tried vainly to soothe her and reason with her--she was past being
soothed, and past being reasoned with. It was the sad, sudden end for
us two of this memorable day. When the fit had worn itself out she was
too exhausted to speak. She slumbered towards the afternoon, and I put
away the book of drawings so that she might not see it when she woke.
My face was calm, whatever my heart might be, when she opened her eyes
again and looked at me. We said no more to each other about the
distressing interview of the morning. Sir Percival's name was not
mentioned. Walter Hartright was not alluded to again by either of us
for the remainder of the day.

10th.--Finding that she was composed and like herself this morning, I
returned to the painful subject of yesterday, for the sole purpose of
imploring her to let me speak to Sir Percival and Mr. Fairlie, more
plainly and strongly than she could speak to either of them herself,
about this lamentable marriage. She interposed, gently but firmly, in
the middle of my remonstrances.

"I left yesterday to decide," she said; "and yesterday HAS decided. It
is too late to go back."

Sir Percival spoke to me this afternoon about what had passed in
Laura's room. He assured me that the unparalleled trust she had placed
in him had awakened such an answering conviction of her innocence and
integrity in his mind, that he was guiltless of having felt even a
moment's unworthy jealousy, either at the time when he was in her
presence, or afterwards when he had withdrawn from it. Deeply as he
lamented the unfortunate attachment which had hindered the progress he
might otherwise have made in her esteem and regard, he firmly believed
that it had remained unacknowledged in the past, and that it would
remain, under all changes of circumstance which it was possible to
contemplate, unacknowledged in the future. This was his absolute
conviction; and the strongest proof he could give of it was the
assurance, which he now offered, that he felt no curiosity to know
whether the attachment was of recent date or not, or who had been the
object of it. His implicit confidence in Miss Fairlie made him
satisfied with what she had thought fit to say to him, and he was
honestly innocent of the slightest feeling of anxiety to hear more.

He waited after saying those words and looked at me. I was so
conscious of my unreasonable prejudice against him--so conscious of an
unworthy suspicion that he might be s