ResolvingtogoatoncetoKnowlesburyonfoot，Iledthewayoutofthevestry。
`Thankyoukindly，sir，’saidtheclerk，asIslippedmylittlepresentintohishand。`AreyoureallygoingtowalkallthewaytoKnowlesburyandback？Well！you’restrongonyourlegs，too——andwhatablessingthatis，isn’tit？There’stheroad，youcan’tmissit。IwishIwasgoingyourway——it’spleasanttomeetwithgentlemenfromLondoninalostcornerlikethis。Onehearsthenews。Wishyougoodmorning，sir，andthankyoukindlyoncemore。’
Weparted。AsIleftthechurchbehindmeIlookedback，andtherewerethetwomenagainontheroadbelow，withathirdintheircompany，thatthirdpersonbeingtheshortmaninblackwhomIhadtracedtotherailwaytheeveningbefore。
Thethreestoodtalkingtogetherforalittlewhile，thenseparated。
ThemaninblackwentawaybyhimselftowardsWelmingham——theothertworemainedtogether，evidentlywaitingtofollowmeassoonasIwalkedon。
IproceededonmywaywithoutlettingthefellowsseethatItookanyspecialnoticeofthem。Theycausedmenoconsciousirritationoffeelingatthatmoment——onthecontrary，theyratherrevivedmysinkinghopes。
InthesurPriseofdiscoveringtheevidenceofthemarriage，IhadforgottentheinferenceIhaddrawnonfirstperceivingthemenintheneighbourhoodofthevestry。TheirreappearanceremindedmethatSirPercivalhadanticipatedmyvisittoOldWelminghamchurchasthenextresultofmyinterviewwithMrsCatherick——otherwisehewouldneverhaveplacedhisspiestheretowaitforme。Smoothlyandfairlyasappearanceslookedinthevestry，therewassomethingwrongbeneaththem——therewassomethingintheregister-book，foraughtIknew，thatIhadnotdiscoveredyet。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter34[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter34IXOnceoutofsightofthechurch，IpressedforwardbrisklyonmywaytoKnowlesbury。
Theroadwas，forthemostpart，straightandlevel。WheneverIlookedbackoveritIsawthetwospiessteadilyfollowingme。Forthegreaterpartofthewaytheykeptatasafedistancebehind。Butonceortwicetheyquickenedtheirpace，asifwiththepurposeofovertakingme，thenstopped，consultedtogether，andfellbackagaintotheirformerposition。
Theyhadsomespecialobjectevidentlyinview，andtheyseemedtobehesitatingordifferingaboutthebestmeansofaccomplishingit。Icouldnotguessexactlywhattheirdesignmightbe，butIfeltseriousdoubtsofreachingKnowlesburywithoutsomemischancehappeningtomeontheway。Thesedoubtswererealised。
Ihadjustenteredonalonelypartoftheroad，withasharpturnatsomedistanceahead，andhadjustconcluded(calculatingbytime)thatImustbegettingneartothetown，whenIsuddenlyheardthestepsofthemenclosebehindme。
BeforeIcouldlookround，oneofthem(themanbywhomIhadbeenfollowedinLondon)passedrapidlyonmyleftsideandhustledmewithhisshoulder。
IhadbeenmoreirritatedbythemannerinwhichheandhiscompanionhaddoggedmystepsallthewayfromOldWelminghamthanIwasmyselfawareof，andIunfortunatelypushedthefellowawaysmartlywithmyopenhand。
Heinstantlyshoutedforhelp。Hiscompanion，thetallmaninthegamekeeper’sclothes，sprangtomyrightside，andthenextmomentthetwoscoundrelsheldmepinionedbetweentheminthemiddleoftheroad。
Theconvictionthatatraphadbeenlaidforme，andthevexationofknowingthatIhadfallenintoit，fortunatelyrestrainedmefrommakingmypositionstillworsebyanunavailingstrugglewithtwomen，oneofwhomwould，inallprobability，havebeenmorethanamatchformesingle-handed。
IrepressedthefirstnaturalmovementbywhichIhadattemptedtoshakethemoff，andlookedabouttoseeiftherewasanypersonneartowhomIcouldappeal。
Alabourerwasatworkinanadjoiningfieldwhomusthavewitnessedallthathadpassed。Icalledtohimtofollowustothetown。Heshookhisheadwithstolidobstinacy，andwalkedawayinthedirectionofacottagewhichstoodbackfromthehigh-road。Atthesametimethemenwhoheldmebetweenthemdeclaredtheirintentionofchargingmewithanassault。
Iwascoolenoughandwiseenoughnowtomakenoopposition。`Dropyourholdofmyarms，’Isaid，`andIwillgowithyoutothetown。’Themaninthegamekeeper’sdressroughlyrefused。Buttheshortermanwassharpenoughtolooktoconsequences，andnottolethiscompanioncommithimselfbyunnecessaryviolence。Hemadeasigntotheother，andIwalkedonbetweenthemwithmyarmsfree。
Wereachedtheturningintheroad，andthere，closebeforeus，werethesuburbsofKnowlesbury。Oneofthelocalpolicemenwaswalkingalongthepathbytheroadside。Themenatonceappealedtohim。Herepliedthatthemagistratewasthensittingatthetown-hall，andrecommendedthatweshouldappearbeforehimimmediately。
Wewentontothetown-hall。Theclerkmadeoutaformalsummons，andthechargewaspreferredagainstme，withthecustomaryexaggerationandthecustomaryperversionofthetruthonsuchoccasions。Themagistrate(anill-temperedman，withasourenjoymentintheexerciseofhisownpower)inquiredifanyoneonorneartheroadhadwitnessedtheassault，and，greatlytomysurprise，thecomplainantadmittedthepresenceofthelabourerinthefield。Iwasenlightened，however，astotheobjectoftheadmissionbythemagistrate’snextwords。Heremandedmeatoncefortheproductionofthewitness，expressing，atthesametime，hiswillingnesstotakebailformyreappearanceifIcouldproduceoneresponsiblesuretytoofferit。IfIhadbeenknowninthetownhewouldhaveliberatedmeonmyownrecognisances，butasIwasatotalstrangeritwasnecessarythatIshouldadresponsiblebail。
Thewholeobjectofthestratagemwasnowdisclosedtome。IthadbeensomanagedastomakearemandnecessaryinatownwhereIwasaperfectstranger，andwhereIcouldnothopetogetmylibertyonbail。Theremandmerelyextendedoverthreedays，untilthenextsittingofthemagistrate。
Butinthattime，whileIwasinconfinement，SirPercivalmightuseanymeanshepleasedtoembarrassmyfutureproceedings——perhapstoscreenhimselffromdetectionaltogether——withouttheslightestfearofanyhindranceonmypart。Attheendofthethreedaysthechargewould，nodoubt，bewithdrawn，andtheattendanceofthewitnesswouldbeperfectlyuseless。
Myindignation，Imayalmostsay，mydespair，atthismischievouschecktoallfurtherprogress——sobaseandtriflinginitself，andyetsodishearteningandsoseriousinitsprobableresults——quiteunfittedmeatfirsttoreflectonthebestmeansofextricatingmyselffromthedilemmainwhichInowstood。Ihadthefollytocallforwritingmaterials，andtothinkofprivatelycommunicatingmyrealpositiontothemagistrate。ThehopelessnessandtheimprudenceofthisproceedingfailedtostrikemebeforeIhadactuallywrittentheopeninglinesoftheletter。ItwasnottillIhadpushedthepaperaway——nottill，Iamashamedtosay，Ihadalmostallowedthevexationofmyhelplesspositiontoconquerme——thatacourseofactionsuddenlyoccurredtomymind，whichSirpercivalhadprobablynotanticipated，andwhichmightsetmefreeagaininafewhours。IdeterminedtocommunicatethesituationinwhichIwasplacedtoMrDawson，ofOakLodge。
Ihadvisitedthisgentleman’shouse，itmayberemembered，atthetimeofmyfirstinquiriesintheBlackwaterParkneighbourhood，andIhadpresentedtohimaletterofintroductionfromMissHalcombe，inwhichsherecommendedmetohisfriendlyattentioninthestrongestterms。Inowwrote，referringtothisletter，andtowhatIhadpreviouslytoldMrDawsonofthedelicateanddangerousnatureofmyinquiries。IhadnotrevealedtohimthetruthaboutLaura，havingmerelydescribedmyerrandasbeingoftheutmostimportancetoprivatefamilyinterestswithwhichMissHalcombewasconcerned。Usingthesamecautionstill，InowaccountedformypresenceatKnowlesburyinthesamemanner，andIputittothedoctortosaywhetherthetrustreposedinmebyaladywhomhewellknew，andthehospitalityIhadmyselfreceivedinhishouse，justifiedmeornotinaskinghimtocometomyassistanceinaplacewhereIwasquitefriendless。
Iobtainedpermissiontohireamessengertodriveawayatoncewithmyletterinaconveyancewhichmightbeusedtobringthedoctorbackimmediately。OakLodgewasontheKnowlesburysideofBlackwater。Themandeclaredhecoulddrivethereinfortyminutes，andcouldbringMrDawsonbackinfortymore。Idirectedhimtofollowthedoctorwhereverhemighthappentobe，ifhewasnotathome，andthensatdowntowaitfortheresultwithallthepatienceandallthehopethatIcouldsummontohelpme。
Itwasnotquitehalf-pastonewhenthemessengerdeparted。Beforehalf-pastthreehereturned，andbroughtthedoctorwithhim。MrDawson’skindness，andthedelicacywithwhichhetreatedhispromptassistancequiteasamatterofcourse，almostoverpoweredme。Thebailrequiredwasoffered，andacceptedimmediately。Beforefouro’clock，onthatafternoon，Iwasshakinghandswarmlywiththegoodolddoctor——afreemanagain——inthestreetsofKnowlesbury。
MrDawsonhospitablyinvitedmetogobackwithhimtoOakLodge，andtakeupmyquartersthereforthenight。Icouldonlyreplythatmytimewasnotmyown，andIcouldonlyaskhimtoletmepaymyvisitinafewdays，whenImightrepeatmythanks，andoffertohimalltheexplanationswhichIfelttobeonlyhisdue，butwhichIwasnottheninapositiontomake。Wepartedwithfriendlyassurancesonbothsides，andIturnedmystepsatoncetoMrWansborough’sofficeintheHighStreet。
Timewasnowofthelastimportance。
ThenewsofmybeingfreeonbailwouldreachSirPercival，toanabsolutecertainty，beforenight。Ifthenextfewhoursdidnotputmeinapositiontojustifyhisworstfears，andtoholdhimhelplessatmymercy，ImightloseeveryinchofthegroundIhadgained，nevertorecoveritagain。
Theunscrupulousnatureoftheman，thelocalinfluencehepossessed，thedesperateperilofexposurewithwhichmyblindfoldinquiriesthreatenedhim——allwarnedmetopressontopositivediscovery，withouttheuselesswasteofasingleminute。IhadfoundtimetothinkwhileIwaswaitingforMrDawson’sarrival，andIhadwellemployedit。Certainportionsoftheconversationofthetalkativeoldclerk，whichhadweariedmeatthetime，nowrecurredtomymemorywithanewsignificance，andasuspicioncrossedmyminddarklywhichhadnotoccurredtomewhileIwasinthevestry。OnmywaytoKnowlesbury，IhadonlyproposedtoapplytoMrWansboroughforinformationonthesubjectofSirPercival’smother。MyobjectnowwastoexaminetheduplicateregisterofOldWelminghamChurch。
MrWansboroughwasinhisofficewhenIinquiredforhim。
