2Thathewasnever，tomyknowledgeandbelief，leftaloneintheroomwithLadyGlyde。
　　3ThatIamnotabletosaywhatcausedthesuddenfright，whichmymistressinformedmehadseizedtheladyonherfirstcomingintothehouse。
　　Thecausewasneverexplained，eithertomeortomyfellow-servant。
　　Theabovestatementhasbeenreadoverinmypresence。Ihavenothingtoaddtoit，ortotakeawayfromit。Isay，onmyoathasaChristianwoman，thisisthetruth。
　　SignedHESTERPINHORN，HerMark。2。THENARRATIVEOFTHEDOCTORTotheRegistraroftheSub-Districtinwhichtheundermentioneddeathtookplace——IherebycertifythatIattendedLadyGlyde，agedTwenty-OnelastBirthday；thatIlastsawheronThursdaythe25thJuly1850；thatshediedonthesamedayatNo。5ForestRoad，StJohn’sWood，andthattheCauseofherdeathDurationofdiseaseAneurismNotknownSignedALFREDGOODRICKE。
　　Prof。Title。M。R。C。S。Eng。，L。S。A。
　　Address：12CroydonGardens，StJohn’sWood。3。THENARRATIVEOFJANEGOULDIWASthepersonsentinbyMrGoodricketodowhatwasrightandneedfulbytheremainsofaladywhohaddiedatthehousenamedinthecertificatewhichprecedesthis。Ifoundthebodyinchargeoftheservant，HesterPinhorn。Iremainedwithit，andprepareditatthepropertimeforthegrave。Itwaslaidinthecoffininmypresence，andIafterwardssawthecoffinscreweddownprevioustoitsremoval。Whenthathadbeendone，andnotbefore，Ireceivedwhatwasduetomeandleftthehouse。IreferpersonswhomaywishtoinvestigatemycharactertoMrGoodricke。HewillbearwitnessthatIcanbetrustedtotellthetruth。
　　SignedJANEGOULD。4。THENARRATIVEOFTHETOMBSTONESACREDTOTHEMEMORYOFLAURA，LADYGLYDE，WIFEOFSIRPERCIVALGLYDE，BART。，OFBLACKWATERPARK，HAMPSHIRE，ANDDAUGHTEROFTHELATEPHILIPFAIRLIE，ESQ。，OFLIMMERIDGEHOUSE，INTHISPARISH。BORNMARCH27TH，1829；MARRIEDDECEMBER22ND，1849；DIEDJULY25TH，1850。5。THENARRATIVEOFWALTERHARTRIGHTEARLYinthesummerof1850IandmysurvivingcompanionsleftthewildsandforestsofCentralAmericaforhome。Arrivedatthecoast，wetookshipthereforEngland。ThevesselwaswreckedintheGulfofMexico——
　　Iwasamongthefewsavedfromthesea。Itwasmythirdescapefromperilofdeath。Deathbydisease，deathbytheIndians，deathbydrowning——
　　allthreehadapproachedme；allthreehadpassedmeby。
　　ThesurvivorsofthewreckwererescuedbyanAmericanvesselboundforLiverpool。TheshipreachedherportonthethirteenthdayofOctober1850。Welandedlateintheafternoon，andIarrivedinLondonthesamenight。
　　Thesepagesarenottherecordofmywanderingsandmydangersawayfromhome。Themotiveswhichledmefrommycountryandmyfriendstoanewworldofadventureandperilareknown。Fromthatself-imposedexileIcameback，asIhadhoped，prayed，believedIshouldcomeback——achangedman。InthewatersofanewlifeIhadtemperedmynatureafresh。Inthesternschoolofextremityanddangermywillhadlearnttobestrong，myhearttoberesolute，mymindtorelyonitself。Ihadgoneouttoflyfrommyownfuture。Icamebacktofaceit，asamanshould。
　　TofaceitwiththatinevitablesuppressionofmyselfwhichIknewitwoulddemandfromme。Ihadpartedwiththeworstbitternessofthepast，butnotwithmyheart’sremembranceofthesorrowandthetendernessofthatmemorabletime。Ihadnotceasedtofeeltheoneirreparabledisappointmentofmylife——Ihadonlylearnttobearit。LauraFairliewasinallmythoughtswhentheshipboremeaway，andIlookedmylastatEngland。LauraFairliewasinallmythoughtswhentheshipbroughtmeback，andthemorninglightshowedthefriendlyshoreinview。
　　Mypentracestheoldlettersasmyheartgoesbacktotheoldlove。
　　IwriteofherasLauraFairliestill。Itishardtothinkofher，itishardtospeakofher，byherhusband’sname。
　　Therearenomorewordsofexplanationtoaddonmyappearingforthesecondtimeinthesepages。Thisnarrative，ifIhavethestrengthandthecouragetowriteit，maynowgoon。
　　Myfirstanxietiesandfirsthopeswhenthemorningcamecentredinmymotherandmysister。Ifeltthenecessityofpreparingthemforthejoyandsurpriseofmyreturn，afteranabsenceduringwhichithadbeenimpossibleforthemtoreceiveanytidingsofmeformonthspast。EarlyinthemorningIsentalettertotheHampsteadCottage，andfolloweditmyselfinanhour’stime。
　　Whenthefirstmeetingwasover，whenourquietandcomposureofotherdaysbegangraduallytoreturntous，Isawsomethinginmymother’sfacewhichtoldmethatasecretoppressionlayheavyonherheart。Therewasmorethanlove——therewassorrowintheanxiouseyesthatlookedonmesotenderly——therewaspityinthekindhandthatslowlyandfondlystrengtheneditsholdonmine。Wehadnoconcealmentsfromeachother。Sheknewhowthehopeofmylifehadbeenwrecked——sheknewwhyIhadlefther。ItwasonmylipstoaskascomposedlyasIcouldifanyletterhadcomeformefromMissHalcombe，iftherewasanynewsofhersisterthatImighthear。ButwhenIlookedinmymother’sfaceIlostcouragetoputthequestioneveninthatguardedform。Icouldonlysay，doubtinglyandrestrainedly——
　　`Youhavesomethingtotellme。’
　　Mysister，whohadbeensittingoppositetous，rosesuddenlywithoutawordofexplanation——roseandlefttheroom。
　　Mymothermovedclosertomeonthesofaandputherarmsroundmyneck。
　　Thosefondarmstrembled——thetearsflowedfastoverthefaithfullovingface。
　　`Walter！’shewhispered，`myowndarling！myheartisheavyforyou，Oh，mysonImysonItrytorememberthatIamstillleft！’
　　Myheadsankonherbosom。Shehadsaidallinsayingthosewords。
　　Itwasthemorningofthethirddaysincemyreturn——themorningofthesixteenthofOctober。
　　Ihadremainedwiththematthecottage——Ihadtriedhardnottoembitterthehappinessofmyreturntothemasitwasembitteredtome。I
　　haddoneallmancouldtoriseaftertheshock，andacceptmyliferesignedly——toletmygreatsorrowcomeintendernesstomyheart，andnotindespair。
　　Itwasuselessandhopeless。Notearssoothedmyachingeyes，noreliefcametomefrommysister’ssympathyormymother’slove。
　　OnthatthirdmorningIopenedmyhearttothem。AtlastthewordspassedmylipswhichIhadlongedtospeakonthedaywhenmymothertoldmeofherdeath。
　　`Letmegoawayaloneforalittlewhile，’Isaid。`IshallbearitbetterwhenIhavelookedoncemoreattheplacewhereIfirstsawher——whenIhavekneltandprayedbythegravewheretheyhavelaidhertorest。’
　　Idepartedonmyjourney——myjourneytothegraveofLauraFairlie。
　　ItwasaquietautumnafternoonwhenIstoppedatthesolitarystation，andsetforthaloneonfootbythewell-rememberedroad。Thewaningsunwasshiningfaintlythroughthinwhiteclouds——theairwaswarmandstill——thepeacefulnessofthelonelycountrywasovershadowedandsaddenedbytheinfluenceofthefallingyear。
　　Ireachedthemoor——Istoodagainonthebrowofthehill——Ilookedonalongthepath——andtherewerethefamiliargardentreesinthedistance，theclearsweepingsemicircleofthedrive，thehighwhitewallsofLimmeridgeHouse。Thechancesandchanges，thewanderingsanddangersofmonthsandmonthspast，allshrankandshrivelledtonothinginmymind。Itwaslikeyesterdaysincemyfeethadlasttroddenthefragrantheathyground。I
　　thoughtIshouldseehercomingtomeetme，withherlittlestrawhatshadingherface，hersimpledressflutteringintheair，andherwell-filledsketch-bookreadyinherhand。
　　Oh，death，thouhastthysting！oh，grave，thouhastthyvictory！
　　Iturnedaside，andtherebelowmeintheglenwasthelonesomegreychurch，thePorchwhereIhadwaitedforthecomingofthewomaninwhite，thehillsencirclingthequietburial-ground，thebrookbubblingcoldoveritsstonybed。Therewasthemarblecross，fairandwhite，attheheadofthetomb——thetombthatnowroseovermotheranddaughteralike。
　　Iapproachedthegrave。Icrossedoncemorethelowstonestile，andbaredmyheadasItouchedthesacredground。Sacredtogentlenessandgoodness，sacredtoreverenceandgrief。
　　Istoppedbeforethepedestalfromwhichthecrossrose。Ononesideofit，onthesidenearesttome，thenewly-cutinscriptionmetmyeyes——thehard，clear，cruelblackletterswhichtoldthestoryofherlifeanddeath。Itriedtoreadthem。Ididreadasfarasthename。`SacredtotheMemoryofLaura——’Thekindblueeyesdimwithtears——thefairheaddroopingwearily——theinnocentpartingwordswhichimploredmetoleaveher——oh，forahappierlastmemoryofherthanthis；thememoryItookawaywithme，thememoryIbringbackwithmetohergrave！
　　AsecondtimeItriedtoreadtheinscription。Isawattheendthedateofherdeath，andaboveit——
　　Aboveittherewerelinesonthemarble——therewasanameamongthemwhichdisturbedmythoughtsofher。Iwentroundtotheothersideofthegrave，wheretherewasnothingtoread，nothingofearthlyvilenesstoforceitswaybetweenherspiritandmine。
　　Ikneltdownbythetomb。Ilaidmyhands，Ilaidmyheadonthebroadwhitestone，andclosedmywearyeyesontheeartharound，onthelightabove。Ilethercomebacktome。Oh，mylove！mylove！myheartmayspeaktoyounow！Itisyesterdayagainsinceweparted——yesterday，sinceyourdearhandlayinmine——yesterday，sincemyeyeslookedtheirlastonyou。Mylove！mylove！
　　Timehadflowedon，andsilencehadfallenlikethicknightoveritscourse。
　　Thefirstsoundthatcameaftertheheavenlypeacerustledfaintlylikeapassingbreathofairoverthegrassoftheburial-ground。Ihearditnearingmeslowly，untilitcamechangedtomycar——camelikefootstepsmowingonward——thenstopped。
　　Ilookedup。