`Whereishe？’whisperedtheservant，staringvacantlyattheflames。
　　`He’sdustandashes，’saidtheclerk。`Andthebooksaredustandashes——andoh，sirs！thechurchwillbedustandashessoon。’
　　Thoseweretheonlytwowhospoke。Whentheyweresilentagain，nothingstirredinthestillnessbutthebubbleandthecrackleoftheflames。
　　Hark！
　　Aharshrattlingsoundinthedistance——thenthehollowbeatofhorses’
　　hoofsatfullgallop——thenthelowroar，theall-predominanttumultofhundredsofhumanvoicesclamouringandshoutingtogether。Theengineatlast。
　　Thepeopleaboutmeallturnedfromthefire，andraneagerlytothebrowofthehill。Theoldclerktriedtogowiththerest，buthisstrengthwasexhausted。Isawhimholdingbyoneofthetombstones。`Savethechurch！’
　　hecriedoutfaintly，asifthefiremencouldhearhimalready。
　　Savethechurch！
　　Theonlymanwhonevermovedwastheservant。Therehestood，hiseyesstillfastenedontheflamesinachangeless，vacantstare。Ispoketohim，Ishookhimbythearm。Hewasrousing。Heonlywhisperedoncemore，`Whereishe？’
　　Intenminutestheenginewasinposition，thewellatthebackofthechurchwasfeedingit，andthehosewascarriedtothedoorwayofthevestry。
　　IfhelphadbeenwantedfrommeIcouldnothaveaffordeditnow。Myenergyofwillwasgone——mystrengthwasexhausted——theturmoilofmythoughtswasfearfullyandsuddenlystilled，nowIknewthathewasdead。Istooduselessandhelpless——looking，looking，lookingintotheburningroom。
　　Isawthefireslowlyconquered。Thebrightnessoftheglarefaded——
　　thesteamroseinwhiteclouds，andthesmoulderingheapsofembersshowedredandblackthroughitonthefloor。Therewasapause——thenanadvancealltogetherofthefiremenandthepolicewhichblockedupthedoorway——thenaconsultationinlowvoices——andthentwomenweredetachedfromtherest，andsentoutofthechurchyardthroughthecrowd。Thecrowddrewbackoneithersideindeadsilencetoletthempass。
　　Afterawhileagreatshudderranthroughthepeople，andthelivinglanewidenedslowly。Themencamebackalongitwithadoorfromoneoftheemptyhouses。Theycarriedittothevestryandwentin。Thepoliceclosedagainroundthedoorway，andmenstoleoutfromamongthecrowdbytwosandthreesandstoodbehindthemtobethefirsttosee。Otherswaitedneartobethefisttohear。Womenandchildrenwereamongtheselast。
　　Thetidingsfromthevestrybegantoflowoutamongthecrowd——theydroppedslowlyfrommouthtomouthtilltheyreachedtheplacewhereIwasstanding。Iheardthequestionsandanswersrepeatedagainandagaininlow，eagertonesallroundme。
　　`Havetheyfoundhim？’`Yes。’——`Where？’`Againstthedoor，onhisface。’`Whichdoor？’`Thedoorthatgoesintothechurch。Hisheadwasagainstit——hewasdownonhisface。’——`Ishisfaceburnt？’`No。’`Yes，itis。’`No，scorched，notburnt——helayonhisface，Itellyou。’——
　　`Whowashe？Alord，theysay。’`No，notalord。SirSomething；SirmeansKnight。’`AndBaronight，too。’`No。’`Yes，itdoes。’——`Whatdidhewantinthere？’`Nogood，youmaydependonit。’——`Didhedoitonpurpose？’——
　　`Burnhimselfonpurpose！’——`Idon’tmeanhimself，Imeanthevestry。’——
　　`Ishedreadfultolookat？’`Dreadful！’——`Notabouttheface，though？’
　　`No，no，notsomuchabouttheface。’——`Don’tanybodyknowhim？’`There’samansayshedoes。’——`Who？’`Aservant，theysay。Buthe’sstruckstupid-like，andthepolicedon’tbelievehim。’——`Don’tanybodyelseknowwhoitis？’`Hush——！’
　　Theloud，clearvoiceofamaninauthoritysilencedthelowhumoftalkingallroundmeinaninstant。
　　`Whereisthegentlemanwhotriedtosavehim？’saidthevoice。
　　`Here，sir——hereheis！’Dozensofeagerfacespressedaboutme——
　　dozensofeagerarmspartedthecrowd。Themaninauthoritycameuptomewithalanterninhishand。
　　`Thisway，sir，ifyouplease，’hesaidquietly。
　　Iwasunabletospeaktohim，Iwasunabletoresisthimwhenhetookmyarm。ItriedtosaythatIhadneverseenthedeadmaninhislifetime——thattherewasnohopeofidentifyinghimbymeansofastrangerlikeme。Butthewordsfailedonmylips。Iwasfaint，andsilent，andhelpless。
　　`Doyouknowhim，sir？’
　　Iwasstandinginsideacircleofmen。Threeofthemoppositetomewereholdinglanternslowdowntotheground。Theireyes，andtheeyesofalltherest，werefixedsilentlyandexpectantlyonmyface。Iknewwhatwasatmyfeet——Iknewwhytheywereholdingthelanternssolowtotheground。
　　`Canyouidentifyhim，sir？’
　　Myeyesdroppedslowly。AtfirstIsawnothingunderthembutacoarsecanvascloth。Thedrippingoftherainonitwasaudibleinthedreadfulsilence。Ilookedup，alongthecloth，andthereattheend，starkandgrimandblack，intheyellowlight——therewashisdeadface。
　　So，forthefirstandlasttime，Isawhim。SotheVisitationofGodruleditthatheandIshouldmeet。
　　[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter35[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter35XTheinquestwashurriedforcertainlocalreasonswhichweighedwiththecoronerandthetownauthorities。Itwasheldontheafternoonofthenextday。Iwasnecessarilyoneamongthewitnessessummonedtoassisttheobjectsoftheinvestigation。
　　Myfirstproceedinginthemorningwastogotothepost-office，andinquirefortheletterwhichIexpectedfromMarian。Nochangeofcircumstances，howeverextraordinary，couldaffecttheonegreatanxietywhichweighedonmymindwhileIwasawayfromLondon。Themorning’sletter，whichwastheonlyassuranceIcouldreceivethatnomisfortunehadhappenedinmyabsence，wasstilltheabsorbinginterestwithwhichmydaybegan。
　　Tomyrelief，theletterfromMarianwasattheofficewaitingforme。
　　Nothinghadhappened——theywerebothassafeandaswellaswhenI
　　hadleftthem。Laurasentherlove，andbeggedthatIwouldletherknowofmyreturnadaybeforehand。Hersisteradded，inexplanationofthismessage，thatshehadsaved`nearlyasovereign’outofherownprivatepurse，andthatshehadclaimedtheprivilegeoforderingthedinnerandgivingthedinnerwhichwastocelebratethedayofmyreturn。Ireadtheselittledomesticconfidencesinthebrightmorningwiththeterriblerecollectionofwhathadhappenedtheeveningbeforevividinmymemory。ThenecessityofsparingLauraanysuddenknowledgeofthetruthwasthefirstconsiderationwhichthelettersuggestedtome。IwroteatoncetoMariantotellherwhatIhavetoldinthesepages——presentingthetidingsasgraduallyandgentlyasIcould，andwarninghernottoletanysuchthingasanewspaperfallinLaura’swaywhileIwasabsent。Inthecaseofanyotherwoman，lesscourageousandlessreliable，ImighthavehesitatedbeforeIventuredonunreservedlydisclosingthewholetruth。ButIowedittoMariantobefaithfultomypastexperienceofher，andtotrustherasItrustedmyself。
　　Myletterwasnecessarilyalongone。Itoccupiedmeuntilthetimecameforproceedingtotheinquest。
　　Theobjectsofthelegalinquirywerenecessarilybesetbypeculiarcomplicationsanddifficulties。Residestheinvestigationintothemannerinwhichthedeceasedhadmethisdeath，therewereseriousquestionstobesettledrelatingtothecauseofthefire，totheabstractionofthekeys，andtothepresenceofastrangerinthevestryatthetimewhentheflamesbrokeout。Eventheidentificationofthedeadmanhadnotyetbeenaccomplished。Thehelplessconditionoftheservanthadmadethepolicedistrustfulofhisassertedrecognitionofhismaster。TheyhadsenttoKnowlesburyover-nighttosecuretheattendanceofwitnesseswhowerewellacquaintedwiththepersonalappearanceofSirPercivalGlyde，andtheyhadcommunicated，thefirstthinginthemorning，withBlackwaterPark。
　　Theseprecautionsenabledthecoronerandjurytosettlethequestionofidentity，andtoconfirmthecorrectnessoftheservant’sassertion；theevidenceofferedbycompetentwitnesses，andbythediscoveryofcertainfacts，beingsubsequentlystrengthenedbyanexaminationofthedeadman’swatch。ThecrestandthenameofSirPercivalGlydewereengravedinsideit。
　　Thenextinquiriesrelatedtothefire。
　　TheservantandI，andtheboywhohadheardthelightstruckinthevestry，werethefirstwitnessescalled。Theboygavehisevidenceclearlyenough，buttheservant’smindhadnotyetrecoveredtheshockinflictedonit——hewasplainlyincapableofassistingtheobjectsoftheinquiry，andhewasdesiredtostanddown。
　　Tomyownrelief，myexaminationwasnotalongone。Ihadnotknownthedeceased——Ihadneverseenhim——IwasnotawareofhispresenceatOldWelmingham——andIhadnotbeeninthevestryatthefindingofthebody。AllIcouldprovewasthatIhadstoppedattheclerk’scottagetoaskmyway——thatIhadheardfromhimofthelossofthekeys——thatIhadaccompaniedhimtothechurchtorenderwhathelpIcould——thatIhadseenthefire——thatIhadheardsomepersonunknown，insidethevestry，tryingvainlytounlockthedoor——andthatIhaddonewhatI
　　could，frommotivesofhumanity，tosavetheman。Otherwitnesses，whohadbeenacquaintedwiththedeceased，wereaskediftheycouldexplainthemysteryofhispresumedabstractionofthekeys，andhispresenceintheburningroom。Butthecoronerseemedtotakeitforgranted，naturallyenough，thatI，asatotalstrangerintheneighbourhood，andatotalstrangertoSirPercivalGlyde，couldnotbeinapositiontoofferanyevidenceonthesetwopoints。
　　ThecoursethatIwasmyselfboundtotake，whenmyformalexaminationhadclosed，seemedcleartome。Ididnotfeelcalledontovolunteeranystatementofmyownprivateconvictions，inthefirstplace，becausemydoingsocouldservenopracticalpurpose，nowthatallproofinsupportofanysurmisesofminewasburntwiththeburntregister；inthesecondplace，becauseIcouldnothaveintelligiblystatedmyopinion——myunsupportedopinion——withoutdisclosingthewholestoryoftheconspiracy，andproducingbeyondadoubtthesameunsatisfactoryeffectonthemindofthecoronerandthejury，whichIhadalreadyproducedonthemindofMrKyrle。