夏日的一个傍晚，年轻的艺术教师沃尔特路遇一位从疯人院逃出白衣女人，协助其逃至伦敦，发觉她与自己的学生劳拉长相相似。沃尔特与劳拉陷入热恋，而劳拉原已许字珀西瓦尔·格莱特，沃尔特只好抽身他往。谁想格莱特骗得与劳拉成亲，意在谋取钱财，而名为安娜的白衣女人从前也是陷入格莱特的圈套，被送进疯入院的。不久，安娜病逝，格莱特暗中偷换二者的身份，以劳拉的名义葬埋安娜，而以安娜的身份将劳拉关进了疯人院……
柯林斯（Wilkie Collins）（1824-1889）， was an English novelist， playwright， and author of short stories. He was hugely popular during the Victorian era and wrote 30 novels， more than 60 short stories， 14 plays， and over 100 nonfiction pieces. His best-known works are The Woman in White， The Moonstone， Armadale and No Name.
Collins predicted the concept of the Cold War nuclear era， "I begin to believe in only one civilizing influence-the discovery one of these days of a destructive agent so terrible that War shall mean annihilation and men's fears will force them to keep the peace."
THE FIRST EPOCH
THE STORY BEGUN BY WALTER HARTRIGHT
THE STORY CONTINUED BYVINCENT GILMORE
THE STORY CONTINUED BY MARIAN HALCOMBE
THE SECOND EPOCH
THE STORY CONTINUED BY MARIAN HALCOMBE
POSTSCRIPT BY A SINCERE FR
THE STORY CONTINUED BY FREDERICK FAIRLIE, ESQ.OF
THE STORY CONTINUED BY ELIZA MICHELSON
THE STORY CONTINUED IN SEVERAL NARRATIVES
THE THIRD EPOCH
THE STORY CONTINUED BYWALTER HARTRIGHT
THE STORY CONTINUED BY MRS. CATHERICK
THE STORY CONTINUED BY WALTER HARTRIGHT
THE STORY CONTINUED BY ISIDOR, OTTAVIO, BALDASSARE FOSCO
THE STORY CONCLUDED BY WALTER HARTRIGHT
in this Englishman's bosom， and， what is more， his father had it before lumf' 'Never mind，' says the golden barbarian of a Papa， 'never mind about his genius， Mr. Pesca. We don't want genius in this country， unless it is accompanied by respectability-and then we are very glad to have it， very glad indeed. Can your friend produce testimonials-letters that speak to his character?' I wave my hand negligently 'Letters?' I say 'Ha! my-soul-bless-my-soul! I should think so， indeed! Volumes ofletters and portfolios of testimonials， if you like!' 'One or two will do，' says this man of phlegm and money 'Let him send them to me， with his name and address. And-stop， stop， Mr. Pesca-before you go to your friend， you had better take a note.' 'Bank-note!' I say， indignantly 'No bank-note， if you please， till my brave Englishman has earned it First.' 'Banlcnote!' says Papa， in a great surprise， 'who talked of bank-note? I mean a note of the terms-a memorandum of what he is expected to do. Go on with your lesson， Mr. Pesca， and I will give you the necessary extract from my friend's letter.' Down sits the man of merchandise and money to his pen， ink， and paper; and down I go once again into the Hell of Dante， with my three young Misses after me. In ten minutes' time the note is written， and the boots of Papa are creaking themselves away in the passage outside.
From that moment， on my faith， and soul， and honour， I know nothing more! The glorious thought that I have caught my opportunity at last， and that my grateful service for my dearest friend in the world is as good as done already flies up into my head and makes me drunk. How I pull my young Misses and myself out of our Infernal Region again， how my other business is done afterwards， how my little bit of dinner slides itself down my throat， I know no more than a man in the moon. Enough for me， that here I am， with the mighty merchant's note in my hand， as large as life， as hot as fire， and as happy as a king! Ha! ha! ha! right-right-right-all-right!" '
Here the Professor waved the memorandum of terms over his head， and ended his long and voluble narrative with his shrill Italian parody on an English cheer.
My mother rose the moment he had done， with flushed cheeks and brightened eyes. She caught the little man warmly by both hands.
"My dear， good Pesca，" she said， "I never doubted your true affection for Walter-but I am more than ever persuaded of it now!" "I am sure we are very much obliged to Professor Pesca， for Walter's sake，" added Sarah.
……
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