temporaryseparationbetweenhusbandandwifeistheonepeaceablesolutionofthisdifficulty。Partthemforthepresent，andwhenallcausesofirritationareremoved，I，whohavenowthehonourofaddressingyou——IwillundertaketobringSirPercivaltoreason。LadyGlydeisinnocent，LadyGlydeisinjured，but——followmythoughthere！——sheis，onthatveryaccount(Isayitwithshame)，thecauseofirritationwhilesheremainsunderherhusband’sroof。Nootherhousecanreceiveherwithproprietybutyours。
Iinviteyoutoopenit。’
Cool。HerewasamatrimonialhailstormpouringintheSouthofEngland，andIwasinvited，byamanwithfeverineveryfoldofhiscoat，tocomeoutfromtheNorthofEnglandandtakemyshareofthepelting。Itriedtoputthepointforcibly。justasIhaveputithere-TheCountdeliberatelyloweredoneofhishorridfingers，kepttheotherup，andwenton——rodeoverme，asitwere，withouteventhecommoncoachmanlikeattentionofcrying`Hi！’beforeheknockedmedown。
`Followmythoughtoncemore，ifyouplease，’heresumed。`Myfirstobjectyouhaveheard。MysecondobjectincomingtothishouseistodowhatMissHalcombe’sillnesshaspreventedherfromdoingforherself。
MylargeexperienceisconsultedonalldifficultmattersatBlackwaterPark，andmyfriendlyadvicewasrequestedontheinterestingsubjectofyourlettertoMissHalcombe-Iunderstoodatonce——formysympathiesareyoursympathies——whyyouwishedtoseeherherebeforeyoupledgedyourselftoinvitingLadyGlyde。Youaremostright，sir，inhesitatingtoreceivethewifeuntilyouarequitecertainthatthehusbandwillnotexerthisauthoritytoreclaimher。Iagreetothat。Ialsoagreethatsuchdelicateexplanationsasthisdifficultyinvolvesarenotexplanationswhichcanbeproperlydisposedofbywritingonly。Mypresencehere(tomyowngreatinconvenience)istheproofthatIspeaksincerely。Asfortheexplanationsthemselves，I——Fosco——I，whoknowSirPercivalmuchbetterthanMissHalcombeknowshim，affirmtoyou，onmyhonourandmyword，thathewillnotcomenearthishouse，orattempttocommunicatewiththishouse，whilehiswifeislivinginit。Hisaffairsareembarrassed。
OfferhimhisfreedombymeansoftheabsenceofLadyGlyde。Ipromiseyouhewilltakehisfreedom，andgobacktotheContinentattheearliestmomentwhenhecangetaway。Isthiscleartoyouascrystal？Yes，itis。
Haveyouquestionstoaddresstome？Beitso，Iamheretoanswer-Ask，MrFairlie——obligemebyaskingtoyourheart’scontent。
Hehadsaidsomuchalreadyinspiteofme，andhelookedsodreadfullycapableofsavingagreatdealmorealsoinspiteofme，thatIdeclinedhisamiableinvitationinpureself-defence。
`Manythanks。Ireplied。`Iamsinkingfast。InmystateofhealthI
musttakethingsforgranted。Allowmetodosoonthisoccasion。Wequiteunderstandeachother。Yes。Muchobliged，Iamsure，foryourkindinterference。
IfIevergetbetter，andeverhaveasecondopportunityofimprovingouracquaintance——’
Hegotup。Ithoughthewasgoing。No。Moretalk，moretimeforthedevelopmentofinfectiousinfluences——inmyroom，too——rememberthat，inmyroom！
`Onemomentvet。’hesaid。`onemomentbeforeItakemyleave。Iaskpermissionatpartingtoimpressonyouanurgentnecessity。Itisthis，sir。YoumustnotthinkofwaitingtillMissHalcomberecoversbeforeyoureceiveLadyGlyde。MissHalcombehastheattendanceofthedoctor，ofthehousekeeperatBlackwaterPark，andofanexperiencednurseaswell——threepersonsforwhosecapacityanddevotionIanswerwithmylife。
Itellyouthat。Itellyou，also，thattheanxietyandalarmofhersister’sillnesshasalreadyaffectedthehealthandspiritsofLadyGlyde，andhasmadehertotallyunfittobeofuseinthesickroom。Herpositionwithherhusbandgrowsmoreandmoredeplorableanddangerouseveryday。IfyouleaveheranylongeratBlackwaterPark，youdonothingwhatevertohastenhersister’srecovery，andatthesametime，youriskthepublicscandal。whichyouandI，andallofus，areboundinthesacredinterestsofthefamilytoavoid。Withallmysoul，IadviseyoutoremovetheseriousresponsibilityofdelayfromyourownshouldersbywritingtoLadyGlydetocomehereatonce。Doyouraffectionate，yourhonourable，yourinevitableduty，andwhateverhappensinthefuture，noonecanlaytheblameonyou。
Ispeakfrommylargeexperience——Ioffermyfriendlyadvice。Isitaccepted——Yes，orNo？’
Ilookedathim——merelylookedathim——withmysenseofhisamazingassurance，andmydawningresolutiontoringforLouisandhavehimshownoutoftheroomexpressedineverylineofmyface。Itisperfectlyincredible，butquitetrue，thatmyfacedidnotappeartoproducetheslightestimpressiononhim。Bornwithoutnerves——evidentlybornwithoutnerves。
`Youhesitate？’hesaid。`MrFairlie！Iunderstandthathesitation。
Youobject——see，sir，howmysympathieslookstraightdownintoyourthoughts！——youobjectthatLadyGlydeisnotinhealthandnotinspiritstotakethelongjourney，fromHampshiretothisplace，byherself。Herownmaidisremovedfromher，asyouknow，andofotherservantsfittotravelwithher，fromoneendofEnglandtoanother，therearenoneatBlackwaterPark。Youobject，again，thatshecannotcomfortablystopandrestinLondon，onherwayhere，becauseshecannotcomfortablygoalonetoapublichotelwheresheisatotalstranger。Inonebreath，Igrantbothobjections——inanotherbreath，Iremovethem。Followme，ifyouplease，forthelasttime。Itwasmyintention，whenIreturnedtoEnglandwithSirPercival，tosettlemyselfintheneighbourhoodofLondon。Thatpurposehasjustbeenhappilyaccomplished。Ihavetaken，forsixmonths，alittlefurnishedhouseinthequartercalledStJohn’sWood。Besoobligingastokeepthisfactinyourmind，andobservetheprogrammeInowpropose。
LadyGlydetravelstoLondon(ashortjourney)——Imyselfmeetheratthestation——Itakehertorestandsleepatmyhouse，whichisalsothehouseofheraunt——whensheisrestoredIescorthertothestationagain——shetravelstothisplace，andherownmaid(whoisnowunderyourroof)receivesheratthecarriage-door。Hereiscomfortconsulted——herearetheinterestsofproprietyconsulted——hereisyourownduty——dutyofhospitality，sympathy，protection，toanunhappyladyinneedofallthree——smoothedandmadeeasy，fromthebeginningtotheend。
Icordiallyinviteyou，sir，tosecondmyeffortsinthesacredinterestsofthefamily-Iseriouslyadviseyoutowrite，bymyhands，offeringthehospitalityofyourhouse(andheart)，andthehospitalityofmyhouse(andheart)，tothatinjuredandunfortunateladywhosecauseIpleadtoday。’
Hewavedhishorridhandatme——hestruckhisinfectiousbreast——
headdressedmeoratorically，asifIwaslaidupintheHouseofCommons。
Itwashightimetotakeadesperatecourseofsomesort。ItwasalsohightimetosendforLouis，andadopttheprecautionoffumigatingtheroom。
Inthistryingemergencyanideaoccurredtome——aninestimableideawhich，sotospeak，killedtwointrusivebirdswithonestone。IdeterminedtogetridoftheCount’stiresomeeloquence，andofLadyGlyde’stiresometroubles，bycomplyingwiththisodiousforeigner’srequest，andwritingtheletteratonce。Therewasnottheleastdangeroftheinvitationbeingaccepted，fortherewasnottheleastchancethatLaurawouldconsenttoleaveBlackwaterParkwhileMarianwaslyingthereill。HowthischarminglyconvenientobstaclecouldhaveescapedtheofficiouspenetrationoftheCount，itwasimpossibletoconceive——butithadescapedhim。Mydreadthathemightyetdiscoverit，ifIallowedhimanymoretimetothink，stimulatedmetosuchanamazingdegree，thatIstruggledintoasittingposition——seized，reallyseized，thewritingmaterialsbymyside，andproducedtheletterasrapidlyasifIhadbeenacommonclerkinanoffice。
`DearestLaura，Pleasecome，wheneveryoulike。BreakthejourneybysleepinginLondonatyouraunt’shouse。GrievedtohearofdearMarian’sillness。
Everaffectionatelyyours。’Ihandedtheselines，atarm’slength，totheCount——Isankbackinmychair——Isaid，`Excuseme——Iamentirelyprostrated——Icandonomore。Willyourestandlunchdownstairs？Lovetoall，andsympathy，andsoon。Goodmorning。’
Hemadeanotherspeech——themanwasabsolutelyinexhaustible。Iclosedmyeyes——Iendeavouredtohearaslittleaspossible。InspiteofmyendeavoursIwasobligedtohearagreatdeal。Mysister’sendlesshusbandcongratulatedhimself，andcongratulatedme，ontheresultofourinterview——hementionedagreatdealmoreabouthissympathiesandmine——hedeploredmymiserablehealth——heofferedtowritemeaprescription——heimpressedonmethenecessityofnotforgettingwhathehadsaidabouttheimportanceoflight——heacceptedmyobliginginvitationtorestandlunch——herecommendedmetoexpectLadyGlydeintwoorthreedays’time——hebeggedmypermissiontolookforwardtoournextmeeting，insteadofpaininghimselfandpainingme，bysayingfarewell——headdedagreatdealmore，which，Irejoicetothink，Ididnotattendtoatthetime，anddonotremembernow。Iheardhissympatheticvoicetravellingawayfrommebydegrees——
but，largeashewas，Ineverheardhim。Hehadthenegativemeritofbeingabsolutelynoiseless。Idon’tknowwhenheopenedthedoor，orwhenheshutit。Iventuredtomakeuseofmyeyesagain，afteranintervalofsilence——andhewasgone。
IrangforLouis，andretiredtomybathroom。Tepidwater，strengthenedwitharomaticvinegar，formyself，andcopiousfumigationformystudy，weretheobviousprecautionstotake，andofcourseIadoptedthem。Irejoicetosaytheyprovedsuccessful。Ienjoyedmycustomarysiesta。Iawokemoistandcool。
MyfirstinquirieswerefortheCount。Hadwereallygotridofhim？
Yes——hehadgoneawaybytheafternoontrain。Hadhelunched，andifso，uponwhat？Entirelyuponfruit-tartandcream。Whataman！Whatadigestion！
AmIexpectedtosayanythingmore？Ibelievenot。IbelieveIhavereachedthelimitsassignedtome。Theshockingcircumstanceswhichhappenedatalaterperioddidnot，Iamthankfultosay，happeninmypresence。
Idobegandentreatthatnobodywillbesoveryunfeelingastolayanypartoftheblameofthosecircumstancesonme。Idideverythingforthebest。Iamnotanswerableforadeplorablecalamity，whichitwasquiteimpossibletoforesee。Iamshatteredbyit——Ihavesufferedunderit，asnobodyelsehassuffered。Myservant，Louis(whoisreallyattachedtomeinhisunintelligentway)，thinksIshallnevergetoverit。Heseesmedictatingatthismoment，withmyhandkerchieftomyeyes。Iwishtomention，injusticetomyself，thatitwasnotmyfault，andthatIamquiteexhaustedandheartbroken。NeedIsaymore？THESTORYCONTINUEDBYELIZAMICHELSON(HousekeeperatBlackwaterPark)IAMaskedtostateplainlywhatIknowoftheprogressofMissHalcombe’sillnessandofthecircumstancesunderwhichLadyGlydeleftBlackwaterParkforLondon。
