`Aboutbusinessthatverymuchconcernsyou。’
　　Ilingeredlongenoughinpassingthroughthehall-doortohearthisquestionandanswer，andtoseeSirPercivalthrusthishandsintohispocketsinsullenhesitation。
　　`Ifyouwanttobadgermewithanymoreofyourinfernalscruples，’
　　hesaid，`Iforonewon’thearthem。Iwantmylunch。’
　　`Comeouthereandspeaktome，’repeatedtheCount，stillperfectlyuninfluencedbytherudestspeechthathisfriendcouldmaketohim。
　　SirPercivaldescendedthesteps。TheCounttookhimbythearm，andwalkedhimawaygently。The`business，’Iwassure，referredtothequestionofthesignature。TheywerespeakingofLauraandofmebeyondadoubt。
　　Ifeltheart-sickandfaintwithanxiety。Itmightbeofthelastimportancetobothofustoknowwhattheyweresayingtoeachotheratthatmoment，andnotonewordofitcouldbyanypossibilityreachmyears。
　　Iwalkedaboutthehouse，fromroomtoroom，withthelawyer’sletterinmybosomIwasafraidbythistimeeventotrustitunderlockandkey，tilltheoppressionofmysuspensehalfmaddenedme。TherewerenosignsofLaura’sreturn，andIthoughtofgoingouttolookforher。Butmystrengthwassoexhaustedbythetrialsandanxietiesofthemorningthattheheatofthedayquiteoverpoweredme，andafteranattempttogettothedoorIwasobligedtoreturntothedrawing-roomandliedownonthenearestsofatorecover。
　　IwasjustcomposingmyselfwhenthedooropenedsoftlyandtheCountlookedin。
　　`Athousandpardons，MissHalcombe，’hesaid：`IonlyventuretodisturbyoubecauseIamthebearerofgoodnews。Percival——whoiscapriciousineverything，asyouknow——hasseenfittoalterhismindatthelastmoment，andthebusinessofthesignatureisputoffforthepresent。A
　　greatrelieftoallofus，MissHalcombe，asIseewithpleasureinyourface。Praypresentmybestrespectsandfelicitations，whenyoumentionthispleasantchangeofcircumstancestoLadyGlyde。’
　　HeleftmebeforeIhadrecoveredmyastonishment。Therecouldbenodoubtthatthisextraordinaryalterationofpurposeinthematterofthesignaturewasduetohisinfluence，andthathisdiscoveryofmyapplicationtoLondonyesterday，andofmyhavingreceivedananswertoittoday，hadofferedhimthemeansofinterferingwithcertainsuccess。
　　Ifelttheseimpressions，butmymindseemedtosharetheexhaustionofmybody，andIwasinnoconditiontodwellonthemwithanyusefulreferencetothedoubtfulpresentorthethreateningfuture。ItriedasecondtimetorunoutandfindLaura，butmyheadwasgiddyandmykneestrembledunderme。Therewasnochoicebuttogiveitupagainandreturntothesofa，sorelyagainstmywill。
　　Thequietinthehouse，andthelowmurmuringhumofsummerinsectsoutsidetheopenwindow，soothedme。Myeyesclosedofthemselves，andIpassedgraduallyintoastrangecondition，whichwasnotwaking——forIknewnothingofwhatwasgoingonaboutme，andnotsleeping——forI
　　wasconsciousofmyownrepose。Inthisstatemyfeveredmindbrokeloosefromme，whilemywearybodywasatrest，andinatrance，orday-dreamofmyfancy——Iknownotwhattocallit——IsawWalterHartright。I
　　hadnotthoughtofhimsinceIrosethatmorning——Laurahadnotsaidonewordtomeeitherdirectlyorindirectlyreferringtohim——andyetIsawhimnowasplainlyasifthepasttimehadreturned，andwewerebothtogetheragainatLimmeridgeHouse。
　　Heappearedtomeasoneamongmanyothermen，noneofwhosefacesI
　　couldplainlydiscern。Theywerealllyingonthestepsofanimmenseruinedtemple。Colossaltropicaltrees——withrankcreeperstwiningendlesslyabouttheirtrunks，andhideousstoneidolsglimmeringandgrinningatintervalsbehindleavesandstalksandbranches——surroundedthetempleandshutoutthesky，andthrewadismalshadowovertheforlornbandofmenonthesteps。Whiteexhalationstwistedandcurledupstealthilyfromtheground，approachedthemeninwreathslikesmoke，touchedthem，andstretchedthemoutdead，onebyone，intheplaceswheretheylay。AnagonyofpityandfearforWalterloosenedmytongue，andIimploredhimtoescape。
　　`Comeback，comeback！’Isaid。`Rememberyourpromisetoherandtome。
　　Comebacktousbeforethepestilencereachesyouandlaysyoudeadliketherest！’
　　Helookedatmewithanunearthlyquietinhisface。`Wait，’hesaid，`Ishallcomeback。ThenightwhenImetthelostWomanonthehighwaywasthenightwhichsetmylifeaparttobetheinstrumentofaDesignthatisyetunseen。Here，lostinthewilderness，orthere，welcomedbackinthelandofmybirth，Iamstillwalkingonthedarkroadwhichleadsme，andyou，andthesisterofyourloveandmine，totheunknownRetributionandtheinevitableEnd。Waitandlook。Thepestilencewhichtouchestherestwillpassme。’
　　Isawhimagain。Hewasstillintheforest，andthenumbersofhislostcompanionshaddwindledtoveryfew。Thetemplewasgone，andtheidolsweregone——andintheirplacethefiguresofdark，dwarfishmenlurkedmurderouslyamongthetrees，withbowsintheirhands，andarrowsfittedtothestring。OncemoreIfearedforWalter，andcriedouttowarnhim。Oncemoreheturnedtome，withtheimmovablequietinhisface。
　　`Anotherstep，’hesaid，`onthedarkroad。Waitandlook。Thearrowsthatstriketherestwillspareme。’
　　Isawhimforthethirdtimeinawreckedship，strandedonawild，sandyshore。Theoverloadedboatsweremakingawayfromhimfortheland，andhealonewaslefttosinkwiththeship。Icriedtohimtohailthehindmostboat，andtomakealasteffortforhislife。Thequietfacelookedatmeinreturn，andtheunmovedvoicegavemebackthechangelessreply`Anothersteponthejourney。Waitandlook。TheSeawhichdrownstherestwillspareme。’
　　Isawhimforthelasttime。Hewaskneelingbyatombofwhitemarble，andtheshadowofaveiledwomanroseoutofthegravebeneathandwaitedbyhisside。Theunearthlyquietofhisfacehadchangedtoanunearthlysorrow。Buttheterriblecertaintyofhiswordsremainedthesame。`Darkeranddarker，’hesaid；`fartherandfartheryet。Deathtakesthegood，thebeautiful，andtheyoung——andsparesme。Thepestilencethatwastes，theArrowthatstrikes，theSeathatdrowns，theGravethatclosesoverLoveandHope，arestepsofmyjourney，andtakemenearerandnearertotheEnd。’
　　Myheartsankunderadreadbeyondwords，underagriefbeyondtears。
　　Thedarknessclosedroundthepilgrimatthemarbletomb——closedroundtheveiledwomanfromthegrave——closedroundthedreamerwholookedonthem。Isawandheardnomore。
　　Iwasarousedbyahandlaidonmyshoulder。ItwasLaura’s。
　　Shehaddroppedonherkneesbythesideofthesofa。Herfacewasflushedandagitated，andhereyesmetmineinawildbewilderedmanner。IstartedtheinstantIsawher。
　　`Whathashappened？’Iasked。`Whathasfrightenedyou？’
　　Shelookedroundatthehalf-opendoor，putherlipsclosetomyear，andansweredinawhisper——
　　`Marian！——thefigureatthelake——thefootstepslastnight——I’vejustseenher！I’vejustspokentoher！’
　　`Who，forHeaven’ssake？’
　　`AnneCatherick。’
　　[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter18[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter18IwassostartledbythedisturbanceinLaura’sfaceandmanner，andsodismayedbythefirstwakingimpressionsofmydream，thatIwasnotfittobeartherevelationwhichburstuponmewhenthatnamepassedherlips。
　　Icouldonlystandrootedtothefloor，lookingatherinbreathlesssilence。
　　Shewastoomuchabsorbedbywhathadhappenedtonoticetheeffectwhichherreplyhadproducedonme。`IhaveseenAnneCatherick！IhavespokentoAnneCatherick！’sherepeatedasifIhadnotheardher。`Oh，Marian，Ihavesuchthingstotellyou！Comeaway——wemaybeinterruptedhere——comeatonceintomyroom。’
　　Withthoseeagerwordsshecaughtmebythehand，andledmethroughthelibrary，totheendroomonthegroundfloor，whichhadbeenfittedupforherownespecialuse。Nothirdperson，excepthermaid，couldhaveanyexcuseforsurprisingushere。Shepushedmeinbeforeher，lockedthedoor，anddrewthechintzcurtainsthathungovertheinside。
　　Thestrange，stunnedfeelingwhichhadtakenpossessionofmestillremained。Butagrowingconvictionthatthecomplicationswhichhadlongthreatenedtogatherabouther，andtogatheraboutme，hadsuddenlyclosedfastroundusboth，wasnowbeginningtopenetratemymind。Icouldnotexpressitinwords——Icouldhardlyevenrealiseitdimlyinmyownthoughts。
　　`AnneCatherick！’Iwhisperedtomyself，withuseless，helplessreiteration——`AnneCatherick！’
　　Lauradrewmetothenearestseat，anottomaninthemiddleoftheroom。
　　`Look！’shesaid，`lookhere！’——andpointedtothebosomofherdress。
　　Isaw，forthefirsttime。thatthelostbroochwaspinnedinitsplaceagain。Therewassomethingrealinthesightofit，somethingrealinthetouchingofitafterwards，whichseemedtosteadythewhirlandconfusioninmythoughts，andtohelpmetocomposemyself。
　　`Wheredidyoufindyourbrooch？’ThefirstwordsIcouldsaytoherwerethewordswhichputthattrivialquestionatthatimportantmoment。
　　`Shefoundit，Marian。’
　　`Where？’
　　`Ontheflooroftheboat-house。Oh，howshallIbegin——howshallItellyouaboutit！Shetalkedtomesostrangely——shelookedsofearfullyill——sheleftmesosuddenly——！’