hadbeeninsearch，andIhadarrivedatcertainconclusions，entirelynewtome，whichmightimmenselyassistindirectingthecourseofmyfutureproceedings。Irosetotakemyleave，andtothankMrsClementsforthefriendlyreadinessshehadshowninaffordingmeinformation。
　　`Iamafraidyoumusthavethoughtmeveryinquisitive，’Isaid。`I
　　havetroubledyouwithmorequestionsthanmanypeoplewouldhavecaredtoanswer。’
　　`Youareheartilywelcome，sir，toanythingIcantellyou，’answeredMrsClements。Shestoppedandlookedatmewistfully。`ButIdowish，’
　　saidthepoorwoman，`youcouldhavetoldmealittlemoreaboutAnne，sir。IthoughtIsawsomethinginyourfacewhenyoucameinwhichlookedasifyoucould。Youcan’tthinkhowharditisnoteventoknowwhethersheislivingordead。IcouldbearitbetterifIwasonlycertain。Yousaidyouneverexpectedweshouldseeheraliveagain。Doyouknow，sir——doyouknowfortruth——thatithaspleasedGodtotakeher？’
　　Iwasnotproofagainstthisappeal，itwouldhavebeenunspeakablymeanandcruelofmeifIhadresistedit。
　　`Iamafraidthereisnodoubtofthetruth，’Iansweredgently；`I
　　havethecertaintyinmyownmindthathertroublesinthisworldareover。’
　　Thepoorwomandroppedintoherchairandhidherfacefromme。`Oh，sir，’shesaid，`howdoyouknowit？Whocanhavetoldyou？’
　　`Noonehastoldme，MrsClements。ButIhavereasonsforfeelingsureofit——reasonswhichIpromiseyoushallknowassoonasIcansafelyexplainthem。Iamcertainshewasnotneglectedinherlastmoments——
　　Iamcertaintheheartcomplaintfromwhichshesufferedsosadlywasthetruecauseofherdeath。YoushallfeelassureofthisasIdo，soon——
　　youshallknow，beforelong，thatsheisburiedinaquietcountrychurchyard——inaprettypeacefulplace，whichyoumighthavechosenforheryourself。’
　　`Dead！’saidMrsClements，`deadsoyoung，andIamlefttohearit！
　　Imadeherfirstshortfrocks。Itaughthertowalk。ThefirsttimesheeversaidMothershesaidittome——andnowIamleftandAnneistaken！
　　Didyousay，sir，’saidthepoorwoman，removingthehandkerchieffromherface，andlookingupatmeforthefirsttime，`didyousaythatshehadbeennicelyburied？Wasitthesortoffuneralshemighthavehadifshehadreallybeenmyownchild？’
　　Iassuredherthatitwas。Sheseemedtotakeaninexplicableprideinmyanswer——tofindacomfortinitwhichnootherandhigherconsiderationscouldafford。`Itwouldhavebrokenmyheart，’shesaidsimply，`ifAnnehadnotbeennicelyburied——buthowdoyouknowit，sir？whotoldyou？’
　　IoncemoreentreatedhertowaituntilIcouldspeaktoherunreservedly。
　　`Youaresuretoseemeagain，’Isaid。`forIhaveafavourtoaskwhenyouarealittlemorecomposed——perhapsinadayortwo。’
　　`Don’tkeepitwaiting，sir，onmyaccount，’saidMrsClements。`NevermindmycryingifIcanbeofuse。Ifyouhaveanythingonyourmindtosaytome，sir，pleasetosayitnow。’
　　`Ionlywishtoaskyouonelastquestion，’Isaid。`IonlywanttoknowMrsCatherick’saddressatWelmingham。’
　　MyrequestsostartledMrsClements，that，forthemoment，eventhetidingsofAnne’sdeathseemedtobedrivenfromhermind。Hertearssuddenlyceasedtoflow，andshesatlookingatmeinblankamazement。
　　`FortheLord’ssake，sir！’shesaid，`whatdoyouwantwithMrsCatherick！’
　　`Iwantthis，MrsClements，’Ireplied，`IwanttoknowthesecretofthoseprivatemeetingsofherswithSirPercivalGlyde。Thereissomethingmoreinwhatyouhavetoldmeofthatwoman’spastconduct，andofthatman’spastrelationswithher，thanyouoranyofyourneighbourseversuspected。Thereisasecretwenoneofusknowbetweenthosetwo，andIamgoingtoMrsCatherickwiththeresolutiontofinditout。’
　　`Thinktwiceaboutit，sir！’saidMrsClements，risinginherearnestnessandlayingherhandonmyarm。`She’sanawfulwoman——youdon’tknowherasIdo。Thinktwiceaboutit。’
　　`Iamsureyourwarningiskindlymeant，MrsClements。ButIamdeterminedtoseethewoman，whatevercomesofit。’
　　MrsClementslookedmeanxiouslyintheface。
　　`Iseeyourmindismadeup，sir，’shesaid。`Iwillgiveyoutheaddress。’
　　Iwroteitdowninmypocket-bookandthentookherhandtosayfarewell。
　　`Youshallhearfrommesoon，’Isaid；`youshallknowallthatIhavepromisedtotellyou。’
　　MrsClementssighedandshookherheaddoubtfully。
　　`Anoldwoman’sadviceissometimesworthtaking，sir，’shesaid。`ThinktwicebeforeyougotoWelmingham。’
　　[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter32[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter32VIIWhenIreachedhomeagainaftermyinterviewwithMrsClements，IwasstruckbytheappearanceofachangeinLaura。
　　Theunvaryinggentlenessandpatiencewhichlongmisfortunehadtriedsocruellyandhadneverconqueredyet，seemednowtohavesuddenlyfailedher。InsensibletoallMarian’sattemptstosootheandamuseher，shesatwithherneglecteddrawingpushedawayonthetable，hereyesresolutelycastdown，herfingerstwininganduntwiningthemselvesrestlesslyinherlap。MarianrosewhenIcamein，withasilentdistressinherface，waitedforamomenttoseeifLaurawouldlookupatmyapproach，whisperedtome，`Tryifyoucanrouseher，’andlefttheroom。
　　Isatdowninthevacantchair——gentlyunclaspedthepoor，worn，restlessfingers，andtookbothherhandsinmine。
　　`Whatareyouthinkingof，Laura？Tellme，mydarling——tryandtellmewhatitis。’
　　Shestruggledwithherself，andraisedhereyestomine。`Ican’tfeelhappy，’shesaid，`Ican’thelpthinking——’Shestopped，bentforwardalittle，andlaidherheadonmyshoulder，withaterriblemutehelplessnessthatstruckmetotheheart。
　　`Trytotellme，’Irepeatedgently；`trytotellmewhyyouarenothappy。’
　　`Iamsouseless——Iamsuchaburdenonbothofyou，’sheanswered，withaweary，hopelesssigh。`Youworkandgetmoney，Walter，andMarianhelpsyou。WhyistherenothingIcando！YouwillendinlikingMarianbetterthanyoulikeme——youwill，becauseIamsohelpless！Oh，don’t，don’t，don’ttreatmelikeachild！’
　　Iraisedherhead，andsmoothedawaythetangledhairthatfelloverherfaceandkissedher——mypoor，fadedflower！mylost，afflictedsister！
　　`Youshallhelpus，Laura，’Isaid，`youshallbegin，mydarling，today。’
　　Shelookedatmewithafeverisheagerness，withabreathlessinterest，thatmademetrembleforthenewlifeofhopewhichIhadcalledintobeingbythosefewwords。
　　Irose，andsetherdrawingmaterialsinorder，andplacedthemnearheragain。
　　`YouknowthatIworkandgetmoneybydrawing，’Isaid。`Nowyouhavetakensuchpains，nowyouaresomuchimproved，youshallbegintoworkandgetmoneytoo。Trytofinishthislittlesketchasnicelyandprettilyasyoucan。WhenitisdoneIwilltakeitawaywithme，andthesamepersonwillbuyitwhobuysallthatIdo。Youshallkeepyourownearningsinyourownpurse，andMarianshallcometoyoutohelpus，asoftenasshecomestome。Thinkhowusefulyouaregoingtomakeyourselftobothofus，andyouwillsoonbeashappy，Laura，asthedayislong。’
　　Herfacegreweager，andbrightenedintoasmile。Inthemomentwhileitlasted。inthemomentwhensheagaintookupthepencilsthathadbeenlaidaside，shealmostlookedliketheLauraofpastdays。
　　Ihadrightlyinterpretedthefirstsignsofanewgrowthandstrengthinhermind，unconsciouslyexpressingthemselvesinthenoticeshehadtakenoftheoccupationswhichfilledhersister’slifeandmine。MarianwhenItoldherwhathadpassedsaw，aslsaw，thatshewaslongingtoassumeherownlittlepositionofimportance，toraiseherselfinherownestimationandinours——and，fromthatday，wetenderlyhelpedthenewambitionwhichgavepromiseofthehopeful，happierfuture，thatmightnownotbefaroff。Herdrawings，asshefinishedthem，ortriedtofinishthem，wereplacedinmyhands。Mariantookthemfrommeandhidthemcarefully，andIsetasidealittleweeklytributefrommyearnings，tobeofferedtoherasthepricepaidbystrangersforthepoor，faint，valuelesssketches，ofwhichIwastheonlypurchaser。Itwashardsometimestomaintainourinnocentdeception，whensheproudlybroughtoutherpursetocontributehersharetowardstheexpenses，andwonderedwithseriousinterest，whetherIorshehadearnedthemostthatweek。Ihaveallthosehiddendrawingsinmypossessionstill——theyaremytreasuresbeyondprice——thedearremembrancesthatIlovetokeepalive——thefriendsinpastadversitythatmyheartwillneverpartfrom，mytendernessneverforget。
　　AmItrifling，here，withthenecessitiesofmytask？amIlookingforwardtothehappiertimewhichmynarrativehasnotyetreached？Yes。Backagain——backtothedaysofdoubtanddread，whenthespiritwithinmestruggledhardforitslife，intheicystillnessofperpetualsuspense。Ihavepausedandrestedforawhileonmyforwardcourse。Itisnot，perhaps，timewasted，ifthefriendswhoreadthesepageshavepausedandrestedtoo。
　　ItookthefirstopportunityIcouldfindofspeakingtoMarianinprivate，andofcommunicatingtohertheresultoftheinquirieswhichIhadmadethatmorning。SheseemedtosharetheopiniononthesubjectofmyproposedjourneytoWelmingham，whichMrsClementshadalreadyexpressedtome。
　　`Surely，Walter，’shesaid，`youhardlyknowenoughyettogiveyouanyhopeofclaimingMrsCatherick’sconfidence？Isitwisetoproceedtotheseextremities，beforeyouhavereallyexhaustedallsaferandsimplermeansofattainingyourobject？WhenyoutoldmethatSirPercivalandtheCountweretheonlytwopeopleinexistencewhoknewtheexactdateofLaura’sjourney，youforgot，andIforgot，thattherewasathirdpersonwhomustsurelyknowit——ImeanMrsRubelle。Woulditnotbefareasier，andfarlessdangerous，toinsistonaconfessionfromher，thantoforceitfromSirPercival？’