hadbeeninsearch，andIhadarrivedatcertainconclusions，entirelynewtome，whichmightimmenselyassistindirectingthecourseofmyfutureproceedings。Irosetotakemyleave，andtothankMrsClementsforthefriendlyreadinessshehadshowninaffordingmeinformation。
`Iamafraidyoumusthavethoughtmeveryinquisitive，’Isaid。`I
havetroubledyouwithmorequestionsthanmanypeoplewouldhavecaredtoanswer。’
`Youareheartilywelcome，sir，toanythingIcantellyou，’answeredMrsClements。Shestoppedandlookedatmewistfully。`ButIdowish，’
saidthepoorwoman，`youcouldhavetoldmealittlemoreaboutAnne，sir。IthoughtIsawsomethinginyourfacewhenyoucameinwhichlookedasifyoucould。Youcan’tthinkhowharditisnoteventoknowwhethersheislivingordead。IcouldbearitbetterifIwasonlycertain。Yousaidyouneverexpectedweshouldseeheraliveagain。Doyouknow，sir——doyouknowfortruth——thatithaspleasedGodtotakeher？’
Iwasnotproofagainstthisappeal，itwouldhavebeenunspeakablymeanandcruelofmeifIhadresistedit。
`Iamafraidthereisnodoubtofthetruth，’Iansweredgently；`I
havethecertaintyinmyownmindthathertroublesinthisworldareover。’
Thepoorwomandroppedintoherchairandhidherfacefromme。`Oh，sir，’shesaid，`howdoyouknowit？Whocanhavetoldyou？’
`Noonehastoldme，MrsClements。ButIhavereasonsforfeelingsureofit——reasonswhichIpromiseyoushallknowassoonasIcansafelyexplainthem。Iamcertainshewasnotneglectedinherlastmoments——
Iamcertaintheheartcomplaintfromwhichshesufferedsosadlywasthetruecauseofherdeath。YoushallfeelassureofthisasIdo，soon——
youshallknow，beforelong，thatsheisburiedinaquietcountrychurchyard——inaprettypeacefulplace，whichyoumighthavechosenforheryourself。’
`Dead！’saidMrsClements，`deadsoyoung，andIamlefttohearit！
Imadeherfirstshortfrocks。Itaughthertowalk。ThefirsttimesheeversaidMothershesaidittome——andnowIamleftandAnneistaken！
Didyousay，sir，’saidthepoorwoman，removingthehandkerchieffromherface，andlookingupatmeforthefirsttime，`didyousaythatshehadbeennicelyburied？Wasitthesortoffuneralshemighthavehadifshehadreallybeenmyownchild？’
Iassuredherthatitwas。Sheseemedtotakeaninexplicableprideinmyanswer——tofindacomfortinitwhichnootherandhigherconsiderationscouldafford。`Itwouldhavebrokenmyheart，’shesaidsimply，`ifAnnehadnotbeennicelyburied——buthowdoyouknowit，sir？whotoldyou？’
IoncemoreentreatedhertowaituntilIcouldspeaktoherunreservedly。
`Youaresuretoseemeagain，’Isaid。`forIhaveafavourtoaskwhenyouarealittlemorecomposed——perhapsinadayortwo。’
`Don’tkeepitwaiting，sir，onmyaccount，’saidMrsClements。`NevermindmycryingifIcanbeofuse。Ifyouhaveanythingonyourmindtosaytome，sir，pleasetosayitnow。’
`Ionlywishtoaskyouonelastquestion，’Isaid。`IonlywanttoknowMrsCatherick’saddressatWelmingham。’
MyrequestsostartledMrsClements，that，forthemoment，eventhetidingsofAnne’sdeathseemedtobedrivenfromhermind。Hertearssuddenlyceasedtoflow，andshesatlookingatmeinblankamazement。
`FortheLord’ssake，sir！’shesaid，`whatdoyouwantwithMrsCatherick！’
`Iwantthis，MrsClements，’Ireplied，`IwanttoknowthesecretofthoseprivatemeetingsofherswithSirPercivalGlyde。Thereissomethingmoreinwhatyouhavetoldmeofthatwoman’spastconduct，andofthatman’spastrelationswithher，thanyouoranyofyourneighbourseversuspected。Thereisasecretwenoneofusknowbetweenthosetwo，andIamgoingtoMrsCatherickwiththeresolutiontofinditout。’
`Thinktwiceaboutit，sir！’saidMrsClements，risinginherearnestnessandlayingherhandonmyarm。`She’sanawfulwoman——youdon’tknowherasIdo。Thinktwiceaboutit。’
`Iamsureyourwarningiskindlymeant，MrsClements。ButIamdeterminedtoseethewoman，whatevercomesofit。’
MrsClementslookedmeanxiouslyintheface。
`Iseeyourmindismadeup，sir，’shesaid。`Iwillgiveyoutheaddress。’
Iwroteitdowninmypocket-bookandthentookherhandtosayfarewell。
`Youshallhearfrommesoon，’Isaid；`youshallknowallthatIhavepromisedtotellyou。’
MrsClementssighedandshookherheaddoubtfully。
`Anoldwoman’sadviceissometimesworthtaking，sir，’shesaid。`ThinktwicebeforeyougotoWelmingham。’
[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter32[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter32VIIWhenIreachedhomeagainaftermyinterviewwithMrsClements，IwasstruckbytheappearanceofachangeinLaura。
Theunvaryinggentlenessandpatiencewhichlongmisfortunehadtriedsocruellyandhadneverconqueredyet，seemednowtohavesuddenlyfailedher。InsensibletoallMarian’sattemptstosootheandamuseher，shesatwithherneglecteddrawingpushedawayonthetable，hereyesresolutelycastdown，herfingerstwininganduntwiningthemselvesrestlesslyinherlap。MarianrosewhenIcamein，withasilentdistressinherface，waitedforamomenttoseeifLaurawouldlookupatmyapproach，whisperedtome，`Tryifyoucanrouseher，’andlefttheroom。
Isatdowninthevacantchair——gentlyunclaspedthepoor，worn，restlessfingers，andtookbothherhandsinmine。
`Whatareyouthinkingof，Laura？Tellme，mydarling——tryandtellmewhatitis。’
Shestruggledwithherself，andraisedhereyestomine。`Ican’tfeelhappy，’shesaid，`Ican’thelpthinking——’Shestopped，bentforwardalittle，andlaidherheadonmyshoulder，withaterriblemutehelplessnessthatstruckmetotheheart。
`Trytotellme，’Irepeatedgently；`trytotellmewhyyouarenothappy。’
`Iamsouseless——Iamsuchaburdenonbothofyou，’sheanswered，withaweary，hopelesssigh。`Youworkandgetmoney，Walter，andMarianhelpsyou。WhyistherenothingIcando！YouwillendinlikingMarianbetterthanyoulikeme——youwill，becauseIamsohelpless！Oh，don’t，don’t，don’ttreatmelikeachild！’
Iraisedherhead，andsmoothedawaythetangledhairthatfelloverherfaceandkissedher——mypoor，fadedflower！mylost，afflictedsister！
`Youshallhelpus，Laura，’Isaid，`youshallbegin，mydarling，today。’
Shelookedatmewithafeverisheagerness，withabreathlessinterest，thatmademetrembleforthenewlifeofhopewhichIhadcalledintobeingbythosefewwords。
Irose，andsetherdrawingmaterialsinorder，andplacedthemnearheragain。
`YouknowthatIworkandgetmoneybydrawing，’Isaid。`Nowyouhavetakensuchpains，nowyouaresomuchimproved，youshallbegintoworkandgetmoneytoo。Trytofinishthislittlesketchasnicelyandprettilyasyoucan。WhenitisdoneIwilltakeitawaywithme，andthesamepersonwillbuyitwhobuysallthatIdo。Youshallkeepyourownearningsinyourownpurse，andMarianshallcometoyoutohelpus，asoftenasshecomestome。Thinkhowusefulyouaregoingtomakeyourselftobothofus，andyouwillsoonbeashappy，Laura，asthedayislong。’
Herfacegreweager，andbrightenedintoasmile。Inthemomentwhileitlasted。inthemomentwhensheagaintookupthepencilsthathadbeenlaidaside，shealmostlookedliketheLauraofpastdays。
Ihadrightlyinterpretedthefirstsignsofanewgrowthandstrengthinhermind，unconsciouslyexpressingthemselvesinthenoticeshehadtakenoftheoccupationswhichfilledhersister’slifeandmine。Marian(whenItoldherwhathadpassed)saw，aslsaw，thatshewaslongingtoassumeherownlittlepositionofimportance，toraiseherselfinherownestimationandinours——and，fromthatday，wetenderlyhelpedthenewambitionwhichgavepromiseofthehopeful，happierfuture，thatmightnownotbefaroff。Herdrawings，asshefinishedthem，ortriedtofinishthem，wereplacedinmyhands。Mariantookthemfrommeandhidthemcarefully，andIsetasidealittleweeklytributefrommyearnings，tobeofferedtoherasthepricepaidbystrangersforthepoor，faint，valuelesssketches，ofwhichIwastheonlypurchaser。Itwashardsometimestomaintainourinnocentdeception，whensheproudlybroughtoutherpursetocontributehersharetowardstheexpenses，andwonderedwithseriousinterest，whetherIorshehadearnedthemostthatweek。Ihaveallthosehiddendrawingsinmypossessionstill——theyaremytreasuresbeyondprice——thedearremembrancesthatIlovetokeepalive——thefriendsinpastadversitythatmyheartwillneverpartfrom，mytendernessneverforget。
AmItrifling，here，withthenecessitiesofmytask？amIlookingforwardtothehappiertimewhichmynarrativehasnotyetreached？Yes。Backagain——backtothedaysofdoubtanddread，whenthespiritwithinmestruggledhardforitslife，intheicystillnessofperpetualsuspense。Ihavepausedandrestedforawhileonmyforwardcourse。Itisnot，perhaps，timewasted，ifthefriendswhoreadthesepageshavepausedandrestedtoo。
ItookthefirstopportunityIcouldfindofspeakingtoMarianinprivate，andofcommunicatingtohertheresultoftheinquirieswhichIhadmadethatmorning。SheseemedtosharetheopiniononthesubjectofmyproposedjourneytoWelmingham，whichMrsClementshadalreadyexpressedtome。
`Surely，Walter，’shesaid，`youhardlyknowenoughyettogiveyouanyhopeofclaimingMrsCatherick’sconfidence？Isitwisetoproceedtotheseextremities，beforeyouhavereallyexhaustedallsaferandsimplermeansofattainingyourobject？WhenyoutoldmethatSirPercivalandtheCountweretheonlytwopeopleinexistencewhoknewtheexactdateofLaura’sjourney，youforgot，andIforgot，thattherewasathirdpersonwhomustsurelyknowit——ImeanMrsRubelle。Woulditnotbefareasier，andfarlessdangerous，toinsistonaconfessionfromher，thantoforceitfromSirPercival？’
