domyselfanymoreharminyouramiableestimations——Iwillgetupandtakealittleairywalkofmyown。Dearladies，asyourexcellentSheridansaid，Igo——andleavemycharacterbehindme。”
　　Hegotup，putthecageonthetable，andpausedforamomenttocountthemiceinit。“One，two，three，four——Ha！”hecried，withalookofhorror，“where，inthenameofHeaven，isthefifth——theyoungest，thewhitest，themostamiableofall——myBenjaminofmice！”
　　NeitherLauranorIwereinanyfavorabledispositiontobeamused。
　　TheCount’sglibcynicismhadrevealedanewaspectofhisnaturefromwhichwebothrecoiled。Butitwasimpossibletoresistthecomicaldistressofsoverylargeamanatthelossofsoverysmallamouse。Welaughedinspiteofourselves；andwhenMadameFoscorosetosettheexampleofleavingtheboat-houseempty，sothatherhusbandmightsearchittoitsremotestcorners，werosealsotofollowherout。
　　Beforewehadtakenthreesteps，theCount’squickeyediscoveredthelostmouseundertheseatthatwehadbeenoccupying。Hepulledasidethebench，tookthelittleanimalupinhishand，andthensuddenlystopped，onhisknees，lookingintentlyataparticularplaceonthegroundjustbeneathhim。
　　Whenherosetohisfeetagain，hishandshooksothathecouldhardlyputthemousebackinthecage，andhisfacewasofafaintlividyellowhueallover。
　　“Percival！”hesaid，inawhisper。“Percival！comehere。”
　　SirPercivalhadpaidnoattentiontoanyofusforthelasttenminutes。
　　Hehadbeenentirelyabsorbedinwritingfiguresonthesand，andthenrubbingthemoutagainwiththepointofhisstick。
　　“What’sthematternow？”heasked，loungingcarelesslyintotheboat-house。
　　“Doyouseenothingthere？”saidtheCount，catchinghimnervouslybythecollarwithonehand，andpointingwiththeothertotheplacenearwhichhehadfoundthemouse。
　　“Iseeplentyofdrysand。”answeredSirPercival，“andaspotofdirtinthemiddleofit。”
　　“Notdirt。”whisperedtheCount，fasteningtheotherhandsuddenlyonSirPercival’scollar，andshakingitinhisagitation。
　　“Blood。”
　　Laurawasnearenoughtohearthelastword，softlyashewhisperedit。Sheturnedtomewithalookofterror。
　　“Nonsense，mydear。”Isaid。“Thereisnoneedtobealarmed。
　　Itisonlythebloodofapoorlittlestraydog。”
　　Everybodywasastonished，andeverybody’seyeswerefixedonmeinquiringly。
　　“Howdoyouknowthat？”askedSirPercival，speakingfirst。
　　“Ifoundthedoghere，dying，onthedaywhenyouallreturnedfromabroad。”Ireplied。“Thepoorcreaturehadstrayedintotheplantation，andhadbeenshotbyyourkeeper。”
　　“Whosedogwasit？”inquiredSirPercival。“Notoneofmine？”
　　“Didyoutrytosavethepoorthing？”askedLauraearnestly。“Surelyyoutriedtosaveit，Marian？”
　　“Yes。”Isaid，“thehousekeeperandIbothdidourbest——butthedogwasmortallywounded，andhediedunderourhands。”
　　“Whosedogwasit？”persistedSirPercival，repeatinghisquestionalittleirritably。“Oneofmine？”
　　“No，notoneofyours。”
　　“Whosethen？Didthehousekeeperknow？”
　　Thehousekeeper’sreportofMrs。Catherick’sdesiretoconcealhervisittoBlackwaterParkfromSirPercival’sknowledgerecurredtomymemorythemomentheputthatlastquestion，andIhalfdoubtedthediscretionofansweringit；butinmyanxietytoquietthegeneralalarm，Ihadthoughtlesslyadvancedtoofartodrawback，exceptattheriskofexcitingsuspicion，whichmightonlymakemattersworse。Therewasnothingforitbuttoansweratonce，withoutreferencetoresults。
　　“Yes。”Isaid。“Thehousekeeperknew。ShetoldmeitwasMrs。Catherick’sdog。”
　　SirPercivalhadhithertoremainedattheinnerendoftheboat-housewithCountFosco，whileIspoketohimfromthedoor。ButtheinstantMrs。Catherick’snamepassedmylipshepushedbytheCountroughly，andplacedhimselffacetofacewithmeundertheopendaylight。
　　“HowcamethehousekeepertoknowitwasMrs。Catherick’sdog？”heasked，fixinghiseyesonminewithafrowninginterestandattention，whichhalfangered，halfstartledme。
　　“Sheknewit。”Isaidquietly，“becauseMrs。Catherickbroughtthedogwithher。”
　　“Broughtitwithher？Wheredidshebringitwithher？”
　　“Tothishouse。”
　　“WhatthedevildidMrs。Catherickwantatthishouse？”
　　Themannerinwhichheputthequestionwasevenmoreoffensivethanthelanguageinwhichheexpressedit。Imarkedmysenseofhiswantofcommonpolitenessbysilentlyturningawayfromhim。
　　JustasImovedtheCount’spersuasivehandwaslaidonhisshoulder，andtheCount’smellifluousvoiceinterposedtoquiethim。
　　“MydearPercival！——gently——gently！”
　　SirPercivallookedroundinhisangriestmanner。TheCountonlysmiledandrepeatedthesoothingapplication。
　　“Gently，mygoodfriend——gently！”
　　SirPercivalhesitated，followedmeafewsteps，and，tomygreatsurprise，offeredmeanapology。
　　“Ibegyourpardon，MissHalcombe。”hesaid。“Ihavebeenoutoforderlately，andIamafraidIamalittleirritable。ButI
　　shouldliketoknowwhatMrs。Catherickcouldpossiblywanthere。Whendidshecome？Wasthehousekeepertheonlypersonwhosawher？”
　　“Theonlyperson。”Ianswered，“sofarasIknow。”
　　TheCountinterposedagain。
　　“Inthatcasewhynotquestionthehousekeeper？”hesaid。“Whynotgo，Percival，tothefountain-headofinformationatonce？”
　　“Quiteright！”saidSirPercival。“Ofcoursethehousekeeperisthefirstpersontoquestion。Excessivelystupidofmenottoseeitmyself。”Withthosewordsheinstantlyleftustoreturntothehouse。
　　ThemotiveoftheCount’sinterference，whichhadpuzzledmeatfirst，betrayeditselfwhenSirPercival’sbackwasturned。HehadahostofquestionstoputtomeaboutMrs。Catherick，andthecauseofhervisittoBlackwaterPark，whichhecouldscarcelyhaveaskedinhisfriend’spresence。ImademyanswersasshortasIcivillycould，forIhadalreadydeterminedtochecktheleastapproachtoanyexchangingofconfidencesbetweenCountFoscoandmyself。Laura，however，unconsciouslyhelpedhimtoextractallmyinformation，bymakinginquiriesherself，whichleftmenoalternativebuttoreplytoher，ortoappearintheveryunenviableandveryfalsecharacterofadepositaryofSirPercival’ssecrets。Theendofitwas，that，inabouttenminutes’time，theCountknewasmuchasIknowofMrs。Catherick，andoftheeventswhichhavesostrangelyconnecteduswithherdaughter，Anne，fromthetimewhenCartrightmetwithhertothisday。
　　Theeffectofmyinformationonhimwas，inonerespect，curiousenough。
　　IntimatelyasheknowsSirPercival，andcloselyasheappearstobeassociatedwithSirPercival’sprivateaffairsingeneral，heiscertainlyasfarasIamfromknowinganythingofthetruestoryofAnneCatherick。Theunsolvedmysteryinconnectionwiththisunhappywomanisnowrendereddoublysuspicious，inmyeyes，bytheabsoluteconvictionwhichIfeel，thatthecluetoithasbeenhiddenbySirPercivalfromthemostintimatefriendhehasintheworld。
　　ItwasimpossibletomistaketheeagercuriosityoftheCount’slookandmannerwhilehedrankingreedilyeverywordthatfellfrommylips。
　　Therearemanykindsofcuriosity，Iknow——butthereisnomisinterpretingthecuriosityofblanksurprise：ifIeversawitinmylifeIsawitintheCount’sface。
　　Whilethequestionsandanswersweregoingon，wehadallbeenstrollingquietlybackthroughtheplantation。AssoonaswereachedthehousethefirstobjectthatwesawinfrontofitwasSirPercival’sdog-cart，withthehorseputtoandthegroomwaitingbyitinhisstable-jacket。Iftheseunexpectedappearancesweretobetrusted，theexaminationofthehouse-keeperhadproducedimportantresultsalready。
　　“Afinehorse，myfriend。”saidtheCount，addressingthegroomwiththemostengagingfamiliarityofmanner，“Youaregoingtodriveout？”
　　“Iamnotgoing，sir。”repliedtheman，lookingathisstable-jacket，andevidentlywonderingwhethertheforeigngentlemantookitforhislivery。“Mymasterdriveshimself。”
　　“Aha！”saidtheCount，“doesheindeed？Iwonderhegiveshimselfthetroublewhenhehasgotyoutodriveforhim。Ishegoingtofatiguethatnice，shining，prettyhorsebytakinghimveryfarto-day？”
　　“Idon’tknow，sir。”answeredtheman。“Thehorseisamare，ifyouplease，sir。She’sthehighest-couragedthingwe’vegotinthestables。Hername’sBrownMolly，sir，andshe’llgotillshedrops。SirPercivalusuallytakesIsaacofYorkfortheshortdistances。”