wish，withallmyheart，theresponsibilitywasoffmyshoulders；butheisobstinate——orletmerathersay，resolute——andhewon’ttakeitoff。``Merriman，Ileavedetailstoyou。Dowhatyouthinkrightformyinterests，andconsidermeashavingpersonallywithdrawnfromthebusinessuntilitisallover。’’ThosewereSirPercival’swordsafortnightago，andallIcangethimtodonowistorepeatthem。Iamnotahardman，MrGilmore，asyouknow。Personallyandprivately，Idoassureyou，Ishouldliketospongeoutthatnoteofmineatthisverymoment。ButifSirPercivalwon’tgointothematter，ifSirPercivalwillblindlyLeaveallhisinterestsinmysolecare，whatcoursecanIpossiblytakeexceptthecourseofassertingthem？Myhandsarebound——don’tyousee，mydearsir？——myhandsarebound。’
`Youmaintainyournoteontheclause，then，totheletter？’Isaid。
`Yes——deucetakeit！Ihavenootheralternative。’Hewalkedtothefireplaceandwarmedhimself，hummingthefagendofatuneinarichconvivialbassvoice。`Whatdoesyoursidesay？’hewenton；`nowpraytellme——
whatdoesyoursidesay？’
Iwasashamedtotellhim。Iattemptedtogaintime——nay，Ididworse。
Mylegalinstinctsgotthebetterofme，andIeventriedtobargain。
`Twentythousandpoundsisratheralargesumtobegivenupbythelady’sfriendsattwodays’notice，’Isaid。
`Verytrue，’repliedMrMerriman，lookingdownthoughtfullyathisboots。
`Properlyput，sir——mostproperlyput！’
`Acompromise，recognisingtheinterestsofthelady’sfamilyaswellastheinterestsofthehusband，mightnotperhapshavefrightenedmyclientquitesomuch，’Iwenton。`Come，come！thiscontingencyresolvesitselfintoamatterofbargainingafterall。Whatistheleastyouwilltake？’
`Theleastwewilltake，’saidMrMerriman，`isnineteen-thousand——
nine——hundred——and——ninety——nine——pounds——nineteen-shillings-and-eleven-pence-three-farthings。
Ha！haIha！Excuseme，MrGilmore。Imusthavemylittlejoke。’
`Littleenough，’Iremarked。`Thejokeisjustworththeoddfarthingitwasmadefor。’
MrMerrimanwasdelighted。Helaughedovermyretorttilltheroomrangagain。Iwasnothalfsogood-humouredonmyside；Icamebacktobusiness，andclosedtheinterview。
`ThisisFriday，’Isaid。`GiveustillTuesdaynextforourfinalanswer。’
`Byallmeans，’repliedMrMerriman。`Longer，mydearsir，ifyoulike。’
Hetookuphishattogo，andthenaddressedmeagain。`Bytheway，’hesaid，`yourclientsinCumberlandhavenotheardanythingmoreofthewomanwhowrotetheanonymousletter，havethey？’
`Nothingmore，’Ianswered。`Haveyoufoundnotraceofher？’
`Notyet，’saidmylegalfriend。`Butwedon’tdespair。SirPercivalhashissuspicionsthatSomebodyiskeepingherinhiding，andwearehavingthatSomebodywatched。’
`YoumeantheoldwomanwhowaswithherinCumberland，’Isaid。
`Quiteanotherparty，sir，’answeredMrMerriman。`Wedon’thappentohavelaidhandsontheoldwomanyet。OurSomebodyisaman。WehavegothimcloseunderoureyehereinLondon，andwestronglysuspecthehadsomethingtodowithhelpingherinthefirstinstancetoescapefromtheAsylum。SirPercivalwantedtoquestionhimatonce，butIsaid，``No。
Questioninghimwillonlyputhimonhisguard——watchhim，andwait。’’
Weshallseewhathappens。Adangerouswomantobeatlarge，MrGilmore；
nobodyknowswhatshemaydonext。Iwishyougoodmorning，sir。OnTuesdaynextIshallhopeforthepleasureofhearingfromyou。’Hesmiledamiablyandwentout。
Mymindhadbeenratherabsentduringthelatterpartoftheconversationwithmylegalfriend。IwassoanxiousaboutthematterofthesettlementthatIhadlittleattentiontogivetoanyothersubject，andthemomentIwasleftaloneagainIbegantothinkoverwhatmynextproceedingoughttobe。
InthecaseofanyotherclientIshouldhaveactedonmyinstructions，howeverpersonallydistastefultome，andhavegivenupthepointaboutthetwentythousandpoundsonthespot。ButIcouldnotactwiththisbusiness-likeindifferencetowardsMissFairlie。Ihadanhonestfeelingofaffectionandadmirationforher——Irememberedgratefullythatherfatherhadbeenthekindestpatronandfriendtomethatevermanhad——IhadfelttowardsherwhileIwasdrawingthesettlementasImighthavefelt，ifIhadnotbeenanoldbachelor，towardsadaughterofmyown，andIwasdeterminedtosparenopersonalsacrificeinherserviceandwhereherinterestswereconcerned。WritingasecondtimetoMrFairliewasnottobethoughtof——itwouldonlybegivinghimasecondopportunityofslippingthroughmyfingers。Seeinghimandpersonallyremonstratingwithhimmightpossiblybeofmoreuse。ThenextdaywasSaturday。IdeterminedtotakeareturnticketandjoltmyoldbonesdowntoCumberland，onthechanceofpersuadinghimtoadoptthejust，theindependent，andthehonourablecourse。Itwasapoorchanceenough，nodoubt，butwhenIhadtrieditmyconsciencewouldbeatease。Ishouldthenhavedoneallthatamaninmypositioncoulddotoservetheinterestsofmyoldfriend’sonlychild。
TheweatheronSaturdaywasbeautiful，awestwindandabrightsun。
Havingfeltlatterlyareturnofthatfulnessandoppressionofthehead，againstwhichmydoctorwarnedmesoseriouslymorethantwoyearssince，IresolvedtotaketheopportunityofgettingalittleextraexercisebysendingmybagonbeforemeandwalkingtotheterminusinEustonSquare。
AsIcameoutintoHolbornagentlemanwalkingbyrapidlystoppedandspoketome。ItwasMrWalterHartright。
IfhehadnotbeenthefirsttogreetmeIshouldcertainlyhavepassedhim。HewassochangedthatIhardlyknewhimagain。Hisfacelookedpaleandhaggard——hismannerwashurriedanduncertain——andhisdress，whichIrememberedasneatandgentleman-likewhenIsawhimatLimmeridge，wassoslovenlynowthatIshouldreallyhavebeenashamedoftheappearanceofitononeofmyownclerks。
`HaveyoubeenlongbackfromCumberland？’heasked。`IheardfromMissHalcombelately。IamawarethatSirPercivalGlyde’sexplanationhasbeenconsideredsatisfactory。Willthemarriagetakeplacesoon？Doyouhappentoknow，MrGilmore？’
Hespokesofast，andcrowdedhisquestionstogethersostrangelyandconfusedly，thatIcouldhardlyfollowhim。HoweveraccidentallyintimatehemighthavebeenwiththefamilyatLimmeridge，Icouldnotseethathehadanyrighttoexpectinformationontheirprivateaffairs，andI
determinedtodroPhim，aseasilyasmightbe，onthesubjectofMissFairlie’smarriage。
`Timewillshow，MrHartright，’Isaid——`timewillshow。Idaresayifwelookoutforthemarriageinthepapersweshallnotbefarwrong。
Excusemynoticingit，butIamsorrytoseeyounotlookingsowellasyouwerewhenwelastmet。’
Amomentarynervouscontractionquiveredabouthislipsandeyes，andmademehalfreproachmyselfforhavingansweredhiminsuchasignificantlyguardedmanner。
`Ihadnorighttoaskabouthermarriage，’hesaidbitterly。`Imustwaittoseeitinthenewspaperslikeotherpeople。Yes，’——hewentonbeforeIcouldmakeanyapologies——`Ihavenotbeenwelllately。Iamgoingtoanothercountrytotryachangeofsceneandoccupation。MissHalcombehaskindlyassistedmewithherinfluence，andmytestimonialshavebeenfoundsatisfactory。Itisalongdistanceoff，butIdon’tcarewhereIgo，whattheclimateis，orhowlongIamaway。’Helookedabouthimwhilehesaidthisatthethrongofstrangerspassingusbyoneitherside，inastrange，suspiciousmanner，asifhethoughtthatsomeofthemmightbewatchingus。
`Iwishyouwellthroughit，andsafebackagain，’Isaid，andthenadded，soasnottokeephimaltogetheratarm’slengthonthesubjectoftheFairlies，`IamgoingdowntoLimmeridgetodayonbusiness-MissHalcombeandMissFairlieareawayjustnowonavisittosomefriendsinYorkshire。’
Hiseyesbrightened，andheseemedabouttosaysomethinginanswer，butthesamemomentarynervousspasmcrossedhisfaceagain。Hetookmyhand，pressedithard，anddisappearedamongthecrowdwithoutsayinganotherword。Thoughhewaslittlemorethanastrangertome，Iwaitedforamoment，lookingafterhimalmostwithafeelingofregret。Ihadgainedinmyprofessionsufficientexperienceofyoungmentoknowwhattheoutwardsignsandtokenswereoftheirbeginningtogowrong，andwhenIresumedmywalktotherailwayIamsorrytosayIfeltmorethandoubtfulaboutMrHartright’sfuture。IVLeavingbyanearlytrain，IgottoLimmeridgeintimefordinner。Thehousewasoppressivelyemptyanddull。IhadexpectedthatgoodMrsVeseywouldhavebeencompanyformeintheabsenceoftheyoungladies，butshewasconfinedtoherroombyacold。Theservantsweresosurprisedatseeingmethattheyhurriedandbustledabsurdly，andmadeallsortsofannoyingmistakes。Eventhebutler，whowasoldenoughtohaveknownbetter，broughtmeabottleofportthatwaschilled。ThereportsofMrFairlie’shealthwerejustasusual，andwhenIsentupamessagetoannouncemyarrival，Iwastoldthathewouldbedelightedtoseemethenextmorning，butthatthesuddennewsofmyappearancehadprostratedhimwithpalpitationsfortherestoftheevening。Thewindhowleddismallyallnight，andstrangecrackingandgroaningnoisessoundedhere，there，andeverywhereintheemptyhouse。Isleptaswretchedlyaspossible，andgotupinamightybadhumourtobreakfastbymyselfthenextmorning。
Atteno’clockIwasconductedtoMrFairlie’sapartments。Hewasinhisusualroom，hisusualchair，andhisusualaggravatingstateofmindandbody。WhenIwentin，hisvaletwasstandingbeforehim，holdingupforinspectionaheavyvolumeofetchings，aslongandasbroadasmyofficewriting-desk。Themiserableforeignergrinnedinthemostabjectmanner，andlookedreadytodropwithfatigue，whilehismastercomposedlyturnedovertheetchings，andbroughttheirhiddenbeautiestolightwiththehelpofamagnifyingglass。
`Youverybestofgoodoldfriends，’saidMrFairlie，leaningbacklazilybeforehecouldlookatme，`areyouquitewell？Howniceofyoutocomehereandseemeinmysolitude。DearGilmore！’
