Shemayhavesaidthesamethingtoyou，whenyouthoughtlesslyassistedherescape。Shecertainlysaidit(asIheardlastsummer)totheunfortunatewomanwhomarriedoursweet-tempered，namelessgentlemanlatelydeceased。
Ifeitheryou，orthatunluckylady，hadquestionedmydaughterclosely，andhadinsistedonherexplainingwhatshereallymeant，youwouldhavefoundherloseallherself-importancesuddenly，andgetvacant，andrestless，andconfused——youwouldhavediscoveredthatIamwritingnothingherebuttheplaintruth。SheknewthattherewasaSecret——sheknewwhowasconnectedwithit——sheknewwhowouldsufferbyitsbeingknown——andbeyondthat，whateverairsofimportanceshemayhavegivenherself，whatevercrazyboastingshemayhaveindulgedinwithstrangers，shenevertoherdyingdayknewmore。
HaveIsatisfiedyourcuriosity？Ihavetakenpainsenoughtosatisfyitatanyrate。ThereisreallynothingelseIhavetotellyouaboutmyselformydaughter。Myworstresponsibilities，sofarasshewasconcerned，werealloverwhenshewassecuredintheAsylum。Ihadaformofletterrelatingtothecircumstancesunderwhichshewasshutup，givenmetowrite，inanswertooneMissHalcombe，whowascuriousinthematter，andwhomusthaveheardplentyofliesaboutmefromacertaintonguewellaccustomedtothetellingofthesame。AndIdidwhatIcouldafterwardstotracemyrunawaydaughter，andpreventherfromdoingmischiefbymakinginquiriesmyselfintheneighbourhoodwhereshewasfalselyreportedtohavebeenseen。Butthese，andothertrifleslikethem，areoflittleornointeresttoyouafterwhatyouhaveheardalready。
Sofar，Ihavewritteninthefriendliestpossiblespirit。ButIcannotclosethisletter，withoutaddingawordhereofseriousremonstranceandreproof，addressedtoyourself。
Inthecourseofyourpersonalinterviewwithme，youaudaciouslyreferredtomylatedaughter’sparentageonthefather’sside，asifthatparentagewasamatterofdoubt。Thiswashighlyimproperandveryungentlemanlikeonyourpart！Ifweseeeachotheragain，remember，ifyouplease，thatIwillallownolibertiestobetakenwithmyreputation，andthatthemoralatmosphereofWelmingham(touseafavouriteexpressionofmyfriendtherector’s)mustnotbetaintedbylooseconversationofanykind。IfyouallowyourselftodoubtthatmyhusbandwasAnne’sfather，youpersonallyinsultmeinthegrossestmanner。Ifyouhavefelt，andifyoustillcontinuetofeel，anunhallowedcuriosityonthissubject，Irecommendyou，inyourowninterests，tocheckitatonceandforever。Onthissideofthegrave，MrHartright，whatevermayhappenontheother，thatcuriositywillneverbegratified。
Perhaps，afterwhatIhavejustsaid，youwillseethenecessityofwritingmeanapology。Doso，andIwillwillinglyreceiveit。Iwill，afterwards，ifyourwishespointtoasecondinterviewwithme，goastepfarther，andreceiveyou。Mycircumstancesonlyenablemetoinviteyoutotea——notthattheyareatallalteredfortheworsebywhathashappened。
Ihavealwayslived，asIthinkItoldyou，wellwithinmyincome，andIhavesavedenough，inthelasttwentyyears，tomakemequitecomfortablefortherestofmylife。ItisnotmyintentiontoleaveWelmingham。ThereareoneortwolittleadvantageswhichIhavestilltogaininthetown。
Theclergymanbowstome——asyousaw。Heismarried，andhiswifeisnotquitesocivil。IproposetojointheDorcasSociety，andImeantomaketheclergyman’swifebowtomenext。
Ifyoufavourmewithyourcompany，prayunderstandthattheconversationmustbeentirelyongeneralsubjects。Anyattemptedreferencetothisletterwillbequiteuseless——Iamdeterminednottoacknowledgehavingwrittenit。Theevidencehasbeendestroyedinthefire，Iknow，butIthinkitdesirabletoerronthesideofcaution，nevertheless。
Onthisaccountnonamesarementionedhere，norisanysignatureattachedtotheselines：thehandwritingisdisguisedthroughout，andImeantodeliverthelettermyself，undercircumstanceswhichwillpreventallfearsofitsbeingtracedtomyhouse。Youcanhavenopossiblecausetocomplainoftheseprecautions，seeingthattheydonotaffecttheinformationI
herecommunicate，inconsiderationofthespecialindulgencewhichyouhavedeservedatmyhands。Myhourforteaishalf-pastfive，andmybutteredtoastwaitsfornobody。THESTORYCONTINUEDBYWALTERHARTRIGHTXIMyfirstimpulse，afterreadingMrsCatherick’sextraordinarynarrative，wastodestroyit。Thehardenedshamelessdepravityofthewholecomposition，frombeginningtoend——theatrociousperversityofmindwhichpersistentlyassociatedmewithacalamityforwhichIwasinnosenseanswerable，andwithadeathwhichIhadriskedmylifeintryingtoavert——sodisgustedme，thatIwasonthepointoftearingtheletter，whenaconsiderationsuggesteditselfwhichwarnedmetowaitalittlebeforeIdestroyedit。
ThisconsiderationwasentirelyunconnectedwithSirPercival。Theinformationcommunicatedtome，sofarasitconcernedhim，didlittlemorethanconfirmtheconclusionsatwhichIhadalreadyarrived。
Hehadcommittedhisoffence，asIhadsupposedhimtohavecommittedit，andtheabsenceofallreference，onMrsCatherick’spart，totheduplicateregisteratKnowlesbury，strengthenedmypreviousconvictionthattheexistenceofthebook，andtheriskofdetectionwhichitimplied，musthavebeennecessarilyunknowntoSirPercival。Myinterestinthequestionoftheforgerywasnowatanend，andmyonlyobjectinkeepingtheletterwastomakeitofsomefutureserviceinclearingupthelastmysterythatstillremainedtobaffleme——theparentageofAnneCatherickonthefather’sside。Therewereoneortwosentencesdroppedinhermother’snarrative，whichitmightbeusefultorefertoagain，whenmattersofmoreimmediateimportanceallowedmeleisuretosearchforthemissingevidence。Ididnotdespairofstillfindingthatevidence，andIhadlostnoneofmyanxietytodiscoverit，forIhadlostnoneofmyinterestintracingthefatherofthepoorcreaturewhonowlayatrestinMrsFairlie’sgrave。
Accordingly，Isealeduptheletterandputitawaycarefullyinmypocket-book，tobereferredtoagainwhenthetimecame。
ThenextdaywasmylastinHampshire。WhenIhadappearedagainbeforethemagistrateatKnowlesbury，andwhenIhadattendedattheadjournedinquest，IshouldbefreetoreturntoLondonbytheafternoonortheeveningtrain。
Myfirsterrandinthemorningwas，asusual，tothepost-office，TheletterfromMarianwasthere，butIthoughtwhenitwashandedtomethatitfeltunusuallylight。Ianxiouslyopenedtheenvelope。Therewasnothinginsidebutasmallstripofpaperfoldedintwo。Thefewblottedhurriedly-writtenlineswhichweretracedonitcontainedthesewords：
`Comebackassoonasyoucan。Ihavebeenobligedtomove。CometoGower’sWalk，Fulham(numberfive)。Iwillbeonthelook-outforyou。
Don’tbealarmedaboutus，wearebothsafeandwell。Butcomeback——
Marian。’
Thenewswhichthoselinescontained——newswhichIinstantlyassociatedwithsomeattemptedtreacheryonthepartofCountFosco——fairlyoverwhelmedme。Istoodbreathlesswiththepapercrumpledupinmyhand。Whathadhappened？WhatsubtlewickednesshadtheCountplannedandexecutedinmyabsence？AnighthadpassedsinceMarian’snotewaswritten——hoursmustelapsestillbeforeIcouldgetbacktothem——somenewdisastermighthavehappenedalreadyofwhichIwasignorant。Andhere，milesandmilesawayfromthem，hereImustremain——held，doublyheld，atthedisposalofthelaw！
Ihardlyknowtowhatforgetfulnessofmyobligationsanxietyandalarmmightnothavetemptedme，butforthequietinginfluenceofmyfaithinMarian。Myabsoluterelianceonherwastheoneearthlyconsiderationwhichhelpedmetorestrainmyself，andgavemecouragetowait。Theinquestwasthefirstoftheimpedimentsinthewayofmyfreedomofaction。I
attendeditattheappointedtime，thelegalformalitiesrequiringmypresenceintheroom，butasitturnedout，notcallingonmetorepeatmyevidence。
Thisuselessdelaywasahardtrial，althoughIdidmybesttoquietmyimpatiencebyfollowingthecourseoftheproceedingsascloselyasIcould。
TheLondonsolicitorofthedeceased(MrMerriman)wasamongthepersonspresent。Buthewasquiteunabletoassisttheobjectsoftheinquiry。
Hecouldonlysaythathewasinexpressiblyshockedandastonished，andthathecouldthrownolightwhateveronthemysteriouscircumstancesofthecase。Atintervalsduringtheadjournedinvestigation，hesuggestedquestionswhichtheCoronerput，butwhichledtonoresults。Afterapatientinquiry，whichlastednearlythreehours，andwhichexhaustedeveryavailablesourceofinformation，thejurypronouncedthecustomaryverdictincasesofsuddendeathbyaccident。Theyaddedtotheformaldecisionastatement，thattherehadbeennoevidencetoshowhowthekeyshadbeenabstracted，howthefirehadbeencaused，orwhatthepurposewasforwhichthedeceasedhadenteredthevestry。Thisactclosedtheproceedings。Thelegalrepresentativeofthedeadmanwaslefttoprovideforthenecessitiesoftheinterment，andthewitnesseswerefreetoretire。
ResolvednottoloseaminuteingettingtoKnowlesbury，Ipaidmybillatthehotel，andhiredaflytotakemetothetown。Agentlemanwhoheardmegivetheorder，andwhosawthatIwasgoingalone，informedmethathelivedintheneighbourhoodofKnowlesbury，andaskedifIwouldhaveanyobjectiontohisgettinghomebysharingtheflywithme。Iacceptedhisproposalasamatterofcourse。
Ourconversationduringthedrivewasnaturallyoccupiedbytheoneabsorbingsubjectoflocalinterest。
MynewacquaintancehadsomeknowledgeofthelateSirPercival’ssolicitor，andheandMrMerrimanhadbeendiscussingthestateofthedeceasedgentleman’saffairsandthesuccessiontotheproperty。SirPercival’sembarrassmentsweresowellknownalloverthecountythathissolicitorcouldonlymakeavirtueofnecessityandplainlyacknowledgethem。Hehaddiedwithoutleavingawill，andhehadnopersonalpropertytobequeath，evenifhehadmadeone，thewholefortunewhichhehadderivedfromhiswifehavingbeenswallowedupbyhiscreditors。Theheirtotheestate(SirPercivalhavingleftnoissue)wasasonofSirFelixGlyde’sfirstcousin，anofficerincommandofanEastIndiaman。Hewouldfindhisunexpectedinheritancesadlyencumbered，butthepropertywouldrecoverwithtime，and，if`thecaptain’wascareful，hemightbearichmanyetbeforehedied。
AbsorbedasIwasintheoneideaofgettingtoLondon，thisinformation(whicheventsprovedtobeperfectlycorrect)hadaninterestofitsowntoattractmyattention。IthoughtitjustifiedmeinkeepingsecretmydiscoveryofSirPercival’sfraud。Theheir，whoserightshehadusurped，wastheheirwhowouldnowhavetheestate。Theincomefromit，forthelastthree-and-twentyyears，whichshouldproperlyhavebeenhis，andwhichthedeadmanhadsquanderedtothelastfarthing，wasgonebeyondrecall。
IfIspoke，myspeakingwouldconferadvantageontonoone。IfIkeptthesecret，mysilenceconcealedthecharacterofthemanwhohadcheatedLauraintomarryinghim。Forhersake，Iwishedtoconcealit——forhersake，still，Itellthisstoryunderfeignednames。
IpartedwithmychancecompanionatKnowlesbury，andwentatoncetothetown-hall。AsIhadanticipated，noonewaspresenttoprosecutethecaseagainstme——thenecessaryformalitieswereobserved，andIwasdischarged。
