`WheneveryouandIaretogether，Marian，’shesaid，`weshallbothbehappierandeasierwithoneanother，ifweacceptmymarriedlifeforwhatitis，andsayandthinkaslittleaboutitaspossible。Iwouldtellyoueverything，darling，aboutmyself，’shewenton，nervouslybucklingandunbucklingtheribbonroundmywaist，`ifmyconfidencescouldonlyendthere。Buttheycouldnot——theywouldleadmeintoconfidencesaboutmyhusbandtoo；andnowIammarried，IthinkIhadbetteravoidthem，forhissake，andforyoursake，andformine。Idon’tsaythattheywoulddistressyou，ordistressme——Iwouldn’thaveyouthinkthatfortheworld。But——Iwanttobesohappy，nowIhavegotyoubackagain，andIwantyoutobesohappytoo——’Shebrokeoffabruptly，andlookedroundtheroom，myownsitting-room，inwhichweweretalking。`Ah！’shecried，clappingherhandswithabrightsmileofrecognition，`anotheroldfriendfoundalready！Yourbookcase，Marian——yourdear-little-shabby-old-satin-woodbookcase——howgladIamyoubroughtitwithyoufromLimmeridge！Andthehorridheavyman’sumbrella，thatyoualwayswouldwalkoutwithwhenitrained！Andfirstandforemostofall，yourowndear，dark。clever，gipsy-face，lookingatmejustasusual！Itissolikehomeagaintobehere。Howcanwemakeitmorelikehomestill？Iwillputmyfather’sportraitinyourroominsteadofmine——andIwillkeepallmylittletreasuresfromLimmeridgehere——andwewillpasshoursandhourseverydaywiththesefourfriendlywallsroundus。Oh，Marian！’shesaid，suddenlyseatingherselfonafootstoolatmyknees，andlookingupearnestlyinmyface，`promiseyouwillnevermarry，andleaveme。Itisselfishtosayso，butyouaresomuchbetteroffasasinglewoman——unless——unlessyouarcveryfondofyourhusband——butyouwon’tbeveryfondofanybodybutme，willyou？’Shestoppedagain，crossedmyhandsonmylap，andlaidherfaceonthem。`Haveyoubeenwritingmanyletters，andreceivingmanyletterslately？’sheasked，inlow，suddenly-alteredtones。Iunderstoodwhatthequestionmeant，butIthoughtitmydutynottoencourageherbymeetingherhalfway。`Haveyouheardfromhim？’shewenton，coaxingmetoforgivethemoredirectappealonwhichshenowventured，bykissingmyhands，uponwhichherfacestillrested。`Ishewellandhappy，andgettingoninhisprofession？Hasherecoveredhimself——andforgottenme？’
Sheshouldnothaveaskedthosequestions。Sheshouldhaverememberedherownresolution，onthemorningwhenSirPercivalheldhertohermarriageengagement，andwhensheresignedthebookofHartright’sdrawingsintomyhandsforever。But，ahme！whereisthefaultlesshumancreaturewhocanpersevereinagoodresolution，withoutsometimesfailingandfallingback？Whereisthewomanwhohaseverreallytornfromherhearttheimagethathasbeenoncefixedinitbyatruelove？Bookstellusthatsuchunearthlycreatureshaveexisted——butwhatdoesourownexperiencesayinanswertobooks？
Imadenoattempttoremonstratewithher：perhaps，becauseIsincerelyappreciatedthefearlesscandourwhichletmesee，whatotherwomeninherpositionmighthavehadreasonsforconcealingevenfromtheirdearestfriends——perhaps，becauseIfelt，inmyownheartandconscience，thatinherplaceIshouldhaveaskedthesamequestionsandhadthesamethoughts。
AllIcouldhonestlydowastoreplythatIhadnotwrittentohimorheardfromhimlately，andthentoturntheconversationtolessdangeroustopics。
Therehasbeenmuchtosaddenmeinourinterview——myfirstconfidentialinterviewwithhersinceherreturn。Thechangewhichhermarriagehasproducedinourrelationstowardseachother，byplacingaforbiddensubjectbetweenus，forthefirsttimeinourlives；themelancholyconvictionofthedearthofallwarmthoffeeling，ofallclosesympathy，betweenherhusbandandherself，whichherownunwillingwordsnowforceonmymind；thedistressingdiscoverythattheinfluenceofthatill-fatedattachmentstillremains(riomatterhowinnocently，howharmlessly)rootedasdeeplyaseverinherheart——allthesearedisclosurestosaddenanywomanwholovesherasdearly，andfeelsforherasacutely，asIdoThereisonlyoneconsolationtosetagainstthem——aconsolationthatoughttocomfortme，andthatdoescomfortme。Allthegracesandgentlenessofhercharacter——allthefrankaffectionofhernature——allthesweet，simple，womanlycharmswhichusedtomakeherthedarlinganddelightofeveryonewhoapproachedher，havecomebacktomewithherself。OfmyotherimpressionsIamsometimesalittleinclinedtodoubt。Ofthislast，best，happiestofallimpressions，Igrowmoreandmorecertaineveryhourintheday。
Letmeturn，now，fromhertohertravellingcompanions。Herhusbandmustengagemyattentionfirst。WhathaveIobservedinSirPercival，sincehisreturn，toimprovemyopinionofhim？
Icanhardlysay。Smallvexatiousandannoyancesseemtohavebesethimsincehecameback，andnoman，underthosecircumstances，iseverpresentedathisbest。Helooks，asIthink，thinnerthanhewaswhenheleftEngland。Hiswearisomecoughandhiscomfortlessrestlessnesshavecertainlyincreased。Hismanner——atleasthismannertowardsme——ismuchmoreabruptthanitusedtobe。Hegreetedme，ontheeveningofhisreturn，withlittleornothingoftheceremonyandcivilityofformertimes——nopolitespeechesofwelcome——noappearanceofextraordinarygratificationatseeingme——nothingbutashortshakeofthehand，andasharp`How-d’ye-do，MissHalcombe——gladtoseeyouagain。’HeseemedtoacceptmeasoneofthenecessaryfixturesofBlackwaterPark，tobesatisfiedatfindingmeestablishedinmyproperplace，andthentopassmeoveraltogether。
Mostmenshowsomethingoftheirdispositionintheirownhouses，whichtheyhaveconcealedelsewhere，andSirPercivalhasalreadydisplayedamaniafororderandregularity，whichisquiteanewrevelationofhim，sofarasmypreviousknowledgeofhischaracterisconcerned。IfItakeabookfromthelibraryandleaveitonthetable，hefollowsmeandputsitbackagain。IfIrisefromachair，andletitremainwhereIhavebeensitting，hecarefullyrestoresittoitsproperplaceagainstthewall。
Hepicksupstrayflower-blossomsfromthecarpet，andmutterstohimselfasdiscontentedlyasiftheywerehotcindersburningholesinit，andhestormsattheservantsifthereisacreaseinthetablecloth，oraknifemissingfromitsplaceatthedinner-table，asfiercelyasiftheyhadpersonallyinsultedhim。
Ihavealreadyreferredtothesmallannoyanceswhichappeartohavetroubledhimsincehisreturn。MuchofthealterationfortheworsewhichIhavenoticedinhimmaybeduetothese。Itrytopersuademyselfthatitisso，becauseIamanxiousnottobedisheartenedalreadyaboutthefuture。Itiscertainlytryingtoanyman’stempertobemetbyavexationthemomenthesetsfootinhisownhouseagain，afteralongabsence，andthisannoyingcircumstancedidreallyhappentoSirPercivalinmypresence。
Ontheeveningoftheirarrivalthehousekeeperfollowedmeintothehalltoreceivehermasterandmistressandtheirguests。Theinstanthesawher，SirPercivalaskedifanyonehadcalledlately。Thehousekeepermentionedtohim，inreply，whatshehadpreviouslymentionedtome，thevisitofthestrangegentlemantomakeinquiriesaboutthetimeofhermaster’sreturn。Heaskedimmediatelyforthegentleman’sname。Nonamehadbeenleft。Thegentleman’sbusiness？Nobusinesshadbeenmentioned。
Whatwasthegentlemanlike？Thehousekeepertriedtodescribehim，butfailedtodistinguishthenamelessvisitorbyanypersonalpeculiaritywhichhermastercouldrecognise。SirPercivalfrowned，stampedangrilyonthefloor，andwalkedonintothehouse，takingnonoticeofanybody。
WhyheshouldhavebeensodiscomposedbyatrifleIcannotsay——buthewasseriouslydiscomposed，beyondalldoubt。
Uponthewhole，itwillbebest，perhaps，ifIabstainfromformingadecisiveopinionofhismanners，language，andconductinhisownhouse，untiltimehasenabledhimtoshakeofftheanxieties。whatevertheymaybe，whichnowevidentlytroubledhismindinsecret。Iwillturnovertoanewpage，andmypenshallletLaura’shusbandaloneforthepresent。
Thetwoguests——theCountandCountessFosco——comenextinmycatalogue。
IwilldisposeoftheCountessfirst，soastohavedonewiththewomanassoonaspossible。
Laurawascertainlynotchargeablewithanyexaggeration，inwritingmewordthatIshouldhardlyrecogniseherauntagainwhenwemet。NeverbeforehaveIbeheldsuchachangeproducedinawomanbyhermarriageashasbeenproducedinMadameFosco。
AsEleanorFairlie(agedseven-and-thirty)。shewasalwaystalkingpretentiousnonsense，andalwaysworryingtheunfortunatemenwitheverysmallexactionwhichavainandfoolishwomancanimposeonlong-sufferingmalehumanity。
AsMadameFosco(agedthree-and-forty)，shesitsforhourstogetherwithoutsayingaword，frozenupinthestrangestmannerinherself。Thehideouslyridiculouslove-lockswhichusedtohangoneithersideofherfacearenowreplacedbystifflittlerowsofveryshortcurls，ofthesortoneseesinold-fashionedwigs。Aplain，matronlycapcoversherhead，andmakesherlook，forthefirsttimeinherlifesinceIrememberher，likeadecentwoman。Nobody(puttingherhusbandoutofthequestion，ofcourse)
nowseesinher，whateverybodyoncesaw——Imeanthestructureofthefemaleskeleton，intheupperregionsofthecollar-bonesandtheshoulder-blades。
Cladinquietblackorgreygowns，madehighroundthethroat——dressesthatshewouldhavelaughedat，orscreamedat，asthewhimofthemomentinclinedher，inhermaidendays——shesitsspeechlessincorners；herdrywhitehands(sodrythattheporesofherskinlookchalky)incessantlyengaged，eitherinmonotonousembroideryworkorinrollingupendlesscigarettesfortheCount’sownparticularsmoking。Onthefewoccasionswhenhercoldblueeyesareoffherwork，theyaregenerallyturnedonherhusband，withthelookofmutesubmissiveinquirywhichweareallfamiliarwithintheeyesofafaithfuldog。TheonlyapproachtoaninwardthawwhichIhaveyetdetectedunderheroutercoveringoficyconstraint，hasbetrayeditself，onceortwice，intheformofasuppressedtigerishjealousyofanywomaninthehouse(themaidsincluded)towhomtheCountspeaks，oronwhomhelookswithanythingapproachingtospecialinterestorattention。Exceptinthisoneparticular，sheisalways，morning，noon，andnight，indoorsandout，fairweatherorfoul，ascoldasastatue，andasimpenetrableasthestoneoutofwhichitiscut。Forthecommonpurposesofsocietytheextraordinarychangethusproducedinheris，beyondalldoubt，achangeforthebetter，seeingthatithastransformedherintoacivil，silent，unobtrusivewoman，whoisneverintheway。Howfarsheisreallyreformedordeterioratedinhersecretself，isanotherquestion。
Ihaveonceortwiceseensuddenchangesofexpressiononherpinchedlips，andheardsuddeninflexionsoftoneinhercalmvoice，whichhaveledmetosuspectthatherpresentstateofsuppressionmayhavesealedupsomethingdangerousinhernature，whichusedtoevaporateharmlesslyinthefreedomofherformerlife。ItisquitepossiblethatImaybealtogetherwronginthisidea。Myownimpression，however，is，thatIamright。Timewillshow。
Andthemagicianwhohaswroughtthiswonderfultransformation——theforeignhusbandwhohastamedthisoncewaywardEnglishwomantillherownrelationshardlyknowheragain——theCounthimself？WhatoftheCount？
Thisintwowords：Helookslikeamanwhocouldtameanything。Ifhehadmarriedatigress，insteadofawoman，hewouldhavetamedthetigress。
