“Shestoodforsometimelookingatme，inthatdullstrangewaythatshehas。TheservantsatWindygatesalwayssaidshewasnotinherrightmind——andyouwillsay，SirPatrick，whenyouhearwhathappened，thattheservantswerenotmistaken。Shemustbemad。Isaid，’Don’tyourememberme？’Sheliftedherslate，andwrote，’Irememberyou，inadeadswoonatWindygatesHouse。’I
　　wasquiteunawarethatshehadbeenpresentwhenIfaintedinthelibrary。Thediscoverystartledme——orthatdreadful，dead-coldlookthatshehasinhereyesstartledme——Idon’tknowwhich。I
　　couldn’tspeaktoherjustatfirst。Shewroteonherslateagain——thestrangestquestion——inthesewords：’Isaid，atthetime，broughttoitbyaman。DidIsaytrue？’Ifthequestionhadbeenputintheusualway，byanybodyelse，Ishouldhaveconsideredittooinsolenttobenoticed。Canyouunderstandmyansweringit，SirPatrick？Ican’tunderstanditmyself，now——andyetIdidanswer。Sheforcedmetoitwithherstonyeyes。Isaid’yes。’“
　　“Didallthistakeplaceatthedoor？“
　　“Atthedoor。“
　　“Whendidsheletyouin？“
　　“Thenextthingshedidwastoletmein。Shetookmebythearm，inaroughway，anddrewmeinsidethedoor，andshutit。Mynervesarebroken；mycourageisgone。Icreptwithcoldwhenshetouchedme。Shedroppedmyarm。Istoodlikeachild，waitingforwhatitpleasedhertosayordonext。Sherestedhertwohandsonhersides，andtookalonglookatme。Shemadeahorriddumbsound——notasifshewasangry；more，ifsuchathingcouldbe，asifshewassatisfied——pleasedeven，Ishouldhavesaid，ifithadbeenanybodybutHesterDethridge。Doyouunderstandit？“
　　“Notyet。Letmegetnearertounderstandingitbyaskingsomethingbeforeyougoon。Didsheshowanyattachmenttoyou，whenyouwerebothatWindygates？“
　　“Nottheleast。Sheappearedtobeincapableofattachmenttome，ortoanybody。“
　　“Didshewriteanymorequestionsonherslate？“
　　“Yes。Shewroteanotherquestionunderwhatshehadwrittenjustbefore。Hermindwasstillrunningonmyfaintingfit，andonthe’man’whohad’broughtmetoit。’Shehelduptheslate；andthewordswerethese：’Tellmehowheservedyou，didheknockyoudown？’Mostpeoplewouldhavelaughedatthequestion。_I_wasstartledbyit。Itoldher，No。Sheshookherheadasifshedidn’tbelieveme。Shewroteonherslate，’Wearelothtoownitwhentheyupwiththeirfistsandbeatus——ain’twe？’Isaid，’Youarequitewrong。’Shewentonobstinatelywithherwriting。
　　’Whoistheman？’——washernextquestion。Ihadcontrolenoughovermyselftodeclinetellingherthat。Sheopenedthedoor，andpointedtometogoout。Imadeasignentreatinghertowaitalittle。Shewentback，inherimpenetrableway，tothewritingontheslate——stillaboutthe’man。’Thistime，thequestionwasplainerstill。Shehadevidentlyplacedherowninterpretationofmyappearanceatthehouse。Shewrote，’Isitthemanwholodgeshere？’IsawthatshewouldclosethedooronmeifIdidn’tanswer。Myonlychancewithherwastoownthatshehadguessedright。Isaid’Yes。Iwanttoseehim。’Shetookmebythearm，asroughlyasbefore——andledmeintothehouse。“
　　“Ibegintounderstandher，“saidSirPatrick。“Irememberhearing，inmybrother’stime，thatshehadbeenbrutallyill-usedbyherhusband。Theassociationofideas，evenin_her_
　　confusedbrain，becomesplain，ifyoubearthatinmind。Whatisherlastremembranceofyou？ItistheremembranceofafaintingwomanatWindygates。“
　　“Yes。“
　　“Shemakesyouacknowledgethatshehasguessedright，inguessingthatamanwas，insomeway，answerablefortheconditioninwhichshefoundyou。Aswoonproducedbyashockindictedonthemind，isaswoonthatshedoesn’tunderstand。Shelooksbackintoherownexperience，andassociatesitwiththeexerciseofactualphysicalbrutalityonthepartoftheman。Andshesees，inyou，areflectionofherownsufferingsandherowncase。It’scurious——toastudentofhumannature。Anditexplains，whatisotherwiseunintelligible——heroverlookingherowninstructionstotheservant，andlettingyouintothehouse。
　　Whathappenednext？“
　　“Shetookmeintoaroom，whichIsupposewasherownroom。Shemadesigns，offeringmetea。Itwasdoneinthestrangestway——withouttheleastappearanceofkindness。Afterwhatyouhavejustsaidtome，IthinkIcaninsomedegreeinterpretwhatwasgoingoninhermind。Ibelieveshefeltahard-heartedinterestinseeingawomanwhomshesupposedtobeasunfortunateasshehadoncebeenherself。Ideclinedtakinganytea，andtriedtoreturntothesubjectofwhatIwantedinthehouse。Shepaidnoheedtome。Shepointedroundtheroom；andthentookmetoawindow，andpointedroundthegarden——andthenmadeasignindicatingherself。’Myhouse；andmygarden’——thatwaswhatshemeant。Therewerefourmeninthegarden——andGeoffreyDelamaynwasoneofthem。ImadeanotherattempttotellherthatIwantedtospeaktohim。But，no!Shehadherownideainhermind。Afterbeckoningtometoleavethewindow，sheledthewaytothefire-place，andshowedmeasheetofpaperwithwritingonit，framedandplacedunderaglass，andhungonthewall。Sheseemed，Ithought，tofeelsomekindofprideinherframedmanuscript。Atanyrate，sheinsistedonmyreadingit。Itwasanextractfromawill。“
　　“Thewillunderwhichshehadinheritedthehouse？“
　　“Yes。Herbrother’swill。Itsaid，thatheregretted，onhisdeath-bed，hisestrangementfromhisonlysister，datingfromthetimewhenshehadmarriedindefianceofhiswishesandagainsthisadvice。Asaproofofhissinceredesiretobereconciledwithher，beforehedied，andassomecompensationforthesufferingsthatshehadenduredatthehandsofherdeceasedhusband，heleftheranincomeoftwohundredpoundsayear，togetherwiththeuseofhishouseandgarden，forherlifetime。
　　That，aswellasIremember，wasthesubstanceofwhatitsaid。“
　　“Creditabletoherbrother，andcreditabletoherself，“saidSirPatrick。“Takingheroddcharacterintoconsideration，I
　　understandherlikingittobeseen。Whatpuzzlesme，isherlettinglodgingswithanincomeofherowntoliveon。“
　　“ThatwastheveryquestionwhichIputtohermyself。Iwasobligedtobecautious，andtobeginbyaskingaboutthelodgersfirst——themenbeingstillvisibleoutinthegarden，toexcusetheinquiry。TheroomstoletinthehousehadasIunderstoodherbeentakenbyapersonactingforGeoffreyDelamayn——histrainer，Ipresume。HehadsurprisedHesterDethridgebybarelynoticingthehouse，andshowingthemostextraordinaryinterestinthegarden。“
　　“Thatisquiteintelligible，MissSilvester。Thegardenyouhavedescribedwouldbejusttheplacehewantedfortheexercisesofhisemployer——plentyofspace，andwellsecuredfromobservationbythehighwallsallround。Whatnext？“
　　“Next，Igottothequestionofwhysheshouldletherhouseinlodgingsatall。WhenIaskedherthat，herfaceturnedharderthanever。Sheansweredmeonherslateinthesedismalwords：’I
　　havenotgotafriendintheworld。Idarenotlivealone。’Therewasherreason!Drearyanddreadful，SirPatrick，wasitnot？“
　　“Drearyindeed!Howdiditend？Didyougetintothegarden？“
　　“Yes——atthesecondattempt。Sheseemedsuddenlytochangehermind；sheopenedthedoorformeherself。PassingthewindowoftheroominwhichIhadlefther，Ilookedback。Shehadtakenherplace，atatablebeforethewindow，apparentlywatchingforwhatmighthappen。Therewassomethingabouther，ashereyesmetmineIcan’tsaywhat，whichmademefeeluneasyatthetime。
　　Adoptingyourview，Iamalmostinclinedtothinknow，horridastheideais，thatshehadtheexpectationofseeingmetreatedas_she_hadbeentreatedinformerdays。Itwasactuallyarelieftome——thoughIknewIwasgoingtorunaseriousrisk——tolosesightofher。AsIgotnearertothemeninthegarden，IheardtwoofthemtalkingveryearnestlytoGeoffreyDelamayn。Thefourthperson，anelderlygentleman，stoodapartfromtherestatsomelittledistance。IkeptasfarasIcouldoutofsight，waitingtillthetalkwasover。Itwasimpossibleformetohelphearingit。ThetwomenweretryingtopersuadeGeoffreyDelamayntospeaktotheelderlygentleman。Theypointedtohimasafamousmedicalman。Theyreiteratedoverandoveragain，thathisopinionwaswellworthhaving——“
　　SirPatrickinterruptedher。“Didtheymentionhisname？“heasked。
　　“Yes。TheycalledhimMr。Speedwell。“
　　“Themanhimself!Thisisevenmoreinteresting，MissSilvester，thanyousuppose。ImyselfheardMr。SpeedwellwarnDelamaynthathewasinbrokenhealth，whenwewerevisitingtogetheratWindygatesHouselastmonth。Didhedoastheothermenwishedhim？Didhespeaktothesurgeon？“
　　“No。Hesulkilyrefused——herememberedwhatyouremember。Hesaid，’SeethemanwhotoldmeIwasbrokendown？——notI!’Afterconfirmingitwithanoath，heturnedawayfromtheothers。
　　Unfortunately，hetookthedirectioninwhichIwasstanding，anddiscoveredme。Thebaresightofmeseemedtothrowhiminstantlyintoastateoffrenzy。He——itisimpossibleformetorepeatthelanguagethatheused：itisbadenoughtohaveheardit。I
　　believe，SirPatrick，butforthetwomen，whoranupandlaidholdofhim，thatHesterDethridgewouldhaveseenwhatsheexpectedtosee。Thechangeinhimwassofrightful——eventome，wellasIthoughtIknewhiminhisfitsofpassion——ItremblewhenIthinkofit。Oneofthemenwhohadrestrainedhimwasalmostasbrutal，inhisway。Hedeclared，inthefoulestlanguage，thatifDelamaynhadafit，hewouldlosetherace，andthatIshouldbeanswerableforit。ButforMr。Speedwell，I
　　don’tknowwhatIshouldhavedone。Hecameforwarddirectly。
　　’Thisisnoplaceeitherforyou，orforme，’hesaid——andgavemehisarm，andledmebacktothehouse。HesterDethridgemetusinthepassage，andliftedherhandtostopme。Mr。Speedwellaskedherwhatshewanted。Shelookedatme，andthenlookedtowardthegarden，andmadethemotionofstrikingablowwithherclenchedfist。Forthefirsttimeinmyexperienceofher——I
　　hopeitwasmyfancy——IthoughtIsawhersmile。Mr。Speedwelltookmeout。’Theyarewellmatchedinthathouse，’hesaid。’Thewomanisascompleteasavageasthemen。’ThecarriagewhichI
　　hadseenwaitingatthedoorwashis。Hecalleditup，andpolitelyofferedmeaplaceinit。IsaidIwouldonlytrespassonhiskindnessasfarastotherailwaystation。Whileweweretalking，HesterDethridgefollowedustothedoor。Shemadethesamemotionagainwithherclenchedhand，andlookedbacktowardthegarden——andthenlookedatme，andnoddedherhead，asmuchastosay，’Hewilldoityet!’NowordscandescribehowgladI