accomplicesinthecrime。
Thesecondconclusioncameasthenecessaryconsequenceofthefirst。
WethreehadnomercytoexpectfromCountFoscoandSirPercivalGlyde。
Thesuccessoftheconspiracyhadbroughtwithitacleargaintothosetwomenofthirtythousandpounds——twentythousandtoone，tenthousandtotheotherthroughhiswife。Theyhadthatinterest，aswellasotherinterests，inensuringtheirimpunityfromexposure，andtheywouldleavenostoneunturned，nosacrificeunattempted，notreacheryuntried，todiscovertheplaceinwhichtheirvictimwasconcealed，andtopartherfromtheonlyfriendsshehadintheworld——MarianHalcombeandmyself。
Thesenseofthisseriousperil——aperilwhicheverydayandeveryhourmightbringnearerandnearertous——wastheoneinfluencethatguidedmeinfixingtheplaceofourretreat。IchoseitinthefareastofLondon，wheretherewerefewestidlepeopletoloungeandlookabouttheminthestreets。Ichoseitinapoorandapopulousneighbourhood——becausetheharderthestruggleforexistenceamongthemenandwomenaboutus，thelesstheriskoftheirhavingthetimeortakingthepainstonoticechancestrangerswhocameamongthem。ThesewerethegreatadvantagesIlookedto，butourlocalitywasagaintousalsoinanotherandahardlylessimportantrespect。Wecouldlivecheaplybythedailyworkofmyhands，andcouldsaveeveryfarthingwepossessedtoforwardthepurpose，therighteouspurpose，ofredressinganinfamouswrong——which，fromfirsttolast，Inowkeptsteadilyinview。
Inaweek’stimeMarianHalcombeandIhadsettledhowthecourseofournewlivesshouldbedirected。
Therewerenootherlodgersinthehouse，andwehadthemeansofgoinginandoutwithoutpassingthroughtheshop。Iarranged，forthepresentatleast，thatneitherMariannorLaurashouldstiroutsidethedoorwithoutmybeingwiththem，andthatinmyabsencefromhometheyshouldletnooneintotheirroomsonanypretencewhatever。Thisruleestablished，I
wenttoafriendwhomIhadknowninformerdays——awoodengraverinlargepractice——toseekforemployment，tellinghim，atthesametime，thatIhadreasonsforwishingtoremainunknown。
HeatonceconcludedthatIwasindebt，expressedhisregretintheusualforms，andthenpromisedtodowhathecouldtoassistme。Ilefthisfalseimpressionundisturbed，andacceptedtheworkhehadtogive。
Heknewthathecouldtrustmyexperienceandmyindustry。Ihadwhathewanted，steadinessandfacility，andthoughmyearningswerebutsmall，theysufficedforournecessities。Assoonaswecouldfeelcertainofthis，MarianHalcombeandIputtogetherwhatwepossessed。Shehadbetweentwoandthreehundredpoundsleftofherownproperty，andIhadnearlyasmuchremainingfromthepurchase-moneyobtainedbythesaleofmydrawing-master’spracticebeforeIleftEngland。Togetherwemadeupbetweenusmorethanfourhundredpounds。ldepositedthislittlefortuneinabank，tobekeptfortheexpenseofthosesecretinquiriesandinvestigationswhichIwasdeterminedtosetonfoot，andtocarryonbymyselfifIcouldfindnoonetohelpme。Wecalculatedourweeklyexpendituretothelastfarthing，andwenevertouchedourlittlefundexceptinLaura’sinterestsandforLaura’ssake。
Thehouse-work，which，ifwehaddaredtrustastrangernearus，wouldhavebeendonebyaservant，wastakenonthefirstday，takenasherownright，byMarianHalcombe。`Whatawoman’shandsarefitfor，’shesaid，`earlyandlate，thesehandsofmineshalldo。’Theytrembledassheheldthemout。ThewastedarmstoldtheirsadstoryofthePast，assheturnedupthesleevesofthepoorplaindressthatsheworeforsafety’ssake；
buttheunquenchablespiritofthewomanburntbrightinherevenyet。
Isawthebigtearsrisethickinhereyes，andfallslowlyoverhercheeksasshelookedatme。Shedashedthemawaywithatouchofheroldenergy，andsmiledwithafaintreflectionofheroldgoodspirits。`Don’tdoubtmycourage，Walter，’shepleaded，`it’smyweaknessthatcries，notme。
Thehouse-workshallconqueritifIcan’t。’Andshekeptherword——thevictorywaswonwhenwemetintheevening，andshesatdowntorest。Herlargesteadyblackeyeslookedatmewithaflashoftheirbrightfirmnessofbygonedays。`Iamnotquitebrokendownyet，’shesaid。`Iamworthtrustingwithmyshareofthework。’BeforeIcouldanswer，sheaddedinawhisper，`Andworthtrustingwithmyshareintheriskandthedangertoo。Rememberthat，ifthetimecomes！’
Ididrememberitwhenthetimecame。
AsearlyastheendofOctoberthedailycourseofourliveshadassumeditssettleddirection，andwethreewereascompletelyisolatedinourplaceofconcealmentasifthehousewelivedinhadbeenadesertisland，andthegreatnetworkofstreetsandthethousandsofourfellow-creaturesallroundusthewatersofanillimitablesea。Icouldnowreckononsomeleisuretimeforconsideringwhatmyfutureplanofactionshouldbe，andhowImightarmmyselfmostsecurelyattheoutsetforthecomingstrugglewithSirPercivalandtheCount。
IgaveupallhopeofappealingtomyrecognitionofLaura，ortoMarian’srecognitionofher，inproofofheridentity。Ifwehadlovedherlessdearly，iftheinstinctimplantedinusbythatlovehadnotbeenfarmorecertainthananyexerciseofreasoning，farkeenerthananyprocessofobservation，evenwemighthavehesitatedonfirstseeingher。
Theoutwardchangeswroughtbythesufferingandtheterrorofthepasthadfearfully，almosthopelessly，strengthenedthefatalresemblancebetweenAnneCatherickandherself。InmynarrativeofeventsatthetimeofmyresidenceinLimmeridgeHouse，Ihaverecorded，frommyownobservationofthetwo，howthelikeness，strikingasitwaswhenviewedgenerally，failedinmanyimportantpointsofsimilaritywhentestedindetail。Inthoseformerdays，iftheyhadbothbeenseentogethersidebyside，nopersoncouldforamomenthavemistakenthemonefortheother——ashashappenedoftenintheinstancesoftwins。Icouldnotsaythisnow。ThesorrowandsufferingwhichIhadonceblamedmyselfforassociatingevenbyapassingthoughtwiththefutureofLauraFairlie，hadsettheirprofaningmarksontheyouthandbeautyofherface；andthefatalresemblancewhichIhadonceseenandshudderedatseeing，inideaonly，wasnowarealandlivingresemblancewhichasserteditselfbeforemyowneyes。Strangers，acquaintances，friendsevenwhocouldnotlookatheraswelooked，ifshehadbeenshowntotheminthefirstdaysofherrescuefromtheAsylum，mighthavedoubtedifsheweretheLauraFairlietheyhadonceseen，anddoubtedwithoutblame。
Theoneremainingchance，whichIhadatfirstthoughtmightbetrustedtoserveus——thechanceofappealingtoherrecollectionofpersonsandeventswithwhichnoimpostercouldbefamiliar，wasproved，bythesadtestofourlaterexperience，tobehopeless。EverylittlecautionthatMarianandIpractisedtowardsher——everylittleremedywetried，tostrengthenandsteadyslowlytheweakened，shakenfaculties，wasafreshprotestinitselfagainsttheriskofturninghermindbackonthetroubledandtheterriblepast。
TheonlyeventsofformerdayswhichweventuredonencouraginghertorecallwerethelittletrivialdomesticeventsofthathappytimeatLimmeridge，whenIfirstwentthereandtaughthertodraw。ThedaywhenIrousedthoseremembrancesbyshowingherthesketchofthesummer-housewhichshehadgivenmeonthemorningofourfarewell，andwhichhadneverbeenseparatedfrommesince，wasthebirthdayofourfirsthope。Tenderlyandgradually，thememoryoftheoldwalksanddrivesdawneduponher，andthepoorwearypiningeyeslookedatMarianandatmewithanewinterest，withafalteringthoughtfulnessinthem，whichfromthatmomentwecherishedandkeptalive。Iboughtheralittleboxofcolours，andasketch-bookliketheoldsketch-bookwhichIhadseeninherhandsonthemorningthatwefirstmet。Onceagain——ohme，onceagain！——atsparehourssavedfrommywork，inthedullLondonlight，inthepoorLondonroom，Isatbyhersidetoguidethefalteringtouch，tohelpthefeeblehand。DaybydayIraisedandraisedthenewinteresttillitsplaceintheblankofherexistencewasatlastassured——tillshecouldthinkofherdrawingandtalkofit，andpatientlypractiseitbyherself，withsomefaintreflectionoftheinnocentpleasureinmyencouragement，thegrowingenjoymentinherownprogress，whichbelongedtothelostlifeandthelosthappinessofpastdays。
Wehelpedhermindslowlybythissimplemeans，wetookheroutbetweenustowalkonfinedays，inaquietoldCitysquarenearathand，wheretherewasnothingtoconfuseoralarmher——wesparedafewpoundsfromthefundatthebanker’stogetherwine，andthedelicatestrengtheningfoodthatsherequired——weamusedherintheeveningswithchildren’sgamesatcards，withscrapbooksfullofprintswhichIborrowedfromtheengraverwhoemployedme——bythese，andothertriflingattentionslikethem，wecomposedherandsteadiedher，andhopedallthings，ascheerfullyaswecouldfromtimeandcare，andlovethatneverneglectedandneverdespairedofher。Buttotakehermercilesslyfromseclusionandrepose——toconfrontherwithstrangers，orwithacquaintanceswhowerelittlebetterthanstrangers——torousethepainfulimpressionsofherpastlifewhichwehadsocarefullyhushedtorest——this，eveninherowninterests，wedarednotdo。Whateversacrificesitcost，whateverlong，weary，heart-breakingdelaysitinvolved，thewrongthathadbeeninflictedonher，ifmortalmeanscouldgrappleit，mustberedressedwithoutherknowledgeandwithoutherhelp。
Thisresolutionsettled，itwasnextnecessarytodecidehowthefirstriskshouldbeventured，andwhatthefirstproceedingsshouldbe。
AfterconsultingwithMarian，Iresolvedtobeginbygatheringtogetherasmanyfactsascouldbecollected——thentoasktheadviceofMrKyrle(whomweknewwecouldtrust)，andtoascertainfromhim，inthefirstinstance，ifthelegalremedylayfairlywithinourreach。IowedittoLaura’sinterestsnottostakeherwholefutureonmyownunaidedexertions，solongastherewasthefaintestprospectofstrengtheningourpositionbyobtainingreliableassistanceofanykind。
ThefirstsourceofinformationtowhichIappliedwasthejournalkeptatBlackwaterParkbyMarianHalcombe。TherewerepassagesinthisdiaryrelatingtomyselfwhichshethoughtitbestthatIshouldnotsee。Accordingly，shereadtomefromthemanuscript，andItookthenotesIwantedasshewenton。Wecouldonlyfindtimetopursuethisoccupationbysittinguplateatnight。Threenightsweredevotedtothepurpose，andwereenoughtoputmeinpossessionofallthatMariancouldtell。
MynextproceedingwastogainasmuchadditionalevidenceasIcouldprocurefromotherpeoplewithoutexcitingsuspicion。IwentmyselftoMrsVeseytoascertainifLaura’simpressionofhavingslepttherewascorrectornot。Inthiscase，fromconsiderationforMrsVesey’sageandinfinity，andinallsubsequentcasesofthesamekindfromconsiderationsofcaution，Ikeptourrealpositionasecret，andwasalwayscarefultospeakofLauraas`thelateLadyGlyde’。
MrsVesey’sanswertomyinquiriesonlyconfirmedtheapprehensionswhichIhadpreviouslyfelt。Laurahadcertainlywrittentosayshewouldpassthenightundertheroofofheroldfriend——butshehadneverbeennearthehouse。
