SirPercivalroseandpaidhiscomplimentswithperfectgrace。Hisevidentconcernonseeingthechangefortheworseintheyounglady’slookswasexpressedwithamixtureoftendernessandrespect，withanunassumingdelicacyoftone，voice，andmanner，whichdidequalcredittohisgoodbreedingandhisgoodsense。Iwasrathersurprised，underthesecircumstances，toseethatMissFairliecontinuedtobeconstrainedanduneasyinhispresence，andthatshetookthefirstopportunityofleavingtheroomagain。
SirPercivalneithernoticedtherestraintinherreceptionofhim，norhersuddenwithdrawalfromoursociety。Hehadnotobtrudedhisattentionsonherwhileshewaspresent，andhedidnotembarrassMissHalcombebyanyallusiontoherdeparturewhenshewasgone。HistactandtastewereneveratfaultonthisoranyotheroccasionwhileIwasinhiscompanyatLimmeridgeHouse。
AssoonasMissFairliehadlefttheroomhesparedusallembarrassmentonthesubjectoftheanonymousletter，byadvertingtoitofhisownaccord。
HehadstoppedinLondononhiswayfromHampshire，hadseenhissolicitor，hadreadthedocumentsforwardedbyme，andhadtravelledontoCumberland，anxioustosatisfyourmindsbythespeediestandthefullestexplanationthatwordscouldconvey。Onhearinghimexpresshimselftothiseffect，Iofferedhimtheoriginalletter，whichIhadkeptforhisinspection。
Hethankedme，anddeclinedtolookatit，sayingthathehadseenthecopy，andthathewasquitewillingtoleavetheoriginalinourhands。
Thestatementitself，onwhichheimmediatelyentered，wasassimpleandsatisfactoryasIhadallalonganticipateditwouldbe。
MrsCatherick，heinformedus，hadinpastyearslaidhimundersomeobligationsforfaithfulservicesrenderedtohisfamilyconnectionsandtohimself。Shehadbeendoublyunfortunateinbeingmarriedtoahusbandwhohaddesertedher，andinhavinganonlychildwhosementalfacultieshadbeeninadisturbedconditionfromaveryearlyage。AlthoughhermarriagehadremovedhertoapartofHampshirefardistantfromtheneighbourhoodinwhichSirPercival’spropertywassituated，hehadtakencarenottolosesightofher——hisfriendlyfeelingtowardsthepoorwoman，inconsiderationofherpastservices，havingbeengreatlystrengthenedbyhisadmirationofthepatienceandcouragewithwhichshesupportedhercalamities。Incourseoftimethesymptomsofmentalafflictioninherunhappydaughterincreasedtosuchaseriousextent，astomakeitamatterofnecessitytoplaceherunderpropermedicalcare。MrsCatherickherselfrecognisedthisnecessity，butshealsofelttheprejudicecommontopersonsoccupyingherrespectablestation，againstallowingherchildtobeadmitted，asapauper，intoapublicAsylum。SirPercivalhadrespectedthisprejudice，asherespectedhonestindependenceoffeelinginanyrankoflife，andhadresolvedtomarkhisgratefulsenseofMrsCatherick’searlyattachmenttotheinterestsofhimselfandhisfamily，bydefrayingtheexpenseofherdaughter’smaintenanceinatrustworthyprivateAsylum。Tohermother’sregret，andtohisownregret，theunfortunatecreaturehaddiscoveredthesharewhichcircumstanceshadinducedhimtotakeinplacingherunderrestraint，andhadconceivedthemostintensehatredanddistrustofhiminconsequence。Tothathatredanddistrust——whichhadexpresseditselfinvariouswaysintheAsylum——theanonymousletter，writtenafterherescape，wasplainlyattributable。IfMissHalcombe’sorMrGilmore’srecollectionofthedocumentdidnotconfirmthatview，oriftheywishedforanyadditionalparticularsabouttheAsylum(theaddressofwhichhementioned，aswellasthenamesandaddressesofthetwodoctorsonwhosecertificatesthepatientwasadmitted)，hewasreadytoansweranyquestionandtoclearupanyuncertainty。Hehaddonehisdutytotheunhappyyoungwoman，byinstructinghissolicitortosparenoexpenseintracingher，andinrestoringheroncemoretomedicalcare，andhewasnowonlyanxioustodohisdutytowardsMissFairlieandtowardsherfamily，inthesameplain。straightforwardway。
Iwasthefirsttospeakinanswertothisappeal。Myowncoursewasplaintome。ItisthegreatbeautyoftheLawthatitcandisputeanyhumanstatement，madeunderanycircumstances，andreducedtoanyform。
IfIhadfeltprofessionallycalledupontosetupacaseagainstSirPercivalGlyde，onthestrengthofhisownexplanation，Icouldhavedonesobeyondalldoubt。Butmydutydidnotlieinthisdirection——myfunctionwasofthepurelyjudicialkind。Iwastoweightheexplanationwehadjustheard，toallowalldueforcetothehighreputationofthegentlemanwhoofferedit，andtodecidehonestlywhethertheprobabilities，onSirPercival’sownshowing，wereplainlywithhim，orplainlyagainsthim。Myownconvictionwasthattheywereplainlywithhim，andIaccordinglydeclaredthathisexplanationwas，tomymind，unquestionablyasatisfactoryone。
MissHalcombe，afterlookingatmeveryearnestly，saidafewwords，onherside，tothesameeffect——withacertainhesitationofmanner，however，whichthecircumstancesdidnotseemtometowarrant。Iamunabletosay，positively，whetherSirPercivalnoticedthisornot。Myopinionisthathedid，seeingthathepointedlyresumedthesubject，althoughhemightnow，withallpropriety，haveallowedittodrop。
`IfmyplainstatementoffactshadonlybeenaddressedtoMrGilmore，’
hesaid，`Ishouldconsideranyfurtherreferencetothisunhappymatterasunnecessary。ImayfairlyexpectMrGilmore，asagentleman，tobelievemeonmyword，andwhenhehasdonemethatjustice，alldiscussionofthesubjectbetweenushascometoanend。Butmypositionwithaladyisnotthesame。Iowetoher——whatIwouldconcedetonomanalive——
aproofofthetruthofmyassertion。Youcannotaskforthatproof，MissHalcombe，anditisthereforemydutytoyou，andstillmoretoMissFairlie，toofferit。MayIbegthatyouwillwriteatoncetothemotherofthisunfortunatewoman——toMrsCatherick——toaskforhertestimonyinsupportoftheexplanationwhichIhavejustofferedtoyou。’
IsawMissHalcombechangecolour，andlookalittleuneasy。SirPercival’ssuggestion，politelyasitwasexpressed，appearedtoher，asitappearedtome，topointverydelicatelyatthehesitationwhichhermannerhadbetrayedamomentortwosince。
`Ihope，SirPercival，youdon’tdometheinjusticetosupposethatIdistrustyou，’shesaidquickly。
`Certainlynot，MissHalcombe。Imakemyproposalpurelyasanactofattentiontoyou。WillyouexcusemyobstinacyifIstillventuretopressit？’
Hewalkedtothewriting-tableashespoke，drewachairtoit，andopenedthepapercase。
`Letmebegyoutowritethenote，’hesaid，`asafavourtome。Itneednotoccupyyoumorethanafewminutes。YouhaveonlytoaskMrsCathericktwoquestions。First，ifherdaughterwasplacedintheAsylumwithherknowledgeandapproval。Secondly，iftheshareItookinthematterwassuchastomerittheexpressionofhergratitudetowardsmyself。MrGilmore’smindisateaseonthisunpleasantsubject，andyourmindisatease——
praysetmymindateasealsobywritingthenote。’
`Youobligemetograntyourrequest，SirPercival，whenIwouldmuchratherrefuseit。’
WiththosewordsMissHalcomberosefromherplaceandwenttothewriting-table。
SirPercivalthankedher，handedherapen，andthenwalkedawaytowardsthefireplace。MissFairlie’slittleItaliangreyhoundwaslyingontherug。Heheldouthishand，andcalledtothedoggood-humouredly。
`Come，Nina，’hesaid，`weremembereachother，don’twe？’
Thelittlebeast，cowardlyandcross-grained，aspet-dogsusuallyare，lookedupathimsharply，shrankawayfromhisoutstretchedhand，whined，shivered，andhiditselfunderasofa。Itwasscarcelypossiblethathecouldhavebeenputoutbysuchatrifleasadog’sreceptionofhim，butIobserved，nevertheless，thathewalkedawaytowardsthewindowverysuddenly。
Perhapshistemperisirritableattimesifso，Icansympathisewithhim。
Mytemperisirritableattimestoo。
MissHalcombewasnotlonginwritingthenote。Whenitwasdonesherosefromthewriting-table，andhandedtheopensheetofpapertoSirPercival。Hebowed，tookitfromher，foldeditupimmediatelywithoutlookingatthecontents，sealedit，wrotetheaddress，andhandeditbacktoherinsilence。Ineversawanythingmoregracefullyandmorebecominglydoneinmylife。
`Youinsistonmypostingthisletter，SirPercival？’saidMissHalcombe。
`Ibegyouwillpostit，’heanswered。`Andnowthatitiswrittenandsealedup，allowmetoaskoneortwolastquestionsabouttheunhappywomantowhomitrefers。IhavereadthecommunicationwhichMrGilmorekindlyaddressedtomysolicitor，describingthecircumstancesunderwhichthewriteroftheanonymousletterwasidentified。Buttherearecertainpointstowhichthatstatementdoesnotrefer。DidAnneCatherickseeMissFairlie？’
`Certainlynot，’repliedMissHalcombe。
`Didsheseeyou？’
`No。’
`Shesawnobodyfromthehousethen，exceptacertainMrHartright，whoaccidentallymetwithherinthechurchyardhere？’
`Nobodyelse。’
`MrHartrightwasemployedatLimmeridgeasadrawing-master，Ibelieve？
IsheamemberofoneoftheWater-ColourSocieties？’
`Ibelieveheis，’answeredMissHalcombe。
Hepausedforamoment，asifhewasthinkingoverthelastanswer，andthenadded——
`DidyoufindoutwhereAnneCatherickwasliving，whenshewasinthisneighbourhood？’
`Yes。Atafarmonthemoor，calledTodd’sCorner。’
`Itisadutyweallowetothepoorcreatureherselftotraceher，’
continuedSirPercival。`ShemayhavesaidsomethingatTodd’sCornerwhichmayhelpustofindher。Iwillgothereandmakeinquiriesonthechance。
Inthemeantime，asIcannotprevailonmyselftodiscussthispainfulsubjectwithMissFairlie，mayIbeg，MissHalcombe，thatyouwillkindlyundertaketogiveherthenecessaryexplanation，deferringitofcourseuntilyouhavereceivedthereplytothatnote。’
