Thesunsetwasnearathand。Thecloudshadparted——theslantinglightfellmellowoverthehills。Thelastofthedaywascoldandclearandstillinthequietvalleyofthedead。
Beyondme，intheburial-ground，standingtogetherinthecoldclearnessofthelowerlight，Isawtwowomen。Theywerelookingtowardsthetomb，lookingtowardsme。
Two。
Theycamealittleon，andstoppedagain。Theirveilsweredown，andhidtheirfacesfromme。Whentheystoppedoneofthemraisedherveil。
InthestilleveninglightIsawthefaceofMarianHalcombe。
Changed，changedasifyearshadpassedoverit！Theeyeslargeandwild，andlookingatmewithastrangeterrorinthem。Thefacewornandwastedpiteously。Painandfearandgriefwrittenonheraswithabrand。
Itookonesteptowardsherfromthegrave。Shenevermoved——sheneverspoke。Theveiledwomanwithhercriedoutfaintly。Istopped。Thespringsofmylifefelllow，andtheshudderingofanunutterabledreadcreptovermefromheadtofoot。
Thewomanwiththeveiledfacemovedawayfromhercompanion，andcametowardsmeslowly。Leftbyherself，standingbyherself，MarianHalcombespoke。ItwasthevoicethatIremembered——thevoicenotchanged，likethefrightenedeyesandthewastedface。
`Mydream！mydream！’Iheardhersaythosewordssoftlyintheawfulsilence。Shesankonherknees，andraisedherclaspedhandstoheaven。
`Father！strengthenhim。Father！helphiminhishourofneed。’
Thewomancameon，slowlyandsilentlycameon。Ilookedather——ather，andatnoneother，fromthatmoment。
Thevoicethatwasprayingformefalteredandsanklow——thenroseonasudden，andcalledaffrightedly，calleddespairinglytometocomeaway。
Buttheveiledwomanhadpossessionofme，bodyandsoul。Shestoppedononesideofthegrave。Westoodfacetofacewiththetombstonebetweenus。Shewasclosetotheinscriptiononthesideofthepedestal。Hergowntouchedtheblackletters。
Thevoicecamenearer，androseandrosemorepassionatelystill。`HideyourfaceIdon’tlookather！Oh，forGod’ssake，sparehim——’
Thewomanliftedherveil。
`SacredtotheMemoryofLaura，LadyGlyde——’
Laura，LadyGlyde，wasstandingbytheinscription，andwaslookingatmeoverthegrave。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter27[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter27PARTTHESECONDTHESTORYCONTINUEDBYWALTERHARTRIGHTIOPENanewpage。Iadvancemynarrativebyoneweek。
ThehistoryoftheintervalwhichIthuspassovermustremainunrecorded。
Myheartturnsfaint，mymindsinksindarknessandconfusionwhenIthinkofit。Thismustnotbe，ifIwhowriteamtoguide，asIought，youwhoread。Thismustnotbe，ifthecluethatleadsthroughthewindingsofthestoryistoremainfromendtoenduntangledinmyhands。
Alifesuddenlychanged——itswholepurposecreatedafresh，itshopesandfears，itsstruggles，itsinterests，anditssacrificesallturnedatonceandforeverintoanewdirection——thisistheprospectwhichnowopensbeforeme，liketheburstofviewfromamountain’stop。IleftmynarrativeinthequietshadowofLimmeridgechurch——Iresumeit，oneweeklater，inthestirandturmoilofaLondonstreet。
Thestreetisinapopulousandapoorneighbourhood。Thegroundfloorofoneofthehousesinitisoccupiedbyasmallnews-vendor’sshop，andthefirstfloorandthesecondareletasfurnishedlodgingsofthehumblestkind。
Ihavetakenthosetwofloorsinanassumedname。OntheupperfloorIlive，witharoomtoworkin，aroomtosleepin。Onthelowerfloor，underthesameassumedname，twowomenlive，whoaredescribedasmysisters。
Igetmybreadbydrawingandengravingonwoodforthecheapperiodicals。
Mysistersaresupposedtohelpmebytakinginalittleneedlework。Ourpoorplaceofabode，ourhumblecalling，ourassumedrelationship，andourassumedname，areallusedalikeasameansofhidingusinthehouse-forestofLondon。Wearenumberednolongerwiththepeoplewhoselivesareopenandknown。Iamanobscure，unnoticedman，withoutpatronorfriendtohelpme。MarianHalcombeisnothingnowbutmyeldestsister，whoprovidesforourhouseholdwantsbythetoilofherownhands。Wetwo，intheestimationofothers，areatoncethedupesandtheagentsofadaringimposture。
WearesupposedtobetheaccomplicesofmadAnneCatherick，whoclaimsthename，thePlace，andthelivingpersonalityofdeadLadyGlyde。
Thatisoursituation。Thatisthechangedaspectinwhichwethreemustappear，henceforth，inthisnarrative，formanyandmanyapagetocome。
Intheeyeofreasonandoflaw，intheestimationofrelativesandfriends，accordingtoeveryreceivedformalityofcivilisedsociety，`Laura，LadyGlyde，’layburiedwithhermotherinLimmeridgechurchyard。Torninherownlifetimefromthelistoftheliving，thedaughterofPhilipFairlieandthewifeofPercivalGlydemightstillexistforhersister，mightstillexistforme，buttoalltheworldbesidesshewasdead。Deadtoheruncle，whohadrenouncedher；deadtotheservantsofthehouse，whohadfailedtorecogniseher；deadtothepersonsinauthority，whohadtransmittedherfortunetoherhusbandandheraunt；deadtomymotherandmysister，whobelievedmetobethedupeofanadventuressandthevictimofafraud；socially，morally，legally——dead。
Andyetalive！Aliveinpovertyandinhiding。Alive，withthepoordrawing-mastertofightherbattle，andtowinthewaybackforhertoherplaceintheworldoflivingbeings。
Didnosuspicion，excitedbymyownknowledgeofAnneCatherick’sresemblancetoher，crossmymind，whenherfacewasfirstrevealedtome？Nottheshadowofasuspicion，fromthemomentwhensheliftedherveilbythesideoftheinscriptionwhichrecordedherdeath。
Beforethesunofthatdayhadset，beforethelastglimpseofthehomewhichwasclosedagainstherhadpassedfromourview，thefarewellwordsIspoke，whenwepartedatLimmeridgeHouse，hadbeenrecalledbybothofus——repeatedbyme，recognisedbyher。`Ifeverthetimecomes，whenthedevotionofmywholeheartandsoulandstrengthwillgiveyouamoment’shappiness，orspareyouamoment’ssorrow，willyoutrytorememberthepoordrawing-masterwhohastaughtyou？’She，whonowrememberedsolittleofthetroubleandterrorofalatertime，rememberedthosewords，andlaidherpoorheadinnocentlyandtrustinglyonthebosomofthemanwhohadspokenthem。Inthatmoment，whenshecalledmebymyname，whenshesaid，`Theyhavetriedtomakemeforgeteverything，Walter，butIrememberMarian，andIrememberyou’——inthatmoment，I，whohadlongsincegivenhermylove，gavehermylife，andthankedGodthatitwasminetobestowonher。Yes！thetimehadcome，fromthousandsonthousandsofmilesaway——throughforestandwilderness，wherecompanionsstrongerthanIhadfallenbymyside，throughperilofdeaththricerenewed，andthriceescaped，theHandthatleadsmenonthedarkroadtothefuturehadledmetomeetthattime。Forlornanddisowned，sorelytriedandsadlychanged——herBeautyfaded，hermindclouded——robbedofherstationintheworld，ofherplaceamonglivingcreatures——thedevotionIhadpromised，thedevotionofmywholeheartandsoulandstrength，mightbelaidblamelesslynowatthosedearfeet。Intherightofhercalamity，intherightofherfriendlessness，shewasmineatlast！Minetosupport，toprotect，tocherish，torestore。
Minetoloveandhonourasfatherandbrotherboth。Minetovindicatethroughallrisksandallsacrifices——throughthehopelessstruggleagainstRankandPower，throughthelongfightwitharmeddeceitandfortifiedSuccess，throughthewasteofmyreputation，throughthelossofmyfriends，throughthehazardofmylife。IIMypositionisdefined——mymotivesareacknowledged。ThestoryofMarianandthestoryofLauramustcomenext。
Ishallrelatebothnarratives，notinthewords(ofteninterrupted，ofteninevitablyconfused)ofthespeakersthemselves，butinthewordsofthebrief，plain，studiouslysimpleabstractwhichIcommittedtowritingformyownguidance，andfortheguidanceofmylegaladviser。Sothetangledwebwillbemostspeedilyandmostintelligiblyunrolled。
ThestoryofMarianbeginswherethenarrativeofthehousekeeperatBlackwaterParkleftoff。
OnLadyGlyde’sdeparturefromherhusband’shouse，thefactofthatdeparture，andthenecessarystatementofthecircumstancesunderwhichithadtakenplace，werecommunicatedtoMissHalcombebythehousekeeper。
Itwasnottillsomedaysafterwards(howmanydaysexactly，MrsMichelson，intheabsenceofanywrittenmemorandumonthesubject，couldnotundertaketosay)thataletterarrivedfromMadameFoscoannouncingLadyGlyde’ssuddendeathinCountFosco’shouse。Theletteravoidedmentioningdates，andleftittoMrsMichelson’sdiscretiontobreakthenewsatoncetoMissHalcombe，ortodeferdoingsountilthatlady’shealthshouldbemorefirmlyestablished。
HavingconsultedMrDawson(whohadbeenhimselfdelayed，byillhealth，inresuminghisattendanceatBlackwaterPark)，MrsMichelson，bythedoctor’sadvice，andinthedoctor’spresence，communicatedthenews，eitheronthedaywhentheletterwasreceived，oronthedayafter。ItisnotnecessarytodwellhereupontheeffectwhichtheintelligenceofLadyGlyde’ssuddendeathproducedonhersister。Itisonlyusefultothepresentpurposetosaythatshewasnotabletotravelformorethanthreeweeksafterwards。
AttheendofthattimesheproceededtoLondonaccompaniedbythehousekeeper。
Theypartedthere——MrsMichelsonpreviouslyinformingMissHalcombeofheraddress，incasetheymightwishtocommunicateatafutureperiod。
OnpartingwiththehousekeeperMissHalcombewentatoncetotheofficeofMessrsGilmore&；KyrletoconsultwiththelattergentlemaninMrGilmore’sabsence。ShementionedtoMrKyrlewhatshehadthoughtitdesirabletoconcealfromeveryoneelse(MrsMichelsonincluded)——hersuspicionofthecircumstancesunderwhichLadyGlydewassaidtohavemetherdeath。
MrKyrle，whohadpreviouslygivenfriendlyproofofhisanxietytoserveMissHalcombe，atonceundertooktomakesuchinquiriesasthedelicateanddangerousnatureoftheinvestigationproposedtohimwouldpermit。
