Thecoffee-roomofthehotel，asitgrewlateintheevening，becameaperfectsolitude。IwaslefttoreflectonwhatIhadaccomplishedthatafternoonasuninterruptedlyasifthehousehadbeenmyown。BeforeI
retiredtorestIhadattentivelythoughtovermyextraordinaryinterviewwithMrsCatherickfrombeginningtoend，andhadverifiedatmyleisuretheconclusionswhichIhadhastilydrawnintheearlierpartoftheday。
ThevestryofOldWelminghamchurchwasthestarting-pointfromwhichmymindslowlyworkeditswaybackthroughallthatIhadheardMrsCathericksay，andthroughallIhadseenMrsCatherickdo。
AtthetimewhentheneighbourhoodofthevestrywasfirstreferredtoinmypresencebyMrsClements，IhadthoughtitthestrangestandmostunaccountableofallplacesforSirPercivaltoselectforaclandestinemeetingwiththeclerk’swife。Influencedbythisimpression，andbynoother，Ihadmentioned`thevestryofthechurch’beforeMrsCatherickonpurespeculation——itrepresentedoneoftheminorpeculiaritiesofthestorywhichoccurredtomewhileIwasspeaking。Iwaspreparedforheransweringmeconfusedlyorangrily，buttheblankterrorthatseizedherwhenIsaidthewordstookmecompletelybysurprise。IhadlongbeforeassociatedSirPercival’sSecretwiththeconcealmentofaseriouscrimewhichMrsCatherickknewof，butIhadgonenofurtherthanthis。Nowthewoman’sparoxysmofterrorassociatedthecrime，eitherdirectlyorindirectly，withthevestry，andconvincedmethatshehadbeenmorethanthemerewitnessofit——shewasalsotheaccomplice，beyondadoubt。
Whathadbeenthenatureofthecrime？Surelytherewasacontemptiblesidetoit，aswellasadangerousside，orMrsCatherickwouldnothaverepeatedmyownwords，referringtoSirPercival’srankandpower，withsuchmarkeddisdainasshehadcertainlydisplayed。Itwasacontemptiblecrimethen，andadangerouscrime，andshehadsharedinit，anditwasassociatedwiththevestryofthechurch。
Thenextconsiderationtobedisposedofledmeastepfartherfromthispoint。
MrsCatherick’sundisguisedcontemptforSirPercivalplainlyextendedtohismotheraswell。Shehadreferredwiththebitterestsarcasmtothegreatfamilyhehaddescendedfrom——`especiallybythemother’sside。’
Whatdidthismean？Thereappearedtobeonlytwoexplanationsofit。Eitherhismother’sbirthhadbeenlow，orhismother’sreputationwasdamagedbysomehiddenflawwithwhichMrsCatherickandSirPercivalwerebothprivatelyacquainted？Icouldonlyputthefirstexplanationtothetestbylookingattheregisterofhermarriage，andsoascertaininghermaidennameandherparentageasapreliminarytofurtherinquiries。
Ontheotherhand，ifthesecondcasesupposedwerethetrueone，whathadbeentheflawinherreputation？RememberingtheaccountwhichMarianhadgivenmeofSirPercival’sfatherandmother。andofthesuspiciouslyunsocialsecludedlifetheyhadbothled，Inowaskedmyselfwhetheritmightnotbepossiblethathismotherhadneverbeenmarriedatall。Hereagaintheregistermight，byofferingwrittenevidenceofthemarriage，provetome，atanyrate，thatthisdoubthadnofoundationintruth。Butwherewastheregistertobefound？AtthispointItookuptheconclusionswhichIhadpreviouslyformed，andthesamementalprocesswhichhaddiscoveredthelocalityoftheconcealedcrime，nowlodgedtheregisteralsointhevestryofOldWelminghamchurch。
TheseweretheresultsofmyinterviewwithMrsCatherick——thesewerethevariousconsiderations，allsteadilyconvergingtoonepoint，whichdecidedthecourseofmyproceedingsonthenextday。
Themorningwascloudyandlowering，butnorainfell。IleftmybagatthehoteltowaittheretillIcalledforit，and，afterinquiringtheway，setforthonfootforOldWelminghamchurch。
Itwasawalkofrathermorethantwomiles，thegroundrisingslowlyalltheway。
Onthehighestpointstoodthechurch——anancient，weather-beatenbuilding，withheavybuttressesatitssides，andaclumsysquaretowerinfront。Thevestryatthebackwasbuiltoutfromthechurch，andseemedtobeofthesameage。RoundthebuildingatintervalsappearedtheremainsofthevillagewhichMrsClementshaddescribedtomeasherhusband’splaceofabodeinformeryears，andwhichtheprincipalinhabitantshadlongsincedesertedforthenewtown。Someoftheemptyhouseshadbeendismantledtotheirouterwalls，somehadbeenlefttodecaywithtime，andsomewerestillinhabitedbypersonsevidentlyofthepoorestclass。
Itwasadrearyscene，andyet，intheworstaspectofitsruin，notsodrearyasthemoderntomthatIhadjustleft。Heretherewasthebrown，breezysweepofsurroundingfieldsfortheeyetoreposeon——herethetrees，leaflessastheywere，stillvariedthemonotonyoftheprospect，andhelpedthemindtolookforwardtosummer-timeandshade。
AsImovedawayfromthebackofthechurch，andpassedsomeofthedismantledcottagesinsearchofapersonwhomightdirectmetotheclerk，Isawtwomensaunteroutaftermefrombehindawall。Thetallestofthetwo——astoutmuscularmaninthedressofagamekeeper——wasastrangertome。TheotherwasoneofthemenwhohadfollowedmeinLondononthedaywhenIleftMrKyrle’soffice。Ihadtakenparticularnoticeofhimatthetime，andIfeltsurethatIwasnotmistakeninidentifyingthefellowonthisoccasion。
Neitherhenorhiscompanionattemptedtospeaktome，andbothkeptthemselvesatarespectfuldistance，butthemotiveoftheirpresenceintheneighbourhoodofthechurchwasplainlyapparent。ItwasexactlyasIhadsupposed——SirPercivalwasalreadypreparedforme。MyvisittoMrsCatherickhadbeenreportedtohimtheeveningbefore，andthosetwomenhadbeenplacedonthelook-outnearthechurchinanticipationofmyappearanceatOldWelmingham。IfIhadwantedanyfurtherproofthatmyinvestigationshadtakentherightdirectionatlast，theplannowadoptedforwatchingmewouldhavesuppliedit。
IwalkedonawayfromthechurchtillIreachedoneoftheinhabitedhouses，withapatchofkitchengardenattachedtoitonwhichalabourerwasatwork。Hedirectedmetotheclerk’sabode，acottageatsomelittledistanceoff，standingbyitselfontheoutskirtsoftheforsakenvillage。
Theclerkwasindoors，andwasjustputtingonhisgreatcoat。Hewasacheerful，familiar，loudly-talkativeoldman，withaverypooropinion(asIsoondiscovered)oftheplaceinwhichhelived，andahappysenseofsuperioritytohisneighboursinvirtueofthegreatpersonaldistinctionofhavingoncebeeninLondon。
`It’swellyoucamesoearly，sir，’saidtheoldman，whenIhadmentionedtheobjectofmyvisit。`Ishouldhavebeenawayintenminutesmore。Parishbusiness，sir，andagoodishlongtrotbeforeit’salldoneforamanatmyage。But，blessyou，I’mstrongonmylegsstill！Aslongasamandon’tgiveathislegs，there’sadealofworkleftinhim。Don’tyouthinksoyourself，sir？’
Hetookhiskeysdownwhilehewastalkingfromahookbehindthefireplace，andlockedhiscottagedoorbehindus。
`Nobodyathometokeephouseforme，’saidtheclerk，withacheerfulsenseofperfectfreedomfromallfamilyencumbrances`Mywife’sinthechurchyardthere，andmychildrenareallmarried。Awretchedplacethis，isn’tit，sir？Buttheparishisalargeone——everymancouldn’tgetthroughthebusinessasIdo。It’slearningdoesit，andI’vehadmyshare，andalittlemore。IcantalktheQueen’sEnglish(GodblesstheQueen！)，andthat’smorethanmostofthepeopleaboutherecando。You’refromLondon，Isuppose，sir？I’vebeeninLondonamatteroffive-and-twentyyearsago。What’sthenewstherenow，ifyouplease？’
Chatteringoninthisway，heledmebacktothevestry。Ilookedabouttoseeifthetwospieswerestillinsight。Theywerenotvisibleanywhere。
Afterhavingdiscoveredmyapplicationtotheclerk，theyhadprobablyconcealedthemselveswheretheycouldwatchmynextproceedingsinperfectfreedom。
Thevestrydoorwasofstoutoldoak，studdedwithstrongnails，andtheclerkputhislargeheavykeyintothelockwiththeairofamanwhoknewthathehadadifficultytoencounter，andwhowasnotquitecertainofcreditablyconqueringit。
`I’mobligedtobringyouthisway，sir，’hesaid，`becausethedoorfromthevestrytothechurchisboltedonthevestryside。Wemighthavegotinthroughthechurchotherwise。Thisisaperverselock，ifevertherewasoneyet。It’sbigenoughforaprison-door——it’sbeenhamperedoverandoveragain，anditoughttobechangedforanewone。I’vementionedthattothechurchwardenfiftytimesoveratleast——he’salwayssaying，``I’llseeaboutit’’——andheneverdoessee。Ah，it’sasortoflostcorner，thisplace。NotlikeLondon——isit，sir？Blessyou，weareallasleephere！Wedon’tmarchwiththetimes。’
Aftersometwistingandturningofthekey，theheavylockyielded，andheopenedthedoor。
ThevestrywaslargerthanIshouldhavesupposedittobe，judgingfromtheoutsideonly。Itwasadim，mouldy，melancholyoldroom，withalow，rafteredceiling。Roundtwosidesofit，thesidesnearesttotheinteriorofthechurch，ranheavywoodenpresses，worm-eatenandgapingwithage。Hookedtotheinnercornerofoneofthesepresseshungseveralsurplices，allbulgingoutattheirlowerendsinanirreverent-lookingbundleoflimpdrapery。Belowthesurplices，onthefloor，stoodthreepacking-cases，withthelidshalfoff，halfon，andthestrawprofuselyburstingoutoftheircracksandcrevicesineverydirection。Behindthem，inacomer，wasalitterofdustypapers，somelargeandrolleduplikearchitects’plans，somelooselystrungtogetheronfileslikebillsorletters。Theroomhadoncebeenlightedbyasmallsidewindow，butthishadbeenbrickedup，andalanternskylightwasnowsubstitutedforit。
Theatmosphereoftheplacewasheavyandmouldy，beingrenderedadditionallyoppressivebytheclosingofthedoorwhichledintothechurch。Thisdooralsowascomposedofsolidoak，andwasboltedatthetopandbottomonthevestryside。
`Wemightbetidier，mightn’twe，sir？’saidthecheerfulclerk；`butwhenyou’reinalostcornerofaplacelikethis，whatareyoutodo？
Why，lookherenow，justlookatthesepacking-cases。Therethey’vebeen，forayearormore，readytogodowntoLondon——theretheyare，litteringtheplaceandtherethey’llstopaslongasthenailsholdthemtogether。
I’lltellyouwhat，sir，asIsaidbefore，thisisnotLondon。Weareallasleephere。Blessyou，wedon’tmarchwiththetimes！’
`Whatisthereinthepacking-cases？’Iasked。
