第7章

IatoncerelatedthecircumstancesunderwhichIhadmetthewomaninwhite，exactlyastheyhadoccurred；andIrepeatedwhatshehadsaidtomeaboutMrsFairlieandLimmeridgeHouse，wordforword。

MissHalcombe’sbrightresoluteeyeslookedeagerlyintomine，fromthebeginningofthenarrativetotheend。Herfaceexpressedvividinterestandastonishment，butnothingmore。ShewasevidentlyasfarfromknowingofanycluetothemysteryasIwasmyself。

`Areyouquitesureofthosewordsreferringtomymother？’sheasked。

`Quitesure，’Ireplied。`Whoevershemaybe，thewomanwasonceatschoolinthevillageofLimmeridge，wastreatedwithespecialkindnessbyMrsFairlie，and，ingratefulremembranceofthatkindness，feelsanaffectionateinterestinallsurvivingmembersofthefamily。SheknewthatMrsFairlieandherhusbandwerebothdead；andshespokeofMissFairlieasiftheyhadknowneachotherwhentheywerechildren。’

`Yousaid，Ithink，thatshedeniedbelongingtothisplace？’

`Yes，shetoldmeshecamefromHampshire。’

`Andyouentirelyfailedtofindouthername？’

`Entirely。’

`Verystrange。Ithinkyouwerequitejustified，MrHartright，ingivingthepoorcreatureherliberty，forsheseemstohavedonenothinginyourpresencetoshowherselfunfittoenjoyit。ButIwishyouhadbeenalittlemoreresoluteaboutfindingouthername。Wemustreallyclearupthismystery，insomeway。YouhadbetternotspeakofityettoMrFairlie，ortomysister。Theyarebothofthem，Iamcertain，quiteasignorantofwhothewomanis，andofwhatherpasthistoryinconnectionwithuscanbe，asIammyself。Buttheyarealso，inwidelydifferentways，rathernervousandsensitive；andyouwouldonlyfidgetoneandalarmtheothertonopurpose。Asformyself，Iamallaflamewithcuriosity，andIdevotemywholeenergiestothebusinessofdiscoveryfromthismoment。Whenmymothercamehere，afterhersecondmarriage，shecertainlyestablishedthevillageschooljustasitexistsatthepresenttime。Buttheoldteachersarealldead，orgoneelsewhere：andnoenlightenmentistobehopedforfromthatquarter。TheonlyotheralternativeIcanthinkof——’

Atthispointwewereinterruptedbytheentranceoftheservant，withamessagefromMrFairlie，intimatingthathewouldbegladtoseeme，assoonasIhaddonebreakfast。

`Waitinthehall，’saidMissHalcombe，answeringtheservantforme，inherquick，readyway。`MrHartrightwillcomeoutdirectly。Iwasabouttosay，’shewenton，addressingmeagain，`thatmysisterandIhavealargecollectionofmymother’sletters，addressedtomyfatherandtohers。Intheabsenceofanyothermeansofgettinginformation，Iwillpassthemorninginlookingovermymother’scorrespondencewithMrFairlie。

HewasfondofLondon，andwasconstantlyawayfromhiscountryhome；andshewasaccustomed，atsuchtimes，towriteandreporttohimhowthingswentonatLimmeridge。Herlettersarefullofreferencestotheschoolinwhichshetooksostronganinterest；andIthinkitmorethanlikelythatImayhavediscoveredsomethingwhenwemeetagain。Theluncheonhouristwo，MrHartright。Ishallhavethepleasureofintroducingyoutomysisterbythattime，andwewilloccupytheafternoonindrivingroundtheneighbourhoodandshowingyouallourpetpointsofview。Tilltwoo’clock，then，farewell。’

Shenoddedtomewiththelivelygrace，thedelightfulrefinementoffamiliarity，whichcharacterisedallthatShedidandallthatshesaid；

anddisappearedbyadooratthelowerendoftheroom。Assoonasshehadleftme，Iturnedmystepstowardsthehall，andfollowedtheservant，onmyway，forthefirsttime，tothepresenceofMrFairlie。IVMyconductorledmeupstairsintoapassagewhichtookusbacktothebedchamberinwhichIhadsleptduringthepastnight；andopeningthedoornexttoit，beggedmetolookin。

`Ihavemymaster’sorderstoshowyouyourownsitting-room，sir，’

saidtheman，`andtoinquireifyouapproveofthesituationandthelight。’

Imusthavebeenhardtoplease，indeed，ifIhadnotapprovedoftheroom，andofeverythingaboutit。Thebow-windowlookedoutonthesamelovelyviewwhichIhadadmired，inthemorning，frommybedroom。Thefurniturewastheperfectionofluxuryandbeauty；thetableinthecentrewasbrightwithgailyboundbooks，elegantconveniencesforwriting，andbeautifulflowers；thesecondtable，nearthewindow，wascoveredwithallthenecessarymaterialsformountingwater-colourdrawings，andhadalittleeaselattachedtoit，whichIcouldexpandorfoldupatwill；thewallswerehungwithgailytintedchintz；andthefloorwasspreadwithIndianmattinginmaize-colourandred。Itwastheprettiestandmostluxuriouslittlesitting-roomI

hadeverseen；andIadmireditwiththewarmestenthusiasm。

Thesolemnservantwasfartoohighlytrainedtobetraytheslightestsatisfaction。Hebowedwithicydeferencewhenmytermsofeulogywereallexhausted，andsilentlyopenedthedoorformetogooutintothepassageagain。

Weturnedacorner，andenteredalongsecondpassage，ascendedashortflightofstairsattheend，crossedasmallcircularupperhall，andstoppedinfrontofadoorcoveredwithdarkbaize。Theservantopenedthisdoor，andledmeonafewyardstoasecond；openedthatalso，anddisclosedtwocurtainsofpalesea-greensilkhangingbeforeus；raisedoneofthemnoiselessly；softlyutteredthewords，`MrHartright，’andleftme。

Ifoundmyselfinalarge，loftyroom，withamagnificentcarvedceiling，andwithacarpetoverthefloor，sothickandsoftthatitfeltlikepilesofvelvetundermyfeet。Onesideoftheroomwasoccupiedbyalongbookcaseofsomerareinlaidwoodthatwasquitenewtome。Itwasnotmorethansixfeethigh，andthetopwasadornedwithstatuettesinmarble，rangedatregulardistancesonefromtheother。Ontheoppositesidestoodtwoantiquecabinets；andbetweenthem，andabovethem，hungapictureoftheVirginandChild，protectedbyglass，andbearingRaphael’snameonthegilttabletatthebottomoftheframe。Onmyrighthandandonmyleft，asIstoodinsidethedoor，werechiffoniersandlittlestandsinbuhlandmarquetterie，loadedwithfiguresinDresdenchina，withrarevases，ivoryornaments，andtoysandcuriositiesthatsparkledatallpointswithgold，silver，andpreciousstones。Atthelowerendoftheroom，oppositetome，thewindowswereconcealedandthesunlightwastemperedbylargeblindsofthesamepalesea-greencolourasthecurtainsoverthedoor。

Thelightthusproducedwasdeliciouslysoft，mysterious，andsubdued；

itfellequallyuponalltheobjectsintheroom；ithelpedtointensifythedeepsilence，andtheairofprofoundseclusionthatpossessedtheplace；anditsurrounded，withanappropriatehaloofrepose，thesolitaryfigureofthemasterofthehouse，leaningback，listlesslycomposed，inalargeeasy-chair，withareading-easelfastenedononeofitsarms，andalittletableontheother。

Ifaman’spersonalappearance，whenheisoutofhisdressing-room，andwhenhehaspassedforty，canbeacceptedasasafeguidetohistimeoflife——whichismorethandoubtful——MrFairlie’sage，whenIsawhim，mighthavebeenreasonablycomputedatoverfiftyandundersixtyyears。Hisbeardlessfacewasthin，worn，andtransparentlypale，butnotwrinkled；hisnosewashighandhooked；hiseyeswereofadimgreyishblue，large，prominent，andratherredroundtherimsoftheeyelids；hishairwasscanty，softtolookat，andofthatlightsandycolourwhichisthelasttodiscloseitsownchangestowardsgrey。Hewasdressedinadarkfrock-coat，ofsomesubstancemuchthinnerthancloth，andinwaistcoatandtrousersofspotlesswhite。Hisfeetwereeffeminatelysmall，andwerecladinbuff-colouredsilkstockings，andlittlewomanishbronze-leatherslippers。Tworingsadornedhiswhitedelicatehands，thevalueofwhichevenmyinexperiencedobservationdetectedtobeallbutpriceless。Uponthewhole，hehadafrail，languidly-fretful，over-refinedlook——somethingsingularlyandunpleasantlydelicateinitsassociationwithaman，and，atthesametime，somethingwhichcouldbynopossibilityhavelookednaturalandappropriateifithadbeentransferredtothepersonalappearanceofawoman。Mymorning’sexperienceofMissHalcombehadpredisposedmetobepleasedwitheverybodyinthehouse；butmysympathiesshutthemselvesupresolutelyatthefirstsightofMrFairlie。

Onapproachingnearertohim，IdiscoveredthathewasnotsoentirelywithoutoccupationasIhadatfirstsupposed。Placedamidtheotherrareandbeautifulobjectsonalargeroundtablenearhim，wasadwarfcabinetinebonyandsilver，containingcoinsofallshapesandsizes，setoutinlittledrawerslinedwithdarkpurplevelvet。Oneofthesedrawerslayonthesmalltableattachedtohischair；andnearitweresometinyjeweller’sbrushes，awash-leather`stump，’andalittlebottleofliquid，allwaitingtobeusedinvariouswaysfortheremovalofanyaccidentalimpuritieswhichmightbediscoveredonthecoins。Hisfrailwhitefingerswerelistlesslytoyingwithsomethingwhichlooked，tomyuninstructedeyes，likeadirtypewtermedalwithraggededges，whenIadvancedwithinarespectfuldistanceofhischair，andstoppedtomakemybow。

`SogladtopossessyouatLimmeridge，MrHartright，’hesaidinaquerulous，croakingvoice，whichcombined，inanythingbutanagreeablemanner，adiscordantlyhightonewithadrowsilylanguidutterance。`Praysitdown。

Anddon’ttroubleyourselftomovethechair，please。Inthewretchedstateofmynerves，movementofanykindisexquisitelypainfultome。Haveyouseenyourstudio？Willitdo？’

`Ihavejustcomefromseeingtheroom，MrFairlie；andIassureyou——’

Hestoppedmeinthemiddleofthesentence，byclosinghiseyes，andholdinguponeofhiswhitehandsimploringly。Ipausedinastonishment；

andthecroakingvoicehonouredmewiththisexplanation——

`Prayexcuseme。Butcouldyoucontrivetospeakinalowerkey？

Inthewretchedstateofmynerves，loudsoundofanykindisindescribabletorturetome。Youwillpardonaninvalid？Ionlysaytoyouwhatthelamentablestateofmyhealthobligesmetosaytoeverybody。Yes。Andyoureallyliketheroom？’

`Icouldwishfornothingprettierandnothingmorecomfortable，’I

answered，droppingmyvoice，andbeginningtodiscoveralreadythatMrFairlie’sselfishaffectationandMrFairlie’swretchednervesmeantoneandthesamething。

`Soglad。Youwillfindyourpositionhere，MrHartright，properlyrecognised。