Attimes，dreamsoftheterriblepaststilldisconnectedlyrecalledtoher，inthemysteryofsleep，theeventsofwhichherwakingmemoryhadlostalltrace。Onenight(barelytwoweeksafterourmarriage)，whenIwaswatchingheratrest，Isawthetearscomeslowlythroughherclosedeyelids，IheardthefaintmurmuringwordsescapeherwhichtoldmethatherspiritwasbackagainonthefataljourneyfromBlackwaterPark。Thatunconsciousappeal，sotouchingandsoawfulinthesacrednessofhersleep，ranthroughmelikefire。ThenextdaywasthedaywecamebacktoLondon——thedaywhenmyresolutionreturnedtomewithtenfoldstrength。
Thefirstnecessitywastoknowsomethingoftheman。Thusfar，thetruestoryofhislifewasanimpenetrablemysterytome。
Ibeganwithsuchscantysourcesofinformationaswereatmyowndisposal。
TheimportantnarrativewrittenbyMrFrederickFairlie(whichMarianhadobtainedbyfollowingthedirectionsIhadgiventoherinthewinter)
provedtobeofnoservicetothespecialobjectwithwhichInowlookedatit。WhilereadingitIreconsideredthedisclosurerevealedtomebyMrsClementsoftheseriesofdeceptionswhichhadbroughtAnneCathericktoLondon，andwhichhadtheredevotedhertotheinterestsoftheconspiracy。
Here，again，theCounthadnotopenlycommittedhimself——here，again，hewas，toallpracticalpurposes，outofmyreach。
InextreturnedtoMarian’sjournalatBlackwaterPark。AtmyrequestshereadtomeagainapassagewhichreferredtoherpastcuriosityabouttheCount，andtothefewparticularswhichshehaddiscoveredrelatingtohim。
ThepassagetowhichIalludeoccursinthatpartofherjournalwhichdelineateshischaracterandhispersonalappearance。Shedescribeshimas`nothavingcrossedthefrontiersofhisnativecountryforyearspast’——
as`anxioustoknowifanyItaliangentlemenweresettledinthenearesttowntoBlackwaterPark’——as`receivingletterswithallsortsofoddstampsonthem，andonewithalargeofficial-lookingsealonit。’Sheisinclinedtoconsiderthathislongabsencefromhisnativecountrymaybeaccountedforbyassumingthatheisapoliticalexile。Butsheis，ontheotherhand，unabletoreconcilethisideawiththereceptionoftheletterfromabroadbearing`thelargeofficial-lookingseal’——lettersfromtheContinentaddressedtopoliticalexilesbeingusuallythelasttocourtattentionfromforeignpost-officesinthatway。
Theconsiderationsthuspresentedtomeinthediary，joinedtocertainsurmisesofmyownthatgrewoutofthem，suggestedaconclusionwhichIwonderedIhadnotarrivedatbefore。Inowsaidtomyself——whatLaurahadoncesaidtoMarianatBlackwaterPark，whatMadameFoscohadoverheardbylisteningatthedoor——theCountisaspy！
Laurahadappliedthewordtohimathazard，innaturalangerathisproceedingstowardsherself。Iappliedittohimwiththedeliberateconvictionthathisvocationinlifewasthevocationofaspy。Onthisassumption，thereasonforhisextraordinarystayinEnglandsolongaftertheobjectsoftheconspiracyhadbeengained，became，tomymind，quiteintelligible。
TheyearofwhichIamnowwritingwastheyearofthefamousCrystalPalaceExhibitioninHydePark。Foreignersinunusuallylargenumbershadarrivedalready，andwerestillarrivinginEngland。Menwereamongusbyhundredswhomtheceaselessdistrustfulnessoftheirgovernmentshadfollowedprivately，bymeansofappointedagents，toourshores。MysurmisesdidnotforamomentclassamanoftheCount’sabilitiesandsocialpositionwiththeordinaryrankandfileofforeignspies。Isuspectedhimofholdingapositionofauthority，ofbeingentrustedbythegovernmentwhichhesecretlyservedwiththeorganisationandmanagementofagentsspeciallyemployedinthiscountry，bothmenandwomen，andIbelievedMrsRubelle，whohadbeensoopportunelyfoundtoactasnurseatBlackwaterPark，tobe，inallprobability，oneofthenumber。
Assumingthatthisideaofminehadafoundationintruth，thepositionoftheCountmightprovetobemoreassailablethanIhadhithertoventuredtohope。TowhomcouldIapplytoknowsomethingmoreoftheman’shistoryandofthemanhimselfthanIknewnow？
Inthisemergencyitnaturallyoccurredtomymindthatacountrymanofhisown，onwhomIcouldrely，mightbethefittestpersontohelpme。
ThefirstmanwhomIthoughtofunderthesecircumstanceswasalsotheonlyItalianwithwhomIwasintimatelyacquainted——myquaintlittlefriend，ProfessorPesca。
Theprofessorhasbeensolongabsentfromthesepagesthathehasrunsomeriskofbeingforgottenaltogether。
Itisthenecessarylawofsuchastoryasminethatthepersonsconcernedinitonlyappearwhenthecourseofeventstakesthemup——theycomeandgo，notbyfavourofmypersonalpartiality，butbyrightoftheirdirectconnectionwiththecircumstancestobedetailed。Forthisreason，notPescaalone，butmymotherandsisteraswell，havebeenleftfarinthebackgroundofthenarrative。MyvisitstotheHampsteadcottage，mymother’sbeliefinthedenialofLaura’sidentitywhichtheconspiracyhadaccomplished，myvaineffortstoovercometheprejudiceonherpartandonmysister’stowhich，intheirjealousaffectionforme，theybothcontinuedtoadhere，thepainfulnecessitywhichthatprejudiceimposedonmeofconcealingmymarriagefromthemtilltheyhadlearnttodojusticetomywife——alltheselittledomesticoccurrenceshavebeenleftunrecordedbecausetheywerenotessentialtothemaininterestofthestory。Itisnothingthattheyaddedtomyanxietiesandembitteredmydisappointments——thesteadymarchofeventshasinexorablypassedthemby。
ForthesamereasonIhavesaidnothinghereoftheconsolationhimagainafterthesuddencessationofmyresidenceatLimmeridgeHouse。I
havenotrecordedthefidelitywithwhichmywarmheartedlittlefriendfollowedmetotheplaceofembarkationwhenIsailedforCentralAmerica，orthenoisytransportofjoywithwhichhereceivedmewhenwenextmetinLondon。IfIhadfeltjustifiedinacceptingtheoffersofservicewhichhemadetomeonmyreturn，hewouldhaveappearedagainlongerethis。
But，thoughIknewthathishonourandhiscourageweretobeimplicitlyreliedon，Iwasnotsosurethathisdiscretionwastobetrusted，and，forthatreasononly，Ifollowedthecourseofallmyinquiriesalone。
ItwillnowbesufficientlyunderstoodthatPescawasnotseparatedfromallconnectionwithmeandmyinterests，althoughhehashithertobeenseparatedfromallconnectionwiththeprogressofthisnarrative。Hewasastrueandasreadyafriendofminestillaseverhehadbeeninhislife。
BeforeIsummonedPescatomyassistanceitwasnecessarytoseeformyselfwhatsortofmanIhadtodealwith。UptothistimeIhadneveronceseteyesonCountFosco。
ThreedaysaftermyreturnwithLauraandMariantoLondon，IsetforthaloneforForestRoad，StJohn’sWood，betweentenandeleveno’clockinthemorning。Itwasafineday——Ihadsomehourstospare——andIthoughtitlikely，ifIwaitedalittleforhim，thattheCountmightbetemptedout。Ihadnogreatreasontofearthechanceofhisrecognisingmeinthedaytime，fortheonlyoccasionwhenIhadbeenseenbyhimwastheoccasiononwhichhehadfollowedmehomeatnight。
Nooneappearedatthewindowsinthefrontofthehouse。Iwalkeddownaturningwhichranpastthesideofit，andlookedoverthelowgardenwall。Oneofthebackwindowsonthelowerfloorwasthrownupandanetwasstretchedacrosstheopening。Isawnobody，butIheard，intheroom，fistashrillwhistlingandsingingofbirds，thenthedeepringingvoicewhichMarian’sdescriptionhadmadefamiliartome。`Comeoutonmylittlefinger，mypret-pret-pretties！’criedthevoice。`Comeoutandhopupstairs！
One，two，three——andup！Three，two，one——anddownIOne，two，three——twit-twit-twit-tweet！’TheCountwasexercisinghiscanariesasheusedtoexercisetheminMarian’stimeatBlackwaterPark。
Iwaitedalittlewhile，andthesingingandthewhistlingceased。`Come，kissme，mypretties！’saidthedeepvoice。Therewasaresponsivetwitteringandchirping——alow，oilylaugh——asilenceofaminuteorso，andthenIheardtheopeningofthehousedoor。Iturnedandretracedmysteps。
ThemagnificentmelodyofthePrayerinRossini’sMoses，sunginasonorousbassvoice，rosegrandlythroughthesuburbansilenceoftheplace。Thefrontgardengateopenedandclosed。TheCounthadcomeout。
HecrossedtheroadandwalkedtowardsthewesternboundaryoftheRegent’sPark。Ikeptonmyownsideoftheway，alittlebehindhim，andwalkedinthatdirectionalso。
Marianhadpreparedmeforhishighstature，hismonstrouscorpulence，andhisostentatiousmourninggarments，butnotforthehorriblefreshnessandcheerfulnessandvitalityoftheman。Hecarriedhissixtyyearsasiftheyhadbeenfewerthanforty。Hesaunteredalong，wearinghishatalittleononeside，withalightjauntystep，swinginghisbigstick，hummingtohimself，lookingupfromtimetotimeatthehousesandgardensoneithersideofhimwithsuperb，smilingpatronage。Ifastrangerhadbeentoldthatthewholeneighbourhoodbelongedtohim，thatstrangerwouldnothavebeensurprisedtohearit。Heneverlookedback，hepaidnoapparentattentiontome，noapparentattentiontoanyonewhopassedhimonhisownsideoftheroad，exceptnowandthen，whenhesmiledandsmirked，withaneasypaternalgoodhumour，atthenursery-maidsandthechildrenwhomhemet。Inthiswayheledmeon，tillwereachedacolonyofshopsoutsidethewesternterracesofthePark。
Herehestoppedatapastrycook’s，wentin(probablytogiveanorder)，andcameoutagainimmediatelywithatartinhishand。AnItalianwasgrindinganorganbeforetheshop，andamiserablelittleshrivelledmonkeywassittingontheinstrument。TheCountstopped，bitapieceforhimselfoutofthetart，andgravelyhandedtheresttothemonkey。`Mypoorlittleman！’hesaid，withgrotesquetenderness，`youlookhungry。Inthesacrednameofhumanity，Iofferyousomelunch！’Theorgan-grinderpiteouslyputinhisclaimtoapennyfromthebenevolentstranger。TheCountshruggedhisshoulderscontemptuously，andpassedon。
WereachedthestreetsandthebetterclassofshopsbetweentheNewRoadandOxfordStreet。TheCountstoppedagainandenteredasmalloptician’sshop，withaninscriptioninthewindowannouncingthatrepairswereneatlyexecutedinside。Hecameoutagainwithanopera-glassinhishand，walkedafewpaceson，andstoppedtolookatabilloftheoperaplacedoutsideamusic-seller’sshop。Hereadthebillattentively，consideredamoment，andthenhailedanemptycabasitpassedhim。`OperaBox-office，’hesaidtotheman，andwasdrivenaway。
Icrossedtheroad，andlookedatthebillinmyturn。TheperformanceannouncedwasLucreziaBorgia，anditwastotakeplacethatevening。Theopera-glassintheCount’shand，hiscarefulreadingofthebill，andhisdirectiontothecabman，allsuggestedthatheproposedmakingoneoftheaudience。Ihadthemeansofgettinganadmissionformyselfandafriendtothepitbyapplyingtooneofthescene-paintersattachedtothetheatre，withwhomIhadbeenwellacquaintedinpasttimes。TherewasachanceatleastthattheCountmightbeeasilyvisibleamongtheaudiencetomeandtoanyonewithme，andinthiscaseIhadthemeansofascertainingwhetherPescaknewhiscountrymanornotthatverynight。
