MissHalcombepromisedtocomplywithhisrequest。Hethankedher，noddedpleasantly，andleftus，togoandestablishhimselfinhisownroom。Asheopenedthedoorthecross-grainedgreyhoundpokedouthersharpmuzzlefromunderthesofa，andbarkedandsnappedathim。
`Agoodmorning’swork，MissHalcombe，’Isaid，assoonaswewerealone。
`Hereisananxiousdaywellendedalready。’
`Yes，’sheanswered；`nodoubt。Iamverygladyourmindissatisfied。’
`Mymind！Surely，withthatnoteinyourhand，yourmindisateasetoo？’
`Ohyes——howcanitbeotherwise？Iknowthethingcouldnotbe，’
shewenton，speakingmoretoherselfthantome；`butIalmostwishWalterHartrighthadstayedherelongenoughtobepresentattheexplanation，andtoheartheproposaltometowritethisnote。’
Iwasalittlesurprised——perhapsalittlepiquedalso——bytheselastwords。
`Events，itistrue，connectedMrHartrightveryremarkablywiththeaffairoftheletter，’Isaid；`andIreadilyadmitthatheconductedhimself，allthingsconsidered，withgreatdelicacyanddiscretion。ButIamquiteatalosstounderstandwhatusefulinfluencehispresencecouldhaveexercisedinrelationtotheeffectofSirPercival’sstatementonyourmindormine。’
`Itwasonlyafancy，’shesaidabsently。`Thereisnoneedtodiscussit，MrGilmore。Yourexperienceoughttobe，andis，thebestguideIcandesire。’
Ididnotaltogetherlikeherthrustingthewholeresponsibility，inthismarkedmanner，onmyshoulders。IfMrFairliehaddoneit，Ishouldnothavebeensurprised。Butresolute，clear-mindedMissHalcombewastheverylastpersonintheworldwhomIshouldhaveexpectedtofindshrinkingfromtheexpressionofanopinionofherown。
`Ifanydoubtsstilltroubleyou，’Isaid，`whynotmentionthemtomeatonce？Tellmeplainly，haveyouanyreasontodistrustSirPercivalGlyde？’
`Nonewhatever。’
`Doyouseeanythingimprobable，orcontradictory，inhisexplanation？’
`HowcanIsayIdo，aftertheproofhehasofferedmeofthetruthofit？Cantherebebettertestimonyinhisfavour，MrGilmore，thanthetestimonyofthewoman’smother？’
`Nonebetter。Iftheanswertoyournoteofinquiryprovestobesatisfactory，IforonecannotseewhatmoreanyfriendofSirpercival’scanpossiblyexpectfromhim。’
`Thenwewillpostthenote，’shesaid，arisingtoleavetheroom，`anddismissallfurtherreferencetothesubjectuntiltheanswerarrives。
Don’tattachanyweighttomyhesitation。IcangivenobetterreasonforitthanthatIhavebeenover-anxiousaboutLauralately——andanxiety，MrGilmore，unsettlesthestrongestofus。’
Sheleftmeabruptly，hernaturallyfirmvoicefalteringasshespokethoselastwords。Asensitive，vehement，passionatenature——awomanoftenthousandinthesetrivial，superficialtimes。Ihadknownherfromherearliestyears——Ihadseenhertested，asshegrewup，inmorethanonetryingfamilycrisis，andmylongexperiencemademeattachanimportancetoherhesitationunderthecircumstancesheredetailed，whichIshouldcertainlynothavefeltinthecaseofanotherwoman。Icouldseenocauseforanyuneasinessoranydoubt，butshehadmademealittleuneasy，andalittledoubtful，nevertheless。Inmyyouth，Ishouldhavechafedandfrettedundertheirritationofmyownunreasonablestateofmind。Inmyage，Iknewbetter，andwentoutphilosophicallytowalkitoff。IIWeallmetagainatdinner-time。
SirPercivalwasinsuchboisteroushighspiritsthatIhardlyrecognisedhimasthesamemanwhosequiettact，refinement，andgoodsensehadimpressedmesostronglyattheinterviewofthemorning。TheonlytraceofhisformerselfthatIcoulddetectreappeared，everynowandthen，inhismannertowardsMissFairlie。Alookorawordfromhersuspendedhisloudestlaugh，checkedhisgayestflowoftalk，andrenderedhimallattentiontoher，andtonooneelseattable，inaninstant。Althoughheneveropenlytriedtodrawherintotheconversation，heneverlosttheslightestchanceshegavehimoflettingherdriftintoitbyaccident，andofsayingthewordstoher，underthosefavourablecircumstances，whichamanwithlesstactanddelicacywouldhavepointedlyaddressedtoherthemomenttheyoccurredtohim。Rathertomysurprise，MissFairlieappearedtobesensibleofhisattentionswithoutbeingmovedbythem。Shewasalittleconfusedfromtimetotimewhenhelookedather，orspoketoher；butsheneverwarmedtowardshim。Rank，fortune，goodbreeding，goodlooks，therespectofagentleman，andthedevotionofaloverwereallhumblyplacedatherfeet，and，sofarasappearanceswent，wereallofferedinvain。
Onthenextday，theTuesday，SirPercivalwentinthemorning(takingoneoftheservantswithhimasaguide)toTodd’sCorner-Hisinquiries，asIafterwardsheard，ledtonoresults。OnhisreturnhehadaninterviewwithMrFairlie，andintheafternoonheandMissHalcomberodeouttogether。
Nothingelsehappenedworthyofrecord。Theeveningpassedasusual。TherewasnochangeinSirPercival，andnochangeinMissFairlie。
TheWednesday’spostbroughtwithitanevent——thereplyfromMrsCatherick。Itookacopyofthedocument，whichIhavepreserved，andwhichImayaswellpresentinthisplace。Itranasfollows——
`MADAM，——Ibegtoacknowledgethereceiptofyourletter，inquiringwhethermydaughter，Anne，wasplacedundermedicalsuperintendencewithmyknowledgeandapproval，andwhetherthesharetakeninthematterbySirPercivalGlydewassuchastomerittheexpressionofmygratitudetowardsthatgentleman。Bepleasedtoacceptmyanswerintheaffirmativetoboththosequestions，andbelievemetoremain，yourobedientservant，`JANE
ANNECATHERICK。’
Short，sharp，andtothepoint；informratherabusiness-likeletterforawomantowrite——insubstanceasplainaconfirmationascouldbedesiredofSirPercivalGlyde’sstatement。Thiswasmyopinion，andwithcertainminorreservations，MissHalcombe’sopinionalso。SirPercival，whentheletterwasshowntohim，didnotappeartobestruckbythesharp，shorttoneofit。HetoldusthatMrsCatherickwasawomanoffewwords，aclear-headed，straightforward，unimaginativeperson，whowrotebrieflyandplainly，justasshespoke。
Thenextdutytobeaccomplished，nowthattheanswerhadbeenreceived，wastoacquaintMissFairliewithSirPercival’sexplanation。MissHalcombehadundertakentodothis，andhadlefttheroomtogotohersister，whenshesuddenlyreturnedagain，andsatdownbytheeasy-chairinwhichI
wasreadingthenewspaper。SirPercivalhadgoneoutaminutebeforetolookatthestables，andnoonewasintheroombutourselves。
`Isupposewehavereallyandtrulydoneallwecan？’shesaid，turningandtwistingMrsCatherick’sletterinherhand。
`IfwearefriendsofSirPercival’s，whoknowhimandtrusthim，wehavedoneall，andmorethanall，thatisnecessary，’Ianswered，alittleannoyedbythisreturnofherhesitation。`Butifweareenemieswhosuspecthim——’
`Thatalternativeisnoteventobethoughtof，’sheinterposed。`WeareSirPercival’sfriends，andifgenerosityandforbearancecanaddtoourregardforhim，weoughttobeSirPercival’sadmirersaswell。YouknowthathesawMrFairlieyesterday，andthatheafterwardswentoutwithme。’
`Yes。Isawyouridingawaytogether。’
`WebegantheridebytalkingaboutAnneCatherick，andaboutthesingularmannerinwhichMrHartrightmetwithher。Butwesoondroppedthatsubject，andSirPercivalspokenext，inthemostunselfishterms，ofhisengagementwithLaura。Hesaidhehadobservedthatshewasoutofspirits，andhewaswilling，ifnotinformedtothecontrary，toattributetothatcausethealterationinhermannertowardshimduringhispresentvisit。If，however，therewasanymoreseriousreasonforthechange，hewouldentreatthatnoconstraintmightbeplacedonherinclinationseitherbyMrFairlieorbyme。Allheasked，inthatcase，wasthatshewouldrecalltomind，forthelasttime，whatthecircumstanceswereunderwhichtheengagementbetweenthemwasmade，andwhathisconducthadbeenfromthebeginningofthecourtshiptothepresenttime。If，afterduereflectiononthosetwosubjects，sheseriouslydesiredthatheshouldwithdrawhispretensionstothehonourofbecomingherhusband——andifshewouldtellhimsoplainlywithherownlips——hewouldsacrificehimselfbyleavingherperfectlyfreetowithdrawfromtheengagement。’
`Nomancouldsaymorethanthat，MissHalcombe。Astomyexperience，fewmeninhissituationwouldhavesaidasmuch。’
ShepausedafterIhadspokenthosewords，andlookedatmewithasingularexpressionofperplexityanddistress。
`Iaccusenobody，andIsuspectnothing，’shebrokeoutabruptly。`ButIcannotandwillnotaccepttheresponsibilityofpersuadingLauratothismarriage。’
`ThatisexactlythecoursewhichSirPercivalGlydehashimselfrequestedyoutotake，’Irepliedinastonishment。`Hehasbeggedyounottoforceherinclinations。’
`Andheindirectlyobligesmetoforcethem，ifIgiveherhismessage。’
`Howcanthatpossiblybe？’
`ConsultyourownknowledgeofLaura，MrGilmore。IfItellhertoreflectonthecircumstancesofherengagement，Iatonceappealtotwoofthestrongestfeelingsinhernature——toherloveforherfather’smemory，andtoherstrictregardfortruth。Youknowthatsheneverbrokeapromiseinherlife——youknowthatsheenteredonthisengagementatthebeginningofherfather’sfatalillness，andthathespokehopefullyandhappilyofhermarriagetoSirPercivalGlydeonhisdeathbed。’
IownthatIwasalittleshockedatthisviewofthecase。
`Surely，’Isaid，`youdon’tmeantoinferthatwhenSirPercivalspoketoyouyesterdayhespeculatedonsucharesultasyouhavejustmentioned？’
Herfrank，fearlessfaceansweredforherbeforeshespoke。
`DoyouthinkIwouldremainaninstantinthecompanyofanymanwhomIsuspectedofsuchbasenessasthat？’sheaskedangrily。
