Tomyunutterablesurprise，thesewords，harmlessastheyappearedtome，producedthesameastoundingeffectonPescawhichthesightofPescahadproducedontheCount。Therosyfaceofmylittlefriendwhitenedinaninstant，andhedrewbackfrommeslowly，tremblingfromheadtofoot。
`WalterI’hesaid。`Youdon’tknowwhatyouask。’
Hespokeinawhisper——helookedatmeasifIhadsuddenlyrevealedtohimsomehiddendangertobothofus。Inlessthanoneminuteoftimehewassoalteredfromtheeasy，lively，quaintlittlemanofallmypastexperience，thatifIhadmethiminthestreet，changedasIsawhimnow，Ishouldmostcertainlynothaveknownhimagain。
`Forgiveme，ifIhaveunintentionallypainedandshockedyou，’Ireplied。
`RememberthecruelwrongmywifehassufferedatCountFosco’shands。
Rememberthatthewrongcanneverberedressed，unlessthemeansareinmypowerofforcinghimtodoherjustice。Ispokeinherinterests，Pesca——Iaskyouagaintoforgiveme——Icansaynomore。’
Irosetogo。HestoppedmebeforeIreachedthedoor。
`Wait，’hesaid。`YouhaveshakenmefromheadtofootYoudon’tknowhowIleftmycountry，andwhyIleftmycountry。Letmecomposemyself，letmethink，ifIcan。’
Ireturnedtomychair。Hewalkedupanddowntheroom，talkingtohimselfincoherentlyinhisownlanguage。Afterseveralturnsbackwardsandforwards，hesuddenlycameuptome，andlaidhislittlehandswithastrangetendernessandsolemnityonmybreast。
`Onyourheartandsoul，Walter，’hesaid，`istherenootherwaytogettothatmanbutthechance-waythroughme？’
`Thereisnootherway，’Ianswered。
Heleftmeagain，openedthedooroftheroomandlookedoutcautiouslyintothepassage，closeditoncemore，andcameback。
`Youwonyourrightoverme，Walter，’hesaid，`onthedaywhenyousavedmylife。Itwasyoursfromthatmoment，whenyoupleasedtotakeit。Takeitnow。Yes！ImeanwhatIsay。Mynextwords，astrueasthegoodGodisaboveus，willputmylifeintoyourhands。’
Thetremblingearnestnesswithwhichheutteredthisextraordinarywarning，carriedwithit，tomymind，theconvictionthathespokethetruth。
`Mindthis！’hewenton，shakinghishandsatmeinthevehemenceofhisagitation。`Iholdnothread，inmyownmind，betweenthatmanFosco，andthepacttimewhichIcallbacktomeforyoursake。Ifyoufindthethread，keepittoyourself——tellmenothing——onmykneesIbegandpray，letmebeignorant，letmebeinnocent，letmebeblindtoallthefutureasIamnow！’
Hesaidafewwordsmore，hesitatinglyanddisconnectedly，thenstoppedagain。
IsawthattheeffortofexpressinghimselfinEnglish，onanoccasiontonserioustopermithimtheuseofthequaintturnsandphrasesofhisordinaryvocabulary，waspainfullyincreasingthedifficultyhehadfeltfromthefirstinspeakingtomeatall。Havinglearnttoreadandunderstandhisnativelanguage(thoughnottospeakit)，intheearlierdaysofourintimatecompanionship，InowsuggestedtohimthatheshouldexpresshimselfinItalian，whileIusedEnglishinputtinganyquestionswhichmightbenecessarytomyenlightenment。Heacceptedtheproposal。Inhissmooth-flowinglanguage，spokenwithavehementagitationwhichbetrayeditselfintheperpetualworkingofhisfeatures，inthewildnessandthesuddennessofhisforeigngesticulations，butneverintheraisingofhisvoice，Inowheardthewordswhicharmedmetomeetthelaststruggle，thatisleftforthisstorytorecord。*
`YouknownothingofmymotiveforleavingItaly，’hebegan，`exceptthatitwasforpoliticalreasons。IfIhadbeendriventothiscountrybythepersecutionofmygovernment，Ishouldnothavekeptthosereasonsasecretfromyouorfromanyone。I
*Itisonlyrighttomentionhere，thatIrepeatPesca’sstatementtome，withthecarefulsuppressionsandalterationswhichtheseriousnatureofthesubjectandmyownsenseofdutytomyfrienddemand。Myfirstandlastconcealmentsfromthereaderarethosewhichcautionrendersabsolutelynecessaryinthisportionofthenarrative。haveconcealedthembecausenogovernmentauthorityhaspronouncedthesentenceofmyexile。Youhaveheard，Walter，ofthepoliticalsocietiesthatarehiddenineverygreatcityonthecontinentofEurope？TooneofthosesocietiesIbelongedinItaly——andbelongstillinEngland。WhenIcametothiscountry，Icamebythedirectionofmychief。Iwasover-zealousinmyyoungertime——
Irantheriskofcompromisingmyselfandothers。ForthosereasonsIwasorderedtoemigratetoEnglandandtowait。Iemigrated——Ihavewaited——Iwaitstill。TomorrowImaybecalledaway——tenyearshenceImaybecalledaway。Itisallonetome——Iamhere，Isupportmyselfbyteaching，andIwait。Iviolatenooath(youshallhearwhypresently)inmakingmyconfidencecompletebytellingyouthenameofthesocietytowhichIbelong。AllIdoistoputmylifeinyourhands。IfwhatIsaytoyounowiseverknownbyotherstohavepassedmylips，ascertainlyaswetwosithere，Iamadeadman。’
Hewhisperedthenextwordsinmyear。Ikeepthesecretwhichhethuscommunicated。Thesocietytowhichhebelongedwillbesufficientlyindividualisedforthepurposeofthesepages，ifIcallit`TheBrotherhood’，onthefewoccasionswhenanyreferencetothesubjectwillbeneededinthisplace。
`TheobjectoftheBrotherhood，’pescawenton，`is，briefly，theobjectofotherpoliticalsocietiesofthesamesort——thedestructionoftyrannyandtheassertionoftherightsofthepeople。TheprinciplesoftheBrotherhoodaretwo。Solongasaman’slifeisuseful，orevenharmlessonly，hehastherighttoenjoyit。But，ifhislifeinflictsinjuryonthewell-beingofhisfellow-men，fromthatmomentheforfeitstheright，anditisnotonlynocrime，butapositivemerit，todeprivehimofit。Itisnotformetosayinwhatfrightfulcircumstancesofoppressionandsufferingthissocietytookitsrise。Itisnotforyoutosay——youEnglishmen，whohaveconqueredyourfreedomsolongago，thatyouhaveconvenientlyforgottenwhatbloodyoushed，andwhatextremitiesyouproceededtointheconquering——itisnotforyoutosayhowfartheworstofallexasperationsmay，ormaynot，carrythemaddenedmenofanenslavednation。Theironthathasenteredintooursoulshasgonetoodeepforyoutofindit。Leavetherefugeealone！Laughathim，distrusthim，openyoureyesinwonderatthatsecretselfwhichsmouldersinhim，sometimesundertheevery-dayrespectabilityandtranquillityofamanlikeme——sometimesunderthegrindingpoverty，thefiercesqualor，ofmenlesslucky，lesspliable，lesspatientthanIam——butjudgeusnot！InthetimeofyourfirstCharlesyoumighthavedoneusjustice——thelongluxuryofyourownfreedomhasmadeyouincapableofdoingusjusticenow。’
Allthedeepestfeelingsofhisnatureseemedtoforcethemselvestothesurfaceinthosewords——allhisheartwaspouredouttomeforthefirsttimeinourlives——butstillhisvoiceneverrose，stillhisdreadoftheterriblerevelationhewasmakingtomeneverlefthim。
`Sofar，’heresumed，`youthinkthesocietylikeothersocieties。Itsobject(inyourEnglishopinion)isanarchyandrevolution。Ittakesthelifeofabadkingorabadminister，asiftheoneandtheotherweredangerouswildbeaststobeshotatthefirstopportunity。Igrantyouthis。ButthelawsoftheBrotherhoodarethelawsofnootherpoliticalsocietyonthefaceoftheearth。Themembersarenotknowntooneanother。
ThereisapresidentinItaly；therearepresidentsabroad。Eachofthesehashissecretary。Thepresidentsandthesecretariesknowthemembers，butthemembers，amongthemselves，areallstrangers，untiltheirchiefsseefit，inthepoliticalnecessityofthetime，orintheprivatenecessityofthesociety，tomakethemknowntoeachother。Withsuchasafeguardasthisthereisnooathamongusonadmittance。WeareidentifiedwiththeBrotherhoodbyasecretmark，whichweallbear，whichlastswhileourliveslast。Wearetoldtogoaboutourordinarybusiness，andtoreportourselvestothepresident，orthesecretary，fourtimesayear，intheeventofourservicesbeingrequired。Wearewarned，ifwebetraytheBrotherhood，orifweinjureitbyservingotherinterests，thatwediebytheprinciplesoftheBrotherhood——diebythehandofastrangerwhomaybesentfromtheotherendoftheworldtostriketheblow——orbythehandofourownbosom-friend，whomayhavebeenamemberunknowntousthroughalltheyearsofourintimacy。Sometimesthedeathisdelayed——sometimesitfollowscloseonthetreachery。Itisourfirstbusinesstoknowhowtowait——oursecondbusinesstoknowhowtoobeywhenthewordisspoken。
Someofusmaywaitourlivesthrough，andmaynotbewanted。Someofusmaybecalledtothework，ortothepreparationforthework，theverydayofouradmission。Imyself——thelittle，easy，cheerfulmanyouknow，who，ofhisownaccord，wouldhardlyliftuphishandkerchieftostrikedowntheflythatbuzzesabouthisface——I。inmyyoungertime，underprovocationsodreadfulthatIwillnottellyouofit，enteredtheBrotherhoodbyanimpulse，asImighthavekilledmyselfbyanimpulse。Imustremaininitnow——ithasgotme，whateverImaythinkofitinmybettercircumstancesandmycoolermanhood，tomydyingday。WhileIwasstillinItalyIwaschosensecretary，andallthemembersofthattime，whowerebroughtfacetofacewithmypresident，werebroughtfacetofacealsowithme。
Ibegantounderstandhim——Isawtheendtowardswhichhisextraordinarydisclosurewasnowtending。Hewaitedamoment，watchingmeearnestly——
watchingtillhehadevidentlyguessedwhatwaspassinginmymindbeforeheresumed。
`Youhavedrawnyourownconclusionalready，’hesaid。`Iseeitinyourface。Tellmenothing——keepmeoutofthesecretofyourthoughts。
Letmemakemyonelastsacrificeofmyself，foryoursake，andthenhavedonewiththissubject，nevertoreturntoitagain。’
Hesignedtomenottoanswerhim——rose——removedhiscoat——androlleduptheshirt-sleeveonhisleftarm。
`Ipromisedyouthatthisconfidenceshouldbecomplete，’hewhispered，speakingcloseatmyear，withhiseyeslookingwatchfullyatthedoor。
`Whatevercomesofityoushallnotreproachmewithhawinghiddenanythingfromyouwhichitwasnecessarytoyourintereststoknow。IhavesaidthattheBrotherhoodidentifiesitsmembersbyamarkthatlastsforlife。
Seetheplace，andthemarkonitforyourself。’
Heraisedhisbarearm，andshowedme，highontheupperpartofitandintheinnerside，abranddeeplyburntinthefleshandstainedofabrightblood-redcolour。Iabstainfromdescribingthedevicewhichthebrandrepresented。Itwillbesufficienttosaythatitwascircularinform，andsosmallthatitwouldhavebeencompletelycoveredbyashillingcoin。
