Thecoffee-roomofthehotel，asitgrewlateintheevening，becameaperfectsolitude。IwaslefttoreflectonwhatIhadaccomplishedthatafternoonasuninterruptedlyasifthehousehadbeenmyown。BeforeI
　　retiredtorestIhadattentivelythoughtovermyextraordinaryinterviewwithMrsCatherickfrombeginningtoend，andhadverifiedatmyleisuretheconclusionswhichIhadhastilydrawnintheearlierpartoftheday。
　　ThevestryofOldWelminghamchurchwasthestarting-pointfromwhichmymindslowlyworkeditswaybackthroughallthatIhadheardMrsCathericksay，andthroughallIhadseenMrsCatherickdo。
　　AtthetimewhentheneighbourhoodofthevestrywasfirstreferredtoinmypresencebyMrsClements，IhadthoughtitthestrangestandmostunaccountableofallplacesforSirPercivaltoselectforaclandestinemeetingwiththeclerk’swife。Influencedbythisimpression，andbynoother，Ihadmentioned`thevestryofthechurch’beforeMrsCatherickonpurespeculation——itrepresentedoneoftheminorpeculiaritiesofthestorywhichoccurredtomewhileIwasspeaking。Iwaspreparedforheransweringmeconfusedlyorangrily，buttheblankterrorthatseizedherwhenIsaidthewordstookmecompletelybysurprise。IhadlongbeforeassociatedSirPercival’sSecretwiththeconcealmentofaseriouscrimewhichMrsCatherickknewof，butIhadgonenofurtherthanthis。Nowthewoman’sparoxysmofterrorassociatedthecrime，eitherdirectlyorindirectly，withthevestry，andconvincedmethatshehadbeenmorethanthemerewitnessofit——shewasalsotheaccomplice，beyondadoubt。
　　Whathadbeenthenatureofthecrime？Surelytherewasacontemptiblesidetoit，aswellasadangerousside，orMrsCatherickwouldnothaverepeatedmyownwords，referringtoSirPercival’srankandpower，withsuchmarkeddisdainasshehadcertainlydisplayed。Itwasacontemptiblecrimethen，andadangerouscrime，andshehadsharedinit，anditwasassociatedwiththevestryofthechurch。
　　Thenextconsiderationtobedisposedofledmeastepfartherfromthispoint。
　　MrsCatherick’sundisguisedcontemptforSirPercivalplainlyextendedtohismotheraswell。Shehadreferredwiththebitterestsarcasmtothegreatfamilyhehaddescendedfrom——`especiallybythemother’sside。’
　　Whatdidthismean？Thereappearedtobeonlytwoexplanationsofit。Eitherhismother’sbirthhadbeenlow，orhismother’sreputationwasdamagedbysomehiddenflawwithwhichMrsCatherickandSirPercivalwerebothprivatelyacquainted？Icouldonlyputthefirstexplanationtothetestbylookingattheregisterofhermarriage，andsoascertaininghermaidennameandherparentageasapreliminarytofurtherinquiries。
　　Ontheotherhand，ifthesecondcasesupposedwerethetrueone，whathadbeentheflawinherreputation？RememberingtheaccountwhichMarianhadgivenmeofSirPercival’sfatherandmother。andofthesuspiciouslyunsocialsecludedlifetheyhadbothled，Inowaskedmyselfwhetheritmightnotbepossiblethathismotherhadneverbeenmarriedatall。Hereagaintheregistermight，byofferingwrittenevidenceofthemarriage，provetome，atanyrate，thatthisdoubthadnofoundationintruth。Butwherewastheregistertobefound？AtthispointItookuptheconclusionswhichIhadpreviouslyformed，andthesamementalprocesswhichhaddiscoveredthelocalityoftheconcealedcrime，nowlodgedtheregisteralsointhevestryofOldWelminghamchurch。
　　TheseweretheresultsofmyinterviewwithMrsCatherick——thesewerethevariousconsiderations，allsteadilyconvergingtoonepoint，whichdecidedthecourseofmyproceedingsonthenextday。
　　Themorningwascloudyandlowering，butnorainfell。IleftmybagatthehoteltowaittheretillIcalledforit，and，afterinquiringtheway，setforthonfootforOldWelminghamchurch。
　　Itwasawalkofrathermorethantwomiles，thegroundrisingslowlyalltheway。
　　Onthehighestpointstoodthechurch——anancient，weather-beatenbuilding，withheavybuttressesatitssides，andaclumsysquaretowerinfront。Thevestryatthebackwasbuiltoutfromthechurch，andseemedtobeofthesameage。RoundthebuildingatintervalsappearedtheremainsofthevillagewhichMrsClementshaddescribedtomeasherhusband’splaceofabodeinformeryears，andwhichtheprincipalinhabitantshadlongsincedesertedforthenewtown。Someoftheemptyhouseshadbeendismantledtotheirouterwalls，somehadbeenlefttodecaywithtime，andsomewerestillinhabitedbypersonsevidentlyofthepoorestclass。
　　Itwasadrearyscene，andyet，intheworstaspectofitsruin，notsodrearyasthemoderntomthatIhadjustleft。Heretherewasthebrown，breezysweepofsurroundingfieldsfortheeyetoreposeon——herethetrees，leaflessastheywere，stillvariedthemonotonyoftheprospect，andhelpedthemindtolookforwardtosummer-timeandshade。
　　AsImovedawayfromthebackofthechurch，andpassedsomeofthedismantledcottagesinsearchofapersonwhomightdirectmetotheclerk，Isawtwomensaunteroutaftermefrombehindawall。Thetallestofthetwo——astoutmuscularmaninthedressofagamekeeper——wasastrangertome。TheotherwasoneofthemenwhohadfollowedmeinLondononthedaywhenIleftMrKyrle’soffice。Ihadtakenparticularnoticeofhimatthetime，andIfeltsurethatIwasnotmistakeninidentifyingthefellowonthisoccasion。
　　Neitherhenorhiscompanionattemptedtospeaktome，andbothkeptthemselvesatarespectfuldistance，butthemotiveoftheirpresenceintheneighbourhoodofthechurchwasplainlyapparent。ItwasexactlyasIhadsupposed——SirPercivalwasalreadypreparedforme。MyvisittoMrsCatherickhadbeenreportedtohimtheeveningbefore，andthosetwomenhadbeenplacedonthelook-outnearthechurchinanticipationofmyappearanceatOldWelmingham。IfIhadwantedanyfurtherproofthatmyinvestigationshadtakentherightdirectionatlast，theplannowadoptedforwatchingmewouldhavesuppliedit。
　　IwalkedonawayfromthechurchtillIreachedoneoftheinhabitedhouses，withapatchofkitchengardenattachedtoitonwhichalabourerwasatwork。Hedirectedmetotheclerk’sabode，acottageatsomelittledistanceoff，standingbyitselfontheoutskirtsoftheforsakenvillage。
　　Theclerkwasindoors，andwasjustputtingonhisgreatcoat。Hewasacheerful，familiar，loudly-talkativeoldman，withaverypooropinionasIsoondiscoveredoftheplaceinwhichhelived，andahappysenseofsuperioritytohisneighboursinvirtueofthegreatpersonaldistinctionofhavingoncebeeninLondon。
　　`It’swellyoucamesoearly，sir，’saidtheoldman，whenIhadmentionedtheobjectofmyvisit。`Ishouldhavebeenawayintenminutesmore。Parishbusiness，sir，andagoodishlongtrotbeforeit’salldoneforamanatmyage。But，blessyou，I’mstrongonmylegsstill！Aslongasamandon’tgiveathislegs，there’sadealofworkleftinhim。Don’tyouthinksoyourself，sir？’
　　Hetookhiskeysdownwhilehewastalkingfromahookbehindthefireplace，andlockedhiscottagedoorbehindus。
　　`Nobodyathometokeephouseforme，’saidtheclerk，withacheerfulsenseofperfectfreedomfromallfamilyencumbrances`Mywife’sinthechurchyardthere，andmychildrenareallmarried。Awretchedplacethis，isn’tit，sir？Buttheparishisalargeone——everymancouldn’tgetthroughthebusinessasIdo。It’slearningdoesit，andI’vehadmyshare，andalittlemore。IcantalktheQueen’sEnglishGodblesstheQueen！，andthat’smorethanmostofthepeopleaboutherecando。You’refromLondon，Isuppose，sir？I’vebeeninLondonamatteroffive-and-twentyyearsago。What’sthenewstherenow，ifyouplease？’
　　Chatteringoninthisway，heledmebacktothevestry。Ilookedabouttoseeifthetwospieswerestillinsight。Theywerenotvisibleanywhere。
　　Afterhavingdiscoveredmyapplicationtotheclerk，theyhadprobablyconcealedthemselveswheretheycouldwatchmynextproceedingsinperfectfreedom。
　　Thevestrydoorwasofstoutoldoak，studdedwithstrongnails，andtheclerkputhislargeheavykeyintothelockwiththeairofamanwhoknewthathehadadifficultytoencounter，andwhowasnotquitecertainofcreditablyconqueringit。
　　`I’mobligedtobringyouthisway，sir，’hesaid，`becausethedoorfromthevestrytothechurchisboltedonthevestryside。Wemighthavegotinthroughthechurchotherwise。Thisisaperverselock，ifevertherewasoneyet。It’sbigenoughforaprison-door——it’sbeenhamperedoverandoveragain，anditoughttobechangedforanewone。I’vementionedthattothechurchwardenfiftytimesoveratleast——he’salwayssaying，``I’llseeaboutit’’——andheneverdoessee。Ah，it’sasortoflostcorner，thisplace。NotlikeLondon——isit，sir？Blessyou，weareallasleephere！Wedon’tmarchwiththetimes。’
　　Aftersometwistingandturningofthekey，theheavylockyielded，andheopenedthedoor。
　　ThevestrywaslargerthanIshouldhavesupposedittobe，judgingfromtheoutsideonly。Itwasadim，mouldy，melancholyoldroom，withalow，rafteredceiling。Roundtwosidesofit，thesidesnearesttotheinteriorofthechurch，ranheavywoodenpresses，worm-eatenandgapingwithage。Hookedtotheinnercornerofoneofthesepresseshungseveralsurplices，allbulgingoutattheirlowerendsinanirreverent-lookingbundleoflimpdrapery。Belowthesurplices，onthefloor，stoodthreepacking-cases，withthelidshalfoff，halfon，andthestrawprofuselyburstingoutoftheircracksandcrevicesineverydirection。Behindthem，inacomer，wasalitterofdustypapers，somelargeandrolleduplikearchitects’plans，somelooselystrungtogetheronfileslikebillsorletters。Theroomhadoncebeenlightedbyasmallsidewindow，butthishadbeenbrickedup，andalanternskylightwasnowsubstitutedforit。
　　Theatmosphereoftheplacewasheavyandmouldy，beingrenderedadditionallyoppressivebytheclosingofthedoorwhichledintothechurch。Thisdooralsowascomposedofsolidoak，andwasboltedatthetopandbottomonthevestryside。
　　`Wemightbetidier，mightn’twe，sir？’saidthecheerfulclerk；`butwhenyou’reinalostcornerofaplacelikethis，whatareyoutodo？
　　Why，lookherenow，justlookatthesepacking-cases。Therethey’vebeen，forayearormore，readytogodowntoLondon——theretheyare，litteringtheplaceandtherethey’llstopaslongasthenailsholdthemtogether。
　　I’lltellyouwhat，sir，asIsaidbefore，thisisnotLondon。Weareallasleephere。Blessyou，wedon’tmarchwiththetimes！’
　　`Whatisthereinthepacking-cases？’Iasked。