Ididnotraisemyeyes,butIsupposemammalooked,foraclear,melodiousvoice,whosetonesthrilledthroughmynerves,exclaimed——
  `Oh,aunt!here’sMr。Markham——Arthur’sfriend!——Stop,Richard!’
  Therewassuchevidenceofjoyousthoughsuppressedexcitementintheutteranceofthosefewwords——especiallythattremulous,`Oh,aunt——’
  thatitthrewmealmostoffmyguard。Thecarriagestoppedimmediately,andIlookedupandmettheeyeofapale,grave,elderlyladysurveyingmefromtheopenwindow。ShebowedandsodidI,andthenshewithdrewherhead,whileArthurscreamedtothefootmantolethimout;butbeforethatfunctionarycoulddescendfromhisbox,ahandwassilentlyputforthfromthecarriagewindow。Iknewthathand,thoughablackgloveconcealeditsdelicatewhitenessandhalfitsfairproportions,andquicklyseizingit,Ipresseditinmyown——ardentlyforamoment,butinstantlyrecollectingmyself,Idroppedit,anditwasimmediatelywithdrawn。
  `Wereyoucomingtoseeus,oronlypassingby?’askedthelowvoiceofitsowner,who,Ifelt,wasattentivelysurveyingmycountenancefrombehindthethick,blackveilwhichwiththeshadowingpanels,entirelyconcealedherownfromme。
  `I——Icametoseetheplace,’falteredI。
  `Theplace,’repeatedshe,inatonewhichbetokenedmoredispleasureordisappointmentthansurprise。`Willyounotenteritthen?’
  `Ifyouwishit。’
  `Canyoudoubt?’
  `Yes,yes!hemustenter,’criedArthurrunningroundfromtheotherdoor;andseizingmyhandinbothhis,heshookitheartily。
  `Doyourememberme,sir?’saidhe。
  `Yes,fullwell,mylittleman,alteredthoughyouare,’repliedI,surveyingthecomparativelytall,slimyounggentlemanwithhismother’simagevisiblystampeduponhisfair,intelligentfeatures,inspiteoftheblueeyesbeamingwithgladness,andthebrightlocksclusteringbeneathhiscap。
  `AmInotgrown?’saidhe,stretchinghimselfuptohisfullheight。
  `Grown!threeinchesuponmyword!’
  `Iwassevenlastbirthday,’wastheproudrejoinder。`Insevenyearsmore,Ishallbeastallasyou,nearly。’
  `Arthur,’saidhismother,`tellhimtocomein。GoonRichard。’
  Therewasatouchofsadnessaswellascoldnessinhervoice,butIknewnottowhattoascribeit。Thecarriagedroveonandenteredthegatesbeforeus。Mylittlecompanionledmeupthepark,discoursingmerrilyalltheway。ArrivedattheHalldoor,Ipausedonthestepsandlookedroundme,waitingtorecovermycomposure,ifpossible——oratanyrate,toremembermynew-formedresolutionsandtheprinciplesonwhichtheywerefounded;anditwasnottillArthurhadbeenforsometimegentlypullingmycoat,andrepeatinghisinvitationstoenter,thatIatlengthconsentedtoaccompanyhimintotheapartmentwheretheladiesawaitedus。
  HeleneyedmeasIenteredwithakindofgentle,seriousscrutinyandpolitelyaskedafterMrs。MarkhamandRose。Irespectfullyansweredherenquiries。Mrs。Maxwellbeggedmetobeseated,observingitwasrathercold,butshesupposedIhadnottravelledfarthatmorning。
  `Notquitetwentymiles,’Ianswered。
  `Notonfoot!’
  `No,Madam,bycoach。’
  `Here’sRachel,sir,’saidArthur,theonlytrulyhappyoneamongstus,directingmyattentiontothatworthyindividual,whohadjustenteredtotakehermistress’sthings。Shevouchsafedmeanalmostfriendlysmileofrecognitionsfavourthatdemanded,atleast,acivilsalutationonmypart,whichwasaccordinglygivenandrespectivelyreturned——shehadseentheerrorofherformerestimationofmycharacter。
  WhenHelenwasdivestedofherlugubriousbonnetandveil,herheavywintercloak&;c。shelookedsolikeherselfthatIknewnothowtobearit。Iwasparticularlygladtoseeherbeautifulblackhairunstintedstillandunconcealedinitsglossyluxuriance。
  `Mammahasleftoffherwidow’scapinhonourofuncle’smarriage,’
  observedArthur,readingmylookswithachild’smingledsimplicityandquicknessofobservation。MammalookedgraveandMrs。Maxwellshookherhead。`AndauntMaxwellisnevergoingtoleaveoffhers,’persistedthenaughtyboy;butwhenhesawthathispertnesswasseriouslydispleasingandpainfultohisaunt,hewentandsilentlyputhisarmroundherneck,kissedhercheek,andwithdrewtotherecessofoneofthegreatbaywindows,wherehequietlyamusedhimselfwithhisdogwhileMrs。Maxwellgravelydiscussedwithmetheinterestingtopicsoftheweather,theseason,andtheroads。Iconsideredherpresenceveryusefulasacheckuponmynaturalimpulses——anantidotetothoseemotionsoftumultuousexcitementwhichwouldotherwisehavecarriedmeawayagainstmyreasonandmywill,butjustthenIfelttherestraintalmostintolerable,andIhadthegreatestdifficultyinforcingmyselftoattendtoherremarksandanswerthemwithordinarypoliteness;forIwassensiblethatHelenwasstandingwithinafewfeetofmebesidethefire。Idarednotlookather,butIfelthereyewasuponme,andfromonehasty,furtiveglance,Ithoughthercheekwasslightlyflushed,andthatherfingers,assheplayedwithherwatchchain,wereagitatedwiththatrestless,tremblingmotionwhichbetokenshighexcitement。
  `Tellme,’saidshe,availingherselfofthefirstpauseintheattemptedconversationbetweenherauntandme,andspeakingfastandlowwithhereyesbentonthegoldchain——forInowventuredanotherglance——`TellmehowyouallareatLindenhope?——hasnothinghappenedsinceIleftyou?’
  `Ibelievenot。’
  `Nobodydead?nobodymarried?’
  `No。’
  `Or——orexpectingtomarry?——Nooldtiesdissolvedornewonesformed?nooldfriendsforgottenorsupplanted?’
  Shedroppedhervoicesolowinthelastsentencethatnoonecouldhavecaughttheconcludingwordsbutmyself,andatthesametimeturnedhereyesuponmewithadawningsmile,mostsweetlymelancholy,andalookoftimidthoughkeenenquirythatmademycheekstinglewithinexpressibleemotions。
  `Ibelievenot,’Ianswered——`Certainlynot,ifothersareaslittlechangedasI。’Herfaceglowedinsympathywithmine。
  `Andyoureallydidnotmeantocall?’sheexclaimed。
  `Ifearedtointrude。’
  `Tointrude!’criedshewithanimpatientgesture——`What’——butasifsuddenlyrecollectingheraunt’spresence,shecheckedherselfandturningtothatladycontinued——`Whyaunt,thismanismybrother’sclosefriendandwasmyownintimateacquaintanceforafewshortmonthsatleast,andprofessedagreatattachmenttomyboy——andwhenhepassesthehouse,somanyscoresofmilesfromhishome,hedeclinestolookinforfearofintruding!’
  `Mr。Markhamisovermodest,’observedMrs。Maxwell。
  `Overceremoniousrather,’saidherniece——`over——well,it’snomatter。’Andturningfromme,sheseatedherselfinachairbesidethetable,andpullingabooktoherbythecover,begantoturnovertheleavesinanenergetickindofabstraction。
  `IfIhadknown,’saidI,`thatyouwouldhavehonouredmebyrememberingmeasanintimateacquaintance,Imostlikelyshouldnothavedeniedmyselfthepleasureofcallinguponyou,butIthoughtyouhadforgottenmelongago。’
  `Youjudgedofothersbyyourself,’mutteredshewithoutraisinghereyesfromthebook,butreddeningasshespokeandhastilyturningoveradozenleavesatonce。
  TherewasapauseofwhichArthurthoughthemightventuretoavailhimselftointroducehishandsomeyoungsetterandshowmehowwonderfullyitwasgrownandimproved,andtoaskafterthewelfareofitsfatherSancho。
  Mrs。Maxwellthenwithdrewtotakeoffherthings。Helenimmediatelypushedthebookfromherandaftersilentlysurveyingherson,hisfriend,andhisdogforafewmoments,shedismissedtheformerfromtheroomunderpretenceofwishinghimtofetchhislastnewbooktoshewme。Thechildobeyedwithalacrity;butIcontinuedcaressingthedog。Thesilencemighthavelastedtillitsmaster’sreturnhaditdependedonmetobreakit,but,inhalfaminuteorless,myhostessimpatientlyrose,andtakingherformerstationontherugbetweenmeandthechimneycorner,earnestlyexclaimed——
  `Gilbert,whatisthematterwithyou?——whyareyousochanged?——ItisaveryindiscreetquestionIknow,’shehastenedtoadd:`perhaps,averyrudeone——don’tansweritifyouthinkso——outIhatemysteriesandconcealments。’
  `Iamnotchanged——Helen——unfortunatelyIamaskeenandpassionateasever——itisnotI,itiscircumstancesthatarechanged。’
  `Whatcircumstances?Dotellme!’Hercheekwasblanchedwiththeveryanguishofanxiety——coulditbewiththefearthatIhadrashlypledgedmyfaithtoanother?
  `I’lltellyouatonce,’saidI。`IwillconfessthatIcamehereforthepurposeofseeingyounotwithoutsomemonitorymisgivingsatmyownpresumption,andfearsthatIshouldbeaslittlewelcomeasexpectedwhenIcame,butIdidnotknowthatthisestatewasyours,untilenlightenedonthesubjectofyourinheritancebytheconversationoftwofellowpassengersinthelaststageofmyjourney;andthen,IsawatoncethefollyofthehopesIhadcherishedandthemadnessofretainingthemamomentlonger;
  andthoughIalightedatyourgates,Ideterminednottoenterwithinthem;
  Ilingeredafewminutestoseetheplace,butwasfullyresolvedtoreturntoM——withoutseeingitsmistress。’
  `AndifmyauntandIhadnotbeenjustreturningfromourmorningdrive,Ishouldhaveseenandheardnomoreofyou?’
  `Ithoughtitwouldbebetterforboththatweshouldnotmeet,’
  repliedIascalmlyasIcould,butnotdaringtospeakabovemybreathfromconsciousinabilitytosteadymyvoice,andnotdaringtolookinherfacelestmyfirmnessshouldforsakemealtogether:`Ithoughtaninterviewwouldonlydisturbyourpeaceandmaddenme。ButIamglad,now,ofthisopportunityofseeingyouoncemoreandknowingthatyouhavenotforgottenme,andofassuringyouthatIshallneverceasetorememberyou。’
  Therewasamoment’spause。Mrs。Huntingdonmovedaway,andstoodintherecessofthewindow。Didsheregardthisasanintimationthatmodestyalonepreventedmefromaskingherhand?andwassheconsideringhowtorepulsemewiththesmallestinjurytomyfeelings?BeforeIcouldspeaktorelieveherfromsuchaperplexity,shebrokethesilenceherselfbysuddenlyturningtowardsmeandobserving`Youmighthavehadsuchanopportunitybefore——asfarImeanasregardsassuringmeofyourkindlyrecollections,andyourselfofmine,ifyouhadwrittentome。’
  `Iwouldhavedoneso,butIdidnotknowyouraddress,anddidnotliketoaskyourbrother,becauseIthoughthewouldobjecttomywriting——butthiswouldnothavedeterredmeforamoment,ifIcouldhaveventuredtobelievethatyouexpectedtohearfromme,orevenwastedathoughtuponyourunhappyfriend;butyoursilencenaturallyledmetoconcludemyselfforgotten。
  `Didyouexpectmetowritetoyouthen?’
  `No,Helen——Mrs。Huntingdon,’saidI,blushingattheimpliedimputation,`certainlynot;butifyouhadsentmeamessagethroughyourbrother,orevenaskedhimaboutmenowandthen——’
  `Ididaskaboutyou,frequently。Iwasnotgoingtodomore,’
  continuedshe,smiling,`solongasyoucontinuedtorestrictyourselftoafewpoliteenquiriesaboutmyhealth。’
  `Yourbrothernevertoldmethatyouhadmentionedmyname。
  `Didyoueveraskhim?’
  `No;forIsawhedidnotwishtobequestionedaboutyou,ortoaffordtheslightestencouragementorassistancetomytooobstinateattachment。’Helendidnotreply。`Andhewasperfectlyright,’addedI。
  Butsheremainedinsilencelookingoutuponthesnowylawn。`Oh,Iwillrelieveherofmypresence!’thoughtI;andimmediatelyIroseandadvancedtotakeleave,withamostheroicresolution——butpridewasatthebottomofit,oritcouldnothavecarriedmethrough。
  `Areyougoingalready?’saidshe,takingthehandIoffered,andnotimmediatelylettingitgo。
  `WhyshouldIstayanylonger?’
  `WaittillArthurcomes,atleast。’
  Onlytoogladtoobey,Istoodandleantagainsttheoppositesideofthewindow。
  `Youtoldmeyouwerenotchanged,’saidmycompanion:youare——verymuchso。’
  `No,Mrs。Huntingdon,Ionlyoughttobe。’
  `Doyoumeantomaintainthatyouhavethesameregardformethatyouhadwhenlastwemet?’