Shelefttheroom。Iturnedawaytowardsthewindow，wherenothingfacedmebutthelonelyautumnlandscape——Iturnedawaytomastermyself，beforeItoolefttheroominmyturn，andleftitforever。
Aminutepassed——itcouldhardlyhavebeenmore——whenIheardthedooropenagainsoftly，andtherustlingofawoman’sdressonthecarpetmovedtowardsme。MyheartbeatviolentlyasIturnedround。MissFairliewasapproachingmefromthefartherendoftheroom。
Shestoppedandhesitatedwhenoureyesmet，andwhenshesawthatwewerealone。Then，withthatcouragewhichwomenlosesoofteninthesmallemergency，andsoseldominthegreat，shecameonnearertome，strangelypaleandstrangelyquiet，drawingonehandafterheralongthetablebywhichshewalked，andholdingsomethingathersideintheother，whichwashiddenbythefoldsofherdress。
`Ionlywentintothedrawing-room，’shesaid，`tolookforthis。Itmayremindyouofyourvisithere，andofthefriendsyouleavebehindyou。YoutoldmeIhadimprovedverymuchwhenIdidit，andIthoughtyoumightlike——’
Sheturnedherheadaway，andofferedmealittlesketch，drawnthroughoutbyherownpencil，ofthesummer-houseinwhichwehadfirstmet。Thepapertrembledinherhandasshehelditouttome——trembledinmineasI
tookitfromher。
IwasafraidtosaywhatIfelt——Ionlyanswered，`Itshallneverleaveme——allmylifelongitshallbethetreasurethatIPrizemost。
Iamverygratefulforit——verygratefultoyou，fornotlettingmegoawaywithoutbiddingyougood-bye。’
`Oh！’shesaidinnocently，`howcouldIletyougo，afterwehavepassedsomanyhappydaystogether！’
`Thosedaysmayneverreturn，MissFairlie——mywayoflifeandyoursareveryfarapart。Butifatimeshouldcome，whenthedevotionofmywholeheartandsoulandstrengthwillgiveyouamoment’shappiness，orspareyouamoment’ssorrow，willyoutrytorememberthepoordrawing-masterwhohastaughtyou？MissHalcombehaspromisedtotrustme——willyoupromisetoo？’
Thefarewellsadnessinthekindblueeyesshonedimlythroughhergatheringtears。
`Ipromiseit，’shesaidinbrokentones。`Oh，don’tlookatmelikethat！Ipromiseitwithallmyheart。’
Iventuredalittlenearertoher，andheldoutmyhand。
`Youhavemanyfriendswholoveyou，MissFairlie。Yourhappyfutureisthedearobjectofmanyhopes。MayIsay，atparting，thatitisthedearobjectofmyhopestoo？’
Thetearsflowedfastdownhercheeks-Sherestedonetremblinghandonthetabletosteadyherselfwhileshegavemetheother。Itookitinmine——Ihelditfast。Myheaddroopedoverit，mytearsfellonit，mylipspressedit——notinlove；oh，notinlove，atthatlastmoment，butintheagonyandtheself-abandonmentofdespair。
`ForGod’ssake，leaveme！’shesaidfaintly。
Theconfessionofherheart’ssecretburstfromherinthosepleadingwords。Ihadnorighttohearthem，norighttoanswerthem——theywerethewordsthatbanishedme，inthenameofhersacredweakness，fromtheroom。Itwasallover。Idroppedherhand，Isaidnomore。Theblindingtearsshutheroutfrommyeyes，andIdashedthemawaytolookatherforthelasttime。Onelookasshesankintoachair，asherarmsfellonthetable，asherfairheaddroppedonthemwearily。Onefarewelllook，andthedoorhadcloseduponher——thegreatgulfofseparationhadopenedbetweenus——theimageofLauraFairliewasamemoryofthepastalready。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter8[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter8THESTORYCONTINUEDBYVINCENTGILMORE(ofChanceryLane，Solicitor)IIWRITEtheselinesattherequestofmyfriend，MrWalterHartright。TheyareintendedtoconveyadescriptionofcertaineventswhichseriouslyaffectedMissFairlie’sinterests，andwhichtookplaceaftertheperiodofMrHartright’sdeparturefromLimmeridgeHouse。
Thereisnoneedformetosaywhethermyownopiniondoesordoesnotsanctionthedisclosureoftheremarkablefamilystory，ofwhichmynarrativeformsanimportantcomponentpart。MrHartrighthastakenthatresponsibilityonhimself，andcircumstancesyettoberelatedwillshowthathehasamplyearnedtherighttodoso，ifhechoosestoexerciseit。Theplanhehasadoptedforpresentingthestorytoothers，inthemosttruthfulandmostvividmanner，requiresthatitshouldbetold，ateachsuccessivestageinthemarchofevents，bythepersonswhoweredirectlyconcernedinthoseeventsatthetimeoftheiroccurrence。Myappearancehere，asnarrator，isthenecessaryconsequenceofthisarrangement。IwaspresentduringthesojournofSirPercivalGlydeinCumberland，andwaspersonallyconcernedinoneimportantresultofhisshortresidenceunderMrFairlie’sroof。
Itismyduty，therefore，toaddthesenewlinkstothechainofevents，andtotakeupthechainitselfatthepointwhere，forthepresentonly，MrHartrighthasdroppedit。
IarrivedatLimmeridgeHouseonFridaythesecondofNovember。
MyobjectwastoremainatMrFairlie’suntilthearrivalofSirPercivalGlyde。IfthateventledtotheappointmentofanygivendayforSirPercival’sunionwithMissFairlie，IwastotakethenecessaryinstructionsbackwithmetoLondon，andtooccupymyselfindrawingthelady’smarriage-settlement。
OntheFridayIwasnotfavouredbyMrFairliewithaninterview。Hehadbeen，orhadfanciedhimselftobe，aninvalidforyearspast，andhewasnotwellenoughtoreceiveme。MissHalcombewasthefirstmemberofthefamilywhomIsaw。Shemetmeatthehousedoor，andintroducedmetoMrHartright，whohadbeenstayingatLimmeridgeforsometimepast。
IdidnotseeMissFairlieuntillaterintheday，atdinner-time。Shewasnotlookingwell，andIwassorrytoobserveit。Sheisasweetlovablegirl，asamiableandattentivetoeveryoneaboutherasherexcellentmotherusedtobe——though，personallyspeaking，shetakesafterherfather。
MrsFairliehaddarkeyesandhair，andherelderdaughter，MissHalcombe，stronglyremindsmeofher。MissFairlieplayedtousintheevening——
notsowellasusual，Ithought。Wehadarubberatwhist，amereprofanation，sofarasplaywasconcerned，ofthatnoblegame。IhadbeenfavourablyimpressedbyMrHartrightonourfirstintroductiontooneanother，butIsoondiscoveredthathewasnotfreefromthesocialfailingsincidentaltohisage。Therearethreethingsthatnoneoftheyoungmenofthepresentgenerationcando。Theycan’tsitovertheirwine，theycan’tplayatwhist，andtheycan’tpayaladyacompliment。MrHartrightwasnoexceptiontothegeneralrule。Otherwise，eveninthoseearlydaysandonthatshortacquaintance，hestruckmeasbeingamodestandgentlemanlikeyoungman。
SotheFridaypassed。Isaynothingaboutthemoreseriousmatterswhichengagedmyattentiononthatday——theanonymouslettertoMissFairlie，themeasuresIthoughtitrighttoadoptwhenthematterwasmentionedtome，andtheconvictionIentertainedthateverypossibleexplanationofthecircumstanceswouldbereadilyaffordedbySirPercivalGlyde，havingallbeenfullynoticed，asIunderstand，inthenarrativewhichprecedesthis。
OntheSaturdayMrHartrighthadleftbeforeIgotdowntobreakfast。
MissFairliekeptherroomallday，andMissHalcombeappearedtometobeoutofspirits。ThehousewasnotwhatitusedtobeinthetimeofMrandMrsPhilipFairlie。Itookawalkbymyselfintheforenoon，andlookedaboutatsomeoftheplaceswhichIfirstsawwhenIwasstayingatLimmeridgetotransactfamilybusiness，morethanthirtyyearssince。
Theywerenotwhattheyusedtobeeither。
Attwoo’clockMrFairliesenttosayhewaswellenoughtoseeme。
Hehadnotaltered，atanyrate，sinceIfirstknewhim。Histalkwastothesamepurposeasusual——allabouthimselfandhisailments，hiswonderfulcoins，andhismatchlessRembrandtetchings。ThemomentItriedtospeakofthebusinessthathadbroughtmetohishouse，heshuthiseyesandsaidI`upset’him。Ipersistedinupsettinghimbyreturningagainandagaintothesubject。AllIcouldascertainwasthathelookedonhisniece’smarriageasasettledthing，thatherfatherhadsanctionedit，thathesanctionedithimself，thatitwasadesirablemarriage，andthatheshouldbepersonallyrejoicedwhentheworryofitwasover。Astothesettlements，ifIwouldconsulthisniece，andafterwardsdiveasdeeplyasIpleasedintomyownknowledgeofthefamilyaffairs，andgeteverythingready，andlimithisshareinthebusiness，asguardian，tosayingYes，attherightmoment——why，ofcoursehewouldmeetmyviews，andeverybodyelse’sviews，withinfinitepleasure。Inthemeantime，thereIsawhim，ahelplesssufferer，confinedtohisroom。DidIthinkhelookedasifhewantedteasing？
No。Thenwhyteasehim？
Imight，perhaps，havebeenalittleastonishedatthisextraordinaryabsenceofallself-assertiononMrFairlie’spart，inthecharacterofguardian，ifmyknowledgeofthefamilyaffairshadnotbeensufficienttoremindmethathewasasingleman，andthathehadnothingmorethanalife-interestintheLimmeridgeproperty。Asmattersstood，therefore，Iwasneithersurprisednordisappointedattheresultoftheinterview。
MrFairliehadsimplyjustifiedmyexpectations——andtherewasanendofit。
Sundaywasadullday，outofdoorsandin。AletterarrivedformefromSirPercivalGlyde’ssolicitor，acknowledgingthereceiptofmycopyoftheanonymousletterandmyaccompanyingstatementofthecase。MissFairliejoinedusintheafternoon，lookingTaleanddepressed，andaltogetherunlikeherself。Ihadsometalkwithher，andventuredonadelicateallusiontoSirPercival。Shelistenedandsaidnothing。Allothersubjectsshepursuedwillingly，butthissubjectsheallowedtodrop。Ibegantodoubtwhethershemightnotberepentingofherengagement——justasyoungladiesoftendo，whenrepentancecomestoolate。
OnMondaySirPercivalGlydearrived。
Ifoundhimtobeamostprepossessingman，sofarasmannersandappearancewereconcerned。HelookedratherolderthanIhadexpected，hisheadbeingbaldovertheforehead，andhisfacesomewhatmarkedandworn，buthismovementswereasactiveandhisspiritsashighasayoungman’s。HismeetingwithMissHalcombewasdelightfullyheartyandunaffected，andhisreceptionofme，uponmybeingpresentedtohim，wassoeasyandpleasantthatwegotontogetherlikeoldfriends。MissFairliewasnotwithuswhenhearrived，butsheenteredtheroomabouttenminutesafterwards。
