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When I entered the room, I found Miss Halcombe and an elderly lady seated at the luncheon-table. The elderly lady, when I was presented to her, proved to be Miss Fairlie's former governess, Mrs. Vesey, who had been briefly described to me by my lively companion at the breakfast-table, as possessed of "all the cardinal virtues, and counting for nothing."
Strange as it seems, I hardly think I should have succeeded in the attempt if Madame Fosco had not helped me by causing him to move and look away first. "Count, you are keeping Miss Halcombe standing," she said. The moment he turned round to get me a chair, I seized my opportunity thanked him made my excuses and slipped out.
"It means, Miss Halcombe, that Lady Glyde is relieved from a gross indignity, and you from the repetition of an unpardonable insult. Suffer me to express my admiration of your conduct and your courage at a very trying moment." "Sincere admiration," suggested Madame Fosco. "Sincere admiration," echoed the Count.
The servant was posted at the door to prevent their entrance, but Miss Halcombe insisted on passing him, and made her way into Mr. Fairlie's presence, leading her sister by the hand. The scene that followed, though it only lasted for a few minutes, was too painful to be described Miss Halcombe herself shrank from referring to it. Let it be enough to say that Mr.
Before there was time to start a single objection, Miss Halcombe took four bank-notes of a hundred pounds each from her pocket-book, and offered them to the woman, as a compensation for the risk she was to run, and for the loss of her place. The nurse hesitated, through sheer incredulity and surprise. Miss Halcombe pressed the point on her firmly.
He greeted me, on the evening of his return, with little or nothing of the ceremony and civility of former times no polite speeches of welcome no appearance of extraordinary gratification at seeing me nothing but a short shake of the hand, and a sharp "How-d'ye-do, Miss Halcombe glad to see you again."
Miss Halcombe, after once or twice hesitating and checking herself, in a most uncharacteristic manner, spoke at last. "I have seen your uncle this morning, Laura," she said. "He thinks the purple room is the one that ought to be got ready, and he confirms what I told you. Monday is the day not Tuesday." While these words were being spoken Miss Fairlie looked down at the table beneath her.
I took one step towards her from the grave. She never moved she never spoke. The veiled woman with her cried out faintly. I stopped. The springs of my life fell low, and the shuddering of an unutterable dread crept over me from head to foot. The woman with the veiled face moved away from her companion, and came towards me slowly. Left by herself, standing by herself, Marian Halcombe spoke.
Knowing what I knew now, the memory of Miss Fairlie's look and manner at the breakfast-table told me that the expected visitor at Limmeridge House was her future husband. I tried to force it back; but something rose within me at that moment stronger than my own will, and I interrupted Miss Halcombe. "Let me go to-day," I said bitterly. "The sooner the better." "No, not to-day," she replied.
As it is, I blame the misfortune of your years and your position I don't blame YOU. Shake hands I have given you pain; I am going to give you more, but there is no help for it shake hands with your friend, Marian Halcombe, first."
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