`Afterreadingitoncethrough，’shereplied，`Itookitintotheboat-housewithmetositdownandlookoveritasecondtime。WhileIwasreadingashadowfellacrossthepaper。Ilookedup，andsawSirPercivalstandinginthedoorwaywatchingme。’
`Didyoutrytohidetheletter？’
`Itried，buthestoppedme。``Youneedn’ttroubletohidethat，’’hesaid。``Ihappentohavereadit。’’Icouldonlylookathimhelplessly——Icouldsaynothing。``Youunderstand？’’hewenton；``Ihavereadit。
Idugitupoutofthesandtwohourssince，andburieditagain，andwrotethewordaboveitagain，andleftitreadytoyourhands。Youcan’tlieyourselfoutofthescrapenow。YousawAnneCatherickinsecretyesterday，andyouhavegotherletterinyourhandatthismoment。Ihavenotcaughtheryet，butIhavecaughtyou。Givemetheletter。’’Hesteppedcloseuptome——Iwasalonewithhim，Marian——whatcouldIdo？——Igavehimtheletter。’
`Whatdidhesaywhenyougaveittohim？’
`Atfirsthesaidnothing。Hetookmebythearm，andledmeoutoftheboat-house，andlookedabouthimonallsides，asifhewasafraidofourbeingseenorheard。Thenheclaspedhishandfastroundmyarm，andwhisperedtome，``WhatdidAnneCathericksaytoyouyesterday？I
insistonhearingeveryword，fromfirsttolast。’’’
`Didyoutellhim？’
`Iwasalonewithhim，Marian——hiscruelhandwasbruisingmyarm——whatcouldIdo？’
`Isthemarkonyourarmstill？Letmeseeit。’
`Whydoyouwanttoseeit？’
`Iwanttoseeit，Laura，becauseourendurancemustend，andourresistancemustbegintoday。Thatmarkisaweapontostrikehimwith。Letmeseeitnow——Imayhavetosweartoitatsomefuturetime。’
`Oh，Marian，don’tlookso——don’ttalksoIItdoesn’thurtmenow！’
`Letmeseeit！’
Sheshowedmethemarks。Iwaspastgrievingoverthem，pastcryingoverthem，pastshudderingoverthem。Theysayweareeitherbetterthanmen，orworse。Ifthetemptationthathasfalleninsomewomen’sway，andmadethemworse，hadfalleninmineatthatmoment——ThankGod！myfacebetrayednothingthathiswifecouldread。Thegentle，innocent，affectionatecreaturethoughtIwasfrightenedforherandsorryforher，andthoughtnomore。
`Don’tthinktooseriouslyofit，Marian，’shesaidsimply，asshepulledhersleevedownagain。`Itdoesn’thurtmenow。’
`Iwilltrytothinkquietlyofit，mylove，foryoursake——Well！
well！AndyoutoldhimallthatAnneCatherickhadsaidtoyou——allthatyoutoldme？
`Yes，all。Heinsistedonit——Iwasalonewithhim——Icouldconcealnothing。’
`Didhesayanythingwhenyouhaddone？’
`Helookedatme，andlaughedtohimselfinmocking，bitterway。``I
meantohavetherestoutofyou，’’hesaid，``doyouhear？——therest。’’
IdeclaredtohimsolemnlythatIhadtoldhimeverythingIknew。``Notyou，`heanswered，``youknowmorethanyouchoosetotell。Won’tyoutellit？Youshall！I’llwringitoutofyouathomeifIcan’twringitoutofyouhere——Heledmeawaybyastrangepaththroughtheplantation——apathwheretherewasnohopeofourmeetingyou——andhespokenomoretillwecamewithinsightofthehouse。Thenhestoppedagain，andsaid，``Willyoutakeasecondchance，ifIgiveittoyou？Willyouthinkbetterofit。andtellmetherest？’’IcouldonlyrepeatthesamewordsIhadspokenbefore。Hecursedmyobstinacy，andwenton，andtookmewithhimtothehouse。``Youcan’tdeceiveme，’’hesaid，``youknowmorethanyouchoosetotell。I’llhaveyoursecretoutofyou，andI’llhaveitoutofthatsisterofyoursaswell。Thereshallbenomoreplottingandwhisperingbetweenyou。Neitheryounorsheshallseeeachotheragaintillyouhaveconfessedthetruth。I’llhaveyouwatchedmorning，noon，andnight，tillyouconfessthetruth。’’HewasdeaftoeverythingIcouldsay。Hetookmestraightupstairsintomyownroom。Fannywassittingthere，doingsomeworkforme，andheinstantlyorderedherout。``I’lltakegoodcareyou’renotmixedupintheconspiracy，`hesaid。``Youshallleavethishousetoday。Ifyourmistresswantsamaid。sheshallhaveoneofmychoosing。’’Hepushedmeintotheroom，andlockedthedooronme。Hesetthatsenselesswomantowatchmeoutside，Marian！Helookedandspokelikeamadman。Youmayhardlyunderstandit——hedidindeed。’
`Idounderstandit，Laura。Heismad——madwiththeterrorsofaguiltyconscience。EverywordyouhavesaidmakesmepositivelycertainthatwhenAnneCatherickleftyouyesterdayyouwereontheeveofdiscoveringasecretwhichmighthavebeenyourvilehusband’sruin，andhethinksyouhavediscoveredit。Nothingyoucansayordowillquietthatguiltydistrust，andconvincehisfalsenatureofyourtruth。Idon’tsaythis，mylove，toalarmyou。Isayittoopenyoureyestoyourposition，andtoconvinceyouoftheurgentnecessityoflettingmeact，asIbestcan，foryourprotectionwhilethechanceisourown。CountFosco’sinterferencehassecuredmeaccesstoyoutoday，buthemaywithdrawthatinterferencetomorrow。
SirPercivalhasalreadydismissedFannybecausesheisaquick-wittedgirl，anddevotedlyattachedtoyou，andhaschosenawomantotakeherplacewhocaresnothingforyourinterests，andwhosedullintelligencelowershertothelevelofthewatch-dogintheyard。Itisimpossibletosaywhatviolentmeasureshemaytakenext，unlesswemakethemostofouropportunitieswhilewehavethem。’
`Whatcanwedo，Marian？Oh，ifwecouldonlyleavethishouse，nevertoseeitagain！’
`Listentome，mylove，andtrytothinkthatyouarenotquitehelplesssolongasIamherewithyou。’
`Iwillthinkso——Idothinkso。Don’taltogetherforgetpoorFannyinthinkingofme。Shewantshelpandcomforttoo。’
`Iwillnotforgether。IsawherbeforeIcameuphere，andIhavearrangedtocommunicatewithhertonight。Lettersarenotsafeinthepost-bagatBlackwaterPark，andIshallhavetwotowritetoday，inyourinterests，whichmustpassthroughnohandsbutFanny’s。’
`Whatletters？’
`Imeantowritefirst，Laura，toMrGilmore’spartner，whohasofferedtohelpusinanyfreshemergency。LittleasIknowofthelaw，Iamcertainthatitcanprotectawomanfromsuchtreatmentasthatruffianhasinflictedonyoutoday。IwillgointonodetailsaboutAnneCatherick，becauseI
havenocertaininformationtogive。Butthelawyershallknowofthosebruisesonyourarm，andoftheviolenceofferedtoyouinthisroom——
heshall，beforeIresttonight！’
`Butthinkoftheexposure，Marian！’
`Iamcalculatingontheexposure。SirPercivalhasmoretodreadfromitthanyouhave。Theprospectofanexposuremaybringhimtotermswhennothingelsewill。’
IroseasIspoke，butLauraentreatedmenottoleaveher。`Youwilldrivehimtodesperation，`shesaid，`andincreaseourdangerstenfold。’
Ifeltthetruth——thedishearteningtruth——ofthosewords。ButI
couldnotbringmyselfplainlytoacknowledgeittoher。Inourdreadfulpositiontherewasnohelpandnohopeforusbutinriskingtheworst。
Isaidsoinguardedterms。Shesighedbitterly，butdidnotcontestthematter。SheonlyaskedaboutthesecondletterthatIhadproposedwriting。
Towhomwasittobeaddressed？
`ToMrFairlie，’Isaid。`Youruncleisyournearestmalerelative，andtheheadofthefamily。Hemustandshallinterfere。’
Laurashookherheadsorrowfully。
`Yes，yes，’Iwenton，`youruncleisaweak，selfish，worldlyman，Iknow，butheisnotSirPercivalGlyde，andhehasnosuchfriendabouthimasCountFosco。Iexpectnothingfromhiskindnessorhistendernessoffeelingtowardsyouortowardsme，buthewilldoanythingtopamperhisownindolence，andtosecurehisownquiet。Letmeonlypersuadehimthathisinterferenceatthismomentwillsavehiminevitabletroubleandwretchednessandresponsibilityhereafter，andhewillbestirhimselfforhisownsake。Iknowhowtodealwithhim，Laura——Ihavehadsomepractice。’
`IfyoucouldonlyprevailonhimtoletmegobacktoLimmeridgeforalittlewhileandstaytherequietlywithyou，Marian，IcouldbealmostashappyagainasIwasbeforeIwasmarried！’
Thosewordssetmethinkinginanewdirection。WoulditbepossibletoplaceSirPercivalbetweenthetwoalternativesofeitherexposinghimselftothescandaloflegalinterferenceonhiswife’sbehalf，orofallowinghertobequietlyseparatedfromhimforatimeunderpretextofavisittoheruncle’shouse？Andcouldhe，inthatcase，bereckonedonaslikelytoacceptthelastresource？Itwasdoubtful——morethandoubtful。Andyet，hopelessastheexperimentseemed，surelyitwasworthtrying。Iresolvedtotryitinsheerdespairofknowingwhatbettertodo。
`Youruncleshallknowthewishyouhavejustexpressed，’Isaid，`andIwillaskthelawyer’sadviceonthesubjectaswell。Goodmaycomeofit——andwillcomeofit，Ihope。’
SayingthatIroseagain，andagainLauratriedtomakemeresumemyseat。
`Don’tleaveme，’shesaiduneasily。`Mydeskisonthattable。Youcanwritehere。’
