Laurahadtakenmyarmwhilehewasspeaking，andshepresseditsignificantlywhenhehaddone。Itwouldhavebeenahardtrialtoanywomantostandbyandseetheofficeofapologistforherhusband’smisconductquietlyassumedbyhismalefriendinherownhouse——anditwasatrialtoher。
IthankedtheCountcivilly，andledherout。Yes！Ithankedhim：forI
feltalready，withasenseofinexpressiblehelplessnessandhumiliation，thatitwaseitherhisinterestorhiscapricetomakesureofmycontinuingtoresideatBlackwaterPark，andIknewafterSirPercival’sconducttome，thatwithoutthesupportoftheCount’sinfluence，Icouldnothopetoremainthere。Hisinfluence，theinfluenceofallothersthatIdreadedmost，wasactuallytheonetiewhichnowheldmetoLaurainthehourofherutmostneed！
Weheardthewheelsofthedog-cartcrashingonthegravelofthedriveaswecameintothehall。SirPercivalhadstartedonhisjourney。
`Whereishegoingto，Marian？’Laurawhispered。`Everyfreshthinghedoesseemstoterrifymeaboutthefuture。Haveyouanysuspicions？’
Afterwhatshehadundergonethatmorning，Iwasunwillingtotellhermysuspicions。
`HowshouldIknowhissecrets？’Isaidevasively。
`Iwonderifthehousekeeperknows？’shepersisted。
`Certainlynot，’Ireplied。`Shemustbequiteasignorantasweare。’
Laurashookherheaddoubtfully。
`DidyounothearfromthehousekeeperthattherewasareportofAnneCatherickhavingbeenseeninthisneighbourhood？Don’tyouthinkhemayhavegoneawaytolookforher？’
`Iwouldrathercomposemyself，Laura，bynotthinkingaboutitatall，andafterwhathashappened，youhadbetterfollowmyexample。Comeintomyroom，andrestandquietyourselfalittle。’
Wesatdowntogetherclosetothewindow，andletthefragrantsummerairbreatheoverourfaces。
`Iamashamedtolookatyou，Marian，’shesaid，`afterwhatyousubmittedtodownstairs，formysake。Oh，myownlove，IamalmostheartbrokenwhenIthinkofit！ButIwilltrytomakeituptoyou——Iwillindeed！’
`Hush！hush！’Ireplied；`don’ttalkso。Whatisthetriflingmortificationofmypridecomparedtothedreadfulsacrificeofyourhappiness？’
`Youheardwhathesaidtome？’shewentonquicklyandvehemently。
`Youheardthewords——butyoudon’tknowwhattheymeant——youdon’tknowwhyIthrewdownthepenandturnedmybackonhim。’Sheroseinsuddenagitation，andwalkedabouttheroom。`Ihavekeptmanythingsfromyourknowledge，Marian，forfearofdistressingyou，andmakingyouunhappyattheoutsetofournewlives。Youdon’tknowhowhehasusedme。Andyetyououghttoknow，foryousawhowheusedmetoday。Youheardhimsneeratmypresumingtobescrupulous——youheardhimsayIhadmadeavirtueofnecessityinmarryinghim。’Shesatdownagain，herfaceflusheddeeply，andherhandstwistedandtwinedtogetherinherlap。`Ican’ttellyouaboutitnow，’shesaid；`IshallburstoutcryingifItellyounow——later，Marian，whenIammoresureofmyself。Mypoorheadaches，darling——aches，aches，aches。Whereisyoursmelling-bottle？Letmetalktoyouaboutyourself。IwishIhadgivenhimmysignature，foryoursake。
ShallIgiveittohimtomorrow？Iwouldrathercompromisemyselfthancompromiseyou。Afteryourtakingmypartagainsthim，hewilllayalltheblameonyouifIrefuseagain。Whatshallwedo？Oh，forafriendtohelpusandadviseus！——afriendwecouldreallytrust！’
Shesighedbitterly。IsawinherfacethatshewasthinkingofHartright——sawitthemoreplainlybecauseherlastwordssetmethinkingofhimtoo。Insixmonthsonlyfromhermarriagewewantedthefaithfulservicehehadofferedtousinhisfarewellwords。HowlittleIoncethoughtthatweshouldeverwantitatall！
`Wemustdowhatwecantohelpourselves，’Isaid。`Letustrytotalkitovercalmly，Laura——letusdoallinourpowertodecideforthebest。’
Puttingwhatsheknewofherhusband’sembarrassmentsandwhatIhadheardofhisconversationwiththelawyertogether，wearrivednecessarilyattheconclusionthattheparchmentinthelibraryhadbeendrawnupforthepurposeofborrowingmoney，andthatLaura’ssignaturewasabsolutelynecessarytofititfortheattainmentofSirPercival’sobject。
Thesecondquestion，concerningthenatureofthelegalcontractbywhichthemoneywastobeobtained，andthedegreeofpersonalresponsibilitytowhichLauramightsubjectherselfifshesigneditinthedark，involvedconsiderationswhichlayfarbeyondanyknowledgeandexperiencethateitherofuspossessed。Myownconvictionsledmetobelievethatthehiddencontentsoftheparchmentconcealedatransactionofthemeanestandthemostfraudulentkind。
IhadnotformedthisconclusioninconsequenceofSirPercival’srefusaltoshowthewritingortoexplainit，forthatrefusalmightwellhaveproceededfromhisobstinatedispositionandhisdomineeringtemperalone。
MysolemotivefordistrustinghishonestysprangfromthechangewhichIhadobservedinhislanguageandhismannersatBlackwaterpark，achangewhichconvincedmethathehadbeenactingapartthroughoutthewholeperiodofhisprobationatLimmeridgeHouse。Hiselaboratedelicacy，hisceremoniouspoliteness，whichharmonisedsoagreeablywithMrGilmore’sold-fashionednotions，hismodestywithLaura，hiscandourwithme，hismoderationwithMrFairlie——alltheseweretheartificesofamean，cunning，andbrutalman，whohaddroppedhisdisguisewhenhispractisedduplicityhadgaineditsend，andhadopenlyshownhimselfinthelibraryonthatveryday。IsaynothingofthegriefwhichthisdiscoverycausedmeonLaura’saccount，foritisnottobeexpressedbyanywordsofmine。I
onlyrefertoitatall，becauseitdecidedmetoopposehersigningtheparchment，whatevertheconsequencesmightbe，unlessshewasfirstmadeacquaintedwiththecontents。
Underthesecircumstances，theonechanceforuswhentomorrowcamewastobeprovidedwithanobjectiontogivingthesignature，whichmightrestonsufficientlyfirmcommercialorlegalgroundstoshakeSirPercival’sresolution，andtomakehimsuspectthatwetwowomenunderstoodthelawsandobligationsofbusinessaswellashimself。
Aftersomepondering，Ideterminedtowritetotheonlyhonestmanwithinreachwhomwecouldtrusttohelpusdiscreetlyinourforlornsituation。
ThatmanwasMrGilmore’spartner，MrKyrle，whoconductedthebusinessnowthatouroldfriendhadbeenobligedtowithdrawfromit，andtoleaveLondononaccountofhishealth。IexplainedtoLaurathatIhadMrGilmore’sownauthorityforplacingimplicitconfidenceinhispartner’sintegrity，discretion，andaccurateknowledgeofallheraffairs，andwithherfullapprovalIsatdownatoncetowritetheletter。
IbeganbystatingourpositiontoMrKyrleexactlyasitwas，andthenaskedforhisadviceinreturn，expressedinplain，downrighttermswhichwecouldcomprehendwithoutanydangerofmisinterpretationsandmistakes。
MyletterwasasshortasIcouldpossiblymakeit，andwas，Ihope，unencumberedbyneedlessapologiesandneedlessdetails。
JustasIwasabouttoputtheaddressontheenvelopeanobstaclewasdiscoveredbyLaura，whichintheeffortandpreoccupationofwritinghadescapedmymindaltogether。
`Howarewetogettheanswerintime？’sheasked。`YourletterwillnotbedeliveredinLondonbeforetomorrowmorningandthepostwillnotbringthereplyheretillthemorningafter。’
Theonlywayofovercomingthisdifficultywastohavetheanswerbroughttousfromthelawyer’sofficebyaspecialmessenger。Iwroteapostscripttothateffect，beggingthatthemessengermightbedespatchedwiththereplybytheeleveno’clockmorningtrain，whichwouldbringhimtoourstationattwentyminutespastone，andsoenablehimtoreachBlackwaterParkbytwoo’clockatthelatest。Hewastobedirectedtoaskforme，toanswernoquestionsaddressedtohimbyanyoneelse，andtodeliverhisletterintonohandsbutmine。
`IncaseSirPercivalshouldcomebacktomorrowbeforetwoo’clock，’
IsaidtoLaura，`thewisestplanforyoutoadoptistobeoutinthegroundsallthemorningwithyourbookoryourwork，andnottoappearatthehousetillthemessengerhashadtimetoarrivewiththeletter。
Iwillwaithereforhimallthemorning，toguardagainstanymisadventuresormistakes。ByfollowingthisarrangementIhopeandbelieveweshallavoidbeingtakenbysurprise。Letusgodowntothedrawing-roomnow。
Wemayexcitesuspicionifweremainshutuptogethertoolong。’
`Suspicion？’sherepeated。`Whosesuspicioncanweexcite，nowthatSirPercivalhasleftthehouse？DoyoumeanCountFosco？’
`PerhapsIdo，Laura。’
`YouarebeginningtodislikehimasmuchasIdo，Marian。’
`No，nottodislikehim。Dislikeisalwaysmoreorlessassociatedwithcontempt——IcanseenothingintheCounttodespise。’
`Youarenotafraidofhim，areyou？’
`PerhapsIam——alittle。’
`Afraidofhim，afterhisinterferenceinourfavourtoday！’
`Yes。IammoreafraidofhisinterferencethanIamofSirPercival’sviolence。RememberwhatIsaidtoyouinthelibrary。Whateveryoudo，Laura，don’tmakeanenemyoftheCount！’
Wewentdownstairs。Lauraenteredthedrawing-room，whileIproceededacrossthehall，withmyletterinmyhand，toputitintothepost-bag，17
whichhungagainstthewalloppositetome。
Thehousedoorwasopen，andasIcrossedpastit，IsawCountFoscoandhiswifestandingtalkingtogetheronthestepsoutside，withtheirfacesturnedtowardsme。
