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Literary
April 27, 1903
The Providence News
Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
What is this article about?
In this scene, Sir Percival Glyde politely persuades Miss Halcombe to write a note to Mrs. Catherick inquiring about her daughter Anne's placement in an asylum and his own involvement. He then questions Miss Halcombe about Anne's contacts, learning she only met Mr. Hartright and stayed at Todd's Corner.
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Full Text
(Continued.)
I saw Miss Halcombe change color, and look a little uneasy. Sir Percival's suggestion, politely as it was expressed, appeared to her, as it appeared to me, to point, very delicately, at the hesitation which her manner had betrayed a moment or two since.
"I hope, Sir Percival, you don't do me the injustice to suppose that I distrust you?" she said, quickly.
"Certainly not, Miss Halcombe. I make my proposal purely as an act of attention to you. Will you excuse my obstinacy if I still venture to press it?"
He walked to the writing-table as he spoke; drew a chair to it; and opened the paper-case.
"Let me beg you to write the note," he said, "as a favor to me. It need not occupy you more than a few minutes. You have only to ask Mrs. Catherick two questions. First, if her daughter was placed in the Asylum with her knowledge and approval. Secondly. If the share I took in the matter was such as to merit the expression of her gratitude toward myself? Mr. Gilmore's mind is at ease on this unpleasant subject; and your mind is at ease—pray set my mind at ease also, by writing the note."
"You oblige me to grant your request, Sir Percival, when I would much rather refuse it." With those words Miss Halcombe rose from her place, and went to the writing-table. Sir Percival thanked her, handed her a pen, and then walked away toward the fire-place. Miss Fairlie's little Italian greyhound was lying on the rug. He held out his hand, and called to the dog good-humoredly.
"Come, Nina," he said; "we remember each other, don't we?"
The little beast, cowardly and cross-grained as pet dogs usually are, looked up at him sharply, shrunk away from his outstretched hand, whined, shivered, and hid himself under a sofa. It was scarcely possible that he could have been put out by such a trifle as a dog's reception of him—but I observed, nevertheless, that he walked away toward the window very suddenly. Perhaps his temper is irritable at times? If so, I can sympathize with him. My temper is irritable at times, too.
Miss Halcombe was not long in writing the note. When it was done, she rose from the writing-table, and handed the open sheet of paper to Sir Percival. He bowed, took it from her, folded it up immediately, without looking at the contents, sealed it, wrote the address, and handed it back to her in silence. I never saw anything more gracefully and more becomingly done in my life.
"You insist on my posting this letter, Sir Percival?" said Miss Halcombe.
"I beg you will post it." he answered. "And now that it is written and sealed up, allow me to ask one or two last questions about the unhappy woman to whom it refers. I have read the communication which Mr. Gilmore addressed to my solicitor, describing the circumstances under which the writer of the anonymous letter was identified. But there are certain points to which that statement does not refer. Did Anne Catherick see Miss Fairlie?"
"Certainly not," replied Miss Halcombe.
"Did she see you?"
"No."
"She saw nobody from the house, then, except a certain Mr. Hartright, who accidentally met with her in the churchyard here?"
"Nobody else."
"Mr. Hartright was employed at Limmeridge as a drawing-master, I believe? Is he a member of one of the Water-color Societies?"
"I believe he is," answered Miss Halcombe.
He paused for a moment, as if he was thinking over the last answer, and then added:
"Did you find out where Anne Catherick was living, when she was in the neighborhood?"
"Yes. At a farm on the moor, called Todd's Corner."
I saw Miss Halcombe change color, and look a little uneasy. Sir Percival's suggestion, politely as it was expressed, appeared to her, as it appeared to me, to point, very delicately, at the hesitation which her manner had betrayed a moment or two since.
"I hope, Sir Percival, you don't do me the injustice to suppose that I distrust you?" she said, quickly.
"Certainly not, Miss Halcombe. I make my proposal purely as an act of attention to you. Will you excuse my obstinacy if I still venture to press it?"
He walked to the writing-table as he spoke; drew a chair to it; and opened the paper-case.
"Let me beg you to write the note," he said, "as a favor to me. It need not occupy you more than a few minutes. You have only to ask Mrs. Catherick two questions. First, if her daughter was placed in the Asylum with her knowledge and approval. Secondly. If the share I took in the matter was such as to merit the expression of her gratitude toward myself? Mr. Gilmore's mind is at ease on this unpleasant subject; and your mind is at ease—pray set my mind at ease also, by writing the note."
"You oblige me to grant your request, Sir Percival, when I would much rather refuse it." With those words Miss Halcombe rose from her place, and went to the writing-table. Sir Percival thanked her, handed her a pen, and then walked away toward the fire-place. Miss Fairlie's little Italian greyhound was lying on the rug. He held out his hand, and called to the dog good-humoredly.
"Come, Nina," he said; "we remember each other, don't we?"
The little beast, cowardly and cross-grained as pet dogs usually are, looked up at him sharply, shrunk away from his outstretched hand, whined, shivered, and hid himself under a sofa. It was scarcely possible that he could have been put out by such a trifle as a dog's reception of him—but I observed, nevertheless, that he walked away toward the window very suddenly. Perhaps his temper is irritable at times? If so, I can sympathize with him. My temper is irritable at times, too.
Miss Halcombe was not long in writing the note. When it was done, she rose from the writing-table, and handed the open sheet of paper to Sir Percival. He bowed, took it from her, folded it up immediately, without looking at the contents, sealed it, wrote the address, and handed it back to her in silence. I never saw anything more gracefully and more becomingly done in my life.
"You insist on my posting this letter, Sir Percival?" said Miss Halcombe.
"I beg you will post it." he answered. "And now that it is written and sealed up, allow me to ask one or two last questions about the unhappy woman to whom it refers. I have read the communication which Mr. Gilmore addressed to my solicitor, describing the circumstances under which the writer of the anonymous letter was identified. But there are certain points to which that statement does not refer. Did Anne Catherick see Miss Fairlie?"
"Certainly not," replied Miss Halcombe.
"Did she see you?"
"No."
"She saw nobody from the house, then, except a certain Mr. Hartright, who accidentally met with her in the churchyard here?"
"Nobody else."
"Mr. Hartright was employed at Limmeridge as a drawing-master, I believe? Is he a member of one of the Water-color Societies?"
"I believe he is," answered Miss Halcombe.
He paused for a moment, as if he was thinking over the last answer, and then added:
"Did you find out where Anne Catherick was living, when she was in the neighborhood?"
"Yes. At a farm on the moor, called Todd's Corner."
What sub-type of article is it?
Prose Fiction
Dialogue
What themes does it cover?
Political
Social Manners
What keywords are associated?
Prose Fiction
Character Dialogue
Asylum Intrigue
Anonymous Letter
Character Verification
Literary Details
Key Lines
"I Hope, Sir Percival, You Don't Do Me The Injustice To Suppose That I Distrust You?" She Said, Quickly.
"Let Me Beg You To Write The Note," He Said, "As A Favor To Me. It Need Not Occupy You More Than A Few Minutes. You Have Only To Ask Mrs. Catherick Two Questions. First, If Her Daughter Was Placed In The Asylum With Her Knowledge And Approval. Secondly. If The Share I Took In The Matter Was Such As To Merit The Expression Of Her Gratitude Toward Myself?"
"Did Anne Catherick See Miss Fairlie?"
"She Saw Nobody From The House, Then, Except A Certain Mr. Hartright, Who Accidentally Met With Her In The Churchyard Here?"
"Yes. At A Farm On The Moor, Called Todd's Corner."