Fortunatelyforthesuccessofthemeasurestakensubsequently，noonewaspresentatthatmomentbutthenurse。Shewasayoungwoman，andshewassostartledthatshewasatfirstquiteincapableofinterfering。WhenshewasabletodosoherwholeserviceswererequiredbyMissHalcombe，whohadforthemomentsunkaltogetherintheefforttokeepherownsensesundertheshockofthediscovery。Afterwaitingafewminutesinthefreshairandthecoolshade，hernaturalenergyandcouragehelpedheralittle，andshebecamesufficientlymistressofherselftofeelthenecessityofrecallingherpresenceofmindforherunfortunatesister’ssake。
Sheobtainedpermissiontospeakalonewiththepatient，onconditionthattheybothremainedwellwithinthenurse’sview。Therewasnotimeforquestions——therewasonlytimeforMissHalcombetoimpressontheunhappyladythenecessityofcontrollingherself，andtoassureherofimmediatehelpandrescueifshedidso。TheprospectofescapingfromtheAsylumbyobediencetohersister’sdirectionswassufficienttoquietLadyGlyde，andtomakeherunderstandwhatwasrequiredofher。MissHalcombenextreturnedtothenurse，placedallthegoldshethenhadinherpocket(threesovereigns)inthenurse’shands，andaskedwhenandwhereshecouldspeaktoheralone。
Thewomanwasatfirstsurprisedanddistrustful。ButonMissHalcombe’sdeclaringthatsheonlywantedtoputsomequestionswhichshewastoomuchagitatedtoaskatthatmoment，andthatshehadnointentionofmisleadingthenurseintoanyderelictionofduty，thewomantookthemoney，andproposedthreeo’clockonthenextdayasthetimefortheinterview。Shemightthenslipoutforhalfanhour，afterthepatientshaddined，andshewouldmeettheladyinaretiredplace，outsidethehighnorthwallwhichscreenedthegroundsofthehouse。MissHalcombehadonlytimetoassent，andtowhispertohersisterthatsheshouldhearfromheronthenextday，whentheproprietoroftheAsylumjoinedthem。Henoticedhisvisitor’sagitation，whichMissHalcombeaccountedforbysayingthatherinterviewwithAnneCatherickhadalittlestartledheratfirst。Shetookherleaveassoonafteraspossible——thatistosay，assoonasshecouldsummoncouragetoforceherselffromthepresenceofherunfortunatesister。
Averylittlereflection，whenthecapacitytoreflectreturned，convincedherthatanyattempttoidentifyLadyGlydeandtorescueherbylegalmeans，would，evenifsuccessful，involveadelaythatmightbefataltohersister’sintellects，whichwereshakenalreadybythehorrorofthesituationtowhichshehadbeenconsigned。BythetimeMissHalcombehadgotbacktoLondon，shehaddeterminedtoeffectLadyGlyde’sescapeprivately，bymeansofthenurse。
Shewentatoncetoherstockbroker，andsoldoutofthefundsallthelittlepropertyshepossessed，amountingtoratherlessthansevenhundredpounds。Determined，ifnecessary，topaythepriceofhersister’slibertywitheveryfarthingshehadintheworld，sherepairedthenextday，havingthewholesumaboutherinbank-notes，toherappointmentoutsidetheAsylumwall。
Thenursewasthere。MissHalcombeapproachedthesubjectcautiouslybymanypreliminaryquestions。Shediscovered，amongotherparticulars，thatthenursewhohadinformertimesattendedonthetrueAnneCatherickhadbeenheldresponsible(althoughshewasnottoblameforit)forthepatient’sescape，andhadlostherplaceinconsequence。Thesamepenalty，itwasadded，wouldattachtothepersonthenspeakingtoher，ifthesupposedAnneCatherickwasmissingasecondtime；and，moreover，thenurseinthiscasehadanespecialinterestinkeepingherplace。Shewasengagedtobemarried，andsheandherfuturehusbandwerewaitingtilltheycouldsave，together，betweentwoandthreehundredpoundstostartinbusiness。
Thenurse’swagesweregood，andshemightsucceed，bystricteconomy，incontributinghersmallsharetowardsthesumrequiredintwoyears’
time。
OnthishintMissHalcombespoke。ShedeclaredthatthesupposedAnneCatherickwasnearlyrelatedtoher，thatshehadbeenplacedintheAsylumunderafatalmistake，andthatthenursewouldbedoingagoodandaChristianactioninbeingthemeansofrestoringthemtooneanother。Beforetherewastimetostartasingleobjection，MissHalcombetookfourbanknotesofahundredpoundseachfromherpocket-book，andofferedthemtothewoman。asacompensationfortheriskshewastorun，andforthelossofherplace。
Thenursehesitated，throughsheerincredulityandsurprise。MissHalcombepressedthepointonherfirmly。
`Youwillbedoingagoodaction，`sherepeated；`youwillbehelpingthemostinjuredandunhappywomanalive。Thereisyourmarriageportionforareward。Bringhersafelytomehere，andIwillputthesefourbank-notesintoyourhandbeforeIclaimher。’
`Willyougivemealettersayingthosewords，whichIcanshowtomysweetheartwhenheaskshowIgotthemoney？’inquiredthewoman。
`Iwillbringtheletterwithme，readywrittenandsigned，’answeredMissHalcombe。
`ThenI’llriskit，’saidthenurse。
`When？’
`Tomorrow。’
ItwashastilyagreedbetweenthemthatMissHalcombeshouldreturnearlythenextmorningandwaitoutofsightamongthetrees——always，however，keepingnearthequietspotofgroundunderthenorthwall。Thenursecouldfixnotimeforherappearance，cautionrequiringthatsheshouldwaitandbeguidedbycircumstances。Onthatunderstandingtheyseparated。
MissHalcombewasatherplace，withthepromisedletterandthepromisedbank-notes，beforetenthenextmorning。Shewaitedmorethananhourandahalf。AttheendofthattimethenursecamequicklyroundthecornerofthewallholdingLadyGlydebythearm。ThemomenttheymetMissHalcombeputthebank-notesandtheletterintoherhand，andthesisterswereunitedagain。
ThenursehaddressedLadyGlyde，withexcellentforethought，inabonnet，veil，andshawlofherown。MissHalcombeonlydetainedhertosuggestameansofturningthepursuitinafalsedirection，whentheescapewasdiscoveredattheAsylum。Shewastogobacktothehouse，tomentioninthehearingoftheothernursesthatAnneCatherickhadbeeninquiringlatterlyaboutthedistancefromLondontoHampshire。towaittillthelastmoment，beforediscoverywasinevitable，andthentogivethealarmthatAnnewasmissing。ThesupposedinquiriesaboutHampshire，whencommunicatedtotheowneroftheAsylum，wouldleadhimtoimaginethathispatienthadreturnedtoBlackwaterPark，undertheinfluenceofthedelusionwhichmadeherpersistinassertingherselftobeLadyGlyde，andthefirstpursuitwould，inallprobability，beturnedinthatdirection。
Thenurseconsentedtofollowthesesuggestions，themorereadilyastheyofferedherthemeansofsecuringherselfagainstanyworseconsequencesthanthelossofherplace，byremainingintheAsylum，andsomaintainingtheappearanceofinnocence，atleast。Sheatoncereturnedtothehouse，andMissHalcombelostnotimeintakinghersisterbackwithhertoLondon。
TheycaughttheafternoontraintoCarlislethesameafternoon，andarrivedatLimmeridge，withoutaccidentordifficultyofanykind，thatnight。
Duringthelatterpartoftheirjourneytheywerealoneinthecarriage，andMissHalcombewasabletocollectsuchremembrancesofthepastashersister’sconfusedandweakenedmemorywasabletorecall。Theterriblestoryoftheconspiracysoobtainedwaspresentedinfragments，sadlyincoherentinthemselves，andwidelydetachedfromeachother。Imperfectastherevelationwas，itmustneverthelessberecordedherebeforethisexplanatorynarrativecloseswiththeeventsofthenextdayatLimmeridgeHouse。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter28[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter28LadyGlyde’srecollectionoftheeventswhichfollowedherdeparturefromBlackwaterParkbeganwithherarrivalattheLondonterminusoftheSouthWesternRailway。Shehadomittedtomakeamemorandumbeforehandofthedayonwhichshetookthejourney。Allhopeoffixingthatimportantdatebyanyevidenceofhers，orofMrsMichelson’s，mustbegivenupforlost。
OnthearrivalofthetrainattheplatformLadyGlydefoundCountFoscowaitingforher。Hewasatthecarriagedoorassoonastheportercouldopenit。Thetrainwasunusuallycrowded，andtherewasgreatconfusioningettingtheluggage。SomepersonwhomCountFoscobroughtwithhimprocuredtheluggagewhichbelongedtoLadyGlyde。Itwasmarkedwithhername。
ShedroveawayalonewiththeCountinavehiclewhichshedidnotparticularlynoticeatthetime。
Herfirstquestion，onleavingtheterminus，referredtoMissHalcombe。
TheCountinformedherthatMissHalcombehadnotyetgonetoCumberland，after-considerationhavingcausedhimtodoubttheprudenceofhertakingsolongajourneywithoutsomedays’previousrest。
LadyGlydenextinquiredwhetherhersisterwasthenstayingintheCount’shouse。Herrecollectionoftheanswerwasconfused，heronlydistinctimpressioninrelationtoitbeingthattheCountdeclaredhewasthentakinghertoseeMissHalcombe。LadyGlyde’sexperienceofLondonwassolimitedthatshecouldnottell，atthetime，throughwhatstreetstheyweredriving。Buttheyneverleftthestreets，andtheyneverpassedanygardensortrees。Whenthecarriagestopped，itstoppedinasmallstreetbehindasquare——asquareinwhichtherewereshops，andpublicbuildings，andmanypeople。Fromtheserecollections(ofwhichLadyGlydewascertain)
itseemsquiteclearthatCountFoscodidnottakehertohisownresidenceinthesuburbofStJohn’sWood。
Theyenteredthehouse，andwentupstairstoabackroom，eitheronthefirstorsecondfloor。Theluggagewascarefullybroughtin。Afemaleservantopenedthedoor，andamanwithadarkbeard，apparentlyaforeigner，mettheminthehall，andwithgreatpolitenessshowedthemthewayupstairs。
InanswertoLadyGlyde’sinquiries，theCountassuredherthatMissHalcombewasinthehouse，andthatsheshouldbeimmediatelyinformedofhersister’sarrival。Heandtheforeignerthenwentawayandleftherbyherselfintheroom。Itwaspoorlyfurnishedasasitting-room，anditlookedoutonthebacksofhouses。
Theplacewasremarkablyquiet——nofootstepswentupordownthestairs——sheonlyheardintheroombeneathheradull，rumblingsoundofmen’svoicestalking。BeforeshehadbeenlongleftalonetheCountreturned，toexplainthatMissHalcombewasthentakingrest，andcouldnotbedisturbedforalittlewhile。Hewasaccompaniedintotheroombyagentleman(anEnglishman)，whomheleggedtopresentasafriendofhis。
