Lethimbecontentwithwhathehasgot——withwhatIleaveunmolested，foryoursake，tohimandtoyou。Saytohim(withmycompliments)，ifhestirsme，hehasFoscotodealwith。IntheEnglishofthePopularTongue，Iinformhim——Foscosticksatnothing。DearLady，goodmorning。’’Hiscoldgreyeyessettledonmyface——hetookoffhishatsolemnly——bowed，bare-headed——andleftme。’
`Withoutreturning？withoutsayingmorelastwords？’
`Heturnedatthecornerofthestreet，andwavedhishand，andthenstruckittheatricallyonhisbreast。Ilostsightofhimafterthat。Hedisappearedintheoppositedirectiontoourhouse，andIranbacktoLaura。
BeforeIwasindoorsagain，Ihadmadeupmymindthatwemustgo。Thehouse(especiallyinyourabsence)wasaplaceofdangerinsteadofaplaceofsafety，nowthattheCounthaddiscoveredit。IfIcouldhavefeltcertainofyourreturn，Ishouldhaveriskedwaitingtillyoucameback。Butlwascertainofnothing，andIactedatonceonmyownimpulse。Youhadspoken，beforeleavingus，ofmovingintoaquieterneighbourhoodandpurerair，forthesakeofLaura’shealth。Ihadonlytoremindherofthat，andtosuggestsurprisingyouandsavingyoutroublebymanagingthemoveinyourabsence，tomakeherquiteasanxiousforthechangeasIwas。
Shehelpedmetopackupyourthings，andshehasarrangedthemallforyouinyournewworking-roomhere。’
`Whatmadeyouthinkofcomingtothisplace？’
`MyignoranceofotherlocalitiesintheneighbourhoodofLondon。I
feltthenecessityofgettingasfarawayaspossiblefromouroldlodgings，andIknewsomethingofFulham，becauseIhadoncebeenatschoolthere。
Idespatchedamessengerwithanote，onthechancethattheschoolmightstillbeinexistence。Itwasinexistence——thedaughtersofmyoldmistresswerecarryingitonforher，andtheyengagedthisplacefromtheinstructionsIhadsent。Itwasjustpost-timewhenthemessengerreturnedtomewiththeaddressofthehouse。Wemovedafterdark——wecameherequiteunobserved。
HaveIdoneright，Walter？HaveIjustifiedyourtrustinme？’
Iansweredherwarmlyandgratefully，asIreallyfelt。ButtheanxiouslookremainedonherfacewhileIwasspeaking，andthefirstquestionsheasked，whenIhaddone，relatedtoCountFosco。
Isawthatshewasthinkingofhimnowwithachangedmind。Nofreshoutbreakofangeragainsthim，nonewappealtometohastenthedayofreckoningescapedher。Herconvictionthattheman’shatefuladmirationofherselfwasreallysincere，seemedtohaveincreasedahundredfoldherdistrustofhisunfathomablecunning，herinborndreadofthewickedenergyandvigilanceofallhisfaculties。Hervoicefelllow，hermannerwashesitating，hereyessearchedintominewithaneagerfearwhensheaskedmewhatIthoughtofhismessage，andwhatImeanttodonextafterhearingit。
`Notmanyweekshavepassed，Marian，’Ianswered，`sincemyinterviewwithMrKyrle。WhenheandIparted，thelastwordsIsaidtohimaboutLaurawerethese：``Heruncle’shouseshallopentoreceiveher，inthepresenceofeverysoulwhofollowedthefalsefuneraltothegrave；theliethatrecordsherdeathshallbepubliclyerasedfromthetombstonebytheauthorityoftheheadofthefamily，andthetwomenwhohavewrongedhershallanswerfortheircrimetoME，thoughthejusticethatsitsintribunalsispowerlesstopursuethem。’’Oneofthosemenisbeyondmortalreach。Theotherremains，andmyresolutionremains。’
Hereyeslitup——hercolourrose。Shesaidnothing，butIsawallhersympathiesgatheringtomineinherface。
`Idon’tdisguisefrommyself，orfromyou，’Iwenton，`thattheprospectbeforeusismorethandoubtful。Theriskswehaverunalreadyare，itmaybe，triflescomparedwiththerisksthatthreatenusinthefuture，buttheventureshallbetried，Marian，forallthat。IamnotrashenoughtomeasuremyselfagainstsuchamanastheCountbeforeIamwellpreparedforhim。Ihavelearntpatience——Icanwaitmytime。Lethimbelievethathismessagehasproduceditseffect——lethimknownothingofus，andhearnothingofus——letusgivehimfulltimetofeelsecure——hisownboastfulnature，unlessIseriouslymistakehim，willhastenthatresult。
Thisisonereasonforwaiting，butthereisanothermoreimportantstill。
Myposition，Marian，towardsyouandtowardsLauraoughttobeastrongeronethanitisnowbeforeItryourlastchance。’
Sheleanedneartome，withalookofsurprise。
`Howcanitbestronger？’sheasked。
`Iwilltellyou，’Ireplied，`whenthetimecomes。Ithasnotcomeyet——itmaynevercomeatall。ImaybesilentaboutittoLauraforever——Imustbesilentnow，eventoyou，tillIseeformyselfthatIcanharmlesslyandhonourablyspeak。Letusleavethatsubject。
Thereisanotherwhichhasmorepressingclaimsonourattention。YouhavekeptLaura，mercifullykepther，inignoranceofherhusband’sdeath——’
`Oh，Walter，surelyitmustbelongyetbeforewetellherofit？’
`No，Marian。Betterthatyoushouldrevealittohernow，thanthataccident，whichnoonecanguardagainst，shouldrevealittoheratsomefuturetime。Spareherallthedetails——breakittoherverytenderly，buttellherthatheisdead。’
`Youhaveareason，Walter，forwishinghertoknowofherhusband’sdeathbesidesthereasonyouhavejustmentioned？’
`Ihave。’
`Areasonconnectedwiththatsubjectwhichmustnotbementionedbetweenusyet？——whichmayneverbementionedtoLauraatall？’
Shedweltonthelastwordsmeaningly。WhenIansweredherintheaffirmative，Idweltonthemtoo。
Herfacegrewpale。Forawhileshelookedatmewithasad，hesitatinginterest。Anunaccustomedtendernesstrembledinherdarkeyesandsoftenedherfirmlips，assheglancedasideattheemptychairinwhichthedearcompanionofallourjoysandsorrowshadbeensitting。
`IthinkIunderstand，’shesaid。`IthinkIoweittoherandtoyou，Walter，totellherofherhusband’sdeath。’
Shesighed，andheldmyhandfastforamoment——thendroppeditabruptly，andlefttheroom。OnthenextdayLauraknewthathisdeathhadreleasedher，andthattheerrorandthecalamityofherlifelayburiedinhistomb。
Hisnamewasmentionedamongusnomore。Thenceforward，weshrankfromtheslightestapproachtothesubjectofhisdeath，andinthesamescrupulousmanner，MarianandIavoidedallfurtherreferencetothatothersubject，which，byherconsentandmine，wasnottobementionedbetweenusyet。
Itwasnotthelesspresentinourminds——itwasratherkeptaliveinthembytherestraintwhichwehadimposedonourselves。WebothwatchedLauramoreanxiouslythanever，sometimeswaitingandhoping，sometimeswaitingandfearing，tillthetimecame。
Bydegreeswereturnedtoouraccustomedwayoflife。Iresumedthedailywork，whichhadbeensuspendedduringmyabsenceinHampshire。Ournewlodgingscostusmorethanthesmallerandlessconvenientroomswhichwehadleft，andtheclaimthusimpliedonmyincreasedexertionswasstrengthenedbythedoubtfulnessofourfutureprospects。Emergenciesmightyethappenwhichwouldexhaustourlittlefundatthebanker’s，andtheworkofmyhandsmightbe，ultimately，allwehadtolooktoforsupport。Morepermanentandmorelucrativeemploymentthanhadyetbeenofferedtomewasanecessityofourposition——anecessityforwhichInowdiligentlysetmyselftoprovide。
ItmustnotbesupposedthattheintervalofrestandseclusionofwhichIamnowwriting，entirelysuspended，onmypart，allpursuitoftheoneabsorbingpurposewithwhichmythoughtsandactionsarcassociatedinthesepages。Thatpurposewas，formonthsandmonthsyet，nevertorelaxitsclaimsonme。Theslowripeningofitstillleftmeameasureofprecautiontotake，anobligationofgratitudetoperform，andadoubtfulquestiontosolve。
Themeasureofprecautionrelated，necessarily，totheCount。Itwasofthelastimportancetoascertain，ifpossible，whetherhisplanscommittedhimtoremaininginEngland——or，inotherwords，toremainingwithinmyreach。Icontrivedtosetthisdoubtatrestbyverysimplemeans。HisaddressinStJohn’sWoodbeingknowntome，Iinquiredintheneighbourhood，andhavingfoundouttheagentwhohadthedisposalofthefurnishedhouseinwhichhelived，Iaskedifnumberfive，ForestRoad，waslikelytobeletwithinareasonabletime。Thereplywasinthenegative。Iwasinformedthattheforeigngentlemanthenresidinginthehousehadrenewedhistermofoccupationforanothersixmonths，andwouldremaininpossessionuntiltheendofJuneinthefollowingyear。WewerethenatthebeginningofDecemberonly。IlefttheagentwithmymindrelievedfromallpresentfearoftheCount’sescapingme。
TheobligationIhadtoperformtookmeoncemoreintothepresenceofMrsClements。Ihadpromisedtoreturn，andtoconfidetoherthoseparticularsrelatingtothedeathandburialofAnneCatherickwhichI
hadbeenobligedtowithholdatourfirstinterview。Changedascircumstancesnowwere，therewasnohindrancetomytrustingthegoodwomanwithasmuchofthestoryoftheconspiracyasitwasnecessarytotell。Ihadeveryreasonthatsympathyandfriendlyfeelingcouldsuggesttourgeonmethespeedyperformanceofmypromise，andIdidconscientiouslyandcarefullyperformit。Thereisnoneedtoburdenthesepageswithanystatementofwhatpassedattheinterview。Itwillbemoretothepurposetosay，thattheinterviewitselfnecessarilybroughttomymindtheonedoubtfulquestionstillremainingtobesolved——thequestionofAnneCatherick’sparentageonthefather’sside。
Amultitudeofsmallconsiderationsinconnectionwiththissubject——triflingenoughinthemselves，butstrikinglyimportantwhenmassedtogether——hadlatterlyledmymindtoaconclusionwhichIresolvedtoverify。IobtainedMarian’spermissiontowritetoMajorDonthorne，ofVarneckHall(whereMrsCatherickhadlivedinserviceforsomeyearsprevioustohermarriage)，toaskhimcertainquestions。ImadetheinquiriesinMarian’sname，anddescribedthemasrelatingtomattersofpersonalhistoryinherfamily，whichmightexplainandexcusemyapplication。WhenIwrotetheletterIhadnocertainknowledgethatMajorDonthornewasstillalive——Idespatcheditonthechancethathemightbeliving，andableandwillingtoreply。
Afteralapseoftwodaysproofcame，intheshapeofaletter，thattheMajorwasliving，andthathewasreadytohelpus。
