fromthispositionofhelplessnessandhumiliationIwasrescuedbyMissHalcombe。Herlipstoldmethebitter，thenecessary，theunexpectedtruth；herheartykindnesssustainedmeundertheshockofhearingit；
hersenseandcourageturnedtoitsrightuseaneventwhichthreatenedtheworstthatcouldhappen，tomeandtoothers，inLimmeridgeHouse。IXItwasonaThursdayintheweek，andnearlyattheendofthethirdmonthofmysojourninCumberland。
Inthemorning，whenIwentdownintothebreakfast-roomattheusualhour，MissHalcombe，forthefirsttimesinceIhadknownher，wasabsentfromhercustomaryplaceatthetable。
MissFairliewasoutonthelawn。Shebowedtome，butdidnotcomein。Notawordhaddroppedfrommylips，orfromhers，thatcouldunsettleeitherofus——andyetthesameunacknowledgedsenseofembarrassmentmadeusshrinkalikefrommeetingoneanotheralone。Shewaitedonthelawn，andIwaitedinthebreakfast-room，tillMrsVeseyorMissHalcombecamein。HowquicklyIshouldhavejoinedher：howreadilyweshouldhaveshakenhands，andglidedintoourcustomarytalk，onlyafortnightago。
InafewminutesMissHalcombeentered。Shehadapreoccupiedlook，andshemadeherapologiesforbeinglateratherabsently。