第4章

“IhaveanappointmentwithMissGarth。Isshereadytoseeme？“

“Quiteready，sir。“

“Isshealone？“

“Yes，sir。“

“IntheroomwhichwasMr。Vanstone\'sstudy？“

“Inthatroom，sir。“

TheservantopenedthedoorandMr。Pendrilwentin。

Thegovernessstoodaloneatthestudywindow。Themorningwasoppressivelyhot，andshethrewupthelowersashtoadmitmoreairintotheroom，asMr。Pendrilenteredit。

Theybowedtoeachotherwithaformalpoliteness，whichbetrayedoneithersideanuneasysenseofrestraint。Mr。Pendrilwasoneofthemanymenwhoappearsuperficiallytotheworstadvantage，undertheinfluenceofstrongmentalagitationwhichitisnecessaryforthemtocontrol。MissGarth，onherside，hadnotforgottentheungraciouslyguardedtermsinwhichthelawyerhadrepliedtoherletter；andthenaturalanxietywhichshehadfeltonthesubjectoftheinterviewwasnotrelievedbyanyfavorableopinionofthemanwhosoughtit。Astheyconfrontedeachotherinthesilenceofthesummer\'smorning——bothdressedinblack；MissGarth\'shardfeatures，gauntandhaggardwithgrief；thelawyer\'scold，colorlessface，voidofallmarkedexpression，suggestiveofabusinessembarrassmentandofnothingmore——itwouldhavebeenhardtofindtwopersonslessattractiveexternallytoanyordinarysympathiesthanthetwowhohadnowmettogether，theonetotell，theothertohear，thesecretsofthedead。

“Iamsincerelysorry，MissGarth，tointrudeonyouatsuchatimeasthis。Butcircumstances，asIhavealreadyexplained，leavemenootherchoice。“

“Willyoutakeaseat，Mr。Pendril？Youwishedtoseemeinthisroom，Ibelieve？“

“Onlyinthisroom，becauseMr。Vanstone\'spapersarekepthere，andImayfinditnecessarytorefertosomeofthem。“

Afterthatformalinterchangeofquestionandanswer，theysatdownoneithersideofatableplacedcloseunderthewindow。Onewaitedtospeak，theotherwaitedtobear。Therewasamomentarysilence。Mr。Pendrilbrokeitbyreferringtotheyoungladies，withthecustomaryexpressionsofsympathy。MissGarthansweredhimwiththesameceremony，inthesameconventionaltone。Therewasasecondpauseofsilence。Thehummingoffliesamongtheevergreenshrubsunderthewindowpenetrateddrowsilyintotheroom；andthetrampofaheavy-footedcart-horse，ploddingalongthehigh-roadbeyondthegarden，wasasplainlyaudibleinthestillnessasifithadbeennight。

Thelawyerrousedhisflaggingresolution，andspoketothepurposewhenhespokenext。

“Youhavesomereason，MissGarth，“hebegan，“tofeelnotquitesatisfiedwithmypastconducttowardyou，inoneparticular。DuringMrs。Vanstone\'sfatalillness，youaddressedalettertome，makingcertaininquiries；which，whileshelived，itwasimpossibleformetoanswer。HerdeplorabledeathreleasesmefromtherestraintwhichIhadimposedonmyself，andpermits——or，moreproperly，obligesmetospeak。YoushallknowwhatseriousreasonsIhadforwaitingdayandnightinthehopeofobtainingthatinterviewwhichunhappilynevertookplace；andinjusticetoMr。Vanstone\'smemory，yourowneyesshallinformyouthathemadehiswill。“

Herose；unlockedalittleironsafeinthecorneroftheroom；andreturnedtothetablewithsomefoldedsheetsofpaper，whichhespreadopenunderMissGarth\'seyes。Whenshehadreadthefirstwords，“InthenameofGod，Amen，“heturnedthesheet，andpointedtotheendofthenextpage。Shesawthewell-knownsignature:“AndrewVanstone。“Shesawthecustomaryattestationsofthetwowitnesses；andthedateofthedocument，revertingtoaperiodofmorethanfiveyearssince。Havingthusconvincedheroftheformalityofthewill，thelawyerinterposedbeforeshecouldquestionhim，andaddressedherinthesewords:

“Imustnotdeceiveyou，“hesaid。“Ihavemyownreasonsforproducingthisdocument。“

“Whatreasons，sir？“

“Youshallhearthem。Whenyouareinpossessionofthetruth，thesepagesmayhelptopreserveyourrespectforMr。Vanstone\'smemory——“

MissGarthstartedbackinherchair。

“Whatdoyoumean？“sheasked，withasternstraightforwardness。

Hetooknoheedofthequestion；hewentonasifshehadnotinterruptedhim。

“Ihaveasecondreason，“hecontinued，“forshowingyouthewill。IfIcanprevailonyoutoreadcertainclausesinit，undermysuperintendence，youwillmakeyourowndiscoveryofthecircumstanceswhichIamheretodisclose——circumstancessopainfulthatIhardlyknowhowtocommunicatethemtoyouwithmyownlips。“

MissGarthlookedhimsteadfastlyintheface。

“Circumstances，sir，whichaffectthedeadparents，orthelivingchildren？“

“Whichaffectthedeadandthelivingboth，“answeredthelawyer。“Circumstances，Igrievetosay，whichinvolvethefutureofMr。Vanstone\'sunhappydaughters。“

“Wait，“saidMissGarth，“waitalittle。“Shepushedhergrayhairbackfromhertemples，andstruggledwiththesicknessofheart，thedreadfulfaintnessofterror，whichwouldhaveoverpoweredayoungeroralessresolutewoman。Hereyes，dimwithwatching，wearywithgrief，searchedthelawyer\'sunfathomableface。“Hisunhappydaughters？“sherepeatedtoherself，vacantly。“Hetalksasiftherewassomeworsecalamitythanthecalamitywhichhasmadethemorphans。“Shepausedoncemore；andralliedhersinkingcourage。“Iwillnotmakeyourhardduty，sir，morepainfultoyouthanIcanhelp，“sheresumed。“Showmetheplaceinthewill。Letmereadit，andknowtheworst。“

Mr。Pendrilturnedbacktothefirstpage，andpointedtoacertainplaceinthecrampedlinesofwriting。“Beginhere，“hesaid。

Shetriedtobegin；shetriedtofollowhisfinger，asshehadfolloweditalreadytothesignaturesandthedates。Buthersensesseemedtosharetheconfusionofhermind——thewordsmingledtogether，andthelinesswambeforehereyes。

“Ican\'tfollowyou，“shesaid。“Youmusttellit，orreadittome。“Shepushedherchairbackfromthetable，andtriedtocollectherself。“Stop！“sheexclaimed，asthelawyer，withvisiblehesitationandreluctance，tookthepapersinhisownhand。“Onequestion，first。Doeshiswillprovideforhischildren？“

“Hiswillprovidedforthem，whenhemadeit。“

“Whenhemadeit！“(Somethingofhernaturalbluntnessbrokeoutinhermannerassherepeatedtheanswer。)“Doesitprovideforthemnow？“

“Itdoesnot。“

Shesnatchedthewillfromhishand，andthrewitintoacorneroftheroom。“Youmeanwell，“shesaid；“youwishtospareme——butyouarewastingyourtime，andmystrength。Ifthewillisuseless，thereletitlie。Tellmethetruth，Mr。Pendril——tellitplainly，tellitinstantly，inyourownwords！“

Hefeltthatitwouldbeuselesscrueltytoresistthatappeal。Therewasnomercifulalternativebuttoansweritonthespot。

“Imustreferyoutothespringofthepresentyear，MissGarth。DoyourememberthefourthofMarch？“

Herattentionwanderedagain；athoughtseemedtohavestruckheratthemomentwhenhespoke。Insteadofansweringhisinquiry，sheputaquestionofherown。

“Letmebreakthenewstomyself，“shesaid——“letmeanticipateyou，ifIcan。Hisuselesswill，thetermsinwhichyouspeakofhisdaughters，thedoubtyouseemtofeelofmycontinuedrespectforhismemory，haveopenedanewviewtome。Mr。Vanstonehasdiedaruinedman——isthatwhatyouhadtotellme？“

“Farfromit。Mr。Vanstonehasdied，leavingafortuneofmorethaneightythousandpounds——afortuneinvestedinexcellentsecurities。Heliveduptohisincome，butneverbeyondit；andallhisdebtsaddedtogetherwouldnotreachtwohundredpounds。Ifhehaddiedaruinedman，Ishouldhavefeltdeeplyforhischildren:butIshouldnothavehesitatedtotellyouthetruth，asIamhesitatingnow。Letmerepeataquestionwhichescapedyou，Ithink，whenIfirstputit。Carryyourmindbacktothespringofthisyear。DoyourememberthefourthofMarch？“

MissGarthshookherhead。“Mymemoryfordatesisbadatthebestoftimes，“shesaid。“Iamtooconfusedtoexertitatamoment\'snotice。Canyouputyourquestioninnootherform？“

Heputitinthisform:

“DoyourememberanydomesticeventinthespringofthepresentyearwhichappearedtoaffectMr。Vanstonemoreseriouslythanusual？“

MissGarthleanedforwardinherchair，andlookedeagerlyatMr。Pendrilacrossthetable。“ThejourneytoLondon！“sheexclaimed。“IdistrustedthejourneytoLondonfromthefirst！Yes！IrememberMr。Vanstonereceivingaletter——Irememberhisreadingit，andlookingsoalteredfromhimselfthathestartledusall。“

“DidyounoticeanyapparentunderstandingbetweenMr。andMrs。Vanstoneonthesubjectofthatletter？“

“Yes:Idid。Oneofthegirls——itwasMagdalen——mentionedthepost-mark；someplaceinAmerica。Itallcomesbacktome，Mr。Pendril。Mrs。Vanstonelookedexcitedandanxious，themomentsheheardtheplacenamed。TheywenttoLondontogetherthenextday；theyexplainednothingtotheirdaughters，nothingtome。Mrs。Vanstonesaidthejourneywasforfamilyaffairs。Isuspectedsomethingwrong；Icouldn\'ttellwhat。Mrs。VanstonewrotetomefromLondon，sayingthatherobjectwastoconsultaphysicianonthestateofherhealth，andnottoalarmherdaughtersbytellingthem。Somethingintheletterratherhurtmeatthetime。Ithoughttheremightbesomeothermotivethatshewaskeepingfromme。DidIdoherwrong？“

“Youdidhernowrong。Therewasamotivewhichshewaskeepingfromyou。Inrevealingthatmotive，Irevealthepainfulsecretwhichbringsmetothishouse。AllthatIcoulddotoprepareyou，Ihavedone。Letmenowtellthetruthintheplainestandfewestwords。WhenMr。andMrs。VanstoneleftCombe-Raven，intheMarchofthepresentyear——“

Beforehecouldcompletethesentence，asuddenmovementofMissGarth\'sinterruptedhim。Shestartedviolently，andlookedroundtowardthewindow。“Onlythewindamongtheleaves，“shesaid，faintly。“Mynervesaresoshaken，theleastthingstartlesme。Speakout，forGod\'ssake！WhenMr。andMrs。Vanstoneleftthishouse，tellmeinplainwords，whydidtheygotoLondon？“

Inplainwords，Mr。Pendriltoldher:

“TheywenttoLondontobemarried。“

Withthatanswerheplacedaslipofpaperonthetable。Itwasthemarriagecertificateofthedeadparents，andthedateitborewasMarchthetwentieth，eighteenhundredandforty-six。

MissGarthneithermovednorspoke。Thecertificatelaybeneathherunnoticed。Shesatwithhereyesrootedonthelawyer\'sface；hermindstunned，hersenseshelpless。Hesawthatallhiseffortstobreaktheshockofthediscoveryhadbeeneffortsmadeinvain；hefeltthevitalimportanceofrousingher，andfirmlyanddistinctlyrepeatedthefatalwords。

“TheywenttoLondontobemarried，“hesaid。“Trytorouseyourself:trytorealizetheplainfactfirst:theexplanationshallcomeafterward。MissGarth，Ispeakthemiserabletruth！Inthespringofthisyeartheylefthome；theylivedinLondonforafortnight，inthestrictestretirement；theyweremarriedbylicenseattheendofthattime。Thereisacopyofthecertificate，whichImyselfobtainedonMondaylast。Readthedateofthemarriageforyourself。ItisFriday，thetwentiethofMarch——theMarchofthispresentyear。“

Ashepointedtothecertificate，thatfaintbreathofairamongtheshrubsbeneaththewindow，whichhadstartledMissGarth，stirredtheleavesoncemore。Heheardithimselfthistime，andturnedhisface，soastoletthebreezeplayuponit。Nobreezecame；nobreathofairthatwasstrongenoughforhimtofeel，floatedintotheroom。

MissGarthrousedherselfmechanically，andreadthecertificate。Itseemedtoproducenodistinctimpressiononher:shelaiditononesideinalost，bewilderedmanner。“Twelveyears，“shesaid，inlow，hopelesstones——“twelvequiet，happyyearsIlivedwiththisfamily。Mrs。Vanstonewasmyfriend；mydear，valuedfriend——mysister，Imightalmostsay。Ican\'tbelieveit。Bearwithmealittle，sir，Ican\'tbelieveityet。“

“IshallhelpyoutobelieveitwhenItellyoumore，“saidMr。Pendril——“youwillunderstandmebetterwhenItakeyoubacktothetimeofMr。Vanstone\'searlylife。Iwon\'taskforyourattentionjustyet。Letuswaitalittle，untilyourecoveryourself。“

Theywaitedafewminutes。Thelawyertooksomelettersfromhispocket，referredtothemattentively，andputthembackagain。“Canyoulistentome，now？“heasked，kindly。Shebowedherheadinanswer。Mr。Pendrilconsideredwithhimselfforamoment，“Imustcautionyouononepoint，“hesaid。“IftheaspectofMr。Vanstone\'scharacterwhichIamnowabouttopresenttoyouseemsinsomerespectsatvariancewithyourlaterexperience，bearinmindthat，whenyoufirstknewhimtwelveyearssince，hewasamanofforty；andthat，whenIfirstknewhim，hewasaladofnineteen。“

Hisnextwordsraisedtheveil，andshowedtheirrevocablePast。

[NextChapter]

[TableofContents]NoName，Scene1，Chapter13CHAPTERXIII。

“THEfortunewhichMr。Vanstonepossessedwhenyouknewhim“(thelawyerbegan)“waspart，andpartonly，oftheinheritancewhichfelltohimonhisfather\'sdeath。Mr。VanstonetheelderwasamanufacturerintheNorthofEngland。Hemarriedearlyinlife；andthechildrenofthemarriagewereeithersixorseveninnumber——Iamnotcertainwhich。First，Michael，theeldestson，stillliving，andnowanoldmanturnedseventy。Secondly，Selina，theeldestdaughter，whomarriedinafter-life，andwhodiedtenorelevenyearsago。Afterthosetwocameothersonsanddaughters，whoseearlydeathsmakeitunnecessarytomentionthemparticularly。ThelastandbymanyyearstheyoungestofthechildrenwasAndrew，whomIfirstknew，asItoldyou，attheageofnineteen。Myfatherwasthenonthepointofretiringfromtheactivepursuitofhisprofession；andinsucceedingtohisbusiness，IalsosucceededtohisconnectionwiththeVanstonesasthefamilysolicitor。

“Atthattime，Andrewhadjuststartedinlifebyenteringthearmy。Afterlittlemorethanayearofhome-service，hewasorderedoutwithhisregimenttoCanada。WhenhequittedEngland，helefthisfatherandhiselderbrotherMichaelseriouslyatvariance。Ineednotdetainyoubyenteringintothecauseofthequarrel。IneedonlytellyouthattheelderMr。Vanstone，withmanyexcellentqualities，wasamanoffierceandintractabletemper。Hiseldestsonhadsethimatdefiance，undercircumstanceswhichmighthavejustlyirritatedafatheroffarmildercharacter；andhedeclared，inthemostpositiveterms，thathewouldneverseeMichael\'sfaceagain。Indefianceofmyentreaties，andoftheentreatiesofhiswife，hetoreup，inourpresence，thewillwhichprovidedforMichael\'sshareinthepaternalinheritance。Suchwasthefamilyposition，whentheyoungersonlefthomeforCanada。

“SomemonthsafterAndrew\'sarrivalwithhisregimentatQuebec，hebecameacquaintedwithawomanofgreatpersonalattractions，whocame，orsaidshecame，fromoneoftheSouthernStatesofAmerica。Sheobtainedanimmediateinfluenceoverhim；andsheusedittothebasestpurpose。Youknewtheeasy，affectionate，trustingnatureofthemaninlaterlife——youcanimaginehowthoughtlesslyheactedontheimpulseofhisyouth。Itisuselesstodwellonthislamentablepartofthestory。Hewasjusttwenty-one:hewasblindlydevotedtoaworthlesswoman；andsheledhimon，withmercilesscunning，tillitwastoolatetodrawback。Inoneword，hecommittedthefatalerrorofhislife:hemarriedher。

“Shehadbeenwiseenoughinherownintereststodreadtheinfluenceofhisbrother-officers，andtopersuadehim，uptotheperiodofthemarriageceremony，tokeeptheproposedunionbetweenthemasecret。Shecoulddothis；butshecouldnotprovideagainsttheresultsofaccident。Hardlythreemonthshadpassed，whenachancedisclosureexposedthelifeshehadledbeforehermarriage。Butonealternativewaslefttoherhusband——thealternativeofinstantlyseparatingfromher。

“Theeffectofthediscoveryontheunhappyboy——foraboyindispositionhestillwas——maybejudgedbytheeventwhichfollowedtheexposure。OneofAndrew\'ssuperiorofficers——acertainMajorKirke，ifIrememberright——foundhiminhisquarters，writingtohisfatheraconfessionofthedisgracefultruth，withaloadedpistolbyhisside。Thatofficersavedthelad\'slifefromhisownhand，andhushedupthescandalousaffairbyacompromise。Themarriagebeingaperfectlylegalone，andthewife\'smisconductpriortotheceremonygivingherhusbandnoclaimtohisreleasefromherbydivorce，itwasonlypossibletoappealtohersenseofherowninterests。Ahandsomeannualallowancewassecuredtoher，onconditionthatshereturnedtotheplacefromwhichshehadcome；thatsheneverappearedinEngland；andthatsheceasedtouseherhusband\'sname。Otherstipulationswereaddedtothese。Sheacceptedthemall；andmeasureswereprivatelytakentohaveherwelllookedafterintheplaceofherretreat。Whatlifesheledthere，andwhethersheperformedalltheconditionsimposedonher，Icannotsay。Icanonlytellyouthatshenever，tomyknowledge，cametoEngland；thatsheneverannoyedMr。Vanstone；andthattheannualallowancewaspaidher，throughalocalagentinAmerica，tothedayofherdeath。Allthatshewantedinmarryinghimwasmoney；andmoneyshegot。

“Inthemeantime，Andrewhadlefttheregiment。Nothingwouldinducehimtofacehisbrother-officersafterwhathadhappened。HesoldoutandreturnedtoEngland。Thefirstintelligencewhichreachedhimonhisreturnwastheintelligenceofhisfather\'sdeath。HecametomyofficeinLondon，beforegoinghome，andtherelearnedfrommylipshowthefamilyquarrelhadended。

“ThewillwhichMr。Vanstonetheelderhaddestroyedinmypresencehadnotbeen，sofarasIknow，replacedbyanother。WhenIwassentfor，intheusualcourse，onhisdeath，Ifullyexpectedthatthelawwouldbelefttomakethecustomarydivisionamonghiswidowandhischildren。Tomysurprise，awillappearedamonghispapers，correctlydrawnandexecuted，anddatedaboutaweekaftertheperiodwhenthefirstwillhadbeendestroyed。Hehadmaintainedhisvindictivepurposeagainsthiseldestson，andhadappliedtoastrangerfortheprofessionalassistancewhichIhonestlybelievehewasashamedtoaskforatmyhands。

“Itisneedlesstotroubleyouwiththeprovisionsofthewillindetail。Therewerethewidowandthreesurvivingchildrentobeprovidedfor。Thewidowreceivedalife-interestonlyinaportionofthetestator\'sproperty。TheremainingportionwasdividedbetweenAndrewandSelina——two-thirdstothebrother；one-thirdtothesister。Onthemother\'sdeath，themoneyfromwhichherincomehadbeenderivedwastogotoAndrewandSelina，inthesamerelativeproportionsasbefore——fivethousandpoundshavingbeenfirstdeductedfromthesumandpaidtoMichael，asthesolelegacyleftbytheimplacablefathertohiseldestson。

“Speakinginroundnumbers，thedivisionofproperty，assettledbythewill，stoodthus。Beforethemother\'sdeath，Andrewhadseventythousandpounds；Selinahadthirty-fivethousandpounds；Michael——hadnothing。Afterthemother\'sdeath，Michaelhadfivethousandpounds，tosetagainstAndrew\'sinheritanceaugmentedtoonehundredthousand，andSelina\'sinheritanceincreasedtofiftythousand——DonotsupposethatIamdwellingunnecessarilyonthispartofthesubject。EverywordInowspeakbearsoninterestsstillinsuspense，whichvitallyconcernMr。Vanstone\'sdaughters。Aswegetonfrompasttopresent，keepinmindtheterribleinequalityofMichael\'sinheritanceandAndrew\'sinheritance。Theharmdonebythatvindictivewillis，Igreatlyfear，notoveryet。

“Andrew\'sfirstimpulse，whenheheardthenewswhichIhadtotellhim，wasworthyoftheopen，generousnatureoftheman。Heatonceproposedtodividehisinheritancewithhiselderbrother。Buttherewasoneseriousobstacleintheway。AletterfromMichaelwaswaitingforhimatmyofficewhenhecamethere，andthatletterchargedhimwithbeingtheoriginalcauseofestrangementbetweenhisfatherandhiselderbrother。Theeffortswhichhehadmade——bluntlyandincautiously，Iown，butwiththepurestandkindestintentions，asIknow——tocomposethequarrelbeforeleavinghome，wereperverted，bythevilestmisconstruction，tosupportanaccusationoftreacheryandfalsehoodwhichwouldhavestunganymantothequick。Andrewfelt，whatIfelt，thatiftheseimputationswerenotwithdrawnbeforehisgenerousintentionstowardhisbrothertookeffect，themerefactoftheirexecutionwouldamounttoapracticalacknowledgmentofthejusticeofMichael\'schargeagainsthim。Hewrotetohisbrotherinthemostforbearingterms。Theanswerreceivedwasasoffensiveaswordscouldmakeit。Michaelhadinheritedhisfather\'stemper，unredeemedbyhisfather\'sbetterqualities:hissecondletterreiteratedthechargescontainedinthefirst，anddeclaredthathewouldonlyaccepttheoffereddivisionasanactofatonementandrestitutiononAndrew\'spart。Inextwrotetothemothertouseherinfluence。Shewasherselfaggrievedatbeingleftwithnothingmorethanalifeinterestinherhusband\'sproperty；shesidedresolutelywithMichael；andshestigmatizedAndrew\'sproposalasanattempttobribehereldestsonintowithdrawingachargeagainsthisbrotherwhichthatbrotherknewtobetrue。Afterthislastrepulse，nothingmorecouldbedone。MichaelwithdrewtotheContinent；andhismotherfollowedhimthere。Shelivedlongenough，andsavedmoneyenoughoutofherincome，toaddconsiderably，atherdeath，toherelderson\'sfivethousandpounds。Hehadpreviouslystillfurtherimprovedhispecuniarypositionbyanadvantageousmarriage；andheisnowpassingthecloseofhisdayseitherinFranceorSwitzerland——awidower，withoneson。Weshallreturntohimshortly。Inthemeantime，IneedonlytellyouthatAndrewandMichaelneveragainmet——neveragaincommunicated，evenbywriting。Toallintentsandpurposestheyweredeadtoeachother，fromthoseearlydaystothepresenttime。

“YoucannowestimatewhatAndrew\'spositionwaswhenhelefthisprofessionandreturnedtoEngland。Possessedofafortune，hewasaloneintheworld；hisfuturedestroyedatthefairoutsetoflife；hismotherandbrotherestrangedfromhim；hissisterlatelymarried，withinterestsandhopesinwhichhehadnoshare。Menoffirmermentalcalibermighthavefoundrefugefromsuchasituationasthisinanabsorbingintellectualpursuit。Hewasnotcapableoftheeffort；allthestrengthofhischaracterlayintheaffectionshehadwasted。Hisplaceintheworldwasthatquietplaceathome，withwifeandchildrentomakehislifehappy，whichhehadlostforever。Tolookbackwasmorethanhedare。Tolookforwardwasmorethanhecould。Insheerdespair，helethisownimpetuousyouthdrivehimon；andcasthimselfintothelowestdissipationsofaLondonlife。

“Awoman\'sfalsehoodhaddrivenhimtohisruin。Awoman\'slovesavedhimattheoutsetofhisdownwardcareer。Letusnotspeakofherharshly——forwelaidherwithhimyesterdayinthegrave。

“You，whoonlyknewMrs。Vanstoneinlaterlife，whenillnessandsorrowandsecretcarehadalteredandsaddenedher，canformnoadequateideaofherattractionsofpersonandcharacterwhenshewasagirlofseventeen。IwaswithAndrewwhenhefirstmether。Ihadtriedtorescuehim，foronenightatleast，fromdegradingassociatesanddegradingpleasures，bypersuadinghimtogowithmetoaballgivenbyoneofthegreatCityCompanies。Theretheymet。Sheproducedastrongimpressiononhimthemomenthesawher。Tome，astohim，shewasatotalstranger。Anintroductiontoher，obtainedinthecustomarymanner，informedhimthatshewasthedaughterofoneMr。Blake。Theresthediscoveredfromherself。Theywerepartnersinthedance(unobservedinthatcrowdedball-room)allthroughtheevening。

“Circumstanceswereagainstherfromthefirst。Shewasunhappyathome。Herfamilyandfriendsoccupiednorecognizedstationinlife:theyweremean，underhandpeople，ineverywayunworthyofher。Itwasherfirstball——itwasthefirsttimeshehadevermetwithamanwhohadthebreeding，themannersandtheconversationofagentleman。Aretheseexcusesforher，whichIhavenorighttomake？Ifwehaveanyhumanfeelingforhumanweakness，surelynot！

“Themeetingofthatnightdecidedtheirfuture。Whenothermeetingshadfollowed，whentheconfessionofherlovehadescapedher，hetooktheonecourseofallothers(tookitinnocentlyandunconsciously)，whichwasmostdangeroustothemboth。Hisfranknessandhissenseofhonorforbadehimtodeceiveher:heopenedhisheartandtoldherthetruth。Shewasagenerous，impulsivegirl；shehadnohometiesstrongenoughtopleadwithher；shewaspassionatelyfondofhim——andhehadmadethatappealtoherpitywhich，totheeternalhonorofwomen，isthehardestofallappealsforthemtoresist。Shesaw，andsawtruly，thatshealonestoodbetweenhimandhisruin。Thelastchanceofhisrescuehungonherdecision。Shedecided；andsavedhim。

“Letmenotbemisunderstood；letmenotbeaccusedoftriflingwiththeserioussocialquestiononwhichmynarrativeforcesmetotouch。Iwilldefendhermemorybynofalsereasoning——Iwillonlyspeakthetruth。Itisthetruththatshesnatchedhimfrommadexcesseswhichmusthaveendedinhisearlydeath。Itisthetruththatsherestoredhimtothathappyhomeexistencewhichyouremembersotenderly——whichherememberedsogratefullythat，onthedaywhenhewasfree，hemadeherhiswife。Letstrictmoralityclaimitsright，andcondemnherearlyfault。IhavereadmyNewTestamenttolittlepurpose，indeed，ifChristianmercymaynotsoftenthehardsentenceagainsther——ifChristiancharitymaynotfindapleaforhermemoryintheloveandfidelity，thesufferingandthesacrifice，ofherwholelife。

“Afewwordsmorewillbringustoalatertime，andtoeventswhichhavehappenedwithinyourownexperience。

“IneednotremindyouthatthepositioninwhichMr。Vanstonewasnowplacedcouldleadintheendtobutoneresult——toadisclosure，moreorlessinevitable，ofthetruth。AttemptsweremadetokeepthehopelessmisfortuneofhislifeasecretfromMissBlake\'sfamily；and，asamatterofcourse，thoseattemptsfailedbeforetherelentlessscrutinyofherfatherandherfriends。Whatmighthavehappenedifherrelativeshadbeenwhatistermed\'respectable\'Icannotpretendtosay。Asitwas，theywerepeoplewhocould(inthecommonphrase)beconvenientlytreatedwith。TheonlysurvivorofthefamilyatthepresenttimeisascoundrelcallinghimselfCaptainWragge。WhenItellyouthatheprivatelyextortedthepriceofhissilencefromMrs。Vanstonetothelast；andwhenIaddthathisconductpresentsnoextraordinaryexceptiontotheconduct，intheirlifetime，oftheotherrelatives——youwillunderstandwhatsortofpeopleIhadtodealwithinmyclient\'sinterests，andhowtheirassumedindignationwasappeased。

“Having，inthefirstinstance，leftEnglandforIreland，Mr。VanstoneandMissBlakeremainedthereafterwardforsomeyears。Girlasshewas，shefacedherpositionanditsnecessitieswithoutflinching。Havingonceresolvedtosacrificeherlifetothemansheloved；havingquietedherconsciencebypersuadingherselfthathismarriagewasalegalmockery，andthatshewas\'hiswifeinthesightofHeaven，\'shesetherselffromthefirsttoaccomplishtheoneforemostpurposeofsolivingwithhim，intheworld\'seye，asnevertoraisethesuspicionthatshewasnothislawfulwife。Thewomenarefew，indeed，whocannotresolvefirmly，schemepatiently，andactpromptlywherethedearestinterestsoftheirlivesareconcerned。Mrs。Vanstone——shehasarightnow，remember，tothatname——Mrs。Vanstonehadmorethantheaverageshareofawoman\'stenacityandawoman\'stact；andshetookalltheneedfulprecautions，inthoseearlydays，whichherhusband\'slessreadycapacityhadnotthearttodevise——precautionstowhichtheywerelargelyindebtedforthepreservationoftheirsecretinlatertimes。

“Thankstothesesafeguards，notashadowofsuspicionfollowedthemwhentheyreturnedtoEngland。TheyfirstsettledinDevonshire，merelybecausetheywerefarremovedtherefromthatnortherncountyinwhichMr。Vanstone\'sfamilyandconnectionshadbeenknown。Onthepartofhissurvivingrelatives，theyhadnocuriousinvestigationstodread。Hewastotallyestrangedfromhismotherandhiselderbrother。Hismarriedsisterhadbeenforbiddenbyherhusband(whowasaclergyman)toholdanycommunicationwithhim，fromtheperiodwhenhehadfallenintothedeplorablewayoflifewhichIhavedescribedasfollowinghisreturnfromCanada。Otherrelationshehadnone。WhenheandMissBlakeleftDevonshire，theirnextchangeofresidencewastothishouse。Neithercourtingnoravoidingnotice；simplyhappyinthemselves，intheirchildren，andintheirquietrurallife；unsuspectedbythefewneighborswhoformedtheirmodestcircleofacquaintancetobeotherthanwhattheyseemed——thetruthintheircase，asinthecasesofmanyothers，remainedundiscovereduntilaccidentforceditintothelightofday。

“If，inyourcloseintimacywiththem，itseemsstrangethattheyshouldneverhavebetrayedthemselves，letmeaskyoutoconsiderthecircumstancesandyouwillunderstandtheapparentanomaly。Rememberthattheyhadbeenlivingashusbandandwife，toallintentsandpurposes(exceptthatthemarriage-servicehadnotbeenreadoverthem)，forfifteenyearsbeforeyoucameintothehouse；andbearinmind，atthesametime，thatnoeventoccurredtodisturbMr。Vanstone\'shappinessinthepresent，toremindhimofthepast，ortowarnhimofthefuture，untiltheannouncementofhiswife\'sdeathreachedhim，inthatletterfromAmericawhichyousawplacedinhishand。Fromthatdayforth——whenapastwhichheabhorredwasforcedbacktohismemory；whenafuturewhichshehadneverdaredtoanticipatewasplacedwithinherreach——youwillsoonperceive，ifyouhavenotperceivedalready，thattheybothbetrayedthemselves，timeaftertime；andthatyourinnocenceofallsuspicion，andtheirchildren\'sinnocenceofallsuspicion，alonepreventedyoufromdiscoveringthetruth。

“Thesadstoryofthepastisnowaswellknowntoyouastome。Ihavehadhardwordstospeak。GodknowsIhavespokenthemwithtruesympathyfortheliving，withtruetendernessforthememoryofthedead。“

Hepaused，turnedhisfacealittleaway，andrestedhisheadonhishand，inthequiet，undemonstrativemannerwhichwasnaturaltohim。Thusfar，MissGarthhadonlyinterruptedhisnarrativebyanoccasionalwordorbyamutetokenofherattention。Shemadenoefforttoconcealhertears；theyfellfastandsilentlyoverherwastedcheeks，asshelookedupandspoketohim。“Ihavedoneyousomeinjury，sir，inmythoughts，“shesaid，withanoblesimplicity。“Iknowyoubetternow。Letmeaskyourforgiveness；letmetakeyourhand。“

Thosewords，andtheactionwhichaccompaniedthem，touchedhimdeeply。Hetookherhandinsilence。Shewasthefirsttospeak，thefirsttosettheexampleofself-control。Itisoneofthenobleinstinctsofwomenthatnothingmorepowerfullyrousesthemtostrugglewiththeirownsorrowthanthesightofaman\'sdistress。Shequietlydriedhertears；shequietlydrewherchairroundthetable，soastositnearertohimwhenshespokeagain。

“Ihavebeensadlybroken，Mr。Pendril，bywhathashappenedinthishouse，“shesaid，“orIshouldhavebornewhatyouhavetoldmebetterthanIhaveborneitto-day。Willyouletmeaskonequestionbeforeyougoon？Myheartachesforthechildrenofmylove——morethanevermychildrennow。Istherenohopefortheirfuture？Aretheyleftwithnoprospectbutpovertybeforethem？“

Thelawyerhesitatedbeforeheansweredthequestion。

“Theyareleftdependent，“hesaid，atlast，“onthejusticeandthemercyofastranger。“

“Throughthemisfortuneoftheirbirth？“

“Throughthemisfortuneswhichhavefollowedthemarriageoftheirparents。“

Withthatstartlinganswerherose，tookupthewillfromthefloor，andrestoredittoitsformerpositiononthetablebetweenthem。

“Icanonlyplacethetruthbeforeyou，“heresumed，“inoneplainformofwords。Themarriagehasdestroyedthiswill，andhasleftMr。Vanstone\'sdaughtersdependentontheiruncle。“

Ashespoke，thebreezestirredagainamongtheshrubsunderthewindow。

“Ontheiruncle？“repeatedMissGarth。Sheconsideredforamoment，andlaidherhandsuddenlyonMr。Pendril\'sarm。“NotonMichaelVanstone！“

“Yes:onMichaelVanstone。“

MissGarth\'shandstillmechanicallygraspedthelawyer\'sarm。Herwholemindwasabsorbedintheefforttorealizethediscoverywhichhadnowburstonher。

“DependentonMichaelVanstone！“shesaidtoherself。“Dependentontheirfather\'sbitterestenemy？Howcanitbe？“

“Givemeyourattentionforafewminutesmore，“saidMr。Pendril，“andyoushallhear。Thesoonerwecanbringthispainfulinterviewtoaclose，thesoonerIcanopencommunicationswithMr。MichaelVanstone，andthesooneryouwillknowwhathedecidesondoingforhisbrother\'sorphandaughters。Irepeattoyouthattheyareabsolutelydependentonhim。Youwillmostreadilyunderstandhowandwhy，ifwetakeupthechainofeventswherewelastleftit——attheperiodofMr。andMrs。Vanstone\'smarriage。“

“Onemoment，sir，“saidMissGarth。“Wereyouinthesecretofthatmarriageatthetimewhenittookplace？“

“Unhappily，Iwasnot。IwasawayfromLondon——awayfromEnglandatthetime。IfMr。VanstonehadbeenabletocommunicatewithmewhentheletterfromAmericaannouncedthedeathofhiswife，thefortunesofhisdaughterswouldnothavebeennowatstake。“

Hepaused，and，beforeproceedingfurther，lookedoncemoreattheletterswhichhehadconsultedatanearlierperiodoftheinterview。Hetookoneletterfromtherest，andputitonthetablebyhisside。

“Atthebeginningofthepresentyear，“heresumed，“averyseriousbusinessnecessity，inconnectionwithsomeWestIndianpropertypossessedbyanoldclientandfriendofmine，requiredthepresenceeitherofmyself，orofoneofmytwopartners，inJamaica。Oneofthetwocouldnotbespared；theotherwasnotinhealthtoundertakethevoyage。Therewasnochoiceleftbutformetogo。IwrotetoMr。Vanstone，tellinghimthatIshouldleaveEnglandattheendofFebruary，andthatthenatureofthebusinesswhichtookmeawayaffordedlittlehopeofmygettingbackfromtheWestIndiesbeforeJune。Myletterwasnotwrittenwithanyspecialmotive。Imerelythoughtitright——seeingthatmypartnerswerenotadmittedtomyknowledgeofMr。Vanstone\'sprivateaffairs——towarnhimofmyabsence，asameasureofformalprecautionwhichitwasrighttotake。AttheendofFebruaryIleftEngland，withouthavingheardfromhim。Iwasontheseawhenthenewsofhiswife\'sdeathreachedhim，onthefourthofMarch:andIdidnotreturnuntilthemiddleoflastJune。“

“Youwarnedhimofyourdeparture，“interposedMissGarth。“Didyounotwarnhimofyourreturn？“

“Notpersonally。Myhead-clerksenthimoneofthecircularswhichweredispatchedfrommyoffice，invariousdirections，toannouncemyreturn。ItwasthefirstsubstituteIthoughtofforthepersonalletterwhichthepressureofinnumerableoccupations，allcrowdingonmetogetheraftermylongabsence，didnotallowmeleisuretowrite。Barelyamonthlater，thefirstinformationofhismarriagereachedmeinaletterfromhimself，writtenonthedayofthefatalaccident。Thecircumstanceswhichinducedhimtowritearoseoutofaneventinwhichyoumusthavetakensomeinterest——ImeantheattachmentbetweenMr。Clare\'ssonandMr。Vanstone\'syoungestdaughter。“

“IcannotsaythatIwasfavorablydisposedtowardthatattachmentatthetime，“repliedMissGarth。“Iwasignorantthenofthefamilysecret:Iknowbetternow。“

“Exactly。Themotivewhichyoucannowappreciateisthemotivethatleadsustothepoint。Theyoungladyherself(asIhaveheardfromtheelderMr。Clare，towhomIamindebtedformyknowledgeofthecircumstancesindetail)confessedherattachmenttoherfather，andinnocentlytouchedhimtothequickbyachancereferencetohisownearlylife。HehadalongconversationwithMrs。Vanstone，atwhichtheybothagreedthatMr。Claremustbeprivatelyinformedofthetruth，beforetheattachmentbetweenthetwoyoungpeoplewasallowedtoproceedfurther。Itwaspainfulinthelastdegree，bothtohusbandandwife，tobereducedtothisalternative。Buttheywereresolute，honorablyresolute，inmakingthesacrificeoftheirownfeelings；andMr。VanstonebetookhimselfonthespottoMr。Clare\'scottage——YounodoubtobservedaremarkablechangeinMr。Vanstone\'smanneronthatday；andyoucannowaccountforit？“

MissGarthbowedherhead，andMr。Pendrilwenton。

“YouaresufficientlyacquaintedwithMr。Clare\'scontemptforallsocialprejudices，“hecontinued，“toanticipatehisreceptionoftheconfessionwhichhisneighboraddressedtohim。Fiveminutesaftertheinterviewhadbegun，thetwooldfriendswereaseasyandunrestrainedtogetherasusual。Inthecourseofconversation，Mr。Vanstonementionedthepecuniaryarrangementwhichhehadmadeforthebenefitofhisdaughterandofherfuturehusband——and，indoingso，henaturallyreferredtohiswillhere，onthetablebetweenus。Mr。Clare，rememberingthathisfriendhadbeenmarriedintheMarchofthatyear，atonceaskedwhenthewillhadbeenexecuted:receivingthereplythatithadbeenmadefiveyearssince；and，thereupon，astoundedMr。Vanstonebytellinghimbluntlythatthedocumentwaswastepaperintheeyeofthelaw。Uptothatmomenthe，likemanyotherpersons，hadbeenabsolutelyignorantthataman\'smarriageis，legallyaswellassocially，consideredtobethemostimportanteventinhislife；thatitdestroysthevalidityofanywillwhichhemayhavemadeasasingleman；andthatitrendersabsolutelynecessarytheentirere-assertionofhistestamentaryintentionsinthecharacterofahusband。ThestatementofthisplainfactappearedtooverwhelmMr。Vanstone。Declaringthathisfriendhadlaidhimunderanobligationwhichheshouldremembertohisdyingday，heatonceleftthecottage，atoncereturnedhome，andwrotemethisletter。“

HehandedtheletteropentoMissGarth。Intearless，speechlessgrief，shereadthesewords:

“MYDEARPENDRIL——Sincewelastwrotetoeachotheranextraordinarychangehastakenplaceinmylife。Aboutaweekafteryouwentaway，IreceivednewsfromAmericawhichtoldmethatIwasfree。NeedIsaywhatuseImadeofthatfreedom？NeedIsaythatthemotherofmychildrenisnowmyWife？

“Ifyouaresurprisedatnothavingheardfrommethemomentyougotback，attributemysilence，ingreatpart——ifnotaltogether——tomyowntotalignoranceofthelegalnecessityformakinganotherwill。Nothalfanhoursince，Iwasenlightenedforthefirsttime(undercircumstanceswhichIwillmentionwhenmemeet)bymyoldfriend，Mr。Clare。Familyanxietieshavehadsomethingtodowithmysilenceaswell。Mywife\'sconfinementiscloseathand；and，besidesthisseriousanxiety，myseconddaughterisjustengagedtobemarried。UntilIsawMr。Clareto-day，thesematterssofilledmymindthatIneverthoughtofwritingtoyouduringtheoneshortmonthwhichisallthathaspassedsinceIgotnewsofyourreturn。NowIknowthatmywillmustbemadeagain，Iwriteinstantly。ForGod\'ssake，comeonthedaywhenyoureceivethis——comeandrelievemefromthedreadfulthoughtthatmytwodarlinggirlsareatthismomentunprovidedfor。Ifanythinghappenedtome，andifmydesiretodotheirmotherjustice，ended(throughmymiserableignoranceofthelaw)inleavingNorahandMagdalendisinherited，Ishouldnotrestinmygrave！Comeatanycost，toyoursever，“A。V。“

“OntheSaturdaymorning，“Mr。Pendrilresumed，“thoselinesreachedme。Iinstantlysetasideallotherbusiness，anddrovetotherailway。AttheLondonterminus，IheardthefirstnewsoftheFriday\'saccident；heardit，withconflictingaccountsofthenumbersandnamesofthepassengerskilled。AtBristol，theywerebetterinformed；andthedreadfultruthaboutMr。Vanstonewasconfirmed。IhadtimetorecovermyselfbeforeIreachedyourstationhere，andfoundMr。Clare\'ssonwaitingforme。Hetookmetohisfather\'scottage；andthere，withoutlosingamoment，IdrewoutMrs。Vanstone\'swill。Myobjectwastosecuretheonlyprovisionforherdaughterswhichitwasnowpossibletomake。Mr。Vanstonehavingdiedintestate，athirdofhisfortunewouldgotohiswidow；andtherestwouldbedividedamonghisnextofkin。Aschildrenbornoutofwedlock，Mr。Vanstone\'sdaughters，underthecircumstancesoftheirfather\'sdeath，hadnomoreclaimtoashareinhispropertythanthedaughtersofoneofhislaborersinthevillage。Theonechanceleftwasthattheirmothermightsufficientlyrecovertoleaveherthirdsharetothem，bywill，intheeventofherdecease。NowyouknowwhyIwrotetoyoutoaskforthatinterview——whyIwaiteddayandnight，inthehopeofreceivingasummonstothehouse。IwassincerelysorrytosendbacksuchananswertoyournoteofinquiryasIwascompelledtowrite。ButwhiletherewasachanceofthepreservationofMrs。Vanstone\'slife，thesecretofthemarriagewashers，notmine；andeveryconsiderationofdelicacyforbademetodiscloseit。“

“Youdidright，sir，“saidMissGarth；“Iunderstandyourmotives，andrespectthem。“

“Mylastattempttoprovideforthedaughters，“continuedMr。Pendril，“was，asyouknow，renderedunavailingbythedangerousnatureofMrs。Vanstone\'sillness。Herdeathlefttheinfantwhosurvivedherbyafewhours(theinfantborn，youwillremember，inlawfulwedlock)possessed，induelegalcourse，ofthewholeofMr。Vanstone\'sfortune。Onthechild\'sdeath——ifithadonlyoutlivedthemotherbyafewseconds，insteadofafewhours，theresultwouldhavebeenthesame——thenextofkintothelegitimateoffspringtookthemoney；andthatnextofkinistheinfant\'spaternaluncle，MichaelVanstone。Thewholefortuneofeightythousandpoundshasvirtuallypassedintohispossessionalready。“

“Aretherenootherrelations？“askedMissGarth。“Istherenohopefromanyoneelse？“

“TherearenootherrelationswithMichaelVanstone\'sclaim，“saidthelawyer。“Therearenograndfathersorgrandmothersofthedeadchild(onthesideofeitheroftheparents)nowalive。Itwasnotlikelythereshouldbe，consideringtheagesofMr。andMrs。Vanstonewhentheydied。Butitisamisfortunetobereasonablylamentedthatnootherunclesorauntssurvive。Therearecousinsalive；asonandtwodaughtersofthateldersisterofMr。Vanstone\'s，whomarriedArchdeaconBartram，andwhodied，asItoldyou，someyearssince。Buttheirinterestissupersededbytheinterestofthenearerblood。No，MissGarth，wemustlookfactsastheyareresolutelyintheface。Mr。Vanstone\'sdaughtersareNobody\'sChildren；andthelawleavesthemhelplessattheiruncle\'smercy。“

“Acruellaw，Mr。Pendril——acruellawinaChristiancountry。“

“Cruelasitis，MissGarth，itstandsexcusedbyashockingpeculiarityinthiscase。IamfarfromdefendingthelawofEnglandasitaffectsillegitimateoffspring。Onthecontrary，Ithinkitadisgracetothenation。Itvisitsthesinsoftheparentsonthechildren；itencouragesvicebydeprivingfathersandmothersofthestrongestofallmotivesformakingtheatonementofmarriage；anditclaimstoproducethesetwoabominableresultsinthenamesofmoralityandreligion。Butithasnoextraordinaryoppressiontoanswerforinthecaseoftheseunhappygirls。ThemoremercifulandChristianlawofothercountries，whichallowsthemarriageoftheparentstomakethechildrenlegitimate，hasnomercyonthesechildren。Theaccidentoftheirfatherhavingbeenmarried，whenhefirstmetwiththeirmother，hasmadethemtheoutcastsofthewholesocialcommunity；ithasplacedthemoutofthepaleoftheCivilLawofEurope。Itellyouthehardtruth——itisuselesstodisguiseit。Thereisnohope，ifwelookbackatthepast:theremaybehope，ifwelookontothefuture。ThebestservicewhichIcannowrenderyouistoshortentheperiodofyoursuspense。InlessthananhourIshallbeonmywaybacktoLondon。Immediatelyonmyarrival，IwillascertainthespeediestmeansofcommunicatingwithMr。MichaelVanstone；andwillletyouknowtheresult。Sadasthepositionofthetwosistersnowis，wemustlookatitonitsbestside；wemustnotlosehope。“

“Hope？“repeatedMissGarth。“HopefromMichaelVanstone！“

“Yes；hopefromtheinfluenceonhimoftime，ifnotfromtheinfluenceofmercy。AsIhavealreadytoldyou，heisnowanoldman；hecannot，inthecourseofnature，expecttolivemuchlonger。Ifhelooksbacktotheperiodwhenheandhisbrotherwerefirstatvariance，hemustlookbackthroughthirtyyears。Surely，thesearesofteninginfluenceswhichmustaffectanyman？Surely，hisownknowledgeoftheshockingcircumstancesunderwhichhehasbecomepossessedofthismoneywillpleadwithhim，ifnothingelsedoes？“

“Iwilltrytothinkasyoudo，Mr。Pendril——Iwilltrytohopeforthebest。Shallwebeleftlonginsuspensebeforethedecisionreachesus？“

“Itrustnot。TheonlydelayonmysidewillbecausedbythenecessityofdiscoveringtheplaceofMichaelVanstone\'sresidenceontheContinent。IthinkIhavethemeansofmeetingthisdifficultysuccessfully；andthemomentIreachLondon，thosemeansshallbetried。“

Hetookuphishat；andthenreturnedtothetableonwhichthefather\'slastletter，andthefather\'suselesswill，werelyingsidebyside。Afteramoment\'sconsideration，heplacedthembothinMissGarth\'shands。

“Itmayhelpyouinbreakingthehardtruthtotheorphansisters，“hesaid，inhisquiet，self-repressedway，“iftheycanseehowtheirfatherreferstotheminhiswill——iftheycanreadhislettertome，thelastheeverwrote。Letthesetokenstellthemthattheoneideaoftheirfather\'slifewastheideaofmakingatonementtohischildren。\'Theymaythinkbitterlyoftheirbirth，\'hesaidtome，atthetimewhenIdrewthisuselesswill；\'buttheyshallneverthinkbitterlyofme。Iwillcrosstheminnothing:theyshallneverknowasorrowthatIcansparethem，orawantwhichIwillnotsatisfy。\'Hemademeputthosewordsinhiswill，topleadforhimwhenthetruthwhichhehadconcealedfromhischildreninhislifetimewasrevealedtothemafterhisdeath。Nolawcandeprivehisdaughtersofthelegacyofhisrepentanceandhislove。Ileavethewillandthelettertohelpyou:Igivethembothintoyourcare。“

Hesawhowhispartingkindnesstouchedherandthoughtfullyhastenedthefarewell。Shetookhishandinbothherownandmurmuredafewbrokenwordsofgratitude。“Trustmetodomybest，“hesaid——and，turningawaywithamercifulabruptness，lefther。Inthebroad，cheerfulsunshinehehadcomeintorevealthefataltruth。Inthebroad，cheerfulsunshine——thattruthdisclosed——hewentout。

[NextChapter]

[TableofContents]NoName，Scene1，Chapter14CHAPTERXIV。

ITwasnearlyanhourpastnoonwhenMr。Pendrilleftthehouse。MissGarthsatdownagainatthetablealone，andtriedtofacethenecessitywhichtheeventofthemorningnowforcedonher。

Hermindwasnotequaltotheeffort。Shetriedtolessenthestrainonit——tolosethesenseofherownposition——toescapefromherthoughtsforafewminutesonly。Afteralittle，sheopenedMr。Vanstone\'sletter，andmechanicallysetherselftoreaditthroughoncemore。

Onebyone，thelastwordsofthedeadmanfastenedthemselvesmoreandmorefirmlyonherattention。Theunrelievedsolitude，theunbrokensilence，helpedtheirinfluenceonhermindandopenedittothoseveryimpressionsofpastandpresentwhichshewasmostanxioustoshun。Asshereachedthemelancholylineswhichclosedtheletter，shefoundherself——insensibly，almostunconsciously，atfirst——tracingthefatalchainofevents，linkbylinkbackward，untilshereacheditsbeginninginthecontemplatedmarriagebetweenMagdalenandFrancisClare。

ThatmarriagehadtakenMr。Vanstonetohisoldfriend，withtheconfessiononhislipswhichwouldotherwiseneverhaveescapedthem。Thencecamethediscoverywhichhadsenthimhometosummonthelawyertothehouse。Thatsummons，again，hadproducedtheinevitableaccelerationoftheSaturday\'sjourneytoFriday；theFridayofthefatalaccident，theFridaywhenhewenttohisdeath。Fromhisdeathfollowedthesecondbereavementwhichhadmadethehousedesolate；thehelplesspositionofthedaughterswhoseprosperousfuturehadbeenhisdearestcare；therevelationofthesecretwhichhadoverwhelmedherthatmorning；thedisclosure，moreterriblestill，whichshenowstoodcommittedtomaketotheorphansisters。Forthefirsttimeshesawthewholesequenceofevents——sawitasplainlyasthecloudlessblueoftheskyandthegreenglowofthetreesinthesunlightoutside。

How——whencouldshetellthem？Whocouldapproachthemwiththedisclosureoftheirownillegitimacybeforetheirfatherandmotherhadbeendeadaweek？Whocouldspeakthedreadfulwords，whilethefirsttearswerewetontheircheeks，whilethefirstpangofseparationwasatitskeenestintheirhearts，whilethememoryofthefuneralwasnotadayoldyet？Nottheirlastfriendleft；notthefaithfulwomanwhoseheartbledforthem。No！silenceforthepresenttime，atallrisks——mercifulsilence，formanydaystocome！

Shelefttheroom，withthewillandtheletterinherhand——withthenatural，humanpityatherheartwhichsealedherlipsandshuthereyesresolutelytothefuture。Inthehallshestoppedandlistened。Notasoundwasaudible。Shesoftlyascendedthestairs，onherwaytoherownroom，andpassedthedoorofNorah\'sbed-chamber。Voicesinside，thevoicesofthetwosisters，caughtherear。Afteramoment\'sconsideration，shecheckedherself，turnedback，andquicklydescendedthestairsagain。BothNorahandMagdalenknewoftheinterviewbetweenMr。Pendrilandherself；shehadfeltitherdutytoshowthemhislettermakingtheappointment。Couldsheexcitetheirsuspicionbylockingherselfupfromtheminherroomassoonasthelawyerhadleftthehouse？Herhandtrembledonthebanister；shefeltthatherfacemightbetrayher。Theself-forgetfulfortitude，whichhadneverfailedheruntilthatday，hadbeentriedoncetoooften——hadbeentaskedbeyonditspowersatlast。

Atthehalldoorshereflectedforamomentagain，andwentintothegarden；directingherstepstoarusticbenchandtableplacedoutofsightofthehouseamongthetrees。Inpasttimesshehadoftensatthere，withMrs。Vanstoneononeside，withNorahontheother，withMagdalenandthedogsrompingonthegrass。Aloneshesattherenow——thewillandtheletterwhichshedarednottrustoutofherownpossession，laidonthetable——herheadbowedoverthem；herfacehiddeninherhands。Aloneshesatthereandtriedtorousehersinkingcourage。

Doubtsthrongedonherofthedarkdaystocome；dreadbesetherofthehiddendangerwhichherownsilencetowardNorahandMagdalenmightstoreupinthenearfuture。Theaccidentofamomentmightsuddenlyrevealthetruth。Mr。Pendrilmightwrite，mightpersonallyaddresshimselftothesisters，inthenaturalconvictionthatshehadenlightenedthem。Complicationsmightgatherroundthematamoment\'snotice；unforeseennecessitiesmightariseforimmediatelyleavingthehouse。Shesawalltheseperils——andstillthecruelcouragetofacetheworst，andspeak，wasasfarfromherasever。Erelongthethickeningconflictofherthoughtsforceditswayoutwardforrelief，inwordsandactions。Sheraisedherheadandbeatherhandhelplesslyonthetable。

“Godhelpme，whatamItodo？“shebrokeout。“HowamItotellthem？“

“Thereisnoneedtotellthem，“saidavoicebehindher。“Theyknowitalready。“

Shestartedtoherfeetandlookedround。ItwasMagdalenwhostoodbeforeher——Magdalenwhohadspokenthosewords。

Yes，therewasthegracefulfigure，initsmourninggarments，standingouttallandblackandmotionlessagainsttheleafybackground。TherewasMagdalenherself，withachangelessstillnessonherwhiteface；withanicyresignationinhersteadygrayeyes。

“Weknowitalready，“sherepeated，inclear，measuredtones。“Mr。Vanstone\'sdaughtersareNobody\'sChildren；andthelawleavesthemhelplessattheiruncle\'smercy。“

So，withoutatearonhercheeks，withoutafalteringtoneinhervoice，sherepeatedthelawyer\'sownwords，exactlyashehadspokenthem。MissGarthstaggeredbackastepandcaughtatthebenchtosupportherself。Herheadswam；sheclosedhereyesinamomentaryfaintness。Whentheyopenedagain，Magdalen\'sarmwassupportingher，Magdalen\'sbreathfannedhercheek，Magdalen\'scoldlipskissedher。Shedrewbackfromthekiss；thetouchofthegirl\'slipsthrilledherwithterror。

Assoonasshecouldspeaksheputtheinevitablequestion。“Youheardus，“shesaid。“Where？“

“Undertheopenwindow。“

“Allthetime？“

“Frombeginningtoend。“

Shehadlistened——thisgirlofeighteen，inthefirstweekofherorphanage，hadlistenedtothewholeterriblerevelation，wordbyword，asitfellfromthelawyer\'slips；andhadneveroncebetrayedherself！Fromfirsttolast，theonlymovementswhichhadescapedherhadbeenmovementsguardedenoughandslightenoughtobemistakenforthepassageofthesummerbreezethroughtheleaves！

“Don\'ttrytospeakyet，“shesaid，insofterandgentlertones。“Don\'tlookatmewiththosedoubtingeyes。WhatwronghaveIdone？WhenMr。PendrilwishedtospeaktoyouaboutNorahandme，hislettergaveusourchoicetobepresentattheinterview，ortokeepaway。Ifmyeldersisterdecidedtokeepaway，howcouldIcome？HowcouldIhearmyownstoryexceptasIdid？Mylisteninghasdonenoharm。Ithasdonegood——ithassavedyouthedistressofspeakingtous。Youhavesufferedenoughforusalready；itistimewelearnedtosufferforourselves。Ihavelearned。AndNorahislearning。“

“Norah！“

“Yes。IhavedoneallIcouldtospareyou。IhavetoldNorah。“

ShehadtoldNorah！Wasthisgirl，whosecouragehadfacedtheterriblenecessityfromwhichawomanoldenoughtobehermotherhadrecoiled，thegirlMissGarthhadbroughtup？thegirlwhosenatureshehadbelievedtobeaswellknowntoherasherown？

“Magdalen！“shecriedout，passionately，“youfrightenme！“

Magdalenonlysighed，andturnedwearilyaway。

“TrynottothinkworseofmethanIdeserve，“shesaid。“Ican\'tcry。Myheartisnumbed。“

Shemovedawayslowlyoverthegrass。MissGarthwatchedthetallblackfigureglidingawayaloneuntilitwaslostamongthetrees。Whileitwasinsightshecouldthinkofnothingelse。Themomentitwasgone，shethoughtofNorah。Forthefirsttimeinherexperienceofthesistersherheartledherinstinctivelytotheelderofthetwo。

Norahwasstillinherownroom。Shewassittingonthecouchbythewindow，withhermother\'soldmusic-book——thekeepsakewhichMrs。Vanstonehadfoundinherhusband\'sstudyonthedayofherhusband\'sdeath——spreadopenonherlap。Shelookedupfromitwithsuchquietsorrow，andpointedwithsuchreadykindnesstothevacantplaceatherside，thatMissGarthdoubtedforthemomentwhetherMagdalenhadspokenthetruth。“See，“saidNorah，simply，turningtothefirstleafinthemusic-book——“mymother\'snamewritteninit，andsomeversestomyfatheronthenextpage。Wemaykeepthisforourselves，ifwekeepnothingelse。“SheputherarmroundMissGarth\'sneck，andafainttingeofcolorstoleoverhercheeks。“Iseeanxiousthoughtsinyourface，“shewhispered。“Areyouanxiousaboutme？AreyoudoubtingwhetherIhaveheardit？Ihaveheardthewholetruth。Imighthavefeltitbitterly，later；itistoosoontofeelitnow。YouhaveseenMagdalen？Shewentouttofindyou——wheredidyouleaveher？“

“Inthegarden。Icouldn\'tspeaktoher；Icouldn\'tlookather。Magdalenhasfrightenedme。“

Norahrosehurriedly；rose，startledanddistressedbyMissGarth\'sreply。

“Don\'tthinkillofMagdalen，“shesaid。“MagdalensuffersinsecretmorethanIdo。Trynottogrieveoverwhatyouhaveheardaboutusthismorning。Doesitmatterwhoweare，orwhatwekeeporlose？Whatlossisthereforusafterthelossofourfatherandmother？Oh，MissGarth，thereistheonlybitterness！Whatdidwerememberofthemwhenwelaidtheminthegraveyesterday？Nothingbutthelovetheygaveus——thelovewemustneverhopeforagain。Whatelsecanwerememberto-day？Whatchangecantheworld，andtheworld\'scruellawsmakeinourmemoryofthekindestfather，thekindestmother，thatchildreneverhad！“Shestopped:struggledwithherrisinggrief；andquietly，resolutely，keptitdown。“Willyouwaithere，“shesaid，“whileIgoandbringMagdalenback？Magdalenwasalwaysyourfavorite:Iwanthertobeyourfavoritestill。“Shelaidthemusic-bookgentlyonMissGarth\'slap——andlefttheroom。

“Magdalenwasalwaysyourfavorite。“

Tenderlyastheyhadbeenspoken，thosewordsfellreproachfullyonMissGarth\'sear。Forthefirsttimeinthelongcompanionshipofherpupilsandherselfadoubtwhethershe，andallthoseabouther，hadnotbeenfatallymistakenintheirrelativeestimateofthesisters，nowforceditselfonhermind。

Shehadstudiedthenaturesofhertwopupilsinthedailyintimacyoftwelveyears。Thosenatures，whichshebelievedherselftohavesoundedthroughalltheirdepths，hadbeensuddenlytriedinthesharpordealofaffliction。Howhadtheycomeoutfromthetest？Asherpreviousexperiencehadpreparedhertoseethem？No:inflatcontradictiontoit。

Whatdidsucharesultasthisimply？

Thoughtscametoher，assheaskedherselfthatquestion，whichhavestartledandsaddenedusall。

Doesthereexistineveryhumanbeing，beneaththatoutwardandvisiblecharacterwhichisshapedintoformbythesocialinfluencessurroundingus，aninward，invisibledisposition，whichispartofourselves，whicheducationmayindirectlymodify，butcanneverhopetochange？Isthephilosophywhichdeniesthisandassertsthatwearebornwithdispositionslikeblanksheetsofpaperaphilosophywhichhasfailedtoremarkthatwearenotbornwithblankfaces——aphilosophywhichhasnevercomparedtogethertwoinfantsofafewdaysold，andhasneverobservedthatthoseinfantsarenotbornwithblanktempersformothersandnursestofillupatwill？Arethere，infinitelyvaryingwitheachindividual，inbredforcesofGoodandEvilinallofus，deepdownbelowthereachofmortalencouragementandmortalrepression——hiddenGoodandhiddenEvil，bothalikeatthemercyoftheliberatingopportunityandthesufficienttemptation？Withintheseearthlylimits，isearthlyCircumstanceeverthekey；andcannohumanvigilancewarnusbeforehandoftheforcesimprisonedinourselveswhichthatkeymayunlock？

Forthefirsttime，thoughtssuchastheserosedarkly——asshadowyandterriblepossibilities——inMissGarth\'smind。Forthefirsttime，sheassociatedthosepossibilitieswiththepastconductandcharacters，withthefuturelivesandfortunesoftheorphansisters。

Searching，asinaglassdarkly，intothetwonatures，shefeltherway，doubtbydoubt，fromonepossibletruthtoanother。Itmightbethattheuppersurfaceoftheircharacterswasallthatshehad，thusfar，plainlyseeninNorahandMagdalen。Itmightbethattheunalluringsecrecyandreserveofonesister，theall-attractiveopennessandhighspiritsoftheother，weremoreorlessreferable，ineachcase，tothosephysicalcauseswhichworktowardtheproductionofmoralresults。Itmightbe，thatunderthesurfacesoformed——asurfacewhichtherehadbeennothing，hitherto，inthehappy，prosperous，uneventfullivesofthesisterstodisturb——forcesofinbornandinbreddispositionhadremainedconcealed，whichtheshockofthefirstseriouscalamityintheirliveshadnowthrownupintoview。Wasthisso？Wasthepromiseofthefutureshiningwithpropheticlightthroughthesurface-shadowofNorah\'sreserve，anddarkeningwithpropheticgloom，underthesurface-glitterofMagdalen\'sbrightspirits？IfthelifeoftheeldersisterwasdestinedhenceforthtobetheripeninggroundoftheundevelopedGoodthatwasinher——wasthelifeoftheyoungerdoomedtobethebattle-fieldofmortalconflictwiththerousedforcesofEvilinherself？

Onthebrinkofthatterribleconclusion，MissGarthshrankbackindismay。Herheartwastheheartofatruewoman。ItacceptedtheconvictionwhichraisedNorahhigherinherlove:itrejectedthedoubtwhichthreatenedtoplaceMagdalenlower。Sheroseandpacedtheroomimpatiently；sherecoiledwithanangrysuddennessfromthewholetrainofthoughtinwhichhermindhadbeenengagedbutthemomentbefore。WhatifthereweredangerouselementsinthestrengthofMagdalen\'scharacter——wasitnotherdutytohelpthegirlagainstherself？Howhadsheperformedthatduty？Shehadletherselfbegovernedbyfirstfearsandfirstimpressions；shehadneverwaitedtoconsiderwhetherMagdalen\'sopenlyacknowledgedactionofthatmorningmightnotimplyaself-sacrificingfortitude，whichpromised，inafter-life，thenoblestandthemostenduringresults。ShehadletNorahgoandspeakthosewordsoftenderremonstrance，whichsheshouldfirsthavespokenherself。“Oh！“shethought，bitterly，“howlongIhavelivedintheworld，andhowlittleIhaveknownofmyownweaknessandwickednessuntilto-day！“

Thedooroftheroomopened。Norahcamein，asshehadgoneout，alone。

“Doyourememberleavinganythingonthelittletablebythegarden-seat？“sheasked，quietly。

BeforeMissGarthcouldanswerthequestion，sheheldoutherfather\'swillandherfather\'sletter。

“Magdalencamebackafteryouwentaway，“shesaid，“andfoundtheselastrelics。SheheardMr。Pendrilsaytheywereherlegacyandmine。WhenIwentintothegardenshewasreadingtheletter。Therewasnoneedformetospeaktoher；ourfatherhadspokentoherfromhisgrave。Seehowshehaslistenedtohim！“

Shepointedtotheletter。Thetracesofheavytear-dropslaythickoverthelastlinesofthedeadman\'swriting。

“Hertears，“saidNorah，softly。

MissGarth\'sheaddroopedlowoverthemuterevelationofMagdalen\'sreturntoherbetterself。

“Oh，neverdoubtheragain！“pleadedNorah。“Wearealonenow——wehaveourhardwaythroughtheworldtowalkonaspatientlyaswecan。IfMagdaleneverfaltersandturnsback，helpherfortheloveofoldtimes；helpheragainstherself。“

“Withallmyheartandstrength——asGodshalljudgeme，withthedevotionofmywholelife！“InthoseferventwordsMissGarthanswered。ShetookthehandwhichNorahheldouttoher，andputit，insorrowandhumility，toherlips。“Oh，mylove，forgiveme！Ihavebeenmiserablyblind——IhavenevervaluedyouasIought！“

Norahgentlycheckedherbeforeshecouldsaymore；gentlywhispered，“Comewithmeintothegarden——come，andhelpMagdalentolookpatientlytothefuture。“

Thefuture！Whocouldseethefaintestglimmerofit？Whocouldseeanythingbuttheill-omenedfigureofMichaelVanstone，posteddarklyonthevergeofthepresenttime——andclosingalltheprospectthatlaybeyondhim？

[NextChapter]

[TableofContents]NoName，Scene1，Chapter15CHAPTERXV。

ONthenextmorningbutone，newswasreceivedfromMr。Pendril。TheplaceofMichaelVanstone\'sresidenceontheContinenthadbeendiscovered。HewaslivingatZurich；andaletterhadbeendispatchedtohim，atthatplace，onthedaywhentheinformationwasobtained。Inthecourseofthecomingweekananswermightbeexpected，andthepurportofitshouldbecommunicatedforthwithtotheladiesatCombe-Raven。

Shortasitwas，theintervalofdelaypassedwearily。Tendayselapsedbeforetheexpectedanswerwasreceived；andwhenitcameatlast，itprovedtobe，strictlyspeaking，noansweratall。Mr。PendrilhadbeenmerelyreferredtoanagentinLondonwhowasinpossessionofMichaelVanstone\'sinstructions。Certaindifficultieshadbeendiscoveredinconnectionwiththoseinstructions，whichhadproducedthenecessityofoncemorewritingtoZurich。Andthere“thenegotiations“restedagainforthepresent。

AsecondparagraphinMr。Pendril\'slettercontainedanotherpieceofintelligenceentirelynew。Mr。MichaelVanstone\'sson(andonlychild)，Mr。NoelVanstone，hadrecentlyarrivedinLondon，andwasthenstayinginlodgingsoccupiedbyhiscousin，Mr。GeorgeBartram。ProfessionalconsiderationshadinducedMr。Pendriltopayavisittothelodgings。HehadbeenverykindlyreceivedbyMr。Bartram；buthadbeeninformedbythatgentlemanthathiscousinwasnottheninaconditiontoreceivevisitors。Mr。NoelVanstonehadbeensuffering，forsomeyearspast，fromawearingandobstinatemalady；hehadcometoEnglandexpresslytoobtainthebestmedicaladvice，andhestillfeltthefatigueofthejourneysoseverelyastobeconfinedtohisbed。Underthesecircumstances，Mr。Pendrilhadnoalternativebuttotakehisleave。AninterviewwithMr。NoelVanstonemighthaveclearedupsomeofthedifficultiesinconnectionwithhisfather\'sinstructions。Aseventshadturnedout，therewasnohelpforitbuttowaitforafewdaysmore。

Thedayspassed，theemptydaysofsolitudeandsuspense。Atlast，athirdletterfromthelawyerannouncedthelongdelayedconclusionofthecorrespondence。ThefinalanswerhadbeenreceivedfromZurich，andMr。PendrilwouldpersonallycommunicateitatCombe-Ravenontheafternoonofthenextday。

ThatnextdaywasWednesday，thetwelfthofAugust。Theweatherhadchangedinthenight；andthesunrosewaterythroughmistandcloud。Bynoontheskywasovercastatallpoints；thetemperaturewassensiblycolder；andtherainpoureddown，straightandsoftandsteady，onthethirstyearth。Towardthreeo\'clock，MissGarthandNorahenteredthemorning-room，toawaitMr。Pendril\'sarrival。TheywerejoinedshortlyafterwardbyMagdalen。Inhalfanhourmorethefamiliarfalloftheironlatchinthesocketreachedtheirearsfromthefencebeyondtheshrubbery。Mr。PendrilandMr。Clareadvancedintoviewalongthegarden-path，walkingarm-in-armthroughtherain，shelteredbythesameumbrella。Thelawyerbowedastheypassedthewindows；Mr。Clarewalkedstraighton，deepinhisownthoughts——noticingnothing。

Afteradelaywhichseemedinterminable；afterawearyscrapingofwetfeetonthehallmat；afteramysterious，mutteredinterchangeofquestionandansweroutsidethedoor，thetwocamein——Mr。Clareleadingtheway。Theoldmanwalkedstraightuptothetable，withoutanypreliminarygreeting，andlookedacrossitatthethreewomen，withasternpityfortheminhisragged，wrinkledface。

“Badnews，“hesaid。“Iamanenemytoallunnecessarysuspense。Plainnessiskindnessinsuchacaseasthis。Imeantobekind——andItellyouplainly——badnews。“

Mr。Pendrilfollowedhim。Heshookhands，insilence，withMissGarthandthetwosisters，andtookaseatnearthem。Mr。Clareplacedhimselfapartonachairbythewindow。ThegrayrainylightfellsoftandsadonthefacesofNorahandMagdalen，whosattogetheroppositetohim。MissGarthhadplacedherselfalittlebehindthem，inpartialshadow；andthelawyer\'squietfacewasseeninprofile，closebesideher。SothefouroccupantsoftheroomappearedtoMr。Clare，ashesatapartinhiscorner；hislongclaw-likefingersinterlacedonhisknee；hisdarkvigilanteyesfixedsearchinglynowononeface，nowonanother。Thedrippingrustleoftherainamongtheleaves，andtheclear，ceaselesstickoftheclockonthemantel-piece，madetheminuteofsilencewhichfollowedthesettlingofthepersonspresentintheirplacesindescribablyoppressive。ItwasarelieftoeveryonewhenMr。Pendrilspoke。

“Mr。Clarehastoldyoualready，“hebegan，“thatIamthebearerofbadnews。Iamgrievedtosay，MissGarth，thatyourdoubts，whenIlastsawyou，werebetterfoundedthanmyhopes。Whatthatheartlesselderbrotherwasinhisyouth，heisstillinhisoldage。Inallmyunhappyexperienceoftheworstsideofhumannature，IhavenevermetwithamansoutterlydeadtoeveryconsiderationofmercyasMichaelVanstone。“

“Doyoumeanthathetakesthewholeofhisbrother\'sfortune，andmakesnoprovisionwhateverforhisbrother\'schildren？“askedMissGarth。

“Heoffersasumofmoneyforpresentemergencies，“repliedMr。Pendril，“someanlyanddisgracefullyinsufficientthatIamashamedtomentionit。“

“Andnothingforthefuture？“

“Absolutelynothing。“

Asthatanswerwasgiven，thesamethoughtpassed，atthesamemoment，throughMissGarth\'smindandthroughNorah\'s。Thedecision，whichdeprivedboththesistersalikeoftheresourcesoffortune，didnotendtherefortheyoungerofthetwo。MichaelVanstone\'smercilessresolutionhadvirtuallypronouncedthesentencewhichdismissedFranktoChina，andwhichdestroyedallpresenthopeofMagdalen\'smarriage。Asthewordspassedthelawyer\'slips，MissGarthandNorahlookedatMagdalenanxiously。Herfaceturnedashadepaler——butnotafeatureofitmoved；notawordescapedher。Norah，whoheldhersister\'shandinherown，feltittrembleforamoment，andthenturncold——andthatwasall。

“LetmementionplainlywhatIhavedone，“resumedMr。Pendril；“IamverydesirousyoushouldnotthinkthatIhaveleftanyeffortuntried。WhenIwrotetoMichaelVanstone，inthefirstinstance，Ididnotconfinemyselftotheusualformalstatement。Iputbeforehim，plainlyandearnestly，everyoneofthecircumstancesunderwhichhehasbecomepossessedofhisbrother\'sfortune。WhenIreceivedtheanswer，referringmetohiswritteninstructionstohislawyerinLondon——andwhenacopyofthoseinstructionswasplacedinmyhands——Ipositivelydeclined，onbecomingacquaintedwiththem，toreceivethewriter\'sdecisionasfinal。Iinducedthesolicitor，ontheotherside，toaccordusafurthertermofdelay；IattemptedtoseeMr。NoelVanstoneinLondonforthepurposeofobtaininghisintercession；and，failinginthat，Imyselfwrotetohisfatherforthesecondtime。Theanswerreferredme，ininsolentlycurtterms，totheinstructionsalreadycommunicated；declaredthoseinstructionstobefinal；anddeclinedanyfurthercorrespondencewithme。Thereisthebeginningandtheendofthenegotiation。IfIhaveoverlookedanymeansoftouchingthisheartlessman——tellme，andthosemeansshallbetried。“

HelookedatNorah。Shepressedhersister\'shandencouragingly，andansweredforbothofthem。

“Ispeakformysister，aswellasformyself，“shesaid，withhercoloralittleheightened，withhernaturalgentlenessofmannerjusttouchedbyaquiet，uncomplainingsadness。“Youhavedoneallthatcouldbedone，Mr。Pendril。Wehavetriedtorestrainourselvesfromhopingtooconfidently；andwearedeeplygratefulforyourkindness，atatimewhenkindnessissorelyneededbybothofus。“

Magdalen\'shandreturnedthepressureofhersister\'s——withdrewitself——trifledforamomentimpatientlywiththearrangementofherdress——thensuddenlymovedthechairclosertothetable。Leaningonearmonit(withthehandfastclinched)，shelookedacrossatMr。Pendril。Herface，alwaysremarkableforitswantofcolor，wasnowstartlingtocontemplate，initsblank，bloodlesspallor。Butthelightinherlargegrayeyeswasbrightandsteadyasever；andhervoice，thoughlowintone，wasclearandresoluteinaccentassheaddressedthelawyerintheseterms:

“Iunderstoodyoutosay，Mr。Pendril，thatmyfather\'sbrotherhadsenthiswrittenorderstoLondon，andthatyouhadacopy。Haveyoupreservedit？“

“Certainly。“

“Haveyougotitaboutyou？“

“Ihave。“

“MayIseeit？“

Mr。Pendrilhesitated，andlookeduneasilyfromMagdalentoMissGarth，andfromMissGarthbackagaintoMagdalen。

“Prayobligemebynotpressingyourrequest，“hesaid。“Itissurelyenoughthatyouknowtheresultoftheinstructions。Whyshouldyouagitateyourselftonopurposebyreadingthem？Theyareexpressedsocruelly；theyshowsuchabominablewantoffeeling，thatIreallycannotprevailuponmyselftoletyouseethem。“

“Iamsensibleofyourkindness，Mr。Pendril，inwishingtosparemepain。ButIcanbearpain；Ipromisetodistressnobody。WillyouexcusemeifIrepeatmyrequest？“

Sheheldoutherhand——thesoft，white，virginhandthathadtouchednothingtosoilitorhardenityet。

“Oh，Magdalen，thinkagain！“saidNorah。

“YoudistressMr。Pendril，“addedMissGarth；“youdistressusall。“

“Therecanbenoendgained，“pleadedthelawyer——“forgivemeforsayingso——therecanreallybenousefulendgainedbymyshowingyoutheinstructions。“

(“Fools！“saidMr。Claretohimself。“Havetheynoeyestoseethatshemeanstohaveherownway？“)

“Somethingtellsmethereisanendtobegained，“persistedMagdalen。“Thisdecisionisaveryseriousone。Itismoreserioustome——“ShelookedroundatMr。Clare，whosatcloselywatchingher，andinstantlylookedbackagain，withthefirstoutwardbetrayalofemotionwhichhadescapedheryet。“Itisevenmoreserioustome，“sheresumed，“forprivatereasons——thanitistomysister。Iknownothingyetbutthatourfather\'sbrotherhastakenourfortunesfromus。Hemusthavesomemotivesofhisownforsuchconductasthat。Itisnotfairtohim，orfairtous，tokeepthosemotivesconcealed。HehasdeliberatelyrobbedNorah，androbbedme；andIthinkwehavearight，ifwewishit，toknowwhy？“

“Idon\'twishit，“saidNorah。

“Ido，“saidMagdalen；andoncemoresheheldoutherhand。

AtthispointMr。Clarerousedhimselfandinterferedforthefirsttime。

“Youhaverelievedyourconscience，“hesaid，addressingthelawyer。“Givehertherightsheclaims。Itisherright——ifshewillhaveit。“

Mr。Pendrilquietlytookthewritteninstructionsfromhispocket。“Ihavewarnedyou，“hesaid——andhandedthepapersacrossthetablewithoutanotherword。Oneofthepagesofwriting——wasfoldeddownatthecorner；andatthatfoldedpagethemanuscriptopened，whenMagdalenfirstturnedtheleaves。“Isthistheplacewhichreferstomysisterandmyself？“sheinquired。Mr。Pendrilbowed；andMagdalensmoothedoutthemanuscriptbeforeheronthetable。

“Willyoudecide，Norah？“sheasked，turningtohersister。“ShallIreadthisaloud，orshallIreadittomyself？“

“Toyourself，“saidMissGarth；answeringforNorah，wholookedatherinmuteperplexityanddistress。

“Itshallbeasyouwish，“saidMagdalen。Withthatreply，sheturnedagaintothemanuscriptandreadtheselines:

“……Youarenowinpossessionofmywishesinrelationtothepropertyinmoney，andtothesaleofthefurniture，carriages，horses，andsoforth。Thelastpointleftonwhichitisnecessaryformetoinstructyoureferstothepersonsinhabitingthehouse，andtocertainpreposterousclaimsontheirbehalfsetupbyasolicitornamedPendril；whohas，nodoubt，interestedreasonsofhisownformakingapplicationtome。