go anywhere and do anything to serve Laura's
interests. What did you say the place was called?"

"You must know it well. It is called Todd's Corner."

"Certainly. Todd's Corner is one of Mr. Fairlie's farms. Our
dairymaid here is the farmer's second daughter. She goes backwards and
forwards constantly between this house and her father's farm, and she
may have heard or seen something which it may be useful to us to know.
Shall I ascertain, at once, if the girl is downstairs?"

She rang the bell, and sent the servant with his message. He returned,
and announced that the dairymaid was then at the farm. She had not been
there for the last three days, and the housekeeper had given her leave
to go home for an hour or two that evening.

"I can speak to her to-morrow," said Miss Halcombe, when the servant
had left the room again. "In the meantime, let me thoroughly
understand the object to be gained by my interview with Anne Catherick.
Is there no doubt in your mind that the person who confined her in the
Asylum was Sir Percival Glyde?"

"There is not the shadow of a doubt. The only mystery that remains is
the mystery of his MOTIVE. Looking to the great difference between his
station in life and hers, which seems to preclude all idea of the most
distant relationship between them, it is of the last importance--even
assuming that she really required to be placed under restraint--to know
why HE should have been the person to assume the serious responsibility
of shutting her up----"

"In a private Asylum, I think you said?"

"Yes, in a private Asylum, where a sum of money, which no poor person
could afford to give, must have been paid for her maintenance as a
patient."

"I see where the doubt lies, Mr. Hartright, and I promise you that it
shall be set at rest, whether Anne Catherick assists us to-morrow or
not. Sir Percival Glyde shall not be long in this house without
satisfying Mr. Gilmore, and satisfying me. My sister's future is my
dearest care in life, and I have influence enough over her to give me
some power, where her marriage is concerned, in the disposal of it."

We parted for the night.

After breakfast the next morning, an obstacle, which the events of the
evening before had put out of my memory, interposed to prevent our
proceeding immediately to the farm. This was my last day at Limmeridge
House, and it was necessary, as soon as the post came in, to follow
Miss Halcombe's advice, and to ask M