第19章

`Howdidyoucomehere？’sheasked，withoutnoticingwhatIhadjustsaidtoher。

`Don’tyouremembermytellingyou，whenwelastmet，thatIwasgoingtoCumberland？IhavebeeninCumberlandeversince——IhavebeenstayingallthetimeatLimmeridgeHouse。’

`AtLimmeridgeHouse！’Herpalefacebrightenedassherepeatedthewords，herwanderingeyesfixedonmewithasuddeninterest。`Ah，howhappyyoumusthavebeen！’shesaid，lookingatmeeagerly，withoutashadowofitsformerdistrustleftinherexpression。

Itookadvantageofhernewly-arousedconfidenceinmetoobserveherface，withanattentionandacuriositywhichIhadhithertorestrainedmyselffromshowing，forcaution’ssake。Ilookedather，withmymindfullofthatotherlovelyfacewhichhadsoominouslyrecalledhertomymemoryontheterracebymoonlight。IhadseenAnneCatherick’slikenessinMissFairlie。InowsawMissFairlie’slikenessinAnneCatherick——

sawitallthemoreclearlybecausethepointsofdissimilaritybetweenthetwowerepresentedtomeaswellasthepointsofresemblance。Inthegeneraloutlineofthecountenanceandgeneralproportionofthefeatures——inthecolourofthehairandinthelittlenervousuncertaintyaboutthelips——intheheightandsizeofthefigure，andthecarriageoftheheadandbody，thelikenessappearedevenmorestartlingthanIhadeverfeltittobeyet。Buttheretheresemblanceended，andthedissimilarity，indetails，began。ThedelicatebeautyofMissFairlie’scomplexion，thetransparentclearnessofhereyes，thesmoothpurityofherskin，thetenderbloomofcolouronherlips，wereallmissingfromthewornwearyfacethatwasnowturnedtowardsmine。AlthoughIhatedmyselfevenforthinkingsuchathing，still，whileIlookedatthewomanbeforeme，theideawouldforceitselfintomymindthatonesadchange，inthefuture，wasallthatwaswantingtomakethelikenesscomplete，whichInowsawtobesoimperfectindetail。IfeversorrowandsufferingsettheirprofaningmarksontheyouthandbeautyofMissFairlie’sface，then，andthenonly，AnneCatherickandshewouldbethetwin-sistersofchanceresemblance，thelivingreflectionsofoneanother。

Ishudderedatthethought。Merewassomethinghorribleintheblindunreasoningdistrustofthefuturewhichthemerepassageofitthroughmymindseemedtoimply。ItwasawelcomeinterruptiontoberousedbyfeelingAnneCatherick’shandlaidonmyshoulder。Thetouchwasasstealthyandassuddenasthatothertouchwhichhadpetrifiedmefromheadtofootonthenightwhenwefirstmet。

`Youarelookingatme，andyouarethinkingofsomething，’shesaid，withherstrangebreathlessrapidityofutterance。`Whatisit？’

`Nothingextraordinary，’Ianswered。`Iwasonlywonderinghowyoucamehere。’

`Icamewithafriendwhoisverygoodtome。Ihaveonlybeenheretwodays。’

`Andyoufoundyourwaytothisplaceyesterday？’

`Howdoyouknowthat？’

`Ionlyguessedit。’

Sheturnedfromme，andkneltdownbeforetheinscriptiononcemore。

`WhereshouldIgoifnothere？’shesaid。`ThefriendwhowasbetterthanamothertomeistheonlyfriendIhavetovisitatLimmeridge。Oh，itmakesmyheartachetoseeastainonhertomb！Itoughttobekeptwhiteassnow，forhersake。Iwastemptedtobegincleaningityesterday，andIcan’thelpcomingbacktogoonwithittoday。Isthereanythingwronginthat？Ihopenot。SurelynothingcanbewrongthatIdoforMrsFairlie’ssake？’

Theoldgratefulsenseofherbenefactress’skindnesswasevidentlytherulingideastillinthePoorcreature’smind——thenarrowmindwhichhadbuttooplainlyopenedtonootherlastingimpressionsincethatfirstimpressionofheryoungerandhappierdays。Isawthatmybestchanceofwinningherconfidencelayinencouraginghertoproceedwiththeartlessemploymentwhichshehadcomeintotheburial-groundtopursue。Sheresumeditatonce，onmytellinghershemightdoso，touchingthehardmarbleastenderlyasifithadbeenasentientthing，andwhisperingthewordsoftheinscriptiontoherself，overandoveragain，asifthelostdaysofhergirlhoodhadreturnedandshewaspatientlylearningherlessononcemoreatMrsFairlie’sknees。

`Shouldyouwonderverymuch，’Isaid，preparingthewayascautiouslyasIcouldforthequestionsthatweretocome，`ifIownedthatitisasatisfactiontome，aswellasasurprise，toseeyouhere？Ifeltveryuneasyaboutyouafteryouleftmeinthecab。’

Shelookedupquicklyandsuspiciously。

`Uneasy，’sherepeated。`Why？’

`Astrangethinghappenedafterwepartedthatnight。Twomenovertookmeinachaise。TheydidnotseewhereIwasstanding，buttheystoppednearme，andspoketoapolicemanontheothersideoftheway。’

Sheinstantlysuspendedheremployment。Thehandholdingthedampclothwithwhichshehadbeencleaningtheinscriptiondroppedtoherside。Theotherhandgraspedthemarblecrossattheheadofthegrave。Herfaceturnedtowardsmeslowly，withtheblanklookofterrorsetrigidlyonitoncemore。Iwentonatallhazards——itwastoolatenowtodrawback。

`Thetwomenspoketothepoliceman，’Isaid，`andaskedhimifhehadseenyou。Hehadnotseenyou；andthenoneofthemenspokeagain，andsaidyouhadescapedfromhisAsylum。’

Shesprangtoherfeetasifmylastwordshadsetthepursuersonhertrack。

`Stop！andheartheend，’Icried。`Stop！andyoushallknowhowIbefriendedyou。Awordfrommewouldhavetoldthemenwhichwayyouhadgone——andIneverspokethatword。Ihelpedyourescape——Imadeitsafeandcertain。

Think，trytothink。TrytounderstandwhatItellyou。’

Mymannerseemedtoinfluencehermorethanmywords。Shemadeanefforttograspthenewidea。Herhandsshiftedthedampclothhesitatinglyfromonetotheother，exactlyastheyhadshiftedthelittletravelling-bagonthenightwhenIfirstsawher。Slowlythepurposeofmywordsseemedtoforceitswaythroughtheconfusionandagitationofhermind。Slowlyherfeaturesrelaxed，andhereyeslookedatmewiththeirexpressiongainingincuriositywhatitwasfastlosinginfear。

`Youdon’tthinkIoughttobebackintheAsylum，doyou？’shesaid。

`Certainlynot。Iamgladyouescapedfromit——IamgladIhelpedyou。’

`Yes，yes，youdidhelpmeindeed；youhelpedmeatthehardpart，’

shewentonalittlevacantly。`Itwaseasytoescape，orlshouldnothavegotaway。Theyneversuspectedmeastheysuspectedtheothers。I

wassoquiet，andsoobedient，andsoeasilyfrightened。ThefindingLondonwasthehardpart，andthereyouhelpedme。DidIthankyouatthetime？

Ithankyounowverykindly。’

`WastheAsylumfarfromwhereyoumetme？Come！showthatyoubelievemetobeyourfriend，andtellmewhereitwas。’

Shementionedtheplace——aprivateAsylum，asitssituationinformedme；aprivateAsylumnotveryfarfromthespotwhereIhadseenher——

andthen，withevidentsuspicionoftheusetowhichImightputheranswer，anxiouslyrepeatedherformerinquiry，`Youdon’tthinkIoughttobetakenback，doyou？’

`Onceagain，Iamgladyouescaped——Iamgladyouprosperedwellafteryouleftme，’Ianswered。`YousaidyouhadafriendinLondontogoto。

ridyoufindthefriend？’

`Yes。Itwasverylate，buttherewasagirlupatneedleworkinthehouse，andshehelpedmetorouseMrsClements。MrsClementsismyfriend。

Agood，kindwoman，butnotlikeMrsFairlie。Ahno，nobodyislikeMrsFairlie！’

`IsMrsClementsanoldfriendofyours？Haveyouknownheralongtime？’

`Yes，shewasaneighbourofoursonce，athome，inHampshire，andlikedme，andtookcareofmewhenIwasalittlegirl。Yearsago。whenshewentawayfromus，shewrotedowninmyPrayer-hookformewhereshewasgoingtoliveinLondon，andshesaid，``Ifyouareeverintrouble，Anne，cometome。Ihavenohusbandalivetosaymenay，andnochildrentolookafter，andIwilltakecareofyou。’’Kindwords，weretheynot？IsupposeIrememberthembecausetheywerekind。It’slittleenoughIrememberbesides——littleenough，littleenough！’

`Hadyounofatherormothertotakecareofyou？’

`Father？——Ineversawhim——Ineverheardmotherspeakofhim。father？

Ah，dear！heisdead，Isuppose。’

`Andyourmother？’

`Idon’tgetonwellwithher。Weareatroubleandafeartoeachother。’

Atroubleandafeartoeachother！Atthosewordsthesuspicioncrossedmymind，forthefirsttime，thathermothermightbethepersonwhohadplacedherunderrestraint。

`Don’taskmeaboutmother，’shewenton。`I’drathertalkofMrsClements。

MrsClementsislikeyou，shedoesn’tthinkthatIoughttobebackintheAsylum，andsheisasgladasyouarethatIescapedfromit。Shecriedovermymisfortune，andsaiditmustbekeptsecretfromeverybody。’

Her`misfortune。’Inwhatsensewassheusingthatword？Inasensewhichmightexplainhermotiveinwritingtheanonymousletter？Inasensewhichmightshowittobethetoocommonandtoocustomarymotivethathasledmanyawomantointerposeanonymoushindrancestothemarriageofthemanwhohasruinedher？Iresolvedtoattempttheclearingupofthisdoubtbeforemorewordspassedbetweenusoneitherside。

`Whatmisfortune？’Iasked。