Marian！hewasnotevenlookingatme！Ipulleddownmyveil，thinkingitbestnottolethimseethatthetearswereinmyeyes。Ifanciedhehadnotpaidanyattentiontome，buthehad。Hesaid，``Comeaway，’’andlaughedtohimselfashehelpedmeontomyhorse。Hemountedhisownhorseandlaughedagainaswerodeaway。``IfIdobuildyouatomb，’’hesaid，``itwillbedonewithyourownmoney。IwonderwhetherCeciliaMetellahadafortuneandpaidforhers。’’Imadenoreply——howcouldI，whenIwascryingbehindmyveil？``Ah，youlight-complexionedwomenareallsulky，’’hesaid。``Whatdoyouwant？complimentsandsoftspeeches？Well！
I’minagoodhumourthismorning。Considerthecomplimentspaidandthespeechessaid。’’Menlittleknowwhentheysayhardthingstoushowwellwerememberthem，andhowmuchharmtheydous。ItwouldhavebeenbetterformeifIhadgoneoncrying，buthiscontemptdriedupmytearsandhardenedmyheart-Fromthattime，Marian，InevercheckedmyselfagaininthinkingofWalterHartright。Iletthememoryofthosehappydays，whenweweresofondofeachotherinsecret，comebackandcomfortme。
WhatelsehadItolooktoforconsolation？Ifwehadbeentogetheryouwouldhavehelpedmetobetterthings。Iknowitwaswrong，darling，buttellmeifIwaswrongwithoutanyexcuse。’
Iwasobligedtoturnmyfacefromher。`Don’taskme！’Isaid。`HaveIsufferedasyouhavesuffered？WhatrighthaveItodecide？’
`Iusedtothinkofhim，’shepursued，droppinghervoiceandmovingclosertome，`IusedtothinkofhimwhenPercivalleftmealoneatnighttogoamongtheOperapeople。IusedtofancywhatImighthavebeenifithadpleasedGodtoblessmewithpoverty，andifIhadbeenhiswife。
Iusedtoseemyselfinmyneatcheapgown，sittingathomeandwaitingforhimwhilehewasearningourbread——sittingathomeandworkingforhimandlovinghimallthebetterbecauseIhadtoworkforhim——seeinghimcomeintiredandtakingoffhishatandcoatforhim，and，Marian，pleasinghimwithlittledishesatdinnerthatlhadlearnttomakeforhissake。Oh！IhopeheisneverlonelyenoughandsadenoughtothinkofmeandseemeasIhavethoughtofhimandseehim！’
Asshesaidthosemelancholywords，allthelosttendernessreturnedtohervoice。andallthelostbeautytrembledbackintoherface。Hereyesrestedaslovinglyontheblighted，solitary，ill-omenedviewbeforeus，asiftheysawthefriendlyhillsofCumberlandinthedimandthreateningsky。
`Don’tspeakofWalteranymore，’Isaid，assoonasIcouldcontrolmyself。`Oh，Laura，spareusboththewretchednessoftalkingofhimnow！’
Sherousedherself，andlookedatmetenderly。
`Iwouldratherbesilentabouthimforever，’sheanswered，`thancauseyouamoment’spain。’
`Itisinyourinterests，’Ipleaded；`itisforyoursakethatIspeak。
Ifyourhusbandheardyou——’
`Itwouldnotsurprisehimifhedidhearme。’
Shemadethatstrangereplywithawearycalmnessandcoldness-Thechangeinhermanner，whenshegavetheanswer，startledmealmostasmuchastheansweritself。
`Notsurprisehim！’Irepeated。`Laura！rememberwhatyouaresaying——youfrightenme！’
`Itistrue，’shesaid；`itiswhatIwantedtotellyoutoday，whenweweretalkinginyourroom。MyonlysecretwhenIopenedmyhearttohimatLimmeridgewasaharmlesssecret，Marian——yousaidsoyourself。
ThenamewasallIkeptfromhim，andhehasdiscoveredit。’
Iheardher，butIcouldsaynothing。Herlastwordshadkilledthelittlehopethatstilllivedinme。
`IthappenedatRome，’shewenton，aswearilycalmandcoldasever。
`WewereatalittlepartygiventotheEnglishbysomefriendsofSirPercival’s——MrandMrsMarkland。MrsMarklandhadthereputationofsketchingverybeautifully，andsomeoftheguestsprevailedonhertoshowusherdrawings。Wealladmiredthem，butsomethingIsaidattractedherattentionparticularlytome。``Surelyyoudrawyourself？’’sheasked。``Iusedtodrawalittleonce，’’Ianswered，``butIhavegivenitup。’’``Ifyouhaveoncedrawn，’’shesaid，``youmaytaketoitagainoneofthesedays，andifyoudo，Iwishyouwouldletmerecommendyouamaster。’’Isaidnothing——youknowwhy，Marian——andtriedtochangetheconversation。
ButMrsMarklandpersisted。``lhavehadallsortsofteachers，’’shewenton，``butthebestofall，themostintelligentandthemostattentive，waMrHartright。Ifyouevertakeupyourdrawingagain，doyhimasamaster。Heisayoungman——modestandgentlemanlike——Iamsureyouwilllikehim。’’Thinkofthosewordsbeingspokentomepublicly，inthepresenceofstrangers——strangerswhohadbeeninvitedtomeetthebrideandbridegroom！IdidallIcouldtocontrolmyself——Isaidnothing，andlookeddowncloseatthedrawings。WhenIventuredtoraisemyheadagain，myeyesandmyhusband’seyesmet，andIknew，byhislook，thatmyfacehadbetrayedme。``WewillseeaboutMrHartright，’’hesaid，lookingatmeallthetime，``whenwegetbacktoEngland。Iagreewithyou，MrsMarkland——IthinkLadyGlydeissuretolikehim。’’Helaidanemphasisonthelastwordswhichmademycheeksburn，andsetmyheartbeatingasifitwouldstifleme。Nothingmorewassaid。Wecameawayearly。Hewassilentinthecarriagedrivingbacktothehotel。Hehelpedmeout，andfollowedmeupstairsasusual。Butthemomentwewereinthedrawing-room，helockedthedoor，pushedmedownintoachair，andstoodovermewithhishandsonmyshoulders。``EversincethatmorningwhenyoumadeyouraudaciousconfessiontomeatLimmeridge，’’hesaid，``Ihavewantedtofindouttheman，andIfoundhiminyourfacetonight。Yourdrawing-masterwastheman，andhisnameisHartright。Youshallrepentit，andheshallrepentit，tothelasthourofyourlives。Nowgotobedanddreamofhimifyoulike，withthemarksofmyhorsewhiponhisshoulders。’’WheneverheisangrywithmenowhereferstowhatIacknowledgedtohiminyourpresencewithasneerorathreat。IhavenopowertopreventhimfromputtinghisownhorribleconstructionontheconfidenceIplacedinhim。
Ihavenoinfluencetomakehimbelieveme，ortokeephimsilent。YoulookedsurprisedtodaywhenyouheardhimtellmethatIhadmadeavirtueofnecessityinmarryinghim。Youwillnotbesurprisedagainwhenyouhearhimrepeatit，thenexttimeheisoutoftemper——OhMarian！don’t！
don’t！youhurtme！’
Ihadcaughtherinmyarms，andthestingandtormentofmyremorsehadclosedthemroundherlikeavice。Yes！myremorse。ThewhitedespairofWalter’sface，whenmycruelwordsstruckhimtotheheartinthesummer-houseatLimmeridge，rosebeforemeinmute，unendurablereproach。Myhandhadpointedthewaywhichledthemanmysisterloved，stepbystep，farfromhiscountryandhisfriends。BetweenthosetwoyoungheartsIhadstood，tosunderthemforever，theonefromtheother，andhislifeandherlifelaywastedbeforemealikeinwitnessofthedeed。Ihaddonethis，anddoneitforSirPercivalGlyde。
ForSirPercivalGlyde。
Iheardherspeaking，andIknewbythetoneofhervoicethatshewascomfortingme——I，whodeservednothingbutthereproachofhersilence！
HowlongitwasbeforeImasteredtheabsorbingmiseryofmyownthoughts，Icannottell。Iwasfirstconsciousthatshewaskissingme，andthenmyeyesseemedtowakeonasuddentotheirsenseofoutwardthings，andIknewthatIwaslookingmechanicallystraightbeforemeattheprospectofthelake。
`Itislate，’Iheardherwhisper。`Itwillbedarkintheplantation。’
Sheshookmyarmandrepeated，`Marian！itwillbedarkintheplantation。’
`Givemeaminutelonger，’Isaid——`aminute，togetbetterin。’
Iwasafraidtotrustmyselftolookatheryet，andIkeptmyeyesfixedontheview。
Itwaslate。Thedensebrownlineoftreesintheskyhadfadedinthegatheringdarknesstothefaintresemblanceofalongwreathofsmoke。
Themistoverthelakebelowhadstealthilyenlarged，andadvancedonus。
Thesilencewasasbreathlessasever，butthehorrorofithadgone，andthesolemnmysteryofitsstillnesswasallthatremained。
`Wearefarfromthehouse，’shewhispered。`Letusgohack。’
Shestoppedsuddenly，andturnedherfacefrommetowardstheentranceoftheboat-house。
`Marian！’shesaid，tremblingviolently。`Doyouseenothing？took！’
`Where？’
`Downthere，belowus。’
Shepointed。Myeyesfollowedherhand，andIsawittoo。
Alivingfigurewasmovingoverthewasteofheathinthedistance。
Itcrossedourrangeofviewfromtheboat-house，andpasseddarklyalongtheouteredgeofthemist。Itstoppedfaroff，infrontofus——waited——andpassedon；movingslowly，withthewhitecloudofmistbehinditandaboveit——slowly，slowly，tillitglidedbytheedgeoftheboat-house，andwesawitnomore。
Wewerebothunnervedbywhathadpassedbetweenusthatevening。SomeminuteselapsedbeforeLaurawouldventureintotheplantation，andbeforeIcouldmakeupmymindtoleadherbacktothehouse。
`Wasitamanorawoman？’sheaskedinawhisper，aswemovedatlastintothedarkdampnessoftheouterair。
`Iamnotcertain。’
`Whichdoyouthink？’
`Itlookedlikeawoman。’
`Iwasafraiditwasamaninalongcloak。’
`Itmaybeaman。Inthisdimlightitisnotpossibletobecertain。’
