`Myuncleisright，’shesaid。`Ihavecausedtroubleandanxietyenoughtoyou，andtoallaboutme。Letmecausenomore，Marian——letSirPercivaldecide。’
Iremonstratedwarmly，butnothingthatIcouldsaymovedher。
`Iamheldtomyengagement，’shereplied；`Ihavebrokenwithmyoldlife。TheevildaywillnotcomethelesssurelybecauseIputitoff。
No，Marian！onceagainmyuncleisright。Ihavecausedtroubleenoughandanxietyenough，andIwillcausenomore。’
Sheusedtobepliabilityitself，butshewasnowinflexiblypassiveinherresignation——Imightalmostsayinherdespair。DearlyasIloveher，Ishouldhavebeenlesspainedifshehadbeenviolentlyagitated——itwassoshockinglyunlikehernaturalcharactertoseehercoldandinsensibleasIsawhernow。
12th——SirPercivalputsomequestionstomeatbreakfastaboutLaura，whichleftmenochoicebuttotellhimwhatshehadsaid。
Whileweweretalkingsheherselfcamedownandjoinedus。ShewasjustasunnaturallycomPosedinSirPercival’spresenceasshehadbeeninmine。
Whenbreakfastwasoverhehadanopportunityofsayingafewwordstoherprivately，inarecessofoneofthewindows。Theywerenotmorethantwoorthreeminutestogether，andontheirseparatingshelefttheroomwithMrsVesey，whileSirPercivalcametome。Hesaidhehadentreatedhertofavourhimbymaintainingherprivilegeoffixingthetimeforthemarriageatherownwillandpleasure。Inreplyshehadmerelyexpressedheracknowledgments，andhaddesiredhimtomentionwhathiswishesweretoMissHalcombe。
Ihavenopatiencetowritemore。Inthisinstance，asineveryother，SirPercivalhascarriedhispointwiththeutmostpossiblecredittohimself，inspiteofeverythingthatIcansayordo。Hiswishesarenow，whattheywere，ofcourse，whenhefirstcamehere；andLaurahavingresignedherselftotheoneinevitablesacrificeofthemarriage，remainsascoldlyhopelessandenduringasever。InpartingwiththelittleoccupationsandrelicsthatremindedherofHartright，sheseemstohavepartedwithallhertendernessandallherimpressibility。Itisonlythreeo’clockintheafternoonwhileIwritetheselines，andSirPercivalhasleftusalready，inthehappyhurryofabridegroom，toprepareforthebride’sreceptionathishouseinHampshire。Unlesssomeextraordinaryeventhappenstopreventittheywillbemarriedexactlyatthetimewhenhewishedtobemarried——beforetheendoftheyear。MyveryfingersburnasIwriteit！
13th——Asleeplessnight，throughuneasinessaboutLaura。TowardsthemorningIcametoaresolutiontotrywhatchangeofscenewoulddotorouseher。Shecannotsurelyremaininherpresenttorporofinsensibility，ifItakeherawayfromLimmeridgeandsurroundherwiththepleasantfacesofoldfriends？AftersomeconsiderationIdecidedonwritingtotheArnolds，inYorkshire。Theyaresimple，kind-hearted，hospitablepeople，andshehasknownthemfromherchildhood。WhenIhadputtheletterinthepost-bagItoldherwhatIhaddone。Itwouldhavebeenarelieftomeifshehadshownthespirittoresistandobject。Butno——sheonlysaid，`Iwillgoanywherewithyou，Marian。Idaresayyouareright——Idaresaythechangewilldomegood。’
14th——IwrotetoMrGilmore，informinghimthattherewasreallyaprospectofthismiserablemarriagetakingplace，andalsomentioningmyideaoftryingwhatchangeofscenewoulddoforLaura。Ihadnohearttogointoparticulars。Timeenoughforthemwhenwegetnearertotheendoftheyear。
15th——Threelettersforme。Thefirst，fromtheArnolds，fullofdelightattheprospectofseeingLauraandme。Thesecond，fromoneofthegentlementowhomIwroteonWalterHartright’sbehalf，informingmethathehasbeenfortunateenoughtofindanopportunityofcomplyingwithmyrequest。Thethird，fromWalterhimself，thankingme，poorfellow，inthewarmestterms，forgivinghimanopportunityofleavinghishome，hiscountry，andhisfriends。AprivateexpeditiontomakeexcavationsamongtheruinedcitiesofCentralAmericais，itseems，abouttosailfromLiverpool。
Thedraughtsmanwhohadbeenalreadyappointedtoaccompanyithaslostheart，andwithdrawnattheeleventhhour，andWalteristofillhisplace。
Heistobeengagedforsixmonthscertain，fromthetimeofthelandinginHonduras，andforayearafterwards，iftheexcavationsaresuccessful，andifthefundsholdout。Hisletterendswithapromisetowritemeafarewelllinewhentheyareallonboardship，andwhenthepilotleavesthem。IcanonlyhopeandprayearnestlythatheandIarebothactinginthismatterforthebest。Itseemsofitstartlesme。Andyet，inhisunhappyposition，howcanIexpecthimorwishhimtoremainathome？
16th——Thecarriageisatthedoor。LauraandIsetoutonourvisittotheArnoldstoday。POLESDEANLODGE，YORKSHIRE。
23rd——Aweekinthesenewscenesandamongthesekind-heartedpeoplehasdonehersomegood，thoughnotsomuchasIhadhoped。Ihaveresolvedtoprolongourstayforanotherweekatleast。ItisuselesstogobacktoLimmeridgetillthereisanabsolutenecessityforourreturn。
24th——Sadnewsbythismorning’spost。TheexpeditiontoCentralAmericasailedonthetwenty-first。Wehavepartedwithatrueman——wehavelostafaithfulfriend。WalterHartrighthasleftEngland。
25th——Sadnewsyesterday——ominousnewstoday。SirPercivalGlydehaswrittentoMrFairlie，andMrFairliehaswrittentoLauraandme，torecallustoLimmeridgeimmediately。
Whatcanthismean？Hasthedayforthemarriagebeenfixedinourabsence？
[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter11[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter11LIMMERIDGEHOUSE。
November27th——Myforebodingsarerealised。Themarriageisfixedforthetwenty-secondofDecember。
ThedayafterweleftforPolesdeanLodgeSirPercivalwrote，itseems，toMrFairlie，tosaythatthenecessaryrepairsandalterationsinhishouseinHampshirewouldoccupyamuchlongertimeincompletionthanhehadoriginallyanticipated。Theproperestimatesweretobesubmittedtohimassoonaspossible，anditwouldgreatlyfacilitatehisenteringintodefinitearrangementswiththeworkpeople，ifhecouldbeinformedoftheexactperiodatwhichtheweddingceremonymightbeexpectedtotakeplace。
Hecouldthenmakeallhiscalculationsinreferencetotime，besideswritingthenecessaryapologiestofriendswhohadbeenengagedtovisithimthatwinter，andwhocouldnot，ofcourse，bereceivedwhenthehousewasinthehandsoftheworkmen。
TothisletterMrFairliehadrepliedbyrequestingSirPercivalhimselftosuggestadayforthemarriage，subjecttoMissFairlie’sapproval，whichherguardianwillinglyundertooktodohisbesttoobtain。SirPercivalwrotebackbythenextpost，andproposed(inaccordancewithhisownviewsandwishesfromthefirst)thelatterpartofDecember——perhapsthetwenty-second，ortwenty-fourth，oranyotherdaythattheladyandherguardianmightprefer。Theladynotbeingathandtospeakforherself，herguardianhaddecided，inherabsence，ontheearliestdaymentioned——thetwenty-secondofDecember，andhadwrittentorecallustoLimmeridgeinconsequence。
Afterexplainingtheseparticularstomeataprivateinterviewyesterday，MrFairliesuggested，inhismostamiablemanner，thatIshouldopenthenecessarynegotiationstoday。Feelingthatresistancewasuseless，unlessIcouldfirstobtainLaura’sauthoritytomakeit，Iconsentedtospeaktoher，butdeclared，atthesametime，thatIwouldonnoconsiderationundertaketogainherconsenttoSirPercival’swishes。MrFairliecomplimentedmeonmy`excellentconscience，’muchashewouldhavecomplimentedme，ifhehadbeenoutwalking，onmy`excellentconstitution，’andseemedperfectlysatisfied，sofar，withhavingsimplyshiftedonemorefamilyresponsibilityfromhisownshoulderstomine。
ThismorningIspoketoLauraasIhadpromised。Thecomposure——I
mayalmostsay，theinsensibility——whichshehassostrangelyandsoresolutelymaintainedeversinceSirPercivalleftus，wasnotproofagainsttheshockofthenewsIhadtotellher。Sheturnedpaleandtrembledviolently。
`Notsosoon！’shepleaded。`Oh，Marian，notsosoon！’
Theslightesthintshecouldgivewasenoughforme。Irosetoleavetheroom，andfightherbattleforheratoncewithMrFairlie。
rustasmyhandwasonthedoor，shecaughtfastholdofmydressandstoppedme。
`Letmego！’Isaid。`MytongueburnstotellyourunclethatheandSirPercivalarenottohaveitalltheirownway。’
Shesighedbitterly，andstillheldmydress。
`No！’shesaidfaintly。`Toolate，Marian，toolate！’
`Notaminutetoolate，’Iretorted。`Thequestionoftimeisourquestion——andtrustme，Laura，totakeawoman’sfulladvantageofit。’
IunclaspedherhandfrommygownwhileIspoke；butsheslippedbothherarmsroundmywaistatthesamemoment，andheldmemoreeffectuallythanever。
`Itwillonlyinvolveusinmoretroubleandmoreconfusion，’shesaid。
`Itwillsetyouandmyuncleatvariance，andbringSirPercivalhereagainwithfreshcausesofcomplaint——’
`Somuchthebetter！’Icriedoutpassionately。`Whocaresforhiscausesofcomplaint？Areyoutobreakyourhearttosethismindatease？Nomanunderheavendeservesthesesacrificesfromuswomen。Men！Theyaretheenemiesofourinnocenceandourpeace——theydragusawayfromourparents’
loveandoursisters’friendship——theytakeusbodyandsoultothemselves，andfastenourhelplesslivestotheirsastheychainupadogtohiskennel。
Andwhatdoesthebestofthemgiveusinreturn？Letmego，Laura——I’mmadwhenIthinkofit！’
Thetears——miserable，weak，women’stearsofvexationandrage——
startedtomyeyes。Shesmiledsadly，andputherhandkerchiefovermyfacetohideformethebetrayalofmyownweakness——theweaknessofallotherswhichsheknewthatImostdespised。
`Oh，Marian！’shesaid。`Youcrying！Thinkwhatyouwouldsaytome，iftheplaceswerechanged，andifthosetearsweremine。Allyourloveandcourageanddevotionwillnotalterwhatmusthappen，soonerorlater。
