Lethimbecontentwithwhathehasgot——withwhatIleaveunmolested，foryoursake，tohimandtoyou。Saytohimwithmycompliments，ifhestirsme，hehasFoscotodealwith。IntheEnglishofthePopularTongue，Iinformhim——Foscosticksatnothing。DearLady，goodmorning。’’Hiscoldgreyeyessettledonmyface——hetookoffhishatsolemnly——bowed，bare-headed——andleftme。’
　　`Withoutreturning？withoutsayingmorelastwords？’
　　`Heturnedatthecornerofthestreet，andwavedhishand，andthenstruckittheatricallyonhisbreast。Ilostsightofhimafterthat。Hedisappearedintheoppositedirectiontoourhouse，andIranbacktoLaura。
　　BeforeIwasindoorsagain，Ihadmadeupmymindthatwemustgo。Thehouseespeciallyinyourabsencewasaplaceofdangerinsteadofaplaceofsafety，nowthattheCounthaddiscoveredit。IfIcouldhavefeltcertainofyourreturn，Ishouldhaveriskedwaitingtillyoucameback。Butlwascertainofnothing，andIactedatonceonmyownimpulse。Youhadspoken，beforeleavingus，ofmovingintoaquieterneighbourhoodandpurerair，forthesakeofLaura’shealth。Ihadonlytoremindherofthat，andtosuggestsurprisingyouandsavingyoutroublebymanagingthemoveinyourabsence，tomakeherquiteasanxiousforthechangeasIwas。
　　Shehelpedmetopackupyourthings，andshehasarrangedthemallforyouinyournewworking-roomhere。’
　　`Whatmadeyouthinkofcomingtothisplace？’
　　`MyignoranceofotherlocalitiesintheneighbourhoodofLondon。I
　　feltthenecessityofgettingasfarawayaspossiblefromouroldlodgings，andIknewsomethingofFulham，becauseIhadoncebeenatschoolthere。
　　Idespatchedamessengerwithanote，onthechancethattheschoolmightstillbeinexistence。Itwasinexistence——thedaughtersofmyoldmistresswerecarryingitonforher，andtheyengagedthisplacefromtheinstructionsIhadsent。Itwasjustpost-timewhenthemessengerreturnedtomewiththeaddressofthehouse。Wemovedafterdark——wecameherequiteunobserved。
　　HaveIdoneright，Walter？HaveIjustifiedyourtrustinme？’
　　Iansweredherwarmlyandgratefully，asIreallyfelt。ButtheanxiouslookremainedonherfacewhileIwasspeaking，andthefirstquestionsheasked，whenIhaddone，relatedtoCountFosco。
　　Isawthatshewasthinkingofhimnowwithachangedmind。Nofreshoutbreakofangeragainsthim，nonewappealtometohastenthedayofreckoningescapedher。Herconvictionthattheman’shatefuladmirationofherselfwasreallysincere，seemedtohaveincreasedahundredfoldherdistrustofhisunfathomablecunning，herinborndreadofthewickedenergyandvigilanceofallhisfaculties。Hervoicefelllow，hermannerwashesitating，hereyessearchedintominewithaneagerfearwhensheaskedmewhatIthoughtofhismessage，andwhatImeanttodonextafterhearingit。
　　`Notmanyweekshavepassed，Marian，’Ianswered，`sincemyinterviewwithMrKyrle。WhenheandIparted，thelastwordsIsaidtohimaboutLaurawerethese：``Heruncle’shouseshallopentoreceiveher，inthepresenceofeverysoulwhofollowedthefalsefuneraltothegrave；theliethatrecordsherdeathshallbepubliclyerasedfromthetombstonebytheauthorityoftheheadofthefamily，andthetwomenwhohavewrongedhershallanswerfortheircrimetoME，thoughthejusticethatsitsintribunalsispowerlesstopursuethem。’’Oneofthosemenisbeyondmortalreach。Theotherremains，andmyresolutionremains。’
　　Hereyeslitup——hercolourrose。Shesaidnothing，butIsawallhersympathiesgatheringtomineinherface。
　　`Idon’tdisguisefrommyself，orfromyou，’Iwenton，`thattheprospectbeforeusismorethandoubtful。Theriskswehaverunalreadyare，itmaybe，triflescomparedwiththerisksthatthreatenusinthefuture，buttheventureshallbetried，Marian，forallthat。IamnotrashenoughtomeasuremyselfagainstsuchamanastheCountbeforeIamwellpreparedforhim。Ihavelearntpatience——Icanwaitmytime。Lethimbelievethathismessagehasproduceditseffect——lethimknownothingofus，andhearnothingofus——letusgivehimfulltimetofeelsecure——hisownboastfulnature，unlessIseriouslymistakehim，willhastenthatresult。
　　Thisisonereasonforwaiting，butthereisanothermoreimportantstill。
　　Myposition，Marian，towardsyouandtowardsLauraoughttobeastrongeronethanitisnowbeforeItryourlastchance。’
　　Sheleanedneartome，withalookofsurprise。
　　`Howcanitbestronger？’sheasked。
　　`Iwilltellyou，’Ireplied，`whenthetimecomes。Ithasnotcomeyet——itmaynevercomeatall。ImaybesilentaboutittoLauraforever——Imustbesilentnow，eventoyou，tillIseeformyselfthatIcanharmlesslyandhonourablyspeak。Letusleavethatsubject。
　　Thereisanotherwhichhasmorepressingclaimsonourattention。YouhavekeptLaura，mercifullykepther，inignoranceofherhusband’sdeath——’
　　`Oh，Walter，surelyitmustbelongyetbeforewetellherofit？’
　　`No，Marian。Betterthatyoushouldrevealittohernow，thanthataccident，whichnoonecanguardagainst，shouldrevealittoheratsomefuturetime。Spareherallthedetails——breakittoherverytenderly，buttellherthatheisdead。’
　　`Youhaveareason，Walter，forwishinghertoknowofherhusband’sdeathbesidesthereasonyouhavejustmentioned？’
　　`Ihave。’
　　`Areasonconnectedwiththatsubjectwhichmustnotbementionedbetweenusyet？——whichmayneverbementionedtoLauraatall？’
　　Shedweltonthelastwordsmeaningly。WhenIansweredherintheaffirmative，Idweltonthemtoo。
　　Herfacegrewpale。Forawhileshelookedatmewithasad，hesitatinginterest。Anunaccustomedtendernesstrembledinherdarkeyesandsoftenedherfirmlips，assheglancedasideattheemptychairinwhichthedearcompanionofallourjoysandsorrowshadbeensitting。
　　`IthinkIunderstand，’shesaid。`IthinkIoweittoherandtoyou，Walter，totellherofherhusband’sdeath。’
　　Shesighed，andheldmyhandfastforamoment——thendroppeditabruptly，andlefttheroom。OnthenextdayLauraknewthathisdeathhadreleasedher，andthattheerrorandthecalamityofherlifelayburiedinhistomb。
　　Hisnamewasmentionedamongusnomore。Thenceforward，weshrankfromtheslightestapproachtothesubjectofhisdeath，andinthesamescrupulousmanner，MarianandIavoidedallfurtherreferencetothatothersubject，which，byherconsentandmine，wasnottobementionedbetweenusyet。
　　Itwasnotthelesspresentinourminds——itwasratherkeptaliveinthembytherestraintwhichwehadimposedonourselves。WebothwatchedLauramoreanxiouslythanever，sometimeswaitingandhoping，sometimeswaitingandfearing，tillthetimecame。
　　Bydegreeswereturnedtoouraccustomedwayoflife。Iresumedthedailywork，whichhadbeensuspendedduringmyabsenceinHampshire。Ournewlodgingscostusmorethanthesmallerandlessconvenientroomswhichwehadleft，andtheclaimthusimpliedonmyincreasedexertionswasstrengthenedbythedoubtfulnessofourfutureprospects。Emergenciesmightyethappenwhichwouldexhaustourlittlefundatthebanker’s，andtheworkofmyhandsmightbe，ultimately，allwehadtolooktoforsupport。Morepermanentandmorelucrativeemploymentthanhadyetbeenofferedtomewasanecessityofourposition——anecessityforwhichInowdiligentlysetmyselftoprovide。
　　ItmustnotbesupposedthattheintervalofrestandseclusionofwhichIamnowwriting，entirelysuspended，onmypart，allpursuitoftheoneabsorbingpurposewithwhichmythoughtsandactionsarcassociatedinthesepages。Thatpurposewas，formonthsandmonthsyet，nevertorelaxitsclaimsonme。Theslowripeningofitstillleftmeameasureofprecautiontotake，anobligationofgratitudetoperform，andadoubtfulquestiontosolve。
　　Themeasureofprecautionrelated，necessarily，totheCount。Itwasofthelastimportancetoascertain，ifpossible，whetherhisplanscommittedhimtoremaininginEngland——or，inotherwords，toremainingwithinmyreach。Icontrivedtosetthisdoubtatrestbyverysimplemeans。HisaddressinStJohn’sWoodbeingknowntome，Iinquiredintheneighbourhood，andhavingfoundouttheagentwhohadthedisposalofthefurnishedhouseinwhichhelived，Iaskedifnumberfive，ForestRoad，waslikelytobeletwithinareasonabletime。Thereplywasinthenegative。Iwasinformedthattheforeigngentlemanthenresidinginthehousehadrenewedhistermofoccupationforanothersixmonths，andwouldremaininpossessionuntiltheendofJuneinthefollowingyear。WewerethenatthebeginningofDecemberonly。IlefttheagentwithmymindrelievedfromallpresentfearoftheCount’sescapingme。
　　TheobligationIhadtoperformtookmeoncemoreintothepresenceofMrsClements。Ihadpromisedtoreturn，andtoconfidetoherthoseparticularsrelatingtothedeathandburialofAnneCatherickwhichI
　　hadbeenobligedtowithholdatourfirstinterview。Changedascircumstancesnowwere，therewasnohindrancetomytrustingthegoodwomanwithasmuchofthestoryoftheconspiracyasitwasnecessarytotell。Ihadeveryreasonthatsympathyandfriendlyfeelingcouldsuggesttourgeonmethespeedyperformanceofmypromise，andIdidconscientiouslyandcarefullyperformit。Thereisnoneedtoburdenthesepageswithanystatementofwhatpassedattheinterview。Itwillbemoretothepurposetosay，thattheinterviewitselfnecessarilybroughttomymindtheonedoubtfulquestionstillremainingtobesolved——thequestionofAnneCatherick’sparentageonthefather’sside。
　　Amultitudeofsmallconsiderationsinconnectionwiththissubject——triflingenoughinthemselves，butstrikinglyimportantwhenmassedtogether——hadlatterlyledmymindtoaconclusionwhichIresolvedtoverify。IobtainedMarian’spermissiontowritetoMajorDonthorne，ofVarneckHallwhereMrsCatherickhadlivedinserviceforsomeyearsprevioustohermarriage，toaskhimcertainquestions。ImadetheinquiriesinMarian’sname，anddescribedthemasrelatingtomattersofpersonalhistoryinherfamily，whichmightexplainandexcusemyapplication。WhenIwrotetheletterIhadnocertainknowledgethatMajorDonthornewasstillalive——Idespatcheditonthechancethathemightbeliving，andableandwillingtoreply。
　　Afteralapseoftwodaysproofcame，intheshapeofaletter，thattheMajorwasliving，andthathewasreadytohelpus。