第11章

Forhalfanhourmorethemusicstillwenton。AfterthatthebeautyofthemoonlightviewontheterracetemptedMissFairlieouttolookatit，andIfollowedher。WhenthecandlesatthepianohadbeenlightedMissHalcombehadchangedherplace，soastocontinueherexaminationofthelettersbytheirassistance。Welefther，onalowchair，atonesideoftheinstrument，soabsorbedoverherreadingthatshedidnotseemtonoticewhenwemoved。

Wehadbeenoutontheterracetogether，justinfrontoftheglassdoors，hardlysolongasfiveminutes，Ishouldthink；andMissFairliewas，bymyadvice，justtyingherwhitehandkerchiefoverherheadasaprecautionagainstthenightair——whenIheardMissHalcombe’svoice——low，eager，andalteredfromitsnaturallivelytone——pronouncemyname。

`MrHartright，’shesaid，`willyoucomehereforaminute？Iwanttospeaktoyou。’

Ienteredtheroomagainimmediately。Thepianostoodabouthalfwaydownalongtheinnerwall。OnthesideoftheinstrumentfarthestfromtheterraceMissHalcombewassittingwiththelettersscatteredonherlap，andwithoneinherhandselectedfromthem，andheldclosetothecandle。Onthesidenearesttotheterracetherestoodalowottoman，onwhichItookmyplace。InthispositionIwasnotfarfromtheglassdoors，andIcouldseeMissFairlieplainly，asshepassedandrepassedtheopeningontotheterrace，walkingslowlyfromendtoendofitinthefullradianceofthemoon。

`IwantyoutolistenwhileIreadtheconcludingpassagesinthisletter，’

saidMissHalcombe。`TellmeifyouthinktheythrowanylightuponyourstrangeadventureontheroadtoLondon。Theletterisaddressedbymymothertohersecondhusband，MrFairlie，andthedatereferstoaperiodofbetweenelevenandtwelveyearssince。AtthattimeMrandMrsFairlie，andmyhalf-sisterLaura，hadbeenlivingforyearsinthishouse；andIwasawayfromthemcompletingmyeducationataschoolinParis。’

Shelookedandspokeearnestly，and，asIthought，alittleuneasilyaswell。Atthemomentwhensheraisedthelettertothecandlebeforebeginningtoreadit，MissFairliepassedusontheterrace，lookedinforamoment，andseeingthatwewereengaged，slowlywalkedon。

MissHalcombebegantoreadasfollows：——

```Youwillbetired，mydearPhilip，ofhearingperpetuallyaboutmyschoolandmyscholars。Laytheblame，pray，onthedulluniformityoflifeatLimmeridge，andnotonme。Besides，thistimeIhavesomethingreallyinterestingtotellyouaboutanewscholar。

```YouknowoldMrsKempeatthevillageshop。Well，afteryearsofailing，thedoctorhasatlastgivenherup，andsheisdyingslowlydaybyday。Heronlylivingrelation，asister，arrivedlastweektotakecareofher。ThissistercomesallthewayfromHampshire——hernameisMrsCatherick。FourdaysagoMrsCatherickcameheretoseeme，andbroughtheronlychildwithher，asweetlittlegirlaboutayearolderthanourdarlingLaura——’’’

Asthelastsentencefellfromthereader’slips，MissFairliepassedusontheterraceoncemore。Shewassoftlysingingtoherselfoneofthemelodieswhichshehadbeenplayingearlierintheevening。MissHalcombewaitedtillshehadpassedoutofsightagain，andthenwentonwiththeletter——

```MrsCatherickisadecent，well-behaved，respectablewoman；middle-aged，andwiththeremainsofhavingbeenmoderately，onlymoderately，nice-looking。

Thereissomethinginhermannerandinherappearance，however，whichIcan’tmakeout。Sheisreservedaboutherselftothepointofdownrightsecrecy，andthereisalookinherface——Ican’tdescribeit——whichsuggeststomethatshehassomethingonhermind。Sheisaltogetherwhatyouwouldcallawalkingmystery。HererrandatLimmeridgeHouse，however，wassimpleenough。WhensheleftHampshiretonursehersister，MrsKempe，throughherlastillness，shehadbeenobligedtobringherdaughterwithher，throughhavingnooneathometotakecareofthelittlegirl。MrsKempemaydieinaweek’stime，ormaylingeronformonths；andMrsCatherick’sobjectwastoaskmetoletherdaughter，Anne，havethebenefitofattendingmyschool，subjecttotheconditionofherbeingremovedfromittogohomeagainwithhermother，afterMrsKempe’sdeath。Iconsentedatonce，andwhenLauraandIwentoutforourwalk，wetookthelittlegirl(whoisjustelevenyearsold)totheschoolthatveryday。’’’

OncemoreMissFairlie’sfigure，brightandsoftinitssnowymuslindress——herfaceprettilyframedbythewhitefoldsofthehandkerchiefwhichshehadtiedunderherchin——passedbyusinthemoonlight。OncemoreMissHalcombewaitedtillshewasoutofsight，andthenwenton——

```Ihavetakenaviolentfancy。Philip，tomynewscholar，forareasonwhichImeantokeeptillthelastforthesakeofsurprisingyou。Hermotherhavingtoldmeaslittleaboutthechildasshetoldmeofherself，Iwaslefttodiscover(whichIdidonthefirstdaywhenwetriedheratlessons)thatthepoorlittlething’sintellectisnotdevelopedasitoughttobeatherage。SeeingthisIhadheruptothehousethenextday，andprivatelyarrangedwiththedoctortocomeandwatchherandquestionher，andtellmewhathethought。Hisopinionisthatshewillgrowoutofit。Ruthesayshercarefulbringing-upatschoolisamatterofgreatimportancejustnow，becauseherunusualslownessinacquiringideasimpliesanunusualtenacityinkeepingthem，whentheyareoncereceivedintohermind。Now，mylove，youmustnotimagine，inyouroff-handway，thatI

havebeenattachingmyselftoanidiot。ThispoorlittleAnneCatherickisasweet，affectionate，gratefulgirl，andsaysthequaintest，prettiestthings(asyoushalljudgebyaninstance)，inthemostoddlysudden，surprised，half-frightenedway。Althoughsheisdressedveryneatly，herclothesshowasadwantoftasteincolourandpattern。SoIarranged，yesterday，thatsomeofourdarlingLaura’soldwhitefrocksandwhitehatsshouldbealteredforAnneCatherick，explainingtoherthatlittlegirlsofhercomplexionlookedneaterandbetterallinwhitethaninanythingelse。Shehesitatedandseemedpuzzledforaminute，thenflushedup，andappearedtounderstand。

Herlittlehandclaspedminesuddenly。Shekissedit，Philip，andsaid(oh，soearnestly！)，`IwillalwayswearwhiteaslongasIlive。Itwillhelpmetorememberyou，ma’am，andtothinkthatIampleasingyoustill，whenIgoawayandseeyounomore。’Thisisonlyonespecimenofthequaintthingsshesayssoprettily。Poorlittlesoul！Sheshallhaveastockofwhitefrocks，madewithgooddeeptucks，toletoutforherasshegrows——’’’

MissHalcombepaused，andlookedatmeacrossthepiano。

`Didtheforlornwomanwhomyoumetinthehigh-roadseemyoung？’sheasked。`Youngenoughtobetwo-orthree-and-twenty？’

`Yes，MissHalcombe，asyoungasthat。’

`Andshewasstrangelydressed，fromheadtofoot，allinwhite？’

`Allinwhite。’

WhiletheanswerwaspassingmylipsMissFairlieglidedintoviewontheterraceforthethirdtime。Insteadofproceedingonherwalk，shestopped，withherhackturnedtowardsus，and，leaningonthebalustradeoftheterrace，lookeddownintothegardenbeyond。Myeyesfixeduponthewhitegleamofhermuslingownandhead-dressinthemoonlight，andasensation，forwhichIcanfindnoname——asensationthatquickenedmypulse，andraisedaflutteringatmyheart——begantostealoverme。

`Allinwhite？’MissHalcomberepeated。`Themostimportantsentencesintheletter，MrHartright，arethoseattheend，whichIwillreadtoyouimmediately。ButIcan’thelpdwellingalittleuponthecoincidenceofthewhitecostumeofthewomanyoumet，andthewhitefrockswhichproducedthatstrangeanswerfrommymother’slittlescholar。Thedoctormayhavebeenwrongwhenhediscoveredthechild’sdefectsofintellect，andpredictedthatshewould`growoutofthem。’Shemayneverhavegrownoutofthem，andtheoldgratefulfancyaboutdressinginwhite，whichwasaseriousfeelingtothegirl，maybeaseriousfeelingtothewomanstill。’

Isaidafewwordsinanswer——Ihardlyknowwhat。AllmyattentionwasconcentratedonthewhitegleamofMissFairlie’smuslindress。

`Listentothelastsentencesoftheletter，’saidMissHalcombe。`I

thinktheywillsurpriseyou。’

Assheraisedthelettertothelightofthecandle，MissFairlieturnedfromthebalustrade，lookeddoubtfullyupanddowntheterrace，advancedasteptowardstheglassdoors，andthenstopped，facingus。

MeanwhileMissHalcombereadmethelastsentencestowhichshehadreferred——

```Andnow，mylove，seeingthatIamattheendofmypaper，nowfortherealreason，thesurprisingreason，formyfondnessforlittleAnneCatherick。MydearPhilip，althoughsheisnothalfsopretty，sheis，nevertheless，byoneofthoseextraordinarycapricesofaccidentalresemblancewhichonesometimessees，thelivinglikeness，inherhair，hercomplexion，thecolourofhereyes，andtheshapeofherface——’’’

IstartedupfromtheottomanbeforeMissHalcombecouldpronouncethenextwords。Athrillofthesamefeelingwhichranthroughmewhenthetouchwaslaiduponmyshoulderonthelonelyhigh-roadchilledmeagain。

TherestoodMissFairlie，awhitefigure，aloneinthemoonlight；inherattitude，intheturnofherhead，inhercomplexion，intheshapeofherface，thelivingimage，atthatdistanceandunderthosecircumstances，ofthewomaninwhite！Thedoubtwhichhadtroubledmymindforhoursandhourspastflashedintoconvictioninaninstant。That`somethingwanting’

wasmyownrecognitionoftheominouslikenessbetweenthefugitivefromtheasylumandmypupilatLimmeridgeHouse。

`Youseeit！’saidMissHalcombe。Shedroppedtheuselessletter，andhereyesflashedastheymetmine。`Youseeitnow，asmymothersawitelevenyearssince！’

`Iseeit——moreunwillinglythanIcansay。Toassociatethatforlorn，friendless，lostwoman，evenbyanaccidentallikenessonly，withMissFairlie，seemslikecastingashadowonthefutureofthebrightcreaturewhostandslookingatusnow。Letmelosetheimpressionagainassoonaspossible。Callherin，outofthedrearymoonlight——praycallherin！’

`MrHartright，yousurpriseme。Whateverwomenmaybe，Ithoughtthatmen，inthenineteenthcentury，wereabovesuperstition。’

`Praycallherin！’

`Hush，hush！Sheiscomingofherownaccord。Saynothinginherpresence。

Letthisdiscoveryofthelikenessbekeptasecretbetweenyouandme。