Hisvoicefalteredoverthelastwords——faltered，asifhewereactuallysheddingtears！
SirPercivalconfusedlyattemptedtoexcusehimself，buttheCountwastoomagnanimoustolistentohim。
`No！’hesaid。`Whenmyfriendhaswoundedme，Icanpardonhimwithoutapologies。Tellme，inplainwords，doyouwantmyhelp？’
`Yes，badlyenough。’
`Andyoucanaskforitwithoutcompromisingyourself？’
`Icantry，atanyrate。’
`Try，then。’
`Well，thisishowitstands：——ItoldyoutodaythatIhaddonemybesttofindAnneCatherick，andfailed。’
`Yes，youdid。’
`Fosco！I’malostmanifIdon’tfindher。’
`Ha！Isitsoseriousasthat？’
Alittlestreamoflighttravelledoutundertheverandah，andfelloverthegravel-walk。TheCounthadtakenthelampfromtheinnerpartoftheroomtoseehisfriendclearlybythelightofit。
`Yes！’hesaid。`Yourfacespeaksthetruththistime。Serious，indeed——asseriousasthemoneymattersthemselves。’
`Moreserious。AstrueasIsithere，moreserious！’
Thelightdisappearedagainandthetalkwenton。
`IshowedyouthelettertomywifethatAnneCatherickhidinthesand，’
SirPercivalcontinued。`There’snoboastinginthatletter，Fosco——shedoesknowtheSecret。’
`Sayaslittleaspossible，Percival，inmypresence，oftheSecret。
Doessheknowitfromyou？’
`No，fromhermother。’
`Twowomeninpossessionofyourprivatemind——bad，bad，bad，myfriendIOnequestionhere，beforewegoanyfarther。Themotiveofyourshuttingupthedaughterintheasylumisnowplainenoughtome，butthemannerofherescapeisnotquitesoclear。Doyoususpectthepeopleinchargeofherofclosingtheireyespurposely，attheinstanceofsomeenemywhocouldaffordtomakeitworththeirwhile？’
`No，shewasthebest-behavedpatienttheyhad——and，likefools，theytrustedher。She’sjustmadenoughtobeshutup，andjustsaneenoughtoruinmewhenshe’satlarge——ifyouunderstandthat？’
`Idounderstandit。Now，Percival，comeatoncetothepoint，andthenIshallknowwhattodo。Whereisthedangerofyourpositionatthepresentmoment？’
`AnneCatherickisinthisneighbourhood，andincommunicationwithLadyGlyde——there’sthedanger，plainenough。Whocanreadthelettershehidinthesand，andnotseethatmywifeisinpossessionoftheSecret，denyitasshemay？’
`Onemoment，Percival。IfLadyGlydedoesknowtheSecret，shemustknowalsothatitisacompromisingsecretforyou。Asyourwife，surelyitisinherinteresttokeepit？’
`Isit？I’mcomingtothat。Itmightbeherinterestifshecaredtwostrawsaboutme。ButIhappentobeanencumbranceinthewayofanotherman。Shewasinlovewithhimbeforeshemarriedme——she’sinlovewithhimnow——aninfernalvagabondofadrawing-master，namedHartright。’
`Mydearfriend！whatisthereextraordinaryinthat？Theyareallinlovewithsomeotherman。Whogetsthefirstofawoman’sheart？InallmyexperienceIhaveneveryetmetwiththemanwhowasNumberOne。NumberTwo，sometimes。NumberThree，Four，Five，often。NumberOne，never！Heexists，ofcourse——butIhavenotmetwithhun。’
`Wait！Ihaven’tdoneyet。WhodoyouthinkhelpedAnneCathericktogetthestart，whenthepeoplefromthemad-housewereafterher？Hartright。
WhodoyouthinksawheragaininCumberland？HartrightBothtimeshespoketoheralone。Stop！don’tinterruptme。Thescoundrel’sassweetonmywifeassheisonhim。HeknowstheSecret，andsheknowstheSecret。Onceletthembothgettogetheragain，andit’sherinterestandhisinteresttoturntheirinformationagainstme。’
`Gently，Percival——gentlyIAreyouinsensibletothevirtueofLadyGlyde？’
`ThatforthevirtueofLadyGlyde！Ibelieveinnothingaboutherbuthermoney。Don’tyouseehowthecasestands？Shemightbeharmlessenoughbyherself；butifshehadthatvagabondHartright——’
`Yes，yes，Isee。WhereisMrHartright？’
`Outofthecountry。Ifhemeanstokeepawholeskinonhisbones，Irecommendhimnottocomebackinahurry。’
`Areyousureheisoutofthecountry？’
`Certain。IhadhimwatchedfromthetimeheleftCumberlandtothetimehesailed。Oh，I’vebeencareful，Icantellyou！AnneCathericklivedwithsomepeopleatafarm-housenearLimmeridge。Iwenttheremyself，aftershehadgivenmetheslip，andmadesurethattheyknewnothing。
IgavehermotheraformoflettertowritetoMissHalcombe，exoneratingmefromanybadmotiveinputtingherunderrestraint。I’vespent，I’mafraidtosayhowmuch，intryingtotraceher，andinspiteofitall，sheturnsuphereandescapesmeonmyownproperty！HowdoIknowwhoelsemayseeher，whoelsemayspeaktoher？Thatpryingscoundrel，Hartright，maycomebackwithoutmyknowingit，andmaymakeuseofhertomorrow——’
`Nothe，Percival！WhileIamonthespot，andwhilethatwomanisintheneighbourhood，IwillanswerforourlayinghandsonherbeforeMrHartright——evenifhedoescomeback。Isee！yes，yes，Isee！ThefindingofAnneCatherickisthefirstnecessity——makeyourmindeasyabouttherest。Yourwifeishere，underyourthumb——MissHalcombeisinseparablefromher，andis，therefore，underyourthumbalso——andMrHartrightisoutofthecountry。ThisinvisibleAnneofyoursisallwehavetothinkofforthepresent。Youhavemadeyourinquiries？’
`Yes。Ihavebeentohermother，Ihaveransackedthevillage——andalltonopurpose。’
`Ishermothertobedependedon？’
`Yes，’
`Shehastoldyoursecretonce。’
`Shewon’ttellitagain。’
`Whynot？Areherowninterestsconcernedinkeepingit，aswellasyours？’
`Yes——deeplyconcerned。’
`Iamgladtohearit，Percival，foryoursake。Don’tbediscouraged，myfriend。Ourmoneymatters，asItoldyou，leavemeplentyoftimetoturnroundin，andImaysearchforAnneCathericktomorrowtobetterpurposethanyou。Onelastquestionbeforewegotobed。’
`Whatisit？’
`Itisthis。WhenIwenttotheboat-housetotellLadyGlydethatthelittledifficultyofhersignaturewasputoff，accidenttookmethereintimetoseeastrangewomanpartinginaverysuspiciousmannerfromyourwife。Butaccidentdidnotbringmenearenoughtoseethissamewoman’sfaceplainly。ImustknowhowtorecogniseourinvisibleAnne。Whatisshelike？’
`Like？Come！I’lltellyouintwowords。She’sasicklylikenessofmywife。’
Thechaircreaked，andthepillarshookoncemore。TheCountwasonhisfeetagain——thistimeinastonishment。
`What！！！’heexclaimedeagerly。
`Fancymywife，afterabadillness，withatouchofsomethingwronginherhead——andthereisAnneCatherickforyou，’answeredSirPercival。
`Aretheyrelatedtoeachother？’
`Notabitofit。’
`Andyetsolike？’
`Yes，solike。Whatareyoulaughingabout？’
Therewasnoanswerandnosoundofanykind。TheCountwaslaughinginhissmoothsilentinternalway。
`Whatareyoulaughingabout？’reiteratedSirPercival。
`Perhapsatmyownfancies，mygoodfriend。AllowmemyItalianhumour——doInotcomeoftheillustriousnationwhichinventedtheexhibitionofPunch？Well，well，well，IshallknowAnneCatherickwhenIseeher——andsoenoughfortonight。Makeyourmindeasy，Percival。Sleep，myson，thesleepofthejust，andseewhatIwilldoforyouwhendaylightcomestohelpusboth。Ihavemyprojectsandmyplanshereinmybighead。
YoushallpaythosebillsandfindAnneCatherick——mysacredwordofhonouronit，butyoushall！AmIafriendtobetreasuredinthebestcornerofyourheart，oramInot？AmIworththoseloansofmoneywhichyousodelicatelyremindedmeofalittlewhilesince？Whateveryoudo，neverwoundmeinmysentimentsanymore。Recognisethem，Percival！imitatethem，Percival！Iforgiveyouagain——Ishakehandsagain。Goodnight！’
Notanotherwordwasspoken。IheardtheCountclosethelibrarydoor。
