`Don’tbeafraidofme，Marian，’wasallshesaid；`ImayforgetmyselfwithanoldfriendlikeMrGilmore，orwithadearsisterlikeyou，butIwillnotforgetmyselfwithSirPercivalGlyde。’
Ilookedather，andlistenedtoherinsilentsurprise。Throughalltheyearsofourcloseintimacythispassiveforceinhercharacterhadbeenhiddenfromme——hiddenevenfromherself，tilllovefoundit，andsufferingcalleditforth。
AstheclockonthemantelpiecestruckelevenSirPercivalknockedatthedoorandcamein。Therewassuppressedanxietyandagitationineverylineofhisface。Thedry，sharpcough，whichteaseshimatmosttimes，seemedtobetroublinghimmoreincessantlythanever。Hesatdownoppositetousatthetable，andLauraremainedbyme。Ilookedattentivelyatthemboth，andhewasthepalestofthetwo。
Hesaidafewunimportantwords，withavisibleefforttopreservehiscustomaryeaseofmanner。Buthisvoicewasnottobesteadied，andtherestlessuneasinessinhiseyeswasnottobeconcealed。Hemusthavefeltthishimself，forhestoppedinthemiddleofasentence，andgaveupeventheattempttohidehisembarrassmentanylonger。
TherewasjustonemomentofdeadsilencebeforeLauraaddressedhim。
`Iwishtospeaktoyou，SirPercival，’shesaid，`onasubjectthatisveryimportanttousboth。Mysisterishere，becauseherpresencehelpsmeandgivesmeconfidence。ShehasnotsuggestedonewordofwhatIamgoingtosay——Ispeakfrommyownthoughts，notfromhers。IamsureyouwillbekindenoughtounderstandthatbeforeIgoanyfarther？’
SirPercivalbowed。Shehadproceededthusfar，withperfectoutwardtranquillityandperfectproprietyofmanner。Shelookedathim，andhelookedather。Theyseemed，attheoutset，atleast，resolvedtounderstandoneanotherplainly。
`IhaveheardfromMarian，’shewenton，`thatIhaveonlytoclaimmyreleasefromourengagementtoobtainthatreleasefromyou。Itwasforbearingandgenerousonyourpart，SirPercival，tosendmesuchamessage-
ItisonlydoingyoujusticetosaythatIamgratefulfortheoffer，andIhopeandbelievethatitisonlydoingmyselfjusticetotellyouthatIdeclinetoacceptit。’
Hisattentivefacerelaxedalittle。ButIsawoneofhisfeet，softly，quietly，incessantlybeatingonthecarpetunderthetable，andIfeltthathewassecretlyasanxiousasever。
`lhavenotforgotten，’shesaid，`thatyouaskedmyfather’spermissionbeforeyouhonouredmewithaproposalofmarriage。PerhapsyouhavenotforgotteneitherwhatIsaidwhenIconsentedtoourengagement？Iventuredtotellyouthatmyfather’sinfluenceandadvicehadmainlydecidedmetogiveyoumypromise。Iwasguidedbymyfather，becauseIhadalwaysfoundhimthetruestofalladvisers，thebestandfondestofallprotectorsandfriends。Ihavelosthimnow——Ihaveonlyhismemorytolove，butmyfaithinthatdeardeadfriendhasneverbeenshaken。Ibelieveatthismoment，astrulyasIeverbelieved，thatheknewwhatwasbest，andthathishopesandwishesoughttobemyhopesandwishestoo。’
Hervoicetrembledforthefirsttime。Herrestlessfingersstoletheirwayintomylap，andheldfastbyoneofmyhands。Therewasanothermomentofsilence，andthenSirPercivalspoke。
`MayIask，’hesaid，`ifIhaveeverprovedmyselfunworthyofthetrustwhichithasbeenhithertomygreatesthonourandgreatesthappinesstopossess？’
`Ihavefoundnothinginyourconducttoblame，’sheanswered。`Youhavealwaystreatedmewiththesamedelicacyandthesameforbearance。
Youhavedeservedmytrust，and，whatisoffarmoreimportanceinmyestimation，youhavedeservedmyfather’strust，outofwhichminegrew。Youhavegivenmenoexcuse，evenifIhadwantedtofindone，foraskingtobereleasedfrommypledge。WhatIhavesaidsofarhasbeenspokenwiththewishtoacknowledgemywholeobligationtoyou。Myregardforthatobligation，myregardformyfather’smemory，andmyregardformyownpromise，allforbidmetosettheexample，onmyside，ofwithdrawingfromourpresentposition。Thebreakingofourengagementmustbeentirelyyourwishandyouract，SirPercival——notmine。’
Theuneasybeatingofhisfootsuddenlystopped，andheleanedforwardeagerlyacrossthetable。
`Myact？’hesaid。`Whatreasoncantherebeonmysideforwithdrawing？’
Iheardherbreathquickening——Ifeltherhandgrowingcold。Inspiteofwhatshehadsaidtomewhenwewerealone，Ibegantobeafraidofher。Iwaswrong。
`Areasonthatitisveryhardtotellyou，’sheanswered。`Thereisachangeinme，SirPercival——achangewhichisseriousenoughtojustifyyou，toyourselfandtome，inbreakingoffourengagement。’
Hisfaceturnedsopaleagainthatevenhislipslosttheircolour。
Heraisedthearmwhichlayonthetable，turnedalittleawayinhischair，andsupportedhisheadonhishand，sothathisprofileonlywaspresentedtous。
`Whatchange？’heasked。Thetoneinwhichheputthequestionjarredonme——therewassomethingpainfullysuppressedinit。
Shesighedheavily，andleanedtowardsmealittle，soastoresthershoulderagainstmine。Ifelthertrembling，andtriedtospareherbyspeakingmyself。Shestoppedmebyawarningpressureofherhand，andthenaddressedSirPercivaloncemore，butthistimewithoutlookingathim。
`Ihaveheard，’shesaid，`andIbelieveit，thatthefondestandtruestofallaffectionsistheaffectionwhichawomanoughttobeartoherhusband。
Whenourengagementbeganthataffectionwasminetogive，ifIcould，andyourstowin，ifyoucould。Willyoupardonme，andspareme，SirPercival，ifIacknowledgethatitisnotsoanylonger？’
Afewtearsgatheredinhereyes，anddroppedoverhercheeksslowlyasshepausedandwaitedforhisanswer。Hedidnotutteraword。Atthebeginningofhisreplyhehadmovedthehandonwhichhisheadrested，sothatithidhisface。Isawnothingbuttheupperpartofhisfigureatthetable。Notamuscleofhimmoved。Thefingersofthehandwhichsupportedhisheadweredenteddeepinhishair。Theymighthaveexpressedhiddenangerorhiddengrief——itwashardtosaywhich——therewasnosignificanttremblinginthem。Therewasnothing，absolutelynothing，totellthesecretofhisthoughtsatthatmoment——themomentwhichwasthecrisisofhislifeandthecrisisofhers。
Iwasdeterminedtomakehimdeclarehimself，forLaura’ssake。
`SirPercival！’Iinterposedsharply，`haveyounothingtosaywhenmysisterhassaidsomuch？More，inmyopinion，’Iadded，myunluckytempergettingthebetterofme，`thananymanalive，inyourposition，hasarighttohearfromher。’
Thatlastrashsentenceopenedawayforhimbywhichtoescapemeifhechose，andheinstantlytookadvantageofit。
`Pardonme，MissHalcombe，’hesaid，stillkeepinghishandoverhisface，`pardonmeifIremindyouthatIhaveclaimednosuchright。’
Thefewplainwordswhichwouldhavebroughthimbacktothepointfromwhichhehadwanderedwerejustonmylips，whenLauracheckedmebyspeakingagain。
`lhopeIhavenotmademypainfulacknowledgmentinvain，’shecontinued。
`IhopeithassecuredmeyourentireconfidenceinwhatIhavestilltosay？’
`Praybeassuredofit。’Hemadethatbriefreplywarmly，droppinghishandonthetablewhilehespoke，andturningtowardsusagain。Whateveroutwardchangehadpassedoverhimwasgonenow。Hisfacewaseagerandexpectant——itexpressednothingbutthemostintenseanxietytohearhernextwords。
`IwishyoutounderstandthatIhavenotspokenfromanyselfishmotive，’
shesaid。`Ifyouleaveme，SirPercival，afterwhatyouhavejustheard，youdonotleavemetomarryanotherman，youonlyallowmetoremainasinglewomanfortherestofmylife。Myfaulttowardsyouhasbegunandendedinmyownthoughts。Itcannevergoanyfarther。NowordhaspassedShehesitated。indoubtabouttheexpressionsheshouldusenext，hesitatedinamomentaryconfusionwhichitwasverysadandverypainfultosee。
`Nowordhaspassed，’shepatientlyandresolutelyresumed，`betweenmyselfandthepersontowhomIamnowreferringforthefirstandlasttimeinyourpresenceofmyfeelingstowardshim，orofhisfeelingstowardsme——nowordevercanpass——neitherhenorIarclikely，inthisworld，tomeetagain。Iearnestlybegyoutosparemefromsayinganymore，andtobelieveme，onmyword，inwhatIhavejusttoldyou。Itisthetruth，SirPercival，thetruthwhichIthinkmypromisedhusbandhasaclaimtohear，atanysacrificeofmyownfeelings。Itrusttohisgenerositytopardonme，andtohishonourtokeepmysecret。’
`Boththosetrustsaresacredtome，’hesaid，`andbothshallbesacredlykept。’
Afteransweringinthosetermshepaused，andlookedatherasifhewaswaitingtohearmore。
`IhavesaidallIwishtosay，’sheaddedquietly——`Ihavesaidmorethanenoughtojustifyyouinwithdrawingfromyourengagement。’
`Youhavesaidmorethanenough，’heanswered，`tomakeitthedearestobjectofmylifetokeeptheengagement。’Withthosewordsherosefromhischair，andadvancedafewstepstowardstheplacewhereshewassitting。
Shestartedviolently，andafaintcryofsurpriseescapedher。Everywordshehadspokenhadinnocentlybetrayedherpurityandtruthtoamanwhothoroughlyunderstoodthepricelessvalueofapureandtruewoman。
Herownnobleconducthadbeenthehiddenenemy，throughout，ofallthehopesshehadtrustedtoit。Ihaddreadedthisfromthefirst。Iwouldhavepreventedit。ifshehadallowedmethesmallestchanceofdoingso。
Ievenwaitedandwatchednow，whentheharmwasdone。forawordfromSirPercivalthatwouldgivemetheopportunityofputtinghiminthewrong。
`Youhaveleftittome，MissFairlie。toresignyou，’hecontinued。
`Iamnotheartlessenoughtoresignawomanwhohasjustshownherselftobethenoblestofhersex。’
