fromthispositionofhelplessnessandhumiliationIwasrescuedbyMissHalcombe。Herlipstoldmethebitter，thenecessary，theunexpectedtruth；herheartykindnesssustainedmeundertheshockofhearingit；
hersenseandcourageturnedtoitsrightuseaneventwhichthreatenedtheworstthatcouldhappen，tomeandtoothers，inLimmeridgeHouse。IXItwasonaThursdayintheweek，andnearlyattheendofthethirdmonthofmysojourninCumberland。
Inthemorning，whenIwentdownintothebreakfast-roomattheusualhour，MissHalcombe，forthefirsttimesinceIhadknownher，wasabsentfromhercustomaryplaceatthetable。
MissFairliewasoutonthelawn。Shebowedtome，butdidnotcomein。Notawordhaddroppedfrommylips，orfromhers，thatcouldunsettleeitherofus——andyetthesameunacknowledgedsenseofembarrassmentmadeusshrinkalikefrommeetingoneanotheralone。Shewaitedonthelawn，andIwaitedinthebreakfast-room，tillMrsVeseyorMissHalcombecamein。HowquicklyIshouldhavejoinedher：howreadilyweshouldhaveshakenhands，andglidedintoourcustomarytalk，onlyafortnightago。
InafewminutesMissHalcombeentered。Shehadapreoccupiedlook，andshemadeherapologiesforbeinglateratherabsently。
`Ihavebeendetained，’shesaid。`byaconsultationwithMrFairlieonadomesticmatterwhichhewishedtospeaktomeabout。’
MissFairliecameinfromthegarden，andtheusualmorninggreetingpassedbetweenus。Herhandstruckcoldertominethanever。Shedidnotlookatme，andshewasverypale。EvenMrsVeseynoticedwhensheenteredtheroomamomentafter。
`Isupposeitisthechangeinthewind，’saidtheoldlady。`Thewinteriscoming——ah，mylove，thewinteriscomingsoon！’
Inherheartandinmineithadcomealready！
Ourmorningmeal——oncesofullofpleasantgood-humoureddiscussionoftheplansfortheday——wasshortandsilent。MissFairlieseemedtofeeltheoppressionofthelongpausesintheconversation，andlookedappealinglytohersistertofillthemup。MissHalcombe，afteronceortwicehesitatingandcheckingherself，inamostuncharacteristicmanner，spokeatlast。
`Ihaveseenyourunclethismorning，Laura，’shesaid。`Hethinksthepurpleroomistheonethatoughttobegotready，andheconfirmswhatItoldyou。Mondayistheday——notTuesday。’
WhilethesewordswerebeingspokenMissFairlielookeddownatthetablebeneathher。Herfingersmovednervouslyamongthecrumbsthatwerescatteredonthecloth。Thepalenessonhercheeksspreadtoherlips，andthelipsthemselvestrembledvisibly。Iwasnottheonlypersonpresentwhonoticedthis。MissHalcombesawit，too，andatoncesetustheexampleofrisingfromtable。
MrsVeseyandMissFairlielefttheroomtogether。Thekindsorrowfulblueeyeslookedatme，foramoment，withtheprescientsadnessofacomingandalongfarewell。Ifelttheansweringpanginmyownheart——thepangthattoldmeImustlosehersoon，andloveherthemoreunchangeablyfortheloss。
Iturnedtowardsthegardenwhenthedoorhadclosedonher。MissHalcombewasstandingwithherhatinherhand，andhershawloverherarm，bythelargewindowthatledouttothelawn，andwaslookingatmeattentively。
`Haveyouanyleisuretimetospare，’sheasked，`beforeyoubegintoworkinyourownroom？’
`Certainly，MissHalcombe。Ihavealwaystimeatyourservice。’
`Iwanttosayawordtoyouinprivate，MrHartright。Getyourhatandcomeoutintothegarden。Wearenotlikelytobedisturbedthereatthishourinthemorning。’
Aswesteppedoutontothelawn，oneoftheunder-gardeners——amerelad——passedusonhiswaytothehouse，withaletterinhishand。MissHalcombestoppedhim。
`Isthatletterforme？’sheasked。
`Nay，miss；it’sjustsaidtobeforMissFairlie，’answeredthelad，holdingouttheletterashespoke。
MissHalcombetookitfromhimandlookedattheaddress。
`Astrangehandwriting，’shesaidtoherself。`WhocanLaura’scorrespondentbe？Wheredidyougetthis？’shecontinued，addressingthegardener，`Well，miss，’saidthelad，`ljustgotitfromawoman。’
`Whatwoman？’
`Awomanwellstrickeninage。’
`Oh，anoldwoman。Anyoneyouknew？’
`Icannatak’itonmysel’tosaythatshewasotherthanastrangertome。’
`Whichwaydidshego？’
`Thatgate，’saidtheunder-gardener，turningwithgreatdeliberationtowardsthesouth，andembracingthewholeofthatpartofEnglandwithonecomprehensivesweepofhisarm。
`Curious，’saidMissHalcombe；`Isupposeitmustbeabegging-letter。
There，’sheadded，handingtheletterbacktothelad，`takeittothehouse，andgiveittooneoftheservants。Andnow，MrHartright，ifyouhavenoobjection，letuswalkthisway。’
Sheledmeacrossthelawn，alongthesamepathbywhichIhadfollowedheronthedayaftermyarrivalatLimmeridge。Atthelittlesummer-house，inwhichLauraFairlieandIhadfirstseeneachother，shestopped，andbrokethesilencewhichshehadsteadilymaintainedwhilewewerewalkingtogether。
`WhatIhavetosaytoyouIcansayhere。’
Withthosewordssheenteredthesummer-house，tookoneofthechairsatthelittleroundtableinside，andsignedtometotaketheother。I
suspectedwhatwascomingwhenshespoketomeinthebreakfast-room；I
feltcertainofitnow。
`MrHartright，’shesaid，`Iamgoingtobeginbymakingafrankavowaltoyou。Iamgoingtosay——withoutphrase-making，whichIdetest，orpayingcompliments，whichIheartilydespise——thatIhavecome，inthecourseofyourresidencewithus，tofeelastrongfriendlyregardforyou。Iwaspredisposedinyourfavourwhenyoufirsttoldmeofyourconducttowardsthatunhappywomanwhomyoumetundersuchremarkablecircumstances。
Yourmanagementoftheaffairmightnothavebeenprudent，butitshowedtheself-control，thedelicacy，andthecompassionofamanwhowasnaturallyagentleman。Itmademeexpectgoodthingsfromyou，andyouhavenotdisappointedmyexpectations。’
Shepaused——butheldupherhandatthesametime，asasignthatsheawaitednoanswerfrommebeforesheproceeded。WhenIenteredthesummer-house，nothoughtwasinmeofthewomaninwhite。Butnow，MissHalcombe’sownwordshadputthememoryofmyadventurebackinmymind。
Itremainedtherethroughouttheinterview——remained，andnotwithoutaresult。
`Asyourfriend，’sheproceeded，`Iamgoingtotellyou，atonce，inmyownplain，blunt，downrightlanguage，thatIhavediscoveredyoursecret——withouthelporhint，mind，fromanyoneelse。MrHartright，youhavethoughtlesslyallowedyourselftoformanattachment——aseriousanddevotedattachment，Iamafraid——tomysisterLaura。Idon’tputyoutothepainofconfessingitinsomanywords，becauseIseeandknowthatyouaretoohonesttodenyit。Idon’tevenblameyou——Ipityyouforopeningyourhearttoahopelessaffection。Youhavenotattemptedtotakeanyunderhandadvantage——youhavenotspokentomysisterinsecret。Youareguiltyofweaknessandwantofattentiontoyourownbestinterests，butofnothingworse。Ifyouhadacted，inanysinglerespect，lessdelicatelyandlessmodestly，Ishouldhavetoldyoutoleavethehouse，withoutaninstant’snotice，oraninstant’sconsultationofanybody。Asitis，I
blamethemisfortuneofyouryearsandyourposition——Idon’tblameyou。
Shakehands——Ihavegivenyoupain；Iamgoingtogiveyoumore，butthereisnohelpforit——shakehandswithyourfriend，MarianHalcombe，first。’
Thesuddenkindness——thewarm，high-minded，fearlesssympathywhichmetmeonsuchmercyequalterms，whichappealedwithsuchdelicateandgenerousabruptnessstraighttomyheart，myhonour，andmycourage，overcamemeinaninstant。Itriedtolookatherwhenshetookmyhand，butmyeyesweredim。Itriedtothankher，butmyvoicefailedme。
`Listentome，’shesaid，consideratelyavoidingallnoticeofmylossofself-control。`Listentome，andletusgetitoveratonce。ItisarealtruerelieftomethatIamnotobliged，inwhatIhavenowtosay，toenterintothequestion——thehardandcruelquestionasIthinkit——ofsocialinequalities。Circumstanceswhichwilltryyoutothequick，sparemetheungraciousnecessityofpainingamanwhohaslivedinfriendlyintimacyunderthesameroofwithmyselfbyanyhumiliatingreferencetomattersofrankandstation。YoumustleaveLimmeridgeHouse，MrHartright，beforemoreharmisdone。Itismydutytosaythattoyou；
anditwouldbeequallymydutytosayit，underpreciselythesameseriousnecessity，ifyouweretherepresentativeoftheoldestandwealthiestfamilyinEngland。Youmustleaveus，notbecauseyouareateacherofdrawing——’
Shewaitedamoment，turnedherfacefullonme，andreachingacrossthetable，laidherhandfirmlyonmyarm。
`Notbecauseyouareateacherofdrawing，’sherepeated，`butbecauseLauraFairlieisengagedtobemarried。’
Thelastwordwentlikeabullettomyheart。Myarmlostallsensationofthehandthatgraspedit。Inevermovedandneverspoke。Thesharpautumnbreezethatscatteredthedeadleavesatourfeetcameascoldtome，onasudden，asifmyownmadhopesweredeadleavestoo，whirledawaybythewindliketherest。Hopes！Betrothed，ornotbetrothed，shewasequallyfarfromme。Wouldothermenhaverememberedthatinmyplace？NotiftheyhadlovedherasIdid。
