Ihadnotspokenhitherto，andIwouldmuchrathernothavespokennow。
ButtheexpressionofdistressinLaura’sfacewhensheturnedittowardsme，andtheinsolentinjusticeofherhusband’sconduct，leftmenootheralternativethantogivemyopinion，forhersake，assoonasIwasaskedforit。
`Excuseme，SirPercival，’Isaid——`butasoneofthewitnessestothesignature，IventuretothinkthatIhavesomethingtodowiththematter。Laura’sobjectionseemstomeaperfectlyfairone，andspeakingformyselfonly，Icannotassumetheresponsibilityofwitnessinghersignature，unlessshefirstunderstandswhatthewritingiswhichyouwishhertosign。’
`Acooldeclaration，uponmysoul！’criedSirPercival。`Thenexttimeyouinviteyourselftoaman’shouse，MissHalcombe，Irecommendyounottorepayhishospitalitybytakinghiswife’ssideagainsthiminamatterthatdoesn’tconcernyou。’
Istartedtomyfeetassuddenlyasifhehadstruckme。IfIhadbeenaman，Iwouldhaveknockedhimdownonthethresholdofhisowndoor，andhavelefthishouse，neveronanyearthlyconsiderationtoenteritagain。ButIwasonlyawoman——andIlovedhiswifesodearly！
ThankGod，thatfaithfullovehelpedme，andIsatdownagainwithoutsayingaword。SheknewwhatIhadsufferedandwhatIhadsuppressed。
Sheranroundtome，withthetearsstreamingfromhereyes。`Oh，Marian！’
shewhisperedsoftly。`Ifmymotherhadbeenalive，shecouldhavedonenomoreforme。
`Comebackandsign！’criedSirPercivalfromtheothersideofthetable。
`ShallI？’sheaskedinmyear；`Iwill，ifyoutellme。’
`No，’Ianswered。`Therightandthetrutharewithyou——signnothing，unlessyouhavereaditfirst。’
`Comebackandsign！’hereiterated，inhisloudestandangriesttones。
TheCount，whohadwatchedLauraandmewithacloseandsilentattention，interposedforthesecondtime。
`Percival！’hesaid。`IrememberthatIaminthepresenceofladies。
Begoodenough，ifyouplease，torememberittoo。’
SirPercivalturnedonhimspeechlesswithpassion。TheCount’sfirmhandslowlytighteneditsgrasponhisshoulder，andtheCount’ssteadyvoicequietlyrepeated，`Begoodenough，ifyouplease，torememberittoo。’
Theybothlookedateachother。SirPercivalslowlydrewhisshoulderfromundertheCount’shand，slowlyturnedhisfaceawayfromtheCount’seyes，doggedlylookeddownforalittlewhileattheparchmentonthetable，andthenspoke，withthesullensubmissionofatamedanimal，ratherthanthebecomingresignationofaconvincedman。
`Idon’twanttooffendanybody，’hesaid，`butmywife’sobstinacyisenoughtotrythepatienceofasaint。Ihavetoldherthisismerelyaformaldocument——andwhatmorecanshewant？Youmaysaywhatyouplease，butitisnopartofawoman’sdutytosetherhusbandatdefiance。Oncemore，LadyGlyde。andforthelasttime，willyousignorwillyounot？’
Laurareturnedtohissideofthetable，andtookupthepenagain。
`Iwillsignwithpleasure，’shesaid，`ifyouwillonlytreatmeasaresponsiblebeing。Icarelittlewhatsacrificeisrequiredofme，ifitwillaffectnooneelse，andleadtonoillresults——’
`Whotalkedofasacrificebeingrequiredofyou？’hebrokein，withahalf-suppressedreturnofhisformerviolence。
`Ionlymeant，’sheresumed，`thatIwouldrefusenoconcessionwhichIcouldhonourablymake。IfIhaveascrupleaboutsigningmynametoanengagementofwhichIknownothing，whyshouldyouvisititonmesoseverely？
Itisratherhard，Ithink，totreatCountFosco’sscruplessomuchmoreindulgentlythanyouhavetreatedmine。’
Thisunfortunate，yetmostnatural，referencetotheCount’sextraordinarypoweroverherhusband，indirectasitwas，setSirPercival’ssmoulderingtemperonfireagaininaninstant。
`Scruples！’herepeated。`Yourscruples！Itisratherlateinthedayforyoutobescrupulous。Ishouldhavethoughtyouhadgotoverallweaknessofthatsort，whenyoumadeavirtueofnecessitybymarryingme。’
Theinstanthespokethosewords，Laurathrewdownthepen——lookedathimwithanexpressioninhereyeswhich，throughoutallmyexperienceofher，Ihadneverseeninthembefore，andturnedherbackonhimindeadsilence。
Thisstrongexpressionofthemostopenandthemostbittercontemptwassoentirelyunlikeherself，soutterlyoutofhercharacter，thatitsilencedusall。Therewassomethinghidden，beyondadoubt，underthemeresurface-brutalityofthewordswhichherhusbandhadjustaddressedtoher。Therewassomelurkinginsultbeneaththem，ofwhichIwaswhollyignorant，butwhichhadleftthemarkofitsprofanationsoplainlyonherfacethatevenastrangermighthaveseenit。
TheCount，whowasnostranger，sawitasdistinctlyasIdid。WhenIleftmychairtojoinLaura，IheardhimwhisperunderhisbreathtoSirPercival，`Youidiot！’
LaurawalkedbeforemetothedoorasIadvanced，andatthesametimeherhusbandspoketoheroncemore。
`Youpositivelyrefuse，then，togivemeyoursignature？’hesaid，inthealteredtoneofamanwhowasconsciousthathehadlethisownlicenceoflanguageseriouslyinjurehim。
`Afterwhatyouhavejustsaidtome，’sherepliedfirmly，`IrefusemysignatureuntilIhavereadeverylineinthatparchmentfromthefirstwordtothelast。Comeaway，Marian，wehaveremainedherelongenough。’
`Onemoment！’interposedtheCountbeforeSirPercivalcouldspeakagain——`onemoment，LadyGlyde，Iimploreyou！’
Laurawouldhavelefttheroomwithoutnoticinghim，butIstoppedher。
`Don’tmakeanenemyoftheCount！’Iwhispered。`Whateveryoudo，don’tmakeanenemyoftheCount！’
Sheyieldedtome。Iclosedthedooragain，andwestoodnearitwaiting。
SirPercivalsatdownatthetable，withhiselbowonthefoldedparchment，andhisheadrestingonhisclenchedfist。TheCountstoodbetweenus——
masterofthedreadfulpositioninwhichwewereplaced，ashewasmasterofeverythingelse。
`LadyGlyde，’hesaid，withagentlenesswhichseemedtoaddressitselftoourforlornsituationinsteadoftoourselves，`praypardonmeifI
venturetoofferonesuggestion，andpraybelievethatIspeakoutofmyprofoundrespectandmyfriendlyregardforthemistressofthishouse。’
HeturnedsharplytowardsSirPercival。`Isitabsolutelynecessary，’heasked，`thatthisthinghere，underyourelbow，shouldbesignedtoday？’
`Itisnecessarytomyplansandwishes，’returnedtheothersulkily。
`Butthatconsideration，asyoumayhavenoticed，hasnoinfluencewithLadyGlyde。’
`Answermyplainquestionplainly。Canthebusinessofthesignaturebeputofftilltomorrow——YesorNo？’
`Yes，ifyouwillhaveitso。’
`Thenwhatareyouwastingyourtimeforhere？Letthesignaturewaittilltomorrow——letitwaittillyoucomeback。’
SirPercivallookedupwithafrownandanoath。
`YouaretakingatonewithmethatIdon’tlike，’hesaid。`AtoneIwon’tbearfromanyman。’
`Iamadvisingyouforyourgood，’returnedtheCount，withasmileofquietcontempt。`Giveyourselftime——giveLadyGlydetime。Haveyouforgottenthatyourdog-cartiswaitingatthedoor？Mytonesurprisesyou——ha？Idaresayitdoes——itisthetoneofamanwhocankeephistemper。HowmanydosesofgoodadvicehaveIgivenyouinmytime？Morethanyoucancount。HaveIeverbeenwrong？Idefyyoutoquotemeaninstanceofit。Go！takeyourdrive。Thematterofthesignaturecanwaittilltomorrow。
Letitwait——andrenewitwhenyoucomeback。’
SirPercivalhesitatedandlookedathiswatch。Hisanxietyaboutthesecretjourneywhichhewastotakethatday，revivedbytheCount’swords，wasnowevidentlydisputingpossessionofhismindwithhisanxietytoobtainLaura’ssignature。Heconsideredforalittlewhile，andthengotupfromhischair。
`Itiseasytoarguemedown，’hesaid，`whenIhavenotimetoansweryou。Iwilltakeyouradvice，Fosco——notbecauseIwantit，orbelieveinit，butbecauseIcan’tstophereanylonger。’Hepaused，andlookedrounddarklyathiswife。`Ifyoudon’tgivemeyoursignaturewhenIcomebacktomorrow——！’Therestwaslostinthenoiseofhisopeningthebook-casecupboardagain，andlockinguptheparchmentoncemore。Hetookhishatandglovesoffthetable，andmadeforthedoor。LauraandIdrewbacktolethimpass。`Remembertomorrow！’hesaidtohiswife，andwentout。
Wewaitedtogivehimtimetocrossthehallanddriveaway。TheCountapproacheduswhilewewerestandingnearthedoor。
`YouhavejustseenPercivalathisworst，MissHalcombe，’hesaid。
`Ashisoldfriend，Iamsorryforhimandashamedofhim。Ashisoldfriend，Ipromiseyouthatheshallnotbreakouttomorrowinthesamedisgracefulmannerinwhichhehasbrokenouttoday。’
