cannotrecallittomindwithoutfeelingsofimpatienceandcontempt，whichmakethescene，eveninremembranceonly，utterlyrepulsivetome。IprefertorecordsimplythatIcarriedmypoint。MrFairlieattemptedtotreatusonhiscustomaryplan。Wepassedwithoutnoticehispoliteinsolenceattheoutsetoftheinterview。Weheardwithoutsympathytheprotestationswithwhichhetriednexttopersuadeusthatthedisclosureoftheconspiracyhadoverwhelmedhim。Heabsolutelywhinedandwhimperedatlastlikeafretfulchild。`Howwashetoknowthathisniecewasalivewhenhewastoldthatshewasdead？HewouldwelcomedearLaurawithpleasure，ifwewouldonlyallowhimtimetorecover。Didwethinkhelookedasifhewantedhurryingintohisgrave？No。Then，whyhurryhim？’Hereiteratedtheseremonstrancesateveryavailableopportunity，untilIcheckedthemonceforall，byplacinghimfirmlybetweentwoinevitablealternatives。Igavehimhischoicebetweendoinghisniecejusticeonmyterms，orfacingtheconsequenceofapublicassertionofherexistenceinacourtoflaw。MrKyrle，towhomheturnedforhelp，toldhimplainlythathemustdecidethequestionthenandthere。Characteristicallychoosingthealternativewhichpromisedsoonesttoreleasehimfromallpersonalanxiety，heannouncedwithasuddenoutburstofenergy，thathewasnotstrongenoughtobearanymorebullying，andthatwemightdoaswepleased。
MrKyrleandIatoncewentdownstairs，andagreeduponaformofletterwhichwastobesentroundtothetenantswhohadattendedthefalsefuneral，summoningthem，inMrFairlie’sname，toassembleinLimmeridgeHouseonthenextdaybutone。Anorderreferringtothesamedatewasalsowritten，directingastatuaryinCarlisletosendamantoLimmeridgechurchyardforthepurposeoferasinganinscription——MrKyrle，whohadarrangedtosleepinthehouse，undertakingthatMrFairlieshouldheartheselettersreadtohim，andshouldsignthemwithhisownhand。
Ioccupiedtheintervaldayatthefarminwritingaplainnarrativeoftheconspiracy，andinaddingtoitastatementofthepracticalcontradictionwhichfactsofferedtotheassertionofLaura’sdeath。ThisIsubmittedtoMrKyrlebeforeIreaditthenextdaytotheassembledtenants。Wealsoarrangedtheforminwhichtheevidenceshouldbepresentedatthecloseofthereading。Afterthesemattersweresettled，MrKyrleendeavouredtoturntheconversationnexttoLaura’saffairs。Knowing，anddesiringtoknownothingofthoseaffairs，anddoubtingwhetherhewouldapprove，asamanofbusiness，ofmyconductinrelationtomywife’slife-interestinthelegacylefttoMadameFosco，IbeggedMrKyrletoexcusemeifI
abstainedfromdiscussingthesubject。Itwasconnected，asIcouldtrulytellhim，withthosesorrowsandtroublesofthepastwhichweneverreferredtoamongourselves，andwhichweinstinctivelyshrankfromdiscussingwithothers。
Mylastlabour，astheeveningapproached，wastoobtain`TheNarrativeoftheTombstone，’bytakingacopyofthefalseinscriptiononthegravebeforeitwaserased。
Thedaycame——thedaywhenLauraoncemoreenteredthefamiliarbreakfast-roomatLimmeridgeHouse。AllthepersonsassembledrosefromtheirseatsasMarianandIledherin。Aperceptibleshockofsurprise，anaudiblemurmurofinterestranthroughthem，atthesightofherface。MrFairliewaspresent(bymyexpressstipulation)，withMrKyrlebyhisside。Hisvaletstoodbehindhimwithasmelling-bottlereadyinonehand，andawhitehandkerchief，saturatedwitheau-de-Cologne，intheother。
IopenedtheproceedingsbypubliclyappealingtoMrFairlietosaywhetherIappearedtherewithhisauthorityandunderhisexpresssanction。
Heextendedanarm，oneitherside，toMrKyrleandtohisvalet——wasbythemassistedtostandonhislegs，andthenexpressedhimselfintheterms：`AllowmetopresentMrHartright。Iamasgreataninvalidasever，andheissoveryobligingastospeakforme。Thesubjectisdreadfullyembarrassing。Pleasehearhim，anddon’tmakeanoise！’Withthosewordsheslowlysankbackagainintothechair，andtookrefugeinhisscentedpocket-handkerchief。
Thedisclosureoftheconspiracyfollowed，afterIhadofferedmypreliminaryexplanation，firstofall，inthefewestandtheplainestwords。Iwastherepresent(Iinformedmyhearers)todeclare，first，thatmywife，thensittingbyme，wasthedaughterofthelateMrPhilipFairlie；secondly，toprovebypositivefacts，thatthefuneralwhichtheyhadattendedinLimmeridgechurchyardwasthefuneralofanotherwoman；thirdly，togivethemaplainaccountofhowithadhappened。Withoutfurtherpreface，I
atoncereadthenarrativeoftheconspiracy，describingitinclearoutline，anddwellingonlyuponthepecuniarymotiveforit，inordertoavoidcomplicatingmystatementbyunnecessaryreferencetoSirPercival’ssecret。Thisdone，Iremindedmyaudienceofthedateontheinscriptioninthechurchyard(the25th)。andconfirmeditscorrectnessbyproducingthecertificateofdeath。IthenreadthemSirPercival’sletterofthe25th，announcinghiswife’sintendedjourneyfromHampshiretoLondononthe26th。Inextshowedthatshehadtakenthatjourney，bythepersonaltestimonyofthedriverofthefly，andIprovedthatshehadperformeditontheappointedday，bytheorder-bookattheliverystables。MarianthenaddedherownstatementofthemeetingbetweenLauraandherselfatthemad-house，andofhersister’sescape。AfterwhichIclosedtheproceedingsbyinformingthepersonspresentofSirPercival’sdeathandofmymarriage。
MrKyrlerosewhenIresumedmyseat，anddeclared，asthelegaladviserofthefamily，thatmycasewasprovedbytheplainestevidencehehadeverheardinhislife。Ashespokethosewords，IputmyarmroundLaura，andraisedhersothatshewasplainlyvisibletoeveryoneintheroom。
`Areyouallofthesameopinion？’Iasked，advancingtowardsthemafewsteps，andpointingtomywife。
Theeffectofthequestionwaselectrical。Fardownatthelowerendoftheroomoneoftheoldesttenantsontheestatestartedtohisfeet，andledtherestwithhiminaninstant。Iseethemannow，withhishonestbrownfaceandhisiron-greyhair，mountedonthewindow-seat，wavinghisheavyriding-whipoverhishead，andleadingthecheers。`Theresheis，aliveandhearty——Godblessher！Gi’ittongue，lads！Gi’ittongue！’
Theshoutthatansweredhim，reiteratedagainandagain，wasthesweetestmusicIeverheard。Thelabourersinthevillageandtheboysfromtheschool，assembledonthelawn，caughtupthecheeringandechoedithackonus。Thefarmers’wivesclusteredroundLaura，andstruggledwhichshouldbefirsttoshakehandswithher，andtoimploreher，withthetearspouringovertheirowncheeks，tobearupbravelyandnottocry。Shewassocompletelyoverwhelmed，thatIwasobligedtotakeherfromthem，andcarryhertothedoor。ThereIgaveherintoMarian’scare——Marian，whohadneverfailedusyet，whosecourageousself-controldidnotfailusnow。Leftbymyselfatthedoor，Iinvitedallthepersonspresent(afterthankingtheminLaura’snameandmine)tofollowmetothechurchyard，andseethefalseinscriptionstruckoffthetombstonewiththeirowneyes。
Theyallleftthehouse，andalljoinedthethrongofvillagerscollectedroundthegrave，wherethestatuary’smanwaswaitingforus。Inabreathlesssilence，thefirstsharpstrokeofthesteelsoundedonthemarble。Notavoicewasheard——notasoulmoved，tillthosethreewords，`Laura，LadyGlyde，’hadvanishedfromsight。Thentherewasagreatheaveofreliefamongthecrowd，asiftheyfeltthatthelastfettersoftheconspiracyhadbeenstruckoffLauraherself，andtheassemblyslowlywithdrew。Itwaslateinthedaybeforethewholeinscriptionwaserased。Onelineonlywasafterwardsengravedinitsplace：`AnneCatherick，July25th，1850。’
IreturnedtoLimmeridgeHouseearlyenoughintheeveningtotakeleaveofMrKyrle。Heandhisclerk，andthedriverofthefly，wentbacktoLondonbythenighttrain。OntheirdepartureaninsolentmessagewasdeliveredtomefromMrFairlie——whohadbeencarriedfromtheroominashatteredcondition，whenthefirstoutbreakofcheeringansweredmyappealtothetenantry。Themessageconveyedtous`MrFairlie’sbestcongratulations，’
andrequestedtoknowwhether`wecontemplatedstoppinginthehouse。’
Isentbackwordthattheonlyobjectforwhichwehadenteredhisdoorswasaccomplished——thatIcontemplatedstoppinginnoman’shousebutmyown——andthatMrFairlieneednotentertaintheslightestapprehensionofeverseeingusorhearingfromusagain。Wewentbacktoourfriendsatthefarmtorestthatnight，andthenextmorning——escortedtothestation，withtheheartiestenthusiasmandgoodwill，bythewholevillageandbyallthefarmersintheneighbourhood——wereturnedtoLondon。
AsourviewoftheCumberlandhillsfadedinthedistance，Ithoughtofthefirstdishearteningcircumstancesunderwhichthelongstrugglethatwasnowpastandoverhadbeenpursued。Itwasstrangetolookbackandtosee，now，thatthepovertywhichhaddeniedusallhopeofassistancehadbeentheindirectmeansofoursuccess，byforcingmetoactformyself。
Ifwehadbeenrichenoughtofindlegalhelp，whatwouldhavebeentheresult？Thegain(onMrKyrle’sownshowing)wouldhavebeenmorethandoubtful——theloss，judgingbytheplaintestofeventsastheyhadreallyhappened，certain。ThelawwouldneverhaveobtainedmemyinterviewwithMrsCatherick。ThelawwouldneverhavemadePescathemeansofforcingaconfessionfromtheCount。IITwomoreeventsremaintobeaddedtothechainbeforeitreachesfairlyfromtheoutsetofthestorytotheclose。
Whileournewsenseoffreedomfromthelongoppressionofthepastwasstillstrangetous，Iwassentforbythefriendwhohadgivenmemyfirstemploymentinwoodengraving，toreceivefromhimafreshtestimonyofhisregardformywelfare。HehadbeencommissionedbyhisemployerstogotoParis，andtoexamineforthemafreshdiscoveryinthepracticalapplicationofhisArt，themeritsofwhichtheywereanxioustoascertain。
Hisownengagementshadnotallowedhimleisuretimetoundertaketheerrand，andhehadmostkindlysuggestedthatitshouldbetransferredtome。I
couldhavenohesitationinthankfullyacceptingtheoffer，forifIacquittedmyselfofmycommissionasIhopedIshould，theresultwouldbeapermanentengagementontheillustratednewspaper，towhichIwasnowonlyoccasionallyattached。
Ireceivedmyinstructionsandpackedupforthejourneythenextday。
OnleavingLauraoncemore(underwhatchangedcircumstances！)inhersister’scare，aseriousconsiderationrecurredtome，whichhadmorethanoncecrossedmywife’smind，aswellasmyown，already——ImeantheconsiderationofMarian’sfuture。Hadweanyrighttoletourselfishaffectionacceptthedevotionofallthatgenerouslife？Wasitnotourduty，ourbestexpressionofgratitude，toforgetourselves，andtothinkonlyofher？Itriedtosaythiswhenwewerealoneforamoment，beforeIwentaway。Shetookmyhand，andsilencedmeatthefirstwords。
`Afterallthatwethreehavesufferedtogether，’shesaid，`therecanbenopartingbetweenustillthelastpartingofall。Myheartandmyhappiness，Walter，arewithLauraandyou。Waitalittletilltherearechildren’svoicesatyourfireside。Iwillteachthemtospeakformeintheirlanguage，andthefirstlessontheysaytotheirfatherandmothershallbe——Wecan’tspareouraunt！’
