Themereutteranceofthelovedfamiliarnameseemedtoquiether。Herfacesoftenedandgrewlikeitselfagain。
　　`YouneedhavenofearofMissFairlie，’Icontinued，`andnofearofgettingintotroublethroughtheletter。Sheknowssomuchaboutitalready，thatyouwillhavenodifficultintellingherall。Therecanbelittlenecessityforconcealmentwherethereishardlyanythinglefttoconceal。
　　Youmentionnonamesintheletter；butMissFairlieknowsthatthepersonyouwriteofisSirPercivalGlyde——’
　　TheinstantIpronouncedthatnameshestartedtoherfeet，andascreamburstfromherthatrangthroughthechurchyard，andmademyheartleapinmewiththeterrorofit。Thedarkdeformityoftheexpressionwhichhadjustleftherfaceloweredonitoncemore，withdoubledandtrebledintensity。Theshriekatthename，thereiteratedlookofhatredandfearthatinstantlyfollowed，toldall。Notevenalastdoubtnowremained。
　　HermotherwasguiltlessofimprisoningherintheAsylum。Amanhadshutherup——andthatmanwasSirPercivalGlyde。
　　Thescreamhadreachedotherearsthanmine。OnonesideIheardthedoorofthesexton’scottageopen；ontheotherIheardthevoiceofhercompanion，thewomanintheshawl，thewomanwhomshehadspokenofasMrsClements。
　　`I’mcoming！I’mcoming！’criedthevoicefrombehindtheclumpofdwarftrees。
　　InamomentmoreMrsClementshurriedintoview。
　　`Whoareyou？’shecried，facingmeresolutelyasshesetherfootonthestile。`Howdareyoufrightenapoorhelplesswomanlikethat？’
　　ShewasatAnneCatherick’sside，andhadputonearmaroundher，beforeIcouldanswer。`Whatisit，mydear？’shesaid。`Whathashedonetoyou？’
　　`Nothing，’thepoorcreatureanswered。`Nothing。I’monlyfrightened。’
　　MrsClementsturnedonmewithafearlessindignation，forwhichIrespectedher。
　　`IshouldbeheartilyashamedofmyselfifIdeservedthatangrylook，’
　　Isaid。`ButIdonotdeserveit。Ihaveunfortunatelystartledherwithoutintendingit。Thisisnotthefirsttimeshehasseenme。Askheryourself，andshewilltellyouthatIamincapableofwillinglyharmingheroranywoman。’
　　Ispokedistinctly，sothatAnneCatherickmighthearandunderstandme，andIsawthatthewordsandtheirmeaninghadreachedher。
　　`Yes，yes，’shesaid——`hewasgoodtomeonce——hehelpedme——’
　　Shewhisperedtherestintoherfriend’sear。
　　`Strange，indeed！’saidMrsClements，withalookofperplexity。`Itmakesallthedifference，though。I’msorryIspokesoroughtoyou，sir；
　　butyoumustownthatappearanceslookedsuspicioustoastranger。It’smoremyfaultthanyours，forhumouringherwhims，andlettingherbealoneinsuchaplaceasthis。Come，mydear——comehomenow。’
　　Ithoughtthegoodwomanlookedalittleuneasyattheprospectofthewalkback，andIofferedtogowiththemuntiltheywerebothwithinsightofhome。MrsClementsthankedmecivilly，anddeclined。Shesaidtheyweresuretomeetsomeofthefarm-labourersassoonastheygottothemoor。
　　`Trytoforgiveme，’Isaid，whenAnneCathericktookherfriend’sarmtogoaway。InnocentasIhadbeenofanyintentiontoterrifyandagitateher，myheartsmotemeasIlookedatthepoor，pale，frightenedface。
　　`Iwilltry，’sheanswered。`Butyouknowtoomuch——I’mafraidyou’llalwaysfrightenmenow。’
　　MrsClementsglancedatme，andshookherheadpityingly。
　　`Good-night，sir，’shesaid。`Youcouldn’thelpit，Iknow；butIwishitwasmeyouhadfrightened，andnother。’
　　Theymovedawayafewsteps。Ithoughttheyhadleftme，butAnnesuddenlystopped，andseparatedherselffromherfriend。
　　`Waitalittle，’shesaid。`Imustsaygood-bye。’
　　Shereturnedtothegrave，restedbothhandstenderlyonthemarblecross，andkissedit。
　　`I’mbetternow，’shesighed，lookingupatmequietly。`Iforgiveyou。’
　　Shejoinedhercompanionagain，andtheylefttheburial-ground。Isawthemstopnearthechurchandspeaktothesexton’swife，whohadcomefromthecottage，andhadwaited，watchingusfromadistance。Thentheywentonagainupthepaththatledtothemoor。IlookedafterAnneCatherickasshedisappeared，tillalltraceofherhadfadedinthetwilight——
　　lookedasanxiouslyandsorrowfullyasifthatwasthelastIwastoseeinthiswearyworldofthewomaninwhite。
　　[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chpater7[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter7XIIIHalfanhourlaterIwasbackatthehouse，andwasinformingMissHalcombeofallthathadhappened。
　　Shelistenedtomefrombeginningtoendwithasteady，silentattention，which，inawomanofhertemperamentanddisposition，wasthestrongestproofthatcouldbeofferedoftheseriousmannerinwhichmynarrativeaffectedher。
　　`Mymindmisgivesme，’wasallshesaidwhenIhaddone。`Mymindmisgivesmesadlyaboutthefuture。’
　　`Thefuturemaydepend，’Isuggested，`ontheusewemakeofthepresent。
　　ItisnotimprobablethatAnneCatherickmayspeakmorereadilyandunreservedlytoawomanthanshehasspokentome。IfMissFairlie。’
　　`Nottobethoughtofforamoment，’interposedMissHalcombe，inhermostdecidedmanner。
　　`Letmesuggest，then，’Icontinued，`thatyoushouldseeAnneCatherickyourself，anddoallyoucantowinherconfidence。Formyownpart，I
　　shrinkfromtheideaofalarmingthepoorcreatureasecondtime，asI
　　havemostunhappilyalarmedheralready。Doyouseeanyobjectiontoaccompanyingmetothefarmhousetomorrow？’
　　`Nonewhatever。IwillgoanywhereanddoanythingtoserveLaura’sinterests。Whatdidyousaytheplacewascalled？’
　　`Youmustknowitwell。ItiscalledTodd’sCorner。’
　　`Certainly。Todd’sCornerisoneofMrFairlie’sfarms。Ourdairymaidhereisthefarmer’sseconddaughter。Shegoesbackwardsandforwardsconstantlybetweenthishouseandherfather’sfarm，andshemayhaveheardorseensomethingwhichitmaybeusefultoustoknow。ShallIascertain，atonce，ifthegirlisdownstairs？’
　　Sherangthebell，andsenttheservantwithhismessage。Hereturned，andannouncedthatthedairymaidwasthenatthefarm。Shehadnotbeenthereforthelastthreedays，andthehousekeeperhadgivenherleavetogohomeforanhourortwothatevening。
　　`Icanspeaktohertomorrow，’saidMissHalcombe，whentheservanthadlefttheroomagain。`Inthemeantime，letmethoroughlyunderstandtheobjecttobegainedbymyinterviewwithAnneCatherick。IstherenodoubtinyourmindthatthepersonwhoconfinedherintheAsylumwasSirPercivalGlyde？’
　　`Thereisnottheshadowofadoubt。Theonlymysterythatremainsisthemysteryofhismotive。Lookingtothegreatdifferencebetweenhisstationinlifeandhers，whichseemstoprecludeallideaofthemostdistantrelationshipbetweenthem，itisofthelastimportance——evenassumingthatshereallyrequiredtobeplacedunderrestraint——toknowwhyheshouldhavebeenthepersontoassumetheseriousresponsibilityofshuttingherup——’
　　`InaprivateAsylum，Ithinkyousaid？’
　　`Yes，inaprivateAsylum，whereasunofmoney，whichnopoorpersoncouldaffordtogive，musthavebeenpaidforhermaintenanceasapatient。’
　　`Iseewherethedoubtlies，MrHartright，andIpromiseyouthatitshallbesetatrest，whetherAnneCatherickassistsustomorrowornot。
　　SirPercivalGlydeshallnotbelonginthishousewithoutsatisfyingMrGilmore，andsatisfyingme。Mysister’sfutureismydearestcareinlife，andIhaveinfluenceenoughoverhertogivemesomepower，wherehermarriageisconcerned，inthedisposalofit。’
　　Wepartedforthenight。
　　Afterbreakfastthenextmorning，anobstacle，whichtheeventsoftheeveningbeforehadputoutofmymemory，interposedtopreventourproceedingimmediatelytothefarm。ThiswasmylastdayatLimmeridgeHouse，anditwasnecessary，assoonasthepostcamein，tofollowMissHalcombe’sadvice，andtoaskMrFairlie’spermissiontoshortenmyengagementbyamonth，inconsiderationofanunforeseennecessityformyreturntoLondon。
　　Fortunatelyfortheprobabilityofthisexcuse，sofarasappearanceswereconcerned，thepostbroughtmetwolettersfromLondonfriendsthatmorning。Itookthemawayatoncetomyownroom，andsenttheservantwithamessagetoMrFairlie，requestingtoknowwhenIcouldseehimonamatterofbusiness。
　　Iawaitedtheman’sreturn，freefromtheslightestfeelingofanxietyaboutthemannerinwhichhismastermightreceivemyapplication。WithMrFairlie’sleaveorwithoutit，Imustgo。TheconsciousnessofhavingnowtakenthefirststeponthedrearyjourneywhichwashenceforthtoseparatemylifefromMissFairlie’sseemedtohavebluntedmysensibilitytoeveryconsiderationconnectedwithmyself。Ihaddonewithmypoorman’stouchypride——Ihaddonewithallmylittleartistvanities。NoinsolenceofMrFairlie’s，ifhechosetobeinsolent，couldwoundmenow。
　　TheservantreturnedwithamessageforwhichIwasnotunprepared。