`Amanwhohasthismark，brandedinthisplace，’hesaid，coveringhisarmagain，`isamemberoftheBrotherhood。AmanwhohasbeenfalsetotheBrotherhoodisdiscoveredsoonerorlaterbythechiefswhoknowhim——presidentsorsecretaries，asthecasemaybe。Andamandiscoveredbythechiefsisdead。Nohumanlawscanprotecthim。Rememberwhatyouhaveseenandheard——drawwhatconclusionsyoulike——actasyouplease。But，inthenameofGod，whateveryoudiscover，whateveryoudo，tellmenothing！Letmeremainfreefromaresponsibilitywhichithorrifiesmetothinkof——whichIknow，inmyconscience，isnotmyresponsibilitynow。ForthelasttimeIsayit——onmyhonourasagentleman，onmyoathasaChristian，ifthemanyoupointedoutattheOperaknowsme，heissoaltered，orsodisguised，thatIdonotknowhim。IamignorantofhisproceedingsorhispurposesinEngland。Ineversawhim，Ineverheardthenamehegoesby，tomyknowledge，beforetonight。Isaynomore。
Leavemealittle，Walter。Iamoverpoweredbywhathashappened——IamshakenbywhatIhavesaid。Letmetrytobelikemyselfagainwhenwemeetnext。’
Hedroppedintoachair，andturningawayfromme，hidhisfaceinhishands。Igentlyopenedthedoorsoasnottodisturbhim，andspokemyfewpartingwordsinlowtones，whichhemighthearornot，ashepleased。
`Iwillkeepthememoryoftonightinmyheartofhearts，’Isaid。`Youshallneverrepentthetrustyouhavereposedinme。MayIcometoyoutomorrow？MayIcomeasearlyasnineo’clock？’
`Yes，Walter，’hereplied，lookingupatmekindly，andspeakinginEnglishoncemore，asifhisoneanxietynowwastogetbacktoourformerrelationstowardseachother。`CometomylittlebitofbreakfastbeforeIgomywaysamongthepupilsthatIteach。’
`Goodnight，Pesca。’
`Goodnight，myfriend。’
[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter39[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter39IVMyfirstconvictionassoonasIfoundmyselfoutsidethehouse，wasthatnoalternativewasleftmebuttoactatonceontheinformationIhadreceived——tomakesureoftheCountthatnight，ortorisktheloss，ifIonlydelayedtillthemorning，ofLaura’slastchance。Ilookedatmywatch——itwasteno’clock。
NottheshadowofadoubtcrossedmymindofthepurposeforwhichtheCounthadleftthetheatre。Hisescapefromus，thatevening，wasbeyondallquestionthepreliminaryonlytohisescapefromLondon。ThemarkoftheBrotherhoodwasonhisarm——Ifeltascertainofitasifhehadshownmethebrand；andthebetrayaloftheBrotherhoodwasonhisconscience——IhadseenitinhisrecognitionofPesca。
Itwaseasytounderstandwhythatrecognitionhadnotbeenmutual。
AmanoftheCount’scharacterwouldneverrisktheterribleconsequencesofturningspywithoutlookingtohispersonalsecurityquiteascarefullyashelookedtohisgoldenreward。Theshavenface，whichIhadpointedoutattheOpera，mighthavebeencoveredbyabeardinPesca’stime——
hisdarkbrownhairmightbeawig——hisnamewasevidentlyafalseone。
Theaccidentoftimemighthavehelpedhimaswell——hisimmensecorpulencemighthavecomewithhislateryears。TherewaseveryreasonwhyPescashouldnothaveknownhimagain——everyreasonalsowhyheshouldhaveknownPesca，whosesingularpersonalappearancemadeamarkedmanofhim，gowherehemight。
IhavesaidthatIfeltcertainofthepurposeintheCount’smindwhenheescapedusatthetheatre。HowcouldIdoubtit，whenIsaw，withmyowneyes，thathebelievedhimself，inspiteofthechangeinhisappearance，tohavebeenrecognisedbyPesca，andtobethereforeindangerofhislife？IfIcouldgetspeechofhimthatnight，ifIcouldshowhimthatI，too，knewofthemortalperilinwhichhestood，whatresultwouldfollow？
Plainlythis。Oneofusmustbemasterofthesituation——oneofusmustinevitablybeatthemercyoftheother。
IowedittomyselftoconsiderthechancesagainstmebeforeIconfrontedthem。Iowedittomywifetodoallthatlayinmypowertolessentherisk。
Thechancesagainstmewantednoreckoningup——theywereallmergedinone-IftheCountdiscovered，bymyownavowal，thatthedirectwaytohissafetylaythroughmylife，hewasprobablythelastmaninexistencewhowouldshrinkfromthrowingmeoffmyguardandtakingthatway，whenhehadmealonewithinhisreach。TheonlymeansofdefenceagainsthimonwhichIcouldatallrelytolessentherisk，presentedthemselves，afteralittlecarefulthinking，clearlyenough。BeforeImadeanypersonalacknowledgmentofmydiscoveryinhispresence，Imustplacethediscoveryitselfwhereitwouldbereadyforinstantuseagainsthim，andsafefromanyattemptatsuppressiononhispart。IfIlaidthemineunderhisfeetbeforeIapproachedhim，andifIleftinstructionswithathirdpersontofireitontheexpirationofacertaintime，unlessdirectionstothecontrarywerepreviouslyreceivedundermyownhand，orfrommyownlips——inthateventtheCount’ssecuritywasabsolutelydependentuponmine，andImightholdthevantagegroundoverhimsecurely，eveninhisownhouse。
ThisideaoccurredtomewhenIwasclosetothenewlodgingswhichwehadtakenonreturningfromthesea-side。Iwentinwithoutdisturbinganyone，bythehelpofmykey。Alightwasinthehall，andIstoleupwithittomyworkroomtomakemypreparations，andabsolutelytocommitmyselftoaninterviewwiththeCount，beforeeitherLauraorMariancouldhavetheslightestsuspicionofwhatIintendedtodo。
AletteraddressedtoPescarepresentedthesurestmeasureofprecautionwhichitwasnowpossibleformetotake。Iwroteasfollows——
`ThemanwhomIpointedouttoyouattheOperaisamemberoftheBrotherhood，andhasbeenfalsetohisLustputboththeseassertionstothetestinstantly。
YouknowthenamehegoesbyinEngland。HisaddressisNo。5ForestRoad，StJohn’sWood。Ontheloveyouonceboreme，usethepowerentrustedtoyouwithoutmercyandwithoutdelayagainstthatman。Ihaveriskedallandlostall——andtheforfeitofmyfailurehasbeenpaidwithmylife。’
Isignedanddatedtheselines，enclosedtheminanenvelope，andsealeditup。OntheoutsideIwrotethisdirection：`Keeptheenclosureunopeneduntilnineo’clocktomorrowmorning。Ifyoudonothearfromme，orseeme，beforethattime，breakthesealwhentheclockstrikes，andreadthecontents。’Iaddedmyinitials，andprotectedthewholebyenclosingitinasecondsealedenvelope，addressedtoPescaathislodgings。
Nothingremainedtobedoneafterthisbuttofindthemeansofsendingmylettertoitsdestinationimmediately。Ishouldthenhaveaccomplishedallthatlayinmypower。&；anythinghappenedtomeintheCount’shouse，Ihadnowprovidedforhisansweringitwithhislife。
Thatthemeansofpreventinghisescape，underanycircumstanceswhatever，wereatPesca’sdisposal，ifhechosetoexertthem，Ididnotforaninstantdoubt。TheextraordinaryanxietywhichhehadexpressedtoremainunenlightenedastotheCount’sidentity——or，inotherwords，tobeleftuncertainenoughaboutfactstojustifyhimtohisownconscienceinremainingpassive——betrayedplainlythatthemeansofexercisingtheterriblejusticeoftheBrotherhoodwerereadytohishand，although，asanaturallyhumaneman，hehadshrunkfromplainlysayingasmuchinmypresence。Thedeadlycertaintywithwhichthevengeanceofforeignpoliticalsocietiescanhuntdownatraitortothecause，hidehimselfwherehemay，hadbeentoooftenexemplified，eveninmysuperficialexperience，toallowofanydoubt。
Consideringthesubjectonlyasareaderofnewspapers，casesrecurredtomymemory，bothinLondonandinParis，offoreignersfoundstabbedinthestreets，whoseassassinscouldneverbetraced——ofbodiesandpartsofbodiesthrownintotheThamesandtheSeine，byhandsthatcouldneverbediscovered——ofdeathsbysecretviolencewhichcouldonlybeaccountedforinoneway。Ihavedisguisednothingrelatingtomyselfinthesepages，andIdonotdisguiseherethatIbelievedIhadwrittenCountFosco’sdeath-warrant，ifthefatalemergencyhappenedwhichauthorisedPescatoopenmyenclosure。
Ileftmyroomtogodowntothegroundfloorofthehouse，andspeaktothelandlordaboutfindingmeamessenger。Hehappenedtobeascendingthestairsatthetime，andwemetonthelanding。Hisson，aquicklad，wasthemessengerheproposedtomeonhearingwhatIwanted。Wehadtheboyupstairs，andIgavehimhisdirections。Hewastotaketheletterinacab，toputitintoProfessorPesca’sownhands，andtobringmebackalineofacknowledgmentfromthatgentleman——returninginthecab，andkeepingitatthedoorformyuse。Itwasthennearlyhalf-pastten。I
calculatedthattheboymightbebackintwentyminutes，andthatImightdrivetoStJohn’sWood，onhisreturn，intwentyminutesmore。
WhentheladhaddepartedonhiserrandIreturnedtomyownroomforalittlewhile，toputcertainpapersinorder，sothattheymightbeeasilyfoundincaseoftheworst。Thekeyoftheold-fashionedbureauinwhichthepaperswerekeptIsealedup，andleftitonmytable，withMarian’snamewrittenontheoutsideofthelittlepacket。Thisdone，Iwentdownstairstothesitting-room，inwhichIexpectedtofindLauraandMarianawaitingmyreturnfromtheOpera。IfeltmyhandtremblingforthefirsttimewhenIlaiditonthelockofthedoor。
NoonewasintheroombutMarian。Shewasreading，andshelookedatherwatch，insurprise，whenIcamein。
`Howearlyyouareback！’’shesaid。`YoumusthavecomeawaybeforetheOperawasover。’
`Yes，’Ireplied，`neitherPescanorIwaitedfortheend。WhereisLaura？’
`Shehadoneofherbadheadachesthisevening，andIadvisedhertogotobedwhenwehaddonetea。’
IlefttheroomagainonthepretextofwishingtoseewhetherLaurawasasleep。Marian’squickeyeswerebeginningtolookinquiringlyatmyface——Marian’squickinstinctwasbeginningtodiscoverthatIhadsomethingweighingonmymind。
WhenIenteredthebedchamber，andsoftlyapproachedthebedsidebythedimflickerofthenight-lamp，mywifewasasleep。
Wehadnotbeenmarriedquiteamonthyet。Ifmyheartwasheavy，ifmyresolutionforamomentfalteredagain，whenIlookedatherfaceturnedfaithfullytomypillowinhersleep——whenIsawherhandrestingopenonthecoverlid，asifitwaswaitingunconsciouslyformine——surelytherewassomeexcuseforme？Ionlyallowedmyselfafewminutestokneeldownatthebedside，andtolookcloseather——soclosethatherbreath，asitcameandwent，flutteredonmyface。Ionlytouchedherhandandhercheekwithmylipsatparting。Shestirredinhersleepandmurmuredmyname，butwithoutwaking。Ilingeredforaninstantatthedoortolookatheragain。`Godblessandkeepyou，mydarling！’Iwhispered，andlefther。
