desk。Themiserableforeignergrinnedinthemostabjectmanner，andlookedreadytodropwithfatigue，whilehismastercomposedlyturnedovertheetchings，andbroughttheirhiddenbeautiestolightwiththehelpofamagnifyingglass。
　　`Youverybestofgoodoldfriends，’saidMrFairlie，leaningbacklazilybeforehecouldlookatme，`areyouquitewell？Howniceofyoutocomehereandseemeinmysolitude。DearGilmore！’