AndyetIcannothonestlysaythatmyownmoralconvictionswerestrongenoughtodecidethestruggleinmebythemselves。TheywerehelpedbymyremembranceofSirPercival’sdeath。Howawfully，atthelastmoment，hadtheworkingoftheretributiontherebeensnatchedfrommyfeeblehandsIWhatrighthadItodecide，inmypoormortalignoranceofthefuture，thatthisman，too，mustescapewithimpunitybecauseheescapedme？
Ithoughtofthesethings——perhapswiththesuperstitioninherentinmynature，perhapswithasenseworthierofmethansuperstition。Itwashard，whenIhadfastenedmyholdonhimatlast，toloosenitagainofmyownaccord——butIforcedmyselftomakethesacrifice。Inplainerwords，IdeterminedtobeguidedbytheonehighermotiveofwhichIwascertain，themotiveofservingthecauseofLauraandthecauseofTruth。
`Iacceptyourconditions，’Isaid。`Withonereservationonmypart。’
`Whatreservationmaythatbe？’heasked。
`Itreferstothesealedletter，’Ianswered。`Irequireyoutodestroyitunopenedinmypresenceassoonasitisplacedinyourhands。’
MyobjectinmakingthisstipulationwassimPlytopreventhimfromcarryingawaywrittenevidenceofthenatureofmycommunicationwithPesca。
Thefactofmycommunicationhewouldnecessarilydiscover，whenIgavetheaddresstohisagentinthemorning。Buthecouldmakenouseofitonhisownunsupportedtestimony——evenifhereallyventuredtotrytheexperiment——whichneedexciteinmetheslightestapprehensiononPesca’saccount。
`Igrantyourreservation，’hereplied，afterconsideringthequestiongravelyforaminuteortwo。`Itisnotworthdispute——thelettershallbedestroyedwhenitcomesintomyhands。’
Herose，ashespoke，fromthechairinwhichhehadbeensittingoppositetomeuptothistime。Withoneeffortheappearedtofreehismindfromthewholepressureonitoftheinterviewbetweenusthusfar。`Ouf！’hecried，stretchinghisarmsluxuriously，`theskirmishwashotwhileitlasted。Takeaseat，MrHartright。Wemeetasmortalenemieshereafter——letus，likegallantgentlemen，exchangepoliteattentionsinthemeantime。
Permitmetotakethelibertyofcallingformywife。’
Heunlockedandopenedthedoor。`Eleanor！’hecalledoutinhisdeepvoice。Theladyoftheviperishfacecamein。`MadameFosco——MrHartright，’
saidtheCount，introducinguswitheasydignity。`Myangel，’hewenton，addressinghiswife，`willyourlaboursofpackingupallowyoutimetomakemesomenicestrongcoffee？IhavewritingbusinesstotransactwithMrHartright——andIrequirethefullpossessionofmyintelligencetodojusticetomyself。’
MadameFoscobowedherheadtwice——oncesternlytome，oncesubmissivelytoherhusband——andglidedoutoftheroom。
TheCountwalkedtoawriting-tablenearthewindow，openedhisdesk，andtookfromitseveralquiresofpaperandabundleofquillpens。Hescatteredthepensaboutthetable，sothattheymightliereadyinalldirectionstobetakenupwhenwanted，andthencutthepaperintoaheapofnarrowslips，oftheformusedbyprofessionalwritersforthepress。
`Ishallmakethisaremarkabledocument，’hesaid，lookingatmeoverhisshoulder。`Habitsofliterarycompositionareperfectlyfamiliartome。Oneoftherarestofalltheintellectualaccomplishmentsthatamancanpossessisthegrandfacultyofarranginghisideas。Immenseprivilege！
Ipossessit。Doyou？’
Hemarchedbackwardsandforwardsintheroom，untilthecoffeeappeared，hummingtohimself，andmarkingtheplacesatwhichobstaclesoccurredinthearrangementofhisideas，bystrikinghisforeheadfromtimetotimewiththepalmofhishand。TheenormousaudacitywithwhichheseizedonthesituationinwhichIplacedhim，andmadeitthepedestalonwhichhisvanitymountedfortheonecherishedpurposeofself-display，masteredmyastonishmentbymainforce。SincerelyasIloathedtheman，theprodigiousstrengthofhischaracter，eveninitsmosttrivialaspects，impressedmeinspiteofmyself。
ThecoffeewasbroughtinbyMadameFosco。Hekissedherhandingratefulacknowledgment，andescortedhertothedoor；returned，pouredoutacupofcoffeeforhimself，andtookittothewriting-table。
`MayIofferyousomecoffee，MrHartright？’hesaid，beforehesatdown。
Ideclined。
`What！youthinkIshallpoisonyou？’hesaidgaily。`TheEnglishintellectissound，sofarasitgoes，’hecontinued，seatinghimselfatthetable：
`butithasonegravedefect——itisalwayscautiousinthewrongplace。’
Hedippedhispenintheink，placedthefistslipofpaperbeforehimwithathumpofhishandonthedesk，clearedhisthroat，andbegan。Hewrotewithgreatnoiseandrapidity，insolargeandboldahand，andwithsuchwidespacesbetweenthelines，thathereachedthebottomoftheslipinnotmorethantwominutescertainlyfromthetimewhenhestartedatthetop。Eachslipashefinisheditwaspaged，andtossedoverhisshoulderoutofhiswayonthefloor。Whenhisfirstpenwaswornout，thatwentoverhisshouldertoo，andhepouncedonasecondfromthesupplyscatteredaboutthetable。Slipafterslip，bydozens，byfifties，byhundreds，flewoverhisshouldersoneithersideofhimtillhehadsnowedhimselfupinpaperallroundhischair。Hourafterhourpassed——andthereIsatwatching，therehesatwriting。Heneverstopped，excepttosiphiscoffee，andwhenthatwasexhausted，tosmackhisforeheadfromtimetotime。Oneo’clockstruck，two，three，four——andstilltheslipsflewaboutallroundhim；stilltheuntiringpenscrapeditswayceaselesslyfromtoptobottomofthepage，stillthewhitechaosofpaperrosehigherandhigherallroundhischair。Atfouro’clockIheardasuddensplutterofthepen，indicativeoftheflourishwithwhichhesignedhisname。`Bravo！’hecried，springingtohisfeetwiththeactivityofayoungman，andlookingmestraightinthefacewithasmileofsuperbtriumph。
`Done，MrHartright！’heannouncedwithaself-renovatingthumpofhisfistonhisbroadchest。`Done，tomyownprofoundsatisfaction——toyourprofoundastonishment，whenyoureadwhatIhavewritten。Thesubjectisexhausted：theman——Fosco——isnot。Iproceedtothearrangementofmyslips——totherevisionofmyslips——tothereadingofmyslips——
addressedemphaticallytoyourprivateear。Fouro’clockhasjuststruck。
Good！Arrangement，revision，reading，fromfourtofive。Shortsnoozeofrestorationformyselffromfivetosix。Finalpreparationsfromsixtoseven。Affairofagentandsealedletterfromseventoeight。Ateight，enroute。Beholdtheprogramme！’
Hesatdowncross-leggedontheflooramonghispapers，strungthemtogetherwithabodkinandapieceofstring——revisedthem，wroteallthetitlesandhonoursbywhichhewaspersonallydistinguishedattheheadofthefirstpage，andthenreadthemanuscripttomewithloudtheatricalemphasisandprofusetheatricalgesticulation。Thereaderwillhaveanopportunity，erelong，offorminghisownopinionofthedocument。Itwillbesufficienttomentionherethatitansweredmypurpose。
Henextwrotemetheaddressofthepersonfromwhomhehadhiredthefly，andhandedmeSirPercival’sletter。ItwasdatedfromHampshireonthe25thofJuly，anditannouncedthejourneyof`LadyGlyde’toLondononthe26th。Thus，ontheveryday(the25th)whenthedoctor’scertificatedeclaredthatshehaddiedinStJohn’sWood，shewasalive，bySirPercival’sownshowing，atBlackwater——and，onthedayafter，shewastotakeajourney！Whentheproofofthatjourneywasobtainedfromtheflyman，theevidencewouldbecomplete。
`Aquarter-pastfive，’saidtheCount，lookingathiswatch。`Timeformyrestorativesnooze。IpersonallyresembleNapoleontheGreat，asyoumayhaveremarked，MrHartright——Ialsoresemblethatimmortalmaninmypowerofcommandingsleepatwill。Excusemeonemoment。IwillsummonMadameFosco，tokeepyoufromfeelingdull。’
Knowingaswellashedid，thathewassummoningMadameFoscotoensuremynotleavingthehousewhilehewasasleep，Imadenoreply，andoccupiedmyselfintyingupthepaperswhichhehadplacedinmypossession。
Theladycamein，cool，pale，andvenomousasever。`AmuseMrHartright，myangel，’saidtheCount。Heplacedachairforher，kissedherhandforthesecondtime，withdrewtoasofa，and，inthreeminutes，wasaspeacefulandhappilyasleepasthemostvirtuousmaninexistence。
MadameFoscotookabookfromthetable，satdown，andlookedatme，withthesteadyvindictivemaliceofawomanwhoneverforgotandneverforgave。
`Ihavebeenlisteningtoyourconversationwithmyhusband，’shesaid。
`IfIhadbeeninhisplace——Iwouldhavelaidyoudeadonthehearthrug。’
Withthosewordssheopenedherbook，andneverlookedatmeorspoketomefromthattimetillthetimewhenherhusbandwoke。
Heopenedhiseyesandrosefromthesofa，accuratelytoanhourfromthetimewhenhehadgonetosleep。
`Ifeelinfinitelyrefreshed，’heremarked。`Eleanor，mygoodwife，areyouallreadyupstairs？Thatiswell。Mylittlepackingherecanbecompletedintenminutes——mytravelling-dressassumedintenminutesmore。Whatremainsbeforetheagentcomes？’Helookedabouttheroom，andnoticedthecagewithhiswhitemiceinit。`Ah！’hecriedpiteously，`alastlacerationofmysympathiesstillremains。Myinnocentpets！mylittlecherishedchildren！whatamItodowiththem？Forthepresentwearesettlednowhere；forthepresentwetravelincessantly——thelessbaggagewecarrythebetterforourselves。Mycockatoo，mycanaries，andmylittlemice——whowillcherishthemwhentheirgoodPapaisgone？’
Hewalkedabouttheroomdeepinthought。Hehadnotbeenatalltroubledaboutwritinghisconfession，buthewasvisiblyperplexedanddistressedaboutthefarmoreimportantquestionofthedisposalofhispets。Afterlongconsiderationhesuddenlysatdownagainatthewriting-table。
`Anidea！’heexclaimed。`IwilloffermycanariesandmycockatootothisvastMetropolis——myagentshallpresenttheminmynametotheZoologicalGardensofLondon。TheDocumentthatdescribesthemshallbedrawnoutonthespot。’
Hebegantowrite，repeatingthewordsastheyflowedfromhispen。
`Numberone。Cockatoooftranscendentplumage：attraction，ofhimself，toallvisitorsoftaste。Numbertwo。Canariesofunrivalledvivacityandintelligence：worthyofthegardenofEden，worthyalsoofthegardenintheRegent’sPark。HomagetoBritishZoology。OfferedbyFosco。’
