`Howdidyoucomehere？’sheasked，withoutnoticingwhatIhadjustsaidtoher。
`Don’tyouremembermytellingyou，whenwelastmet，thatIwasgoingtoCumberland？IhavebeeninCumberlandeversince——IhavebeenstayingallthetimeatLimmeridgeHouse。’
`AtLimmeridgeHouse！’Herpalefacebrightenedassherepeatedthewords，herwanderingeyesfixedonmewithasuddeninterest。`Ah，howhappyyoumusthavebeen！’shesaid，lookingatmeeagerly，withoutashadowofitsformerdistrustleftinherexpression。
Itookadvantageofhernewly-arousedconfidenceinmetoobserveherface，withanattentionandacuriositywhichIhadhithertorestrainedmyselffromshowing，forcaution’ssake。Ilookedather，withmymindfullofthatotherlovelyfacewhichhadsoominouslyrecalledhertomymemoryontheterracebymoonlight。IhadseenAnneCatherick’slikenessinMissFairlie。InowsawMissFairlie’slikenessinAnneCatherick——
sawitallthemoreclearlybecausethepointsofdissimilaritybetweenthetwowerepresentedtomeaswellasthepointsofresemblance。Inthegeneraloutlineofthecountenanceandgeneralproportionofthefeatures——inthecolourofthehairandinthelittlenervousuncertaintyaboutthelips——intheheightandsizeofthefigure，andthecarriageoftheheadandbody，thelikenessappearedevenmorestartlingthanIhadeverfeltittobeyet。Buttheretheresemblanceended，andthedissimilarity，indetails，began。ThedelicatebeautyofMissFairlie’scomplexion，thetransparentclearnessofhereyes，thesmoothpurityofherskin，thetenderbloomofcolouronherlips，wereallmissingfromthewornwearyfacethatwasnowturnedtowardsmine。AlthoughIhatedmyselfevenforthinkingsuchathing，still，whileIlookedatthewomanbeforeme，theideawouldforceitselfintomymindthatonesadchange，inthefuture，wasallthatwaswantingtomakethelikenesscomplete，whichInowsawtobesoimperfectindetail。IfeversorrowandsufferingsettheirprofaningmarksontheyouthandbeautyofMissFairlie’sface，then，andthenonly，AnneCatherickandshewouldbethetwin-sistersofchanceresemblance，thelivingreflectionsofoneanother。
Ishudderedatthethought。Merewassomethinghorribleintheblindunreasoningdistrustofthefuturewhichthemerepassageofitthroughmymindseemedtoimply。ItwasawelcomeinterruptiontoberousedbyfeelingAnneCatherick’shandlaidonmyshoulder。Thetouchwasasstealthyandassuddenasthatothertouchwhichhadpetrifiedmefromheadtofootonthenightwhenwefirstmet。
`Youarelookingatme，andyouarethinkingofsomething，’shesaid，withherstrangebreathlessrapidityofutterance。`Whatisit？’
`Nothingextraordinary，’Ianswered。`Iwasonlywonderinghowyoucamehere。’
`Icamewithafriendwhoisverygoodtome。Ihaveonlybeenheretwodays。’
`Andyoufoundyourwaytothisplaceyesterday？’
`Howdoyouknowthat？’
`Ionlyguessedit。’
Sheturnedfromme，andkneltdownbeforetheinscriptiononcemore。
`WhereshouldIgoifnothere？’shesaid。`ThefriendwhowasbetterthanamothertomeistheonlyfriendIhavetovisitatLimmeridge。Oh，itmakesmyheartachetoseeastainonhertomb！Itoughttobekeptwhiteassnow，forhersake。Iwastemptedtobegincleaningityesterday，andIcan’thelpcomingbacktogoonwithittoday。Isthereanythingwronginthat？Ihopenot。SurelynothingcanbewrongthatIdoforMrsFairlie’ssake？’
Theoldgratefulsenseofherbenefactress’skindnesswasevidentlytherulingideastillinthePoorcreature’smind——thenarrowmindwhichhadbuttooplainlyopenedtonootherlastingimpressionsincethatfirstimpressionofheryoungerandhappierdays。Isawthatmybestchanceofwinningherconfidencelayinencouraginghertoproceedwiththeartlessemploymentwhichshehadcomeintotheburial-groundtopursue。Sheresumeditatonce，onmytellinghershemightdoso，touchingthehardmarbleastenderlyasifithadbeenasentientthing，andwhisperingthewordsoftheinscriptiontoherself，overandoveragain，asifthelostdaysofhergirlhoodhadreturnedandshewaspatientlylearningherlessononcemoreatMrsFairlie’sknees。
`Shouldyouwonderverymuch，’Isaid，preparingthewayascautiouslyasIcouldforthequestionsthatweretocome，`ifIownedthatitisasatisfactiontome，aswellasasurprise，toseeyouhere？Ifeltveryuneasyaboutyouafteryouleftmeinthecab。’
Shelookedupquicklyandsuspiciously。
`Uneasy，’sherepeated。`Why？’
`Astrangethinghappenedafterwepartedthatnight。Twomenovertookmeinachaise。TheydidnotseewhereIwasstanding，buttheystoppednearme，andspoketoapolicemanontheothersideoftheway。’
Sheinstantlysuspendedheremployment。Thehandholdingthedampclothwithwhichshehadbeencleaningtheinscriptiondroppedtoherside。Theotherhandgraspedthemarblecrossattheheadofthegrave。Herfaceturnedtowardsmeslowly，withtheblanklookofterrorsetrigidlyonitoncemore。Iwentonatallhazards——itwastoolatenowtodrawback。
`Thetwomenspoketothepoliceman，’Isaid，`andaskedhimifhehadseenyou。Hehadnotseenyou；andthenoneofthemenspokeagain，andsaidyouhadescapedfromhisAsylum。’
Shesprangtoherfeetasifmylastwordshadsetthepursuersonhertrack。
`Stop！andheartheend，’Icried。`Stop！andyoushallknowhowIbefriendedyou。Awordfrommewouldhavetoldthemenwhichwayyouhadgone——andIneverspokethatword。Ihelpedyourescape——Imadeitsafeandcertain。
Think，trytothink。TrytounderstandwhatItellyou。’
Mymannerseemedtoinfluencehermorethanmywords。Shemadeanefforttograspthenewidea。Herhandsshiftedthedampclothhesitatinglyfromonetotheother，exactlyastheyhadshiftedthelittletravelling-bagonthenightwhenIfirstsawher。Slowlythepurposeofmywordsseemedtoforceitswaythroughtheconfusionandagitationofhermind。Slowlyherfeaturesrelaxed，andhereyeslookedatmewiththeirexpressiongainingincuriositywhatitwasfastlosinginfear。
`Youdon’tthinkIoughttobebackintheAsylum，doyou？’shesaid。
`Certainlynot。Iamgladyouescapedfromit——IamgladIhelpedyou。’
`Yes，yes，youdidhelpmeindeed；youhelpedmeatthehardpart，’
shewentonalittlevacantly。`Itwaseasytoescape，orlshouldnothavegotaway。Theyneversuspectedmeastheysuspectedtheothers。I
wassoquiet，andsoobedient，andsoeasilyfrightened。ThefindingLondonwasthehardpart，andthereyouhelpedme。DidIthankyouatthetime？
Ithankyounowverykindly。’
`WastheAsylumfarfromwhereyoumetme？Come！showthatyoubelievemetobeyourfriend，andtellmewhereitwas。’
Shementionedtheplace——aprivateAsylum，asitssituationinformedme；aprivateAsylumnotveryfarfromthespotwhereIhadseenher——
andthen，withevidentsuspicionoftheusetowhichImightputheranswer，anxiouslyrepeatedherformerinquiry，`Youdon’tthinkIoughttobetakenback，doyou？’
`Onceagain，Iamgladyouescaped——Iamgladyouprosperedwellafteryouleftme，’Ianswered。`YousaidyouhadafriendinLondontogoto。
ridyoufindthefriend？’
`Yes。Itwasverylate，buttherewasagirlupatneedleworkinthehouse，andshehelpedmetorouseMrsClements。MrsClementsismyfriend。
Agood，kindwoman，butnotlikeMrsFairlie。Ahno，nobodyislikeMrsFairlie！’
`IsMrsClementsanoldfriendofyours？Haveyouknownheralongtime？’
`Yes，shewasaneighbourofoursonce，athome，inHampshire，andlikedme，andtookcareofmewhenIwasalittlegirl。Yearsago。whenshewentawayfromus，shewrotedowninmyPrayer-hookformewhereshewasgoingtoliveinLondon，andshesaid，``Ifyouareeverintrouble，Anne，cometome。Ihavenohusbandalivetosaymenay，andnochildrentolookafter，andIwilltakecareofyou。’’Kindwords，weretheynot？IsupposeIrememberthembecausetheywerekind。It’slittleenoughIrememberbesides——littleenough，littleenough！’
`Hadyounofatherormothertotakecareofyou？’
`Father？——Ineversawhim——Ineverheardmotherspeakofhim。father？
Ah，dear！heisdead，Isuppose。’
`Andyourmother？’
`Idon’tgetonwellwithher。Weareatroubleandafeartoeachother。’
Atroubleandafeartoeachother！Atthosewordsthesuspicioncrossedmymind，forthefirsttime，thathermothermightbethepersonwhohadplacedherunderrestraint。
`Don’taskmeaboutmother，’shewenton。`I’drathertalkofMrsClements。
MrsClementsislikeyou，shedoesn’tthinkthatIoughttobebackintheAsylum，andsheisasgladasyouarethatIescapedfromit。Shecriedovermymisfortune，andsaiditmustbekeptsecretfromeverybody。’
Her`misfortune。’Inwhatsensewassheusingthatword？Inasensewhichmightexplainhermotiveinwritingtheanonymousletter？Inasensewhichmightshowittobethetoocommonandtoocustomarymotivethathasledmanyawomantointerposeanonymoushindrancestothemarriageofthemanwhohasruinedher？Iresolvedtoattempttheclearingupofthisdoubtbeforemorewordspassedbetweenusoneitherside。
`Whatmisfortune？’Iasked。
