Buttherewasonepointinthenarrativewhichmademedoubttheproprietyofacceptingitunreservedly，andwhichsuggestedtheideaofsomethinghiddenbelowthesurface。
Icouldnotaccounttomyselfforthecircumstanceoftheclerk’sguiltywifevoluntarilylivingoutallherafter-existenceonthesceneofherdisgrace。Thewoman’sownreportedstatementthatshehadtakenthisstrangecourseasapracticalassertionofherinnocencedidnotsatisfyme。Itseemed，tomymind，morenaturalandmoreprobabletoassumethatshewasnotsocompletelyafreeagentinthismatterasshehadherselfasserted。
Inthatcase，whowasthelikeliestpersontopossessthepowerofcompellinghertoremainatWelmingham？Thepersonunquestionablyfromwhomshederivedthemeansofliving。Shehadrefusedassistancefromherhusband，shehadnoadequateresourcesofherown，shewasafriendless，degradedwoman——fromwhatsourceshouldshederivehelpbutfromthesourceatwhichreportpointed——SirPercivalGlyde？
Reasoningontheseassumptions，andalwaysbearinginmindtheonecertainfacttoguideme，thatMrsCatherickwasinpossessionoftheSecret，I
easilyunderstoodthatitwasSirPercival’sinteresttokeepheratWelmingham，becausehercharacterinthatplacewascertaintoisolateherfromallcommunicationwithfemaleneighbours，andtoallowhernoopportunitiesoftalkingincautiouslyinmomentsoffreeintercoursewithinquisitivebosomfriends。Butwhatwasthemysterytobeconcealed？NotSirPercival’sinfamousconnectionwithMrsCatherick’sdisgrace，fortheneighboursweretheverypeoplewhoknewofit——notthesuspicionthathewasAnne’sfather，forWelminghamwastheplaceinwhichthatsuspicionmustinevitablyexist。IfIacceptedtheguiltyappearancesdescribedtomeasunreservedlyasothershadacceptedthem，ifIdrewfromthemthesamesuperficialconclusionwhichMrCatherickandallhisneighbourshaddrawn，wherewasthesuggestion，inallthatIhadheard，ofadangeroussecretbetweenSirPercivalandMrsCatherick，whichhadbeenkepthiddenfromthattimetothis？