The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-07-14
THE WOMAN IN WHITE
BY WILLIAM w. COLLINS.

again. poor soul. till the night she es'
capped from the mad house"
"You know. Mrs. Clements. why Sir
Percival Clyde shut her up7"
Il only know what Anne herself told
me. sir The poor thing used TO ramble
and wander about II sadly. She said her
mother had got some secret OF Sir Per-
civaIs to keep. and had let IL out TO her,
long after ] left Hampshire. and when
Sir Percival found she knew IT, he shut
her up. But she never could say what II
was. when l asked her. All she could
tell me was that her mother might be
the ruin and destruction OF Sir Percival,
II she chose Mrs. Catherick may have
let out just as much as that and no
more. I'm next TO certain i should have
heard the whole truth from Anne, she
had really known II, as she pretended TO
do-and as she very likely fancied she
did. poor soul"
This idea had more than once occurred
TO my own mind. / bad already told
Marian that l doubted whether Laura
was really on the point OF making an i'm
portant discovery when she and Anne
Catherick were disturbed by Count Fosco
at the boat house. 1t was perfectly In
character with Annes mental afniction
that she should assume an absolute
knowledge OF the secret on no better
grounds than vague suspicion, derived
from hints which her mother had In
cautiously let drop in her presence. Sir
Percivars guilty dlstrust would, In that
case, infallibly inspire him with the false
idea that Anne knew all from her mother
Just as II had afterward fixed in his mind
the equally false suspicion that his wife
knew all from Anne.
The time was passing, the morning was
wearing away.
1t was doubtful. II I stayed longer.
whether I should hear anything more
from Mrs. Clements that would be at all
useful TO my purpose. l had already dls-
covered those local and family particu-
lars I'm relation TO Mrs Catherick OF
which had been in search; and l had
arrived at certain conclusions, entirely
new to me, which might Immensely as
sist in directing the course OF my future
proceedings. i rose 10 take my leave
and to thank Mrs. Clements for the
friendly readiness she had shown In af-
fording me information.
"I am afraid you must have thought me
very inquisitve." said. II have troubled
you with more questions than many peo-
pie would have cared 10 answer"
You are heartily welcome. sir. TO any
thing I can tell you." answered Mrs.
Clements. She stopped. and looked at me
wistfully. But do wish" said the poor
woman, you could have told me little
something in your face. when you came
in. which looked as II you could. You
can't think how hard II is not even to
knew whether she is living or dead. l
could bear II better II was only certain.
You said you never expected we should
see her alive again. Do you know. sir--do
you know for truth--that II has pleased
God TO take herr"
I was not proof against this appeal II
would have been unspeakably mean and
cruel Cf me II had resisted II.
II am afraid there is no doubt OF the
TRUTH" I answered. gently: II have the
certainty. in my own nand. that her
troubles In this world are over"
The poor woman dropped into her chair,
and hid her face from me. "Oh, SIR" she