`Waitalittle，’Isaid。`Youhavegotthedoorlocked——youseeI
don’tmove——youseemyhandsareempty。Waitalittle。Ihavesomethingmoretosay。’
`Youhavesaidenough，’hereplied，withasuddencomposuresounnaturalandsoghastlythatittriedmynervesasnooutbreakofviolencecouldhavetriedthem。`Iwantonemomentformyownthoughts，ifyouplease。
DoyouguesswhatIamthinkingabout？’
`PerhapsIdo。’
`Iamthinking，’heremarkedquietly，`whetherIshalladdtothedisorderinthisroombyscatteringyourbrainsaboutthefireplace。’
IfIhadmovedatthatmoment，Isawinhisfacethathewouldhavedoneit。
`IadviseyoutoreadtwolinesofwritingwhichIhaveaboutme，’I
rejoined，`beforeyoufinallydecidethatquestion。’
Theproposalappearedtoexcitehiscuriosity。Henoddedhishead。I
tookPesca’sacknowledgmentofthereceiptofmyletteroutofmypocket-book，handedittohimatarm’slength，andreturnedtomyformerpositioninfrontofthefireplace。
Hereadthelinesaloud：Yourletterisreceived。IfIdon’thearfromyoubeforethetimeyoumention，Iwillbreakthesealwhentheclockstrikes。’
Anothermaninhispositionwouldhaveneededsomeexplanationofthosewords——theCountfeltnosuchnecessity。OnereadingofthenoteshowedhimtheprecautionthatIhadtakenasplainlyasifhehadbeenpresentatthetimewhenIadoptedit。Theexpressionofhisfacechangedontheinstant，andhishandcameoutofthedrawerempty。
`Idon’tlockupmydrawer，MrHartright，’hesaid，`andIdon’tsaythatImaynotscatteryourbrainsaboutthefireplaceyet。ButIamajustmaneventomyenemy，andIwillacknowledgebeforehandthattheyareclevererbrainsthanIthoughtthem。Cometothepoint，sir！Youwantsomethingofme？’
`Ido，andImeantohaveit。’
`Onconditions？’
`Onnoconditions。’
Hishanddroppedintothedraweragain。
`Bah！wearetravellinginacircle，’hesaid，`andthosecleverbrainsofyoursareindangeragain。Yourtoneisdeplorablyimprudent，sir——
moderateitonthespot！Theriskofshootingyouontheplacewhereyoustandislesstomethantheriskoflettingyououtofthishouse，exceptonconditionsthatIdictateandapprove。Youhavenotgotmylamentedfriendtodealwithnow——youarefacetofacewithFosco！IfthelivesoftwentyMrHartrights’werethestepping-stonestomysafety，overallthosestonesIwouldgo，sustainedbymysublimeindifference，self-balancedbymyimpenetrablecalm。Respectme，ifyouloveyourownlife！Isummonyoutoanswerthreequestionsbeforeyouopenyourlipsagain。Hearthem——theyarenecessarytothisinterview。Answerthem——theyarenecessarytoME。’Hehelduponefingerofhisrighthand。`Firstquestion！’hesaid。
`Youcomeherepossessedofinformationwhichmaybetrueormaybefalse——wheredidyougetit？’
`Ideclinetotellyou。’
`Nomatter——Ishallfindout。Ifthatinformationistrue——mindIsay，withthewholeforceofmyresolution，if——youaremakingyourmarketofitherebytreacheryofyourownorbytreacheryofsomeotherman。Inotethatcircumstanceforfutureuseinmymemory，whichforgetsnothing，andproceed。’Heheldupanotherfinger。`Secondquestion！Thoselinesyouinvitedmetoreadarewithoutsignature。Whowrotethem？’
`AmanwhomIhaveeveryreasontodependon，andwhomyouhaveeveryreasontofear。’
Myanswerreachedhimtosomepurpose。Hislefthandtrembledaudiblyinthedrawer。`Howlongdoyougiveme，’heasked，puttinghisthirdquestioninaquietertone，`beforetheclockstrikesandthesealisbroken？’
`Timeenoughforyoutocometomyterms，’Ireplied。
`Givemeaplaineranswer，MrHartright。Whathouristheclocktostrike？’
`Nine，tomorrowmorning。’
`Nine，tomorrowmorning？Yes，yes——yourtrapislaidformebeforeIcangetmypassportregulatedandleaveLondon。Itisnotearlier，I
suppose？Wewillseeaboutthatpresently——Icankeepyouhostagehere，andbargainwithyoutosendforyourletterbeforeIletyougo。Inthemeantime，besogoodnextastomentionyourterms。’
`Youshallhearthem。Theyaresimple，andsoonstated。YouknowwhoseinterestsIrepresentincominghere？’
Hesmiledwiththemostsupremecomposure，andcarelesslywavedhisrighthand。
`Iconsenttohazardaguess，’hesaidjeeringly。`Alady’sinterests，ofcourse！’
`MyWife’sinterests。’
Helookedatmewiththefirsthonestexpressionthathadcrossedhisfaceinmypresence——anexpressionofblankamazement。IcouldseethatIsankinhisestimationasadangerousmanfromthatmoment。Heshutupthedraweratonce，foldedhisarmsoverhisbreast，andlistenedtomewithasmileofsatiricalattention。
`Youarewellenoughaware，’Iwenton，`ofthecoursewhichmyinquirieshavetakenformanymonthspast，toknowthatanyattempteddenialofplainfactswillbequiteuselessinmypresence。YouareguiltyofaninfamousconspiracyIAndthegainofafortuneoftenthousandpoundswasyourmotiveforit。’
Hesaidnothing。Buthisfacebecameovercloudedsuddenlybyaloweringanxiety。
`Keepyourgain，’Isaid。(Hisfacelightenedagainimmediately，andhiseyesopenedonmeinwiderandwiderastonishment。)`Iamnotheretodisgracemyselfbybargainingformoneywhichhaspassedthroughyourhands，andwhichhasbeenthepriceofavilecrime。’
`Gently，MrHartright。Yourmoralclap-trapshaveanexcellenteffectinEngland——keepthemforyourselfandyourowncountrymen，ifyouplease。
ThetenthousandpoundswasalegacylefttomyexcellentwifebythelateMrFairlie。Placetheaffaironthosegrounds，andIwilldiscussitifyoulike。Toamanofmysentiments，however，thesubjectisdeplorablysordid。Iprefertopassitover。Iinviteyoutoresumethediscussionofyourterms。Whatdoyoudemand？’
`Inthefirstplace，Idemandafullconfessionoftheconspiracy，writtenandsignedinmypresencebyyourself。’
Heraisedhisfingeragain。`One！’hesaid，checkingmeoffwiththesteadyattentionofapracticalman。
`Inthesecondplace，Idemandaplainproof，whichdoesnotdependonyourpersonalasseveration，ofthedateatwhichmywifeleftBlackwaterParkandtravelledtoLondon。’
`So！so！youcanlayyourfinger，Isee，ontheweakplace，’heremarkedcomposedly。`Anymore？’
`Atpresent，nomore。’
`Good！youhavementionedyourterms，nowlistentomine。Theresponsibilitytomyselfofadmittingwhatyouarepleasedtocallthe``conspiracy’’
isless，perhaps，uponthewhole，thantheresponsibilityoflayingyoudeadonthathearthrug。LetussaythatImeetyourproposal——onmyownconditions。Thestatementyoudemandofmeshallbewritten，andtheplainproofshallbeproduced。Youcallaletterfrommylatelamentedfriendinformingmeofthedayandhourofhiswife’sarrivalinLondon，written，signed，anddatedbyhimself，aproof，Isuppose？Icangiveyouthis。
IcanalsosendyoutothemanofwhomIhiredthecarriagetofetchmyvisitorfromtherailway，onthedaywhenshearrived——hisorder-bookmayhelpyoutoyourdate，evenifhiscoachmanwhodrovemeprovestobeofnouse。ThesethingsIcando，andwilldo，onconditions。Irecitethem。Firstcondition！MadameFoscoandIleavethishousewhenandhowweplease，withoutinterferenceofanykindonyourpart。SecondconditionIYouwaithere，incompanywithme，toseemyagent，whoiscomingatseveno’clockinthemorningtoregulatemyaffairs。Yougivemyagentawrittenordertothemanwhohasgotyoursealedlettertoresignhispossessionofit。Youwaitheretillmyagentplacesthatletterunopenedinmyhands，andyouthenallowmeoneclearhalf-hourtoleavethehouse——afterwhichyouresumeyourownfreedomofactionandgowhereyouplease。
Thirdcondition！Yougivemethesatisfactionofagentlemanforyourintrusionintomyprivateaffairs，andforthelanguageyouhaveallowedyourselftousetomeatthisconference。Thetimeandplace，abroad，tobefixedinaletterfrommyhandwhenIamsafeontheContinent，andthatlettertocontainastripofpapermeasuringaccuratelythelengthofmysword。
Thosearemyterms。Informmeifyouacceptthem——YesorNo。’
Theextraordinarymixtureofpromptdecision，far-sightedcunning，andmountebankbravadointhisspeech，staggeredmeforamoment——andonlyforamoment。Theonequestiontoconsiderwas，whetherIwasjustifiedornotinpossessingmyselfofthemeansofestablishingLaura’sidentityatthecostofallowingthescoundrelwhohadrobbedherofittoescapemewithimpunity。Iknewthatthemotiveofsecuringthejustrecognitionofmywifeinthebirthplacefromwhichshehadbeendrivenoutasanimposter，andofpubliclyerasingtheliethatstillprofanedhermother’stombstone，wasfarpurer，initsfreedomfromalltaintofevilpassion，thanthevindictivemotivewhichhadmingleditselfwithmypurposefromthefirst。
