`Askherifshehappenedtomention，lastnight，thatvisitorswereexpectedatLimmeridgeHouse。’
MissHalcombeshowedme，byalook，thatsheunderstood，andputthequestionassoonasthedairymaidreturnedtous。
`Ohyes，miss，Imentionedthat，’saidthegirlsimply。`Thecompanycoming，andtheaccidenttothebrindledcow，wasallthenewsIhadtotaketothefarm。’
`Didyoumentionnames？DidyoutellthemthatSirPercivalGlydewasexpectedonMonday？’
`Yes，miss——ItoldthemSirPercivalGlydewascoming。Ihopetherewasnoharminit——IhopeIdidn’tdowrong。’
`Ohno，noharm。Come，MrHartright，Hannahwillbegintothinkusintheway，ifweinterruptheranylongeroverherwork。’
Westoppedandlookedatoneanotherthemomentwewerealoneagain。
`Isthereanydoubtinyourmind，now，MissHalcombe？’
`SirPercivalGlydeshallremovethatdoubt，MrHartright——orLauraFairlieshallneverbehiswife。’XIVAswewalkedroundtothefrontofthehouseaflyfromtherailwayapproachedusalongthedrive。MissHalcombewaitedonthedoor-stepsuntiltheflydrewup，andthenadvancedtoshakehandswithanoldgentleman，whogotoutbrisklythemomentthestepswereletdown。MrGilmorehadarrived。
Ilookedathim，whenwewereintroducedtoeachother，withaninterestandacuriositywhichIcouldhardlyconceal。ThisoldmanwastoremainatLimmeridgeHouseafterIhadleftit；hewastohearSirPercivalGlyde’sexplanation，andwastogiveMissHalcombetheassistanceofhisexperienceinformingherjudgment；hewastowaituntilthequestionofthemarriagewassetatrest；andhishand，ifthatquestionweredecidedintheaffirmative，wastodrawthesettlementwhichboundMissFairlieirrevocablytoherengagement。Eventhen，whenIknewnothingbycomparisonwithwhatIknownow，IlookedatthefamilylawyerwithaminterestwhichIhadneverfeltbeforeinthepresenceofanymanbreathingwhowasatotalstrangertome。
InexternalappearanceMrGilmorewastheexactoppositeoftheconventionalideaofanoldlawyer。Hiscomplexionwasflorid——hiswhitehairwaswornratherlongandkeptcarefullybrushed——hisblackcoat，waistcoat，andtrousersfittedhimwithperfectneatness——hiswhitecravatwascarefullytied，andhislavender-colouredkidglovesmighthaveadornedthehandsofafashionableclergyman，withoutfearandwithoutreproach。Hismannerswerepleasantlymarkedbytheformalgraceandrefinementoftheoldschoolofpoliteness，quickenedbytheinvigoratingsharpnessandreadinessofamanwhosebusinessinlifeobligeshimalwaystokeephisfacultiesingoodworkingorder。Asanguineconstitutionandfairprospectstobeginwith——alongsubsequentcareerofcreditableandcomfortableprosperity——acheerful，diligent，widely-respectedoldage——suchwerethegeneralimpressionsIderivedfrommyintroductiontoMrGilmore，anditisbutfairtohimtoadd，thattheknowledgeIgainedbylaterandbetterexperienceonlytendedtoconfirmthem。
IlefttheoldgentlemanandMissHalcombetoenterthehousetogether，andtotalkoffamilymattersundisturbedbytherestraintofastranger’spresence。Theycrossedthehallontheirwaytothedrawing-room，andI
descendedthestepsagaintowanderaboutthegardenalone。
MyhourswerenumberedatLimmeridgeHouse——mydeparturethenextmorningwasirrevocablysettled——myshareintheinvestigationwhichtheanonymousletterhadrenderednecessarywasatanend。NoharmcouldbedonetoanyonebutmyselfifIletmyheartlooseagain，forthelittletimethatwasleftme，fromthecoldcrueltyofrestraintwhichnecessityhadforcedmetoinflictuponit，andtookmyfarewellofthesceneswhichwereassociatedwiththebriefdream-timeofmyhappinessandmylove。
Iturnedinstinctivelytothewalkbeneathmystudy-window，whereI
hadseenhertheeveningbeforewithherlittledog，andfollowedthepathwhichherdearfeethadtroddensooften，tillIcametothewicketgatethatledintoherrosegarden。Thewinterbarenessspreaddrearilyoveritnow。Theflowersthatshehadtaughtmetodistinguishbytheirnames，theflowersthatIhadtaughthertopaintfrom，weregone，andthetinywhitepathsthatledbetweenthebedsweredampandgreenalready。lwentontotheavenueoftrees，wherewehadbreathedtogetherthewarmfragranceofAugustevenings，wherewehadadmiredtogetherthemyriadcombinationsofshadeandsunlightthatdappledthegroundatourfeet。Theleavesfellaboutmefromthegroaningbranches，andtheearthydecayintheatmospherechilledmetothebones。Alittlefartheron，andIwasoutofthegrounds，andfollowingthelanethatwoundgentlyupwardtothenearesthills。Theoldfelledtreebythewayside，onwhichwehadsattorest，wassoddenwithrain，andthetuftoffernsandgrasseswhichIhaddrawnforher，nestlingundertheroughstonewallinfrontofus，hadturnedtoapoolofwater，stagnatingroundanislandofdraggledweeds。Igainedthesummitofthehill，andlookedattheviewwhichwehadsooftenadmiredinthehappiertime。Itwascoldandbarren——itwasnolongertheviewthatIremembered。Thesunshineofherpresencewasfarfromme——thecharmofhervoicenolongermurmuredinmyear。Shehadtalkedtome，onthespotfromwhichInowlookeddown，ofherfather，whowasherlastsurvivingparent——hadtoldmchowfondofeachothertheyhadbeen，andhowsadlyshemissedhimstillwhensheenteredcertainroomsinthehouse，andwhenshetookupforgottenoccupationsandamusementswithwhichhehadbeenassociated。WastheviewthatIhadseen，whilelisteningtothosewords，theviewthatIsawnow，standingonthehill-topbymyself？Iturnedandleftit——Iwoundmywaybackagain，overthemoor，androundthesandhills，downtothebeach。Therewasthewhiterageofthesurf，andthemultitudinousgloryoftheleapingwaves——butwherewastheplaceonwhichshehadoncedrawnidlefigureswithherparasolinthesand——theplacewherewehadsattogether，whileshetalkedtomeaboutmyselfandmyhome，whilesheaskedmeawoman’sminutelyobservantquestionsaboutmymotherandmysister，andinnocentlywonderedwhetherIshouldeverleavemylonelychambersandhaveawifeandahouseofmyown？Windandwavehadlongsincesmoothedoutthetraceofherwhichshehadleftinthosemarksonthesand。Ilookedoverthewidemonotonyoftheseasideprospect，andtheplaceinwhichwetwohadidledawaythesunnyhourswasaslosttomeasifIhadneverknownit，asstrangetomeasifIstoodalreadyonaforeignshore。
Theemptysilenceofthebeachstruckcoldtomyheart。Ireturnedtothehouseandthegarden，wheretraceswerelefttospeakofherateveryturn。
OnthewestterracewalkImetMrGilmore。Hewasevidentlyinsearchofme，forhequickenedhispacewhenwecaughtsightofeachother。Thestateofmyspiritslittlefittedmeforthesocietyofastranger；butthemeetingwasinevitable，andIresignedmyselftomakethebestofit。
`YouaretheverypersonIwantedtosee，’saidtheoldgentleman。`I
hadtwowordstosaytoyou，mydearsir；andifyouhavenoobjectionIwillavailmyselfofthepresentopportunity。Toputitplainly，MissHalcombeandIhavebeentalkingoverfamilyaffairs——affairswhicharethecauseofmybeinghere——andinthecourseofourconversationshewasnaturallyledtotellmeofthisunpleasantmatterconnectedwiththeanonymousletter，andofthesharewhichyouhavemostcreditablyandproperlytakenintheproceedingssofar。Thatshare，Iquiteunderstand，givesyouaninterestwhichyoumightnototherwisehavefelt，inknowingthatthefuturemanagementoftheinvestigationwhichyouhavebegunwillbeplacedinsafehands。Mydearsir，makeyourselfquiteeasyonthatpoint——itwillbeplacedinmyhands。’
`Youare，ineveryway，MrGilmore，muchfittertoadviseandtoactinthematterthanIam。Isitanindiscretiononmyparttoaskifyouhavedecidedyetonacourseofproceeding？’
`Sofarasitispossibletodecide，MrHartright，Ihavedecided。I
meantosendacopyoftheletter，accompaniedbyastatementofthecircumstances，toSirPercivalGlyde’ssolicitorinLondon，withwhomIhavesomeacquaintance。
TheletteritselfIshallkeepheretoshowtoSirPercivalassoonashearrives。ThetracingofthetwowomenIhavealreadyprovidedfor，bysendingoneofMrFairlie’sservants——aconfidentialperson——tothestationtomakeinquiries。Themanhashismoneyandhisdirections，andhewillfollowthewomenintheeventofhisfindinganyclue。ThisisallthatcanbedoneuntilSirPercivalcomesonMonday。Ihavenodoubtmyselfthateveryexplanationwhichcanbeexpectedfromagentlemanandamanofhonour，hewillreadilygive。SirPercivalstandsveryhigh，sir——aneminentposition，areputationabovesuspicion——Ifeelquiteeasyaboutresults——quiteeasy，Iamrejoicedtoassureyou。Thingsofthissorthappenconstantlyinmyexperience。Anonymousletters——unfortunatewoman——sadstateofsociety。Idon’tdenythattherearepeculiarcomplicationsinthiscase；butthecaseitselfis，mostunhappily，common——common。’
`Iamafraid，MrGilmore，IhavethemisfortunetodifferfromyouintheviewItakeofthecase。’
`rustso，mydearsir——justso。Iamanoldman，andItakethepracticalview。Youareayoungman，andyoutaketheromanticview。Letusnotdisputeaboutourviews。Iliveprofessionallyinanatmosphereofdisputation，MrHartright，andIamonlytoogladtoescapefromit，asIamescapinghere。Wewillwaitforevents——yes，yes，yes——wewillwaitforevents。
Charmingplacethis。Goodshooting？Probablynot，noneofMrFairlie’slandispreserved，Ithink。Charmingplace，though，anddelightfulpeople。
Youdrawandpaint，Ihear，MrHartright？Enviableaccomplishment。Whatstyle？’
Wedroppedintogeneralconversation，orrather，MrGilmoretalkedandIlistened。Myattentionwasfarfromhim，andfromthetopicsonwhichhediscoursedsofluently。Thesolitarywalkofthelasttwohourshadwroughtitseffectonme——ithadsettheideainmymindofhasteningmydeparturefromLimmeridgeHouse。WhyshouldIprolongthehardtrialofsayingfarewellbyoneunnecessaryminute？Whatfurtherservicewasrequiredofmebyanyone？TherewasnousefulpurposetobeservedbymystayinCumberland——therewasnorestrictionoftimeinthepermissiontoleavewhichmyemployerhadgrantedtome。Whynotenditthereandthen？
Ideterminedtoendit。Thereweresomehoursofdaylightstillleft——therewasnoreasonwhymyjourneybacktoLondonshouldnotbeginonthatafternoon。ImadethefistcivilexcusethatoccurredtomeforleavingMrGilmore，andreturnedatoncetothehouse。
OnmywayuptomyroomImetMissHalcombeonthestairs。Shesaw，bythehurryofmymovementsandthechangeinmymanner，thatIhadsomenewpurposeinview，andaskedwhathadhappened。
Itoldherthereasonswhichinducedmetothinkofhasteningmydeparture，exactlyasIhavetoldthemhere。
