The Woman in White. Wilkie Collins

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СКАЧАТЬ ladies in Cumberland, when suddenly, my heart seemed to stop beating. A hand had touched my shoulder from behind.

      I turned at once, my hand tightening on my walking stick.

      There, as if it had dropped from the sky, stood the figure of a woman, dressed from head to foot in white clothes. I was too surprised to speak.

      ‘Is that the road into London?’ she said.

      I looked at her carefully. It was then nearly one o’clock. All I could see in the moonlight was a young colourless face, large sad eyes, and light brown hair. Her manner was quiet and self-controlled. What sort of woman she was, and why she was out so late alone, I could not guess. But there was nothing evil about her – indeed, a kind of sad innocence seemed to come from her.

      ‘Did you hear me?’ she said, quietly and rapidly.

      ‘Yes,’ I replied, ‘that’s the road. Please excuse me – I was rather surprised by your sudden appearance.’

      ‘You don’t suspect me of doing anything wrong, do you?’

      ‘No, no, seeing you so suddenly gave me a shock, that’s all.’

      ‘I heard you coming,’ she said, ‘and hid behind those trees to see what sort of man you were, before I risked speaking. May I trust you?’ Her eyes searched my face, anxiously.

      Her loneliness and helplessness were so obvious that I felt great sympathy for her. ‘Tell me how I can help you,’ I said, ‘and if I can, I will.’

      ‘Oh, thank you, thank you. You are very kind.’ Her voice trembled a little as she spoke. ‘I don’t know London at all. Can I get a cab or a carriage at this time of night? Could you show me where to get one, and will you promise not to interfere with me? I have a friend in London who will be glad to receive me. I want nothing else – will you promise?’

      She looked nervously up and down the road, then back at me.

      How could I refuse? Her fear and confusion were painful to see.

      ‘Will you promise?’ she repeated.

      ‘Yes.’

      We set off together towards the centre of London. It was like a dream – walking along that familiar road, with so strange and so mysterious a companion at my side.

      ‘Do you know any men of the rank of Baronet in London?’ she asked suddenly.

      There was a note of suspicion in the strange question, and when I said I knew no Baronets, she seemed relieved. I questioned her further, and she murmured that she had been cruelly used by a Baronet she would not name. She told me she came from Hampshire and asked if I lived in London. I explained that I did, but that I was leaving for Cumberland the next day.

      ‘Cumberland!’ she repeated softly. ‘Ah! I wish I was going there too. I was once happy in Cumberland, in Limmeridge village. I’d like to see Limmeridge House again.’

      Limmeridge House! I stopped, amazed.

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