3. _She Speaks of Mirabel_.

"'Four years ago, I was living near Cowes, in the Isle of Wight--in a
cottage which had been taken for me by a gentleman who was the owner of
a yacht. We had just returned from a short cruise, and the vessel was
under orders to sail for Cherbourg with the next tide.

"'While I was walking in my garden, I was startled by the sudden
appearance Of a man (evidently a gentleman) who was a perfect stranger
to me. He was in a pitiable state of terror, and he implored my
protection. In reply to my first inquiries, he mentioned the inn at
Zeeland, and the dreadful death of a person unknown to him; whom I
recognized (partly by the description given, and partly by comparison of
dates) as Mr. James Brown. I shall say nothing of the shock inflicted
on me: you don't want to know what I felt. What I did (having literally
only a minute left for decision) was to hide the fugitive from
discovery, and to exert my influence in his favor with the owner of the
yacht. I saw nothing more of him. He was put on board, as soon as the
police were out of sight, and was safely landed at Cherbourg.'

"I asked what induced her to run the risk of protecting a stranger, who
was under suspicion of having committed a murder.

"She said, 'You shall hear my explanation directly. Let us have done
with Mr. Mirabel first. We occasionally corresponded, during the long
absence on the continent; never alluding, at his express request, to
the horrible event at the inn. His last letter reached me, after he
had established himself at Vale Regis. Writing of the society in the
neighborhood, he informed me of his introduction to Miss Wyvil, and of
the invitation that he had received to meet her friend and schoolfellow
at Monksmoor. I knew that Miss Emily possessed a Handbill describing
personal peculiarities in Mr. Mirabel, not hidden under the changed
appearance of his head and face. If she remembered or happened to refer
to that description, while she was living in the same house with him,
there was a possibility at least of her suspicion being excited. The
fear of this took me to you. It was a morbid fear, and, as events turned
out, an unfounded fear: but I was unable to control it. Failing to
produce any effect on you, I went to Vale Regis, and tried (vainly
again) to induce Mr. Mirabel to send an excuse to Monksmoor. He, like
you, wanted to know what my motive was. When I tell you that I acted
solely in Miss Emily's interests,