`Waitalittle，’Isaid。`Youhavegotthedoorlocked——youseeI
　　don’tmove——youseemyhandsareempty。Waitalittle。Ihavesomethingmoretosay。’
　　`Youhavesaidenough，’hereplied，withasuddencomposuresounnaturalandsoghastlythatittriedmynervesasnooutbreakofviolencecouldhavetriedthem。`Iwantonemomentformyownthoughts，ifyouplease。
　　DoyouguesswhatIamthinkingabout？’
　　`PerhapsIdo。’
　　`Iamthinking，’heremarkedquietly，`whetherIshalladdtothedisorderinthisroombyscatteringyourbrainsaboutthefireplace。’
　　IfIhadmovedatthatmoment，Isawinhisfacethathewouldhavedoneit。
　　`IadviseyoutoreadtwolinesofwritingwhichIhaveaboutme，’I
　　rejoined，`beforeyoufinallydecidethatquestion。’
　　Theproposalappearedtoexcitehiscuriosity。Henoddedhishead。I
　　tookPesca’sacknowledgmentofthereceiptofmyletteroutofmypocket-book，handedittohimatarm’slength，andreturnedtomyformerpositioninfrontofthefireplace。
　　Hereadthelinesaloud：Yourletterisreceived。IfIdon’thearfromyoubeforethetimeyoumention，Iwillbreakthesealwhentheclockstrikes。’
　　Anothermaninhispositionwouldhaveneededsomeexplanationofthosewords——theCountfeltnosuchnecessity。OnereadingofthenoteshowedhimtheprecautionthatIhadtakenasplainlyasifhehadbeenpresentatthetimewhenIadoptedit。Theexpressionofhisfacechangedontheinstant，andhishandcameoutofthedrawerempty。
　　`Idon’tlockupmydrawer，MrHartright，’hesaid，`andIdon’tsaythatImaynotscatteryourbrainsaboutthefireplaceyet。ButIamajustmaneventomyenemy，andIwillacknowledgebeforehandthattheyareclevererbrainsthanIthoughtthem。Cometothepoint，sir！Youwantsomethingofme？’
　　`Ido，andImeantohaveit。’
　　`Onconditions？’
　　`Onnoconditions。’
　　Hishanddroppedintothedraweragain。
　　`Bah！wearetravellinginacircle，’hesaid，`andthosecleverbrainsofyoursareindangeragain。Yourtoneisdeplorablyimprudent，sir——
　　moderateitonthespot！Theriskofshootingyouontheplacewhereyoustandislesstomethantheriskoflettingyououtofthishouse，exceptonconditionsthatIdictateandapprove。Youhavenotgotmylamentedfriendtodealwithnow——youarefacetofacewithFosco！IfthelivesoftwentyMrHartrights’werethestepping-stonestomysafety，overallthosestonesIwouldgo，sustainedbymysublimeindifference，self-balancedbymyimpenetrablecalm。Respectme，ifyouloveyourownlife！Isummonyoutoanswerthreequestionsbeforeyouopenyourlipsagain。Hearthem——theyarenecessarytothisinterview。Answerthem——theyarenecessarytoME。’Hehelduponefingerofhisrighthand。`Firstquestion！’hesaid。
　　`Youcomeherepossessedofinformationwhichmaybetrueormaybefalse——wheredidyougetit？’
　　`Ideclinetotellyou。’
　　`Nomatter——Ishallfindout。Ifthatinformationistrue——mindIsay，withthewholeforceofmyresolution，if——youaremakingyourmarketofitherebytreacheryofyourownorbytreacheryofsomeotherman。Inotethatcircumstanceforfutureuseinmymemory，whichforgetsnothing，andproceed。’Heheldupanotherfinger。`Secondquestion！Thoselinesyouinvitedmetoreadarewithoutsignature。Whowrotethem？’
　　`AmanwhomIhaveeveryreasontodependon，andwhomyouhaveeveryreasontofear。’
　　Myanswerreachedhimtosomepurpose。Hislefthandtrembledaudiblyinthedrawer。`Howlongdoyougiveme，’heasked，puttinghisthirdquestioninaquietertone，`beforetheclockstrikesandthesealisbroken？’
　　`Timeenoughforyoutocometomyterms，’Ireplied。
　　`Givemeaplaineranswer，MrHartright。Whathouristheclocktostrike？’
　　`Nine，tomorrowmorning。’
　　`Nine，tomorrowmorning？Yes，yes——yourtrapislaidformebeforeIcangetmypassportregulatedandleaveLondon。Itisnotearlier，I
　　suppose？Wewillseeaboutthatpresently——Icankeepyouhostagehere，andbargainwithyoutosendforyourletterbeforeIletyougo。Inthemeantime，besogoodnextastomentionyourterms。’
　　`Youshallhearthem。Theyaresimple，andsoonstated。YouknowwhoseinterestsIrepresentincominghere？’
　　Hesmiledwiththemostsupremecomposure，andcarelesslywavedhisrighthand。
　　`Iconsenttohazardaguess，’hesaidjeeringly。`Alady’sinterests，ofcourse！’
　　`MyWife’sinterests。’
　　Helookedatmewiththefirsthonestexpressionthathadcrossedhisfaceinmypresence——anexpressionofblankamazement。IcouldseethatIsankinhisestimationasadangerousmanfromthatmoment。Heshutupthedraweratonce，foldedhisarmsoverhisbreast，andlistenedtomewithasmileofsatiricalattention。
　　`Youarewellenoughaware，’Iwenton，`ofthecoursewhichmyinquirieshavetakenformanymonthspast，toknowthatanyattempteddenialofplainfactswillbequiteuselessinmypresence。YouareguiltyofaninfamousconspiracyIAndthegainofafortuneoftenthousandpoundswasyourmotiveforit。’
　　Hesaidnothing。Buthisfacebecameovercloudedsuddenlybyaloweringanxiety。
　　`Keepyourgain，’Isaid。Hisfacelightenedagainimmediately，andhiseyesopenedonmeinwiderandwiderastonishment。`Iamnotheretodisgracemyselfbybargainingformoneywhichhaspassedthroughyourhands，andwhichhasbeenthepriceofavilecrime。’
　　`Gently，MrHartright。Yourmoralclap-trapshaveanexcellenteffectinEngland——keepthemforyourselfandyourowncountrymen，ifyouplease。
　　ThetenthousandpoundswasalegacylefttomyexcellentwifebythelateMrFairlie。Placetheaffaironthosegrounds，andIwilldiscussitifyoulike。Toamanofmysentiments，however，thesubjectisdeplorablysordid。Iprefertopassitover。Iinviteyoutoresumethediscussionofyourterms。Whatdoyoudemand？’
　　`Inthefirstplace，Idemandafullconfessionoftheconspiracy，writtenandsignedinmypresencebyyourself。’
　　Heraisedhisfingeragain。`One！’hesaid，checkingmeoffwiththesteadyattentionofapracticalman。
　　`Inthesecondplace，Idemandaplainproof，whichdoesnotdependonyourpersonalasseveration，ofthedateatwhichmywifeleftBlackwaterParkandtravelledtoLondon。’
　　`So！so！youcanlayyourfinger，Isee，ontheweakplace，’heremarkedcomposedly。`Anymore？’
　　`Atpresent，nomore。’
　　`Good！youhavementionedyourterms，nowlistentomine。Theresponsibilitytomyselfofadmittingwhatyouarepleasedtocallthe``conspiracy’’
　　isless，perhaps，uponthewhole，thantheresponsibilityoflayingyoudeadonthathearthrug。LetussaythatImeetyourproposal——onmyownconditions。Thestatementyoudemandofmeshallbewritten，andtheplainproofshallbeproduced。Youcallaletterfrommylatelamentedfriendinformingmeofthedayandhourofhiswife’sarrivalinLondon，written，signed，anddatedbyhimself，aproof，Isuppose？Icangiveyouthis。
　　IcanalsosendyoutothemanofwhomIhiredthecarriagetofetchmyvisitorfromtherailway，onthedaywhenshearrived——hisorder-bookmayhelpyoutoyourdate，evenifhiscoachmanwhodrovemeprovestobeofnouse。ThesethingsIcando，andwilldo，onconditions。Irecitethem。Firstcondition！MadameFoscoandIleavethishousewhenandhowweplease，withoutinterferenceofanykindonyourpart。SecondconditionIYouwaithere，incompanywithme，toseemyagent，whoiscomingatseveno’clockinthemorningtoregulatemyaffairs。Yougivemyagentawrittenordertothemanwhohasgotyoursealedlettertoresignhispossessionofit。Youwaitheretillmyagentplacesthatletterunopenedinmyhands，andyouthenallowmeoneclearhalf-hourtoleavethehouse——afterwhichyouresumeyourownfreedomofactionandgowhereyouplease。
　　Thirdcondition！Yougivemethesatisfactionofagentlemanforyourintrusionintomyprivateaffairs，andforthelanguageyouhaveallowedyourselftousetomeatthisconference。Thetimeandplace，abroad，tobefixedinaletterfrommyhandwhenIamsafeontheContinent，andthatlettertocontainastripofpapermeasuringaccuratelythelengthofmysword。
　　Thosearemyterms。Informmeifyouacceptthem——YesorNo。’
　　Theextraordinarymixtureofpromptdecision，far-sightedcunning，andmountebankbravadointhisspeech，staggeredmeforamoment——andonlyforamoment。Theonequestiontoconsiderwas，whetherIwasjustifiedornotinpossessingmyselfofthemeansofestablishingLaura’sidentityatthecostofallowingthescoundrelwhohadrobbedherofittoescapemewithimpunity。Iknewthatthemotiveofsecuringthejustrecognitionofmywifeinthebirthplacefromwhichshehadbeendrivenoutasanimposter，andofpubliclyerasingtheliethatstillprofanedhermother’stombstone，wasfarpurer，initsfreedomfromalltaintofevilpassion，thanthevindictivemotivewhichhadmingleditselfwithmypurposefromthefirst。