Thisconsiderationatoncedecidedthedisposalofmyevening。Iprocuredthetickets，leavinganoteattheProfessor’slodgingsontheway。AtaquartertoeightIcalledtotakehimwithmetothetheatre。Mylittlefriendwasinastateofthehighestexcitement，withafestiveflowerinhisbutton-hole，andthelargestopera-glassIeversawhuggedupunderhisarm。
`Areyouready？’Iasked。
`Right-all-right，’saidPesca。
Westartedforthetheatre。IIIThelastnotesoftheintroductiontotheoperawerebeingplayed，andtheseatsinthepitwereallfilled，whenPescaandIreachedthetheatre。
Therewasplentyofroom，however，inthepassagethatranroundthepit——preciselythepositionbestcalculatedtoanswerthepurposeforwhichIwasattendingtheperformance。Iwentfirsttothebarrierseparatingusfromthestalls，andlookedfortheCountinthatpartofthetheatre。
Hewasnotthere。Returningalongthepassage，ontheleft-handsidefromthestage，andlookingaboutmeattentively，Idiscoveredhiminthepit。
Heoccupiedanexcellentplace，sometwelveorfourteenseatsfromtheendofabench，withinthreerowsofthestalls。Iplacedmyselfexactlyonalinewithhim，Pescastandingbymyside。TheProfessorwasnotyetawareofthepurposeforwhichIhadbroughthimtothetheatre，andhewasrathersurprisedthatwedidnotmovenearertothestage。
Thecurtainrose，andtheoperabegan。
Throughoutthewholeofthefirstactweremainedinourposition——
theCount，absorbedbytheorchestraandthestage，nevercastingsomuchasachanceglanceatus。NotanoteofDonizetti’sdeliciousmusicwaslostonhim。Therehesat，highabovehisneighbours，smiling，andnoddinghisgreatheadenjoyinglyfromtimetotime。Whenthepeoplenearhimapplaudedthecloseofanair(asanEnglishaudienceinsuchcircumstancesalwayswillapplaud)，withouttheleastconsiderationfortheorchestralmovementwhichimmediatelyfollowedit，helookedroundatthemwithanexpressionofcompassionateremonstrance，andhelduponehandwithagestureofpoliteentreaty。Atthemorerefinedpassagesofthesingingatthemoredelicatephasesofthemusic，whichpassedunapplaudedbyothers，hisfathands，adornedwithperfectly-fittingblackkidgloves，softlypattedeachother，intokenofthecultivatedappreciationofamusicalman。Atsuchtimes，hisoilymurmurofapproval，`Bravo！Bra-a-a-a！’hummedthroughthesilence，likethepurringofagreatcat。Hisimmediateneighboursoneitherside——hearty，ruddy-facedpeoplefromthecountry，baskingamazedlyinthesunshineoffashionableLondon——seeingandhearinghim，begantofollowhislead。Manyaburstofapplausefromthepitthatnightstartedfromthesoft，comfortablepattingoftheblack-glovedhands。Theman’svoraciousvanitydevouredthisimpliedtributetohislocalandcriticalsupremacywithanappearanceofthehighestrelish。Smilesrippledcontinuouslyoverhisfatface。Helookedabouthim，atthepausesinthemusic，serenelysatisfiedwithhimselfandhisfellow-creatures。`Yes！yes！thesebarbarousEnglishpeoplearelearningsomethingfromME。Here，there，andeverywhere，I——Fosco——amaninfluencethatisfelt，amanwhositssupreme！’Ifeverfacespoke，hisfacespokethen，andthatwasitslanguage。
Thecurtainfellonthefirstact，andtheaudiencerosetolookaboutthem。ThiswasthetimeIhadwaitedfor——thetimetotryifPescaknewhim。
Herosewiththerest，andsurveyedtheoccupantsoftheboxesgrandlywithhisopera-glass。Atfirsthisbackwastowardsus，butheturnedroundintime，tooursideofthetheatre，andlookedattheboxesaboveus，usinghisglassforafewminutes——thenremovingit，butstillcontinuingtolookup。ThiswasthemomentIchose，whenhisfullfacewasinview，fordirectingPesca’sattentiontohim。
`Doyouknowthatman？’Iasked。
`Whichman，myfriend？’
`Thetall，fatman，standingthere，withhisfacetowardsus。’
Pescaraisedhimselfontiptoe，andlookedattheCount。
`No，’saidtheProfessor。`Thebigfatmanisastrangertome。Ishefamous？Whydoyoupointhimout？’
`BecauseIhaveparticularreasonsforwishingtoknowsomethingofhim。Heisacountrymanofyours——hisnameisCountFosco。Doyouknowthatname？’
`NotI，Walter。Neitherthenamenorthemanisknowntome。
`Areyouquitesureyoudon’trecognisehim？Lookagain——lookcarefully。
IwilltellyouwhyIamsoanxiousaboutitwhenweleavethetheatre。
Stop！letmehelpyouuphere，whereyoucanseehimbetter。’
Ihelpedthelittlemantoperchhimselfontheedgeoftheraiseddaisuponwhichthepit-seatswereallplaced。Hissmallstaturewasnohindrancetohim——herehecouldseeovertheheadsoftheladieswhowereseatedneartheoutermostpartofthebench。
Aslim，light-hairedmanstandingbyus，whomIhadnotnoticedbefore——amanwithascaronhisleftcheek——lookedattentivelyatPescaasIhelpedhimup，andthenlookedstillmoreattentively，followingthedirectionofPesca’seyes，attheCount。Ourconversationmighthavereachedhisears，andmight，asitstruckme，haverousedhiscuriosity。
Meanwhile，Pescafixedhiseyesearnestlyonthebroad，full，smilingfaceturnedalittleupward，exactlyoppositetohim。
`No，’hesaid，`Ihaveneversetmytwoeyesonthatbigfatmanbeforeinallmylife。’
AshespoketheCountlookeddownwardstowardstheboxesbehindusonthepittier。
TheeyesofthetwoItaliansmet。
TheinstantbeforeIhadbeenperfectlysatisfied，fromhisownreiteratedassertion，thatPescadidnotknowtheCount。TheinstantafterwardsI
wasequallycertainthattheCountknewPesca！
Knewhim，and——moresurprisingstill——fearedhimaswell！Therewasnomistakingthechangethatpassedoverthevillain’sface。Theleadenhuethatalteredhisyellowcomplexioninamoment，thesuddenrigidityofallhisfeatures，thefurtivescrutinyofhiscoldgreyeyes，themotionlessstillnessofhimfromheadtofoottoldtheirowntale。Amortaldreadhadmasteredhimbodyandsoul——andhisownrecognitionofPescawasthecauseofit！
Theslimmanwiththescaronhischeekwasstillclosebyus。HehadapparentlydrawnhisinferencefromtheeffectproducedontheCountbythesightofPescaasIhaddrawnmime。Hewasamild，gentlemanlikeman，lookinglikeaforeigner，andhisinterestinourproceedingswasnotexpressedinanythingapproachingtoanoffensivemanner。
FormyownpartIwassostartledbythechangeintheCount’sface，soastoundedattheentirelyunexpectedturnwhicheventshadtaken，thatIknewneitherwhattosayordonext。Pescarousedmebysteppingbacktohisformerplaceatmysideandspeakingfirst。
`Howthefatmanstares！’heexclaimed。`Isitatme？AmIfamous？
HowcanheknowmewhenIdon’tknowhim？’
IkeptmyeyestillontheCount。IsawhimmoveforthefirsttimewhenPescamoved，soasnottolosesightofthelittlemaninthelowerpositioninwhichhenowstood。IwascurioustoseewhatwouldhappenifPesca’sattentionunderthesecircumstanceswaswithdrawnfromhim，andIaccordinglyaskedtheProfessorifherecognisedanyofhispupilsthateveningamongtheladiesintheboxes。Pescaimmediatelyraisedthelargeopera-glasstohiseyes，andmoveditslowlyallroundtheupperpartofthetheatre，searchingforhispupilswiththemostconscientiousscrutiny。
ThemomentheshowedhimselftobethusengagedtheCountturnedround，slippedpastthepersonswhooccupiedseatsonthefarthersideofhimfromwherehestood，anddisappearedinthemiddlepassagedownthecentreofthepit。IcaughtPescabythearm，andtohisinexpressibleastonishment，hurriedhimroundwithmetothebackofthepittointercepttheCountbeforehecouldgettothedoor。Somewhattomysurprise，theslimmanhastenedoutbeforeus，avoidingastoppagecausedbysomepeopleonoursideofthepitleavingtheirplaces，bywhichPescaandmyselfweredelayed。
WhenwereachedthelobbytheCounthaddisappeared，andtheforeignerwiththescarwasgonetoo。
`Comehome，’Isaid；`comehome，Pesca，toyourlodgings。Imustspeaktoyouinprivate——Imustspeakdirectly。’
`My-soul-bless-my-soul！’criedtheProfessor，inastateoftheextremestbewilderment。`Whatonearthisthematter？’
Iwalkedonrapidlywithoutanswering。ThecircumstancesunderwhichtheCounthadleftthetheatresuggestedtomethathisextraordinaryanxietytoescapePescamightcarryhimtofurtherextremitiesstill。Hemightescapeme，too，byleavingLondon。IdoubtedthefutureifIallowedhimsomuchasaday’sfreedomtoactashepleased。AndIdoubtedthatforeignstranger，whohadgotthestartofus，andwhomIsuspectedofintentionallyfollowinghimout。
Withthisdoubledistrustinmymind，IwasnotlonginmakingPescaunderstandwhatIwanted。Assoonaswetwowerealoneinhisroom，IincreasedhisconfusionandamazementahundredfoldbytellinghimwhatmypurposewasasplainlyandunreservedlyasIhaveacknowledgedithere。
`Myfriend，whatcanIdo？’criedtheProfessor，piteouslyappealingtomewithbothhands。`Deuce-what-the-deuce！howcanIhelpyou，Walter，whenIdon’tknowtheman？’
`Heknowsyou——heisafraidofyou——hehasleftthetheatretoescapeyou。Pesca！theremustbeareasonforthis。LookbackintoyourownlifebeforeyoucametoEngland。YouleftItaly，asyouhavetoldmeyourself，forpoliticalreasons。Youhavenevermentionedthosereasonstome，andIdon’tinquireintothemnow。Ionlyaskyoutoconsultyourownrecollections，andtosayiftheysuggestnopastcausefortheterrorwhichthefirstsightofyouproducedinthatman。’
