Leftbyherself，shehadfeltinherbosom(Iregretthenecessityofreferringtothispartofthesubjectasecondtime)，andhadfoundthetwoletterstherequitesafe，butstrangelycrumpled。Shehadbeengiddyinthenight，buthadgotupwellenoughtotravelinthemorning。Shehadputtheletteraddressedtothatobtrusivestranger，thegentlemaninLondon，intothepost，andhadnowdeliveredtheotherletterintomyhandsasshewastold。Thiswastheplaintruth，andthoughshecouldnotblameherselfforanyintentionalneglect，shewassadlytroubledinhermind，andsadlyinwantofawordofadvice。AtthispointLouisthinksthesecretionsappearedagain。Perhapstheydid，butitisofinfinitelygreaterimportancetomentionthatatthispointalsoIlostmypatience，openedmyeyes，andinterfered。
`Whatisthepurportofallthis？’Iinquired。
Myniece’sirrelevantmaidstared，andstoodspeechless。
`Endeavourtoexplain，’Isaidtomyservant。`Translateme，Louis。’
Louisendeavouredandtranslated。Inotherwords，hedescendedimmediatelyintoabottomlesspitofconfusion，andtheYoungPersonfollowedhimdown。
Ireallydon’tknowwhenIhavebeensoamused。Ileftthematthebottomofthepitaslongastheydivertedme。Whentheyceasedtodivertme，Iexertedmyintelligence，andpulledthemupagain。
Itisunnecessarytosaythatmyinterferenceenabledme，induecourseoftime，toascertainthepurportoftheYoungPerson’sremarks。
Idiscoveredthatshewasuneasyinhermind，becausethetrainofeventsthatshehadjustdescribedtomehadpreventedherfromreceivingthosesupplementarymessageswhichMissHalcombehadintrustedtotheCountesstodeliver。Shewasafraidthemessagesmighthavebeenofgreatimportancetohermistress’sinterests。HerdreadofSirPercivalhaddeterredherfromgoingtoBlackwaterParklateatnighttoinquireaboutthem，andMissHalcombe’sowndirectionstoher，onnoaccounttomissthetraininthemorning，hadpreventedherfromwaitingattheinnthenextday。
Shewasmostanxiousthatthemisfortuneofherfainting-fitshouldnotleadtothesecondmisfortuneofmakinghermistressthinkherneglectful，andshewouldhumblybegtoaskmewhetherIwouldadvisehertowriteherexplanationsandexcusestoMissHalcombe，requestingtoreceivethemessagesbyletter，ifitwasnottoolate。Imakenoapologiesforthisextremelyprosyparagraph。Ihavebeenorderedtowriteit。Therearepeople，unaccountableasitmayappear，whoactuallytakemoreinterestinwhatmyniece’smaidsaidtomeonthisoccasionthaninwhatIsaidtomyniece’smaid。Amusingperversity！
`Ishouldfeelverymuchobligedtoyou，sir，ifyouwouldkindlytellmewhatIhadbetterdo，remarkedtheYoungPerson。
`Letthingsstopastheyare，’Isaid，adaptingmylanguagetomylistener。
`Iinvariablyletthingsstopastheyare。Yes。Isthatall？’
`Ifyouthinkitwouldbealibertyinme，sir，towrite，ofcourseIwouldn’tventuretodoso。ButIamsoveryanxioustodoallIcantoservemymistressfaithfully——’
Peopleinthelowerclassoflifeneverknowwhenorhowtogooutofaroom。Theyinvariablyrequiretobehelpedoutbytheirbetters。IthoughtithightimetohelptheYoungPersonout。Ididitwithtwojudiciouswords——
`Goodmorning。’
Somethingoutsideorinsidethissingulargirlsuddenlycreaked。Louis，whowaslookingather(whichIwasnot)，saysshecreakedwhenshecurtseyed。
Curious。Wasithershoes，herstays，orherbones？Louisthinksitwasherstays。Mostextraordinary！
AssoonasIwasleftbymyselfIhadalittlenap——Ireallywantedit。WhenIawokeagainInoticeddearMarian’sletter。IfIhadhadthelastideaofwhatitcontainedIshouldcertainlynothaveattemptedtoopenit。Being，unfortunatelyformyself，quiteinnocentofallsuspicion，Ireadtheletter。Itimmediatelyupsetmefortheday。
Iam，bynature，oneofthemosteasy-temperedcreaturesthateverlived——Imakeallowancesforeverybody，andItakeoffenceatnothing。ButasIhavebeforeremarked，therearelimitstomyendurance。IlaiddownMarian’sletter，andfeltmyself——justlyfeltmyself——aninjuredman。
Iamabouttomakearemark。Itis，ofcourse，applicabletotheveryseriousmatternowundernotice，orIshouldnotallowittoappearinthisplace。
Nothing，inmyopinion，setstheodiousselfishnessofmankindinsucharepulsivelyvividlightasthetreatment，inallclassesofsociety，whichtheSinglepeoplereceiveatthehandsoftheMarriedpeople。Whenyouhaveonceshownyourselftooconsiderateandself-denyingtoaddafamilyofyourowntoanalreadyovercrowdedpopulation，youarevindictivelymarkedoutbyyourmarriedfriends，whohavenosimilarconsiderationandnosimilarself-denial，astherecipientofhalftheirconjugaltroubles，andthebornfriendofalltheirchildren。Husbandsandwivestalkofthecaresofmatrimony，andbachelorsandspinstersbearthem。Takemyowncase。Iconsideratelyremainsingle，andmypoordearbrotherPhilipinconsideratelymarries。Whatdoeshedowhenhedies？Heleaveshisdaughtertome。Sheisasweetgirl——sheisalsoadreadfulresponsibility。Whylayheronmyshoulders？BecauseIambound，intheharmlesscharacterofasingleman，torelievemymarriedconnectionsofalltheirowntroubles。Idomybestwithmybrother’sresponsibility——Imarrymyniece，withinfinitefussanddifficulty，tothemanherfatherwantedhertomarry-Sheandherhusbanddisagree，andunpleasantconsequencesfollow。Whatdoesshedowiththoseconsequences？Shetransfersthemtome。Whytransferthemtome？BecauseIambound，intheharmlesscharacterofasingleman，torelievemymarriedconnectionsofalltheirowntroubles。Poorsinglepeople！
Poorhumannature！
ItisquiteunnecessarytosaythatMarian’sletterthreatenedme。Everybodythreatensme。AllsortsofhorrorsweretofallonmydevotedheadifI
hesitatedtoturnLimmeridgeHouseintoanasylumformynieceandhermisfortunes。Ididhesitate，nevertheless。
Ihavementionedthatmyusualcourse，hitherto，hadbeentosubmittodearMarian，andsavenoise。Butonthisoccasion，theconsequencesinvolvedinherextremelyinconsiderateproposalwereofanaturetomakemepause。IfIopenedLimmeridgeHouseasanasylumtoLadyGlyde，whatsecurityhadIagainstSirPercivalGlyde’sfollowingherhereinastateofviolentresentmentagainstmeforharbouringhiswife？IsawsuchaperfectlabyrinthoftroublesinvolvedinthisproceedingthatIdeterminedtofeelmyground，asitwere。Iwrote，therefore，todearMariantobeg(asshehadnohusbandtolayclaimtoher)thatshewouldcomeherebyherself，first，andtalkthematteroverwithme。Ifshecouldanswermyobjectionstomyownperfectsatisfaction，thenIassuredherthatIwouldreceiveoursweetLaurawiththegreatestpleasure，butnototherwise。
Ifelt，ofcourse，atthetime，thatthistemporisingonmypartwouldprobablyendinbringingMarianhereinastateofvirtuousindignation，bangingdoors。Butthen，theothercourseofproceedingmightendinbringingSirPercivalhereinastateofvirtuousindignation，bangingdoorsalso，andofthetwoindignationsandbangingsIpreferredMarian’s，becauseIwasusedtoher。AccordinglyIdespatchedtheletterbyreturnofpost。
Itgainedmetime，atallevents——and，ohdearme！whatapointthatwastobeginwith。
WhenIamtotallyprostrated(didImentionthatIwastotallyprostratedbyMarian’sletter？)italwaystakesmethreedaystogetupagain。Iwasveryunreasonable——Iexpectedthreedaysofquiet。OfcourseIdidn’tgetthem。
Thethirdday’spostbroughtmeamostimpertinentletterfromapersonwithwhomIwastotallyunacquainted。Hedescribedhimselfastheactingpartnerofourmanofbusiness——ourdear，pig-headedoldGilmore——andheinformedmethathehadlatelyreceived，bythepost，aletteraddressedtohiminMissHalcombe’shandwriting。
Onopeningtheenvelope，hehaddiscovered，tohisastonishment，thatitcontainednothingbutablanksheetofnotepaper。Thiscircumstanceappearedtohimsosuspicious(assuggestingtohisrestlesslegalmindthattheletterhadbeentamperedwith)thathehadatoncewrittentoMissHalcombe，andhadreceivednoanswerbyreturnofpost。Inthisdifficulty，insteadofactinglikeasensiblemanandlettingthingstaketheirpropercourse，hisnextabsurdproceeding，onhisownshowing，wastopestermebywritingtoinquireifIknewanythingaboutit。WhatthedeuceshouldIknowaboutit？Whyalarmmraswellashimself？Iwrotebacktothateffect。Itwasoneofmykeenestletters。IhaveproducednothingwithasharperepistolaryedgetoitsinceItenderedhisdismissalinwritingtothatextremelytroublesomeperson，MrWalterHartright。
Myletterproduceditseffect。Iheardnothingmorefromthelawyer。
Thisperhapswasnotaltogethersurprising。ButitwascertainlyaremarkablecircumstancethatnosecondletterreachedmefromMarian，andthatnowarningsignsappearedofherarrival。Herunexpectedabsencedidmeamazinggood。Itwassoverysoothingandpleasanttoinfer(asIdidofcourse)
thatmymarriedconnectionshadmadeitupagain。Fivedaysofundisturbedtranquillity，ofdelicioussingleblessedness，quiterestoredme。OnthesixthdayIfeltstrongenoughtosendformyphotographer，andtosethimatworkagainonthepresentationcopiesofmyart-treasures，withaview，asIhavealreadymentioned，totheimprovementoftasteinthisbarbarousneighbourhood。Ihadjustdismissedhimtohisworkshop，andhadjustbeguncoquettingwithmycoins，whenLouissuddenlymadehisappearancewithacardinhishand。
`AnotherYoungPerson？’Isaid。`Iwon’tseeher。InmystateofhealthYoungpersonsdisagreewithme。Notathome。’
`Itisagentlemanthistime，sir。’
Agentlemanofcoursemadeadifference。Ilookedatthecard。
GraciousHeaven！mytiresomesister’sforeignhusband，CountFosco。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter23[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter23IsitnecessarytosaywhatmyfirstimpressionwaswhenIlookedatmyvisitor’scard？Surelynot！Mysisterhavingmarriedaforeigner，therewasbutoneimpressionthatanymaninhissensescouldpossiblyfeel。
OfcoursetheCounthadcometoborrowmoneyofme。
`Louis，’Isaid，`doyouthinkhewouldgoawayifyougavehimfiveshillings？’
