`Didyouhearanybodycallingafterus？’sheasked，lookingupanddowntheroadaffrightedly，theinstantIstopped。
　　`No，no。IwasonlystruckbythenameofLimmeridgeHouse。IhearditmentionedbysomeCumberlandpeopleafewdayssince。’
　　`Ah！notmypeople。MrsFairlieisdead；andherhusbandisdead；andtheirlittlegirlmaybemarriedandgoneawaybythistime。Ican’tsaywholivesatLimmeridgenow。Ifanymoreareleftthereofthatname，I
　　onlyknowIlovethemforMrsFairlie’ssake。’
　　Sheseemedabouttosaymore；butwhileshewasspeaking，wecamewithinviewoftheturnpike，atthetopoftheAvenueRoad。Herhandtightenedroundmyarm，andshelookedanxiouslyatthegatebeforeus。
　　`Istheturnpikemanlookingout？’sheasked。
　　Hewasnotlookingout；nooneelsewasneartheplacewhenwepassedthroughthegate。Thesightofthegas-lampsandhousesseemedtoagitateher，andtomakeherimpatient。
　　`ThisisLondon，’shesaid。`DoyouseeanycarriageIcanget？Iamtiredandfrightened。Iwanttoshutmyselfinandbedrivenaway。’
　　Iexplainedtoherthatwemustwalkalittlefurthertogettoacab-stand，unlesswewerefortunateenoughtomeetwithanemptyvehicle；andthentriedtoresumethesubjectofCumberland。Itwasuseless。Thatideaofshuttingherselfin，andbeingdrivenaway，hadnowgotfullpossessionofhermind。Shecouldthinkandtalkofnothingelse。
　　WehadhardlyproceededathirdofthewaydowntheAvenueRoadwhenIsawacabdrawupatahouseafewdoorsbelowus，ontheoppositesideoftheway。Agentlemangotoutandlethimselfinatthegardendoor。
　　Ihailedthecab，asthedrivermountedtheboxagain。Whenwecrossedtheroad，mycompanion’simpatienceincreasedtosuchanextentthatshealmostforcedmetorun。
　　`It’ssolate，’shesaid。`Iamonlyinahurrybecauseit’ssolate。’
　　`Ican’ttakeyou，sir，ifyou’renotgoingtowardsTottenhamCourtRoad，’saidthedrivercivilly，whenIopenedthecabdoor。`Myhorseisdeadbeat，andIcan’tgethimnofurtherthanthestable。’
　　`Yes，yes。Thatwilldoforme。I’mgoingthatway——I’mgoingthatway。’Shespokewithbreathlesseagerness，andpressedbymeintothecab。
　　IhadassuredmyselfthatthemanwassoberaswellascivilbeforeIletherenterthevehicle。Andnow，whenshewasseatedinside，Ientreatedhertoletmeseehersetdownsafelyatherdestination。
　　`No，no，no，’shesaidvehemently。`I’mquitesafe，andquitehappynow。Ifyouareagentleman，rememberyourpromise。LethimdriveontillIstophim。Thankyou——oh！thankyou，thankyou！’
　　Myhandwasonthecabdoor。Shecaughtitinhers，kissedit，andpusheditaway。Thecabdroveoffatthesamemoment——Istartedintotheroad，withsomevagueideaofstoppingitagain，Ihardlyknewwhy——hesitatedfromdreadoffrighteninganddistressingher——called，atlast，butnotloudlyenoughtoattractthedriver’sattention。Thesoundofthewheelsgrewfainterinthedistance——thecabmeltedintotheblackshadowsontheroad——thewomaninwhitewasgone。
　　Tenminutesormorehadpassed。Iwasstillonthesamesideoftheway；nowmechanicallywalkingforwardafewpaces；nowstoppingagainabsently。
　　AtonemomentIfoundmyselfdoubtingtherealityofmyownadventure；
　　atanotherIwasperplexedanddistressedbyanuneasysenseofhavingdonewrong，whichyetleftmeconfusedlyignorantofhowIcouldhavedoneright。IhardlyknewwhereIwasgoing，orwhatImeanttodonext；Iwasconsciousofnothingbuttheconfusionofmyownthoughts，whenIwasabruptlyrecalledtomyself——awakened，Imightalmostsay——bythesoundofrapidlyapproachingwheelsclosebehindme。
　　Iwasonthedarksideoftheroad，inthethickshadowofsomegardentrees，whenIstoppedtolookround。Ontheoppositeandlightersideoftheway，ashortdistancebelowme，apolicemanwasstrollingalonginthedirectionoftheRegent’sPark。
　　Thecarriagepassedme——anopenchaisedrivenbytwomen。
　　`Stop！’criedone。`There’sapoliceman。Let’saskhim-’
　　Thehorsewasinstantlypulledup，afewyardsbeyondthedarkplacewhereIstood。
　　`Policeman！’criedthefirstspeaker。`Haveyouseenawomanpassthisway？’
　　`Whatsortofwoman，sir？’
　　`Awomaninalavender-colouredgown——’
　　`No，no，’interposedthesecondman。`Theclotheswegaveherwerefoundonherbed。Shemusthavegoneawayintheclothessheworewhenshecametous。Inwhite，policeman。Awomaninwhite。’
　　`Ihaven’tseenher，sir。’
　　`Ifyouoranyofyourmenmeetwiththewoman，stopher，andsendherincarefulkeepingtothataddress。I’llpayallexpenses，andafairrewardintothebargain。’
　　Thepolicemanlookedatthecardthatwashandeddowntohim。
　　`Whyarewetostopher，sir？Whathasshedone？’
　　`Done！ShehasescapedfrommyAsylum。Don’tforget；awomaninwhite。
　　Driveon。’
　　[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter2[TableofContents]Chapter2IV`ShehasescapedfrommyAsylum！’
　　Icannotsaywithtruththattheterribleinferencewhichthesewordssuggestedflasheduponmelikeanewrevelation。Someofthestrangequestionsputtomebythewomaninwhite，aftermyill-consideredpromisetoleaveherfreetoactasshepleased，hadsuggestedtheconclusioneitherthatshewasnaturallyflightyandunsettled，orthatsomerecentshockofterrorhaddisturbedthebalanceofherfaculties。ButtheideaofabsoluteinsanitywhichweallassociatewiththeverynameofanAsylum，had，Icanhonestlydeclare，neveroccurredtome，inconnectionwithher。Ihadseennothing，inherlanguageorheractions，tojustifyitatthetime；andevenwiththenewlightthrownonherbythewordswhichthestrangerhadaddressedtothepoliceman，Icouldseenothingtojustifyitnow。
　　WhathadIdone？Assistedthevictimofthemosthorribleofallfalseimprisonmentstoescape；orcastlooseonthewideworldofLondonanunfortunatecreature，whoseactionsitwasmyduty，andeveryman’sduty，mercifullytocontrol？Iturnedsickatheartwhenthequestionoccurredtome，andwhenIfeltself-reproachfullythatitwasaskedtoolate。
　　Inthedisturbedstateofmymind，itwasuselesstothinkofgoingtobed，whenIatlastgotbacktomychambersinClement’sInn。BeforemanyhourselapseditwouldbenecessarytostartonmyjourneytoCumberland。
　　Isatdownandtried，firsttosketch，thentoread——butthewomaninwhitegotbetweenmeandmypencil，betweenmeandmybook。Hadtheforlorncreaturecometoanyharm？Thatwasmyfirstthought，thoughIshrankselfishlyfromconfrontingit。Otherthoughtsfollowed，onwhichitwaslessharrowingtodwell。Wherehadshestoppedthecab？Whathadbecomeofhernow？Hadshebeentracedandcapturedbythemeninthechaise？Orwasshestillcapableofcontrollingherownactions；andwerewetwofollowingourwidelypartedroadstowardsonepointinthemysteriousfuture，atwhichweweretomeetoncemore？
　　Itwasareliefwhenthehourcametolockmydoor，tohidfarewelltoLondonpursuits，Londonpupils，andLondonfriends，andtobeinmovementagaintowardsnewinterestsandanewlife。Eventhehustleandconfusionattherailwayterminus，sowearisomeandbewilderingatothertimes，rousedmeanddidmegood。
　　MytravellinginstructionsdirectedmetogotoCarlisle，andthentodivergebyabranchrailwaywhichraninthedirectionofthecoast。Asamisfortunetobeginwith，ourenginebrokedownbetweenLancasterandCarlisle。Thedelayoccasionedbythisaccidentcausedmetobetoolateforthebranchtrain，bywhichIwastohavegoneonimmediately。Ihadtowaitsomehours；andwhenalatertrainfinallydepositedmeattheneareststationtoLimmeridgeHouse，itwaspastten，andthenightwassodarkthatIcouldhardlyseemywaytothepony-chaisewhichMrFairliehadorderedtobeinwaitingforme。
　　Thedriverwasevidentlydiscomposedbythelatenessofmyarrival。
　　HewasinthatstateofhighlyrespectfulsulkinesswhichispeculiartoEnglishservants。Wedroveawayslowlythroughthedarknessinperfectsilence-Theroadswerehad，andthedenseobscurityofthenightincreasedthedifficultyofgettingoverthegroundquickly。Itwas，bymywatch，nearlyanhourandahalffromthetimeofourleavingthestationbeforeIheardthesoundoftheseainthedistance，andthecrunchofourwheelsonasmoothgraveldrive。Wehadpassedonegatebeforeenteringthedrive，andwepassedanotherbeforewedrewupatthehouse。Iwasreceivedbyasolemnman-servantoutoflivery，wasinformedthatthefamilyhadretiredforthenight，andwasthenledintoalargeandloftyroomwheremysupperwasawaitingme，inaforlornmanner，atoneextremityofalonesomemahoganywildernessofdining-table。
　　Iwastootiredandoutofspiritstoeatordrinkmuch，especiallywiththesolemnservantwaitingonmeaselaboratelyasifasmalldinnerpartyhadarrivedatthehouseinsteadofasolitaryman。InaquarterofanhourIwasreadytobetakenuptomybedchamber。Thesolemnservantconductedmeintoaprettilyfurnishedroom——said，`Breakfastatnineo’clock，sir’——lookedallroundhimtoseethateverythingwasinitsproperplace，andnoiselesslywithdrew。
　　`WhatshallIseeinmydreamstonight？’Ithoughttomyself，asIputoutthecandle；`thewomaninwhite？ortheunknowninhabitantsofthisCumberlandmansion？’Itwasastrangesensationtobesleepinginthehouse，likeafriendofthefamily，andyetnottoknowoneoftheinmates，evenbysight！VWhenIrosethenextmorninganddrewupmyblind，theseaopenedbeforemejoyouslyunderthebroadAugustsunlight，andthedistantcoastofScotlandfringedthehorizonwithitslinesofmeltingblue。