`Haveyounoothersecuritytoborrowupon？’
`Notashred。’
`Whathaveyouactuallygotwithyourwifeatthepresentmoment？’
`Nothingbuttheinterestofhertwentythousandpounds——barelyenoughtopayourdailyexpenses。’
`Whatdoyouexpectfromyourwife？’
`Threethousandayearwhenheruncledies。’
`Afinefortune，Percival。Whatsortofamanisthisuncle？Old？’
`No——neitheroldnoryoung。’
`Agood-tempered，freely-livingman？Married？No——Ithinkmywifetoldme，notmarried。’
`Ofcoursenot。Ifhewasmarried，andhadason，LadyGlydewouldnotbenextheirtotheproperty。I’lltellyouwhatheis。He’samaudlin，twaddling，selfishfool，andboreseverybodywhocomesnearhimaboutthestateofhishealth。’
`Menofthatsort，Percival，livelong，andmarrymalevolentlywhenyouleastexpectit。Idon’tgiveyoumuch，myfriend，foryourchanceofthethreethousandayear。Istherenothingmorethatcomestoyoufromyourwife？’
`Nothing。’
`Absolutelynothing？’
`Absolutelynothing——exceptincaseofherdeath。’
`Aha！inthecaseofherdeath。’
Therewasanotherpause。TheCountmovedfromtheverandahtothegravelwalkoutside。Iknewthathehadmovedbyhisvoice。`Therainhascomeatlast，’Iheardhimsay。Ithadcome。Thestateofmycloakshowedthatithadbeenfallingthicklyforsomelittletime。
TheCountwentbackundertheverandah——Iheardthechaircreakbeneathhisweightashesatdowninitagain，`Well，Percival，’hesaid，`andinthecaseofLadyGlyde’sdeath，whatdoyougetthen？’
`Ifsheleavesnochildren——’
`Whichsheislikelytodo？’
`Whichsheisnotintheleastlikelytodo——’
`Yes？’
`Why，thenIgethertwentythousandpounds。’
`Paiddown？’
`Paiddown。’
Theyweresilentoncemore。AstheirvoicesceasedMadameFosco’sshadowdarkenedtheblindagain。Insteadofpassingthistime，itremained，foramoment，quitestill。Isawherfingersstealroundthecorneroftheblind，anddrawitononeside。Thedimwhiteoutlineofherface，lookingoutstraightoverme，appearedbehindthewindow。Ikeptstill，shroudedfromheadtofootinmyblackcloak。Therain，whichwasfastwettingme，drippedovertheglass，blurredit，andpreventedherfromseeinganything。
`Morerain！’Iheardhersaytoherself。Shedroppedtheblind，andIbreathedagainfreely。
Thetalkwentonbelowme，theCountresumingitthistime。
`Percival！doyoucareaboutyourwife？’
`Fosco！that’sratheradownrightquestion。’
`IamadownrightmanandIrepeatit。’
`Whythedevildoyoulookatmeinthatway？’
`Youwon’tanswerme？Well，then，letussayyourwifediesbeforethesummerisout——’
`Dropit，Fosco！’
`Letussayyourwifedies——’
`Dropit，Itellyou！’
`Inthatcase，youwouldgaintwentythousandpounds，andyouwouldlose——’
`Ishouldlosethechanceofthreethousandayear。’
`Theremotechance，Percival——theremotechanceonly。Andyouwantmoney，atonce。Inyourpositionthegainiscertain——thelossdoubtful。’
`Speakforyourselfaswellasforme。SomeofthemoneyIwanthasbeenborrowedforyou。Andifyoucometogain，mywife’sdeathwouldbetenthousandpoundsinyourwife’spocket。Sharpasyouare，youseemtohaveconvenientlyforgottenMadameFosco’slegacy。Don’tlookatmeinthatway！Iwon’thaveit！Whatwithyourlooksandyourquestions，uponmysoul，youmakemyfleshcreep！’
`Yourflesh？DoesfleshmeanconscienceinEnglish？Ispeakofyourwife’sdeathasIspeakofapossibility。Whynot？Therespectablelawyerswhoscribble-scrabbleyourdeedsandyourwillslookthedeathsoflivingpeopleintheface。Dolawyersmakeyourfleshcreep？Whyshouldl？Itismybusinesstonighttoclearupyourpositionbeyondthepossibilityofamistake，andIhavenowdoneit。Hereisyourposition。Ifyourwifelives，youpaythosebillswithhersignaturetotheparchment。Ifyourwifedies，youpaythemwithherdeath。’
AshespokethelightinMadameFosco’sroomwasextinguished，andthewholesecondfloorofthehousewasnowsunkindarkness。
`Talk！talk！’grumbledSirPercival。`Onewouldthink，tohearyou，thatmywife’ssignaturetothedeedwasgotalready。’
`Youhaveleftthematterinmyhands，’retortedtheCount，`andIhavemorethantwomonthsbeforemetoturnroundin。Saynomoreaboutit，ifyouplease，forthepresent。Whenthebillsaredue，youwillseeforyourselfifmy``talk！talk！’’isworthsomething，orifitisnot。Andnow，Percival，havingdonewiththemoneymattersfortonight，Icanplacemyattentionatyourdisposal，ifyouwishtoconsultmeonthatseconddifficultywhichhasmixeditselfupwithourlittleembarrassments，andwhichhassoalteredyoufortheworse，thatIhardlyknowyouagain。Speak，myfriend——andpardonmeifIshockyourfierynationaltastesbymixingmyselfasecondglassofsugar-and-water。’
`It’sverywelltosayspeak，’repliedSirPercival，inafarmorequietandmorepolitetonethanhehadyetadopted，`butit’snotsoeasytoknowhowtobegin。’
`ShallIhelpyou？’suggestedtheCount。`ShallIgivethisprivatedifficultyofyoursaname？WhatifIcallit——AnneCatherick？’
`Lookhere，Fosco，youandIhaveknowneachotherforalongtime，andifyouhavehelpedmeoutofoneortwoscrapesbeforethis，IhavedonethebestIcouldtohelpyouinreturn，asfarasmoneywouldgo。
Wehavemadeasmanyfriendlysacrifices，onbothsides，asmencould，butwehavehadoursecretsfromeachother，ofcourse——haven’twe？’
`Youhavehadasecretfromme，Percival。ThereisaskeletoninyourcupboardhereatBlackwaterParkthathaspeepedoutintheselastfewdaysatotherpeoplebesidesyourself。’
`Well，supposeithas。Ifitdoesn’tconcernyou，youneedn’tbecuriousaboutit，needyou？’
`DoIlookcuriousaboutit？’
Yes，youdo。’
`So！so！myfacespeaksthetruth，then？Whatanimmensefoundationofgoodtheremustbeinthenatureofamanwhoarrivesatmyage，andwhosefacehasnotyetlostthehabitofspeakingthetruth！——Come，Glyde！
letusbecandidonewiththeother。Thissecretofyourshassoughtme：Ihavenotsoughtit。LetussayIamcurious——doyouaskme，asyouroldfriend，torespectyoursecret，andtoleaveit，onceforall，inyourownkeeping？’
`Yes——that’sjustwhatIdoask。’
`Thenmycuriosityisatanend。Itdiesinmefromthismoment。’
`Doyoureallymeanthat？’
`Whatmakesyoudoubtme？’
`Ihavehadsomeexperience，Fosco，ofyourroundaboutways，andIamnotsosurethatyouwon’twormitoutofmeafterall。’
Thechairbelowsuddenlycreakedagain——Ifeltthetrellisworkpillarundermeshakefromtoptobottom。TheCounthadstartedtohisfeet，andhadstruckitwithhishandinindignation。
`Percival！Percival！’hecriedpassionately，`doyouknowmenobetterthanthat？Hasallyourexperienceshownyounothingofmycharacteryet？
Iamamanoftheantiquetype！Iamcapableofthemostexaltedactsofvirtue——whenIhavethechanceofperformingthem。IthasbeenthemisfortuneofmylifethatIhavehadfewchances。MyconceptionoffriendshipissublimeIIsitmyfaultthatyourskeletonhaspeepedoutatme？WhydoIconfessmycuriosity？YoupoorsuperficialEnglishman，itistomagnifymyownself-control。Icoulddrawyoursecretoutofyou，ifIliked，asIdrawthisfingeroutofthepalmofmyhand——youknowIcould！Butyouhaveappealedtomyfriendship，andthedutiesoffriendshiparesacredtome。See！Itramplemybasecuriosityundermyfeet。Myexaltedsentimentsliftmeaboveit。Recognisethem，Percival！imitatethem，Percival！Shakehands——Iforgiveyou。’
