The Woman in White: The First Epoch: Part 2, Chapter 3 Summary & Analysis

Mr. Gilmore has been back in London for a week when he receives a letter from Marian announcing that the date of Laura’s wedding has been set for December—“three months before Laura comes of age.” Although he is slightly disappointed by Marian’s brusque tone in the note, Mr. Gilmore acknowledges that his role in Laura’s story has nearly reached its end: Marian will take up the narrative after him. However, before he concludes, Mr. Gilmore states that he must inform the reader about the state of Laura’s inheritance as it is a “very important part of Miss Fairlie’s story” and will help the reader to understand the events still to come.

Laura will inherit Limmeridge House when Mr. Fairlie, her uncle, dies. Once she inherits it, the house will bring her an income of three thousand pounds a year and, when she dies, the house will go to her heir if she has a son. If she dies childless, the house will belong to her husband, Sir Percival. Laura is also set to receive a sum of thirty thousand pounds when she comes of age, meaning when she turns twenty-one, as she will in three months. If Laura dies without producing an heir, this money will be split in two. Twenty thousand pounds will go to whoever Laura bequeaths it to and ten thousand will go to her aunt, Madame Fosco.

Laura’s aunt was disowned by her brother, Mr. Philip Fairlie, Laura’s father, because she married an Italian nobleman named Count Fosco, whom Laura’s father despised. Mr. Gilmore believes that Laura’s father had a hatred for foreigners, and that this is the reason why he kept the inheritance out of his sister’s reach. Madame Fosco will only receive ten thousand pounds of inheritance money if Laura dies before her. Given the difference in age between the two women, Mr. Gilmore believes that Laura’s father deliberately arranged the will so that his sister would not receive an inheritance.

Mr. Gilmore draws up the marriage settlement for Laura and Sir Percival and includes in it “the knot of the whole case”—a clause which gives Laura the right to make a will. This is so that she can decide who the twenty thousand pounds will go to in the unlikely event of her death. He posts the settlement to Sir Percival’s lawyer, Mr. Merriman, and it is sent back with the standard amendments and edits. However, one detail surprises Mr. Gilmore: Mr. Merriman absolutely refuses to entertain Laura’s right to make a will and distribute the twenty thousand pounds as she pleases. Instead, the lawyer insists that this money should automatically and unquestionably go to Sir Percival in the event of Laura’s death.

Concerned by this rejection of his terms—and suspecting a “mercenary” motive behind it—Mr. Gilmore writes to Mr. Fairlie in the hope that, because he is Laura’s legal guardian, he will call off the wedding. Mr. Fairlie writes back dismissing Mr. Gilmore’s concerns and implies that Mr. Gilmore is being overly alarmist and is bothering him inconsiderately for no reason.

Mr. Gilmore has just received this reply—and is disgusted by Mr. Fairlie’s disregard for his niece’s wellbeing—when Sir Percival’s lawyer, Mr. Merriman, arrives at his office to discuss his client’s affairs with him. Mr. Gilmore is pessimistic about his ability to deal with Mr. Merriman, as he maintains an outward appearance of extreme friendliness and good humor but is secretly ruthless underneath.

Mr. Merriman tells Mr. Gilmore that he regrets having to reject his clause but that there is nothing he can do; he is simply obeying orders from his client, Sir Percival. Mr. Gilmore tries to negotiate with Mr. Merriman to lower the sum which Sir Percival would receive from the twenty thousand pounds, if Laura were to die, but Mr. Merriman—despite seeming jocular and apologetic—absolutely will not budge. He agrees to give Mr. Gilmore a little more time, however, to work on the contract and to get a final answer from Mr. Fairlie and Laura.

Once they have agreed on this, Mr. Merriman changes the subject and asks Mr. Gilmore, seemingly in passing, if he has heard anything about “the woman who wrote the anonymous letter,” Anne Catherick. Mr. Gilmore admits he has not. Mr. Merriman is not too disappointed by this, however, and tells Mr. Gilmore that, although Anne has not been found, Sir Percival has hired people to watch the person who he thinks may be hiding her. Mr. Gilmore asks if this is the old woman that Anne was seen with, but Mr. Merriman replies that the person they suspect is a man.

Mr. Gilmore realizes that he has made no headway with Mr. Merriman. He feels it is pointless to appeal to Mr. Fairlie again in writing and, instead, decides to visit Limmeridge again in person. At the train station he runs into Walter Hartright and is surprised to find the young man strangely altered; he is “pale and haggard” and seems to be extremely on edge, as though he thinks that he is being watched.

Walter tells Mr. Gilmore that he has heard about Laura’s wedding and asks him when it will be. Mr. Gilmore thinks that he is displaying more interest than is proper for someone who worked as an employee for the Fairlies, and is rather put off by Walter’s prying. When Walter perceives this, he remarks bitterly that he has no right to enquire about Laura’s affairs and explains that he has been ill recently and is going away, “a long distance off,” to recover. Mr. Gilmore must catch his train and Walter disappears into the crowd, leaving Mr. Gilmore feeling faintly uneasy about the young man’s future.