Ihadnotspokenhitherto，andIwouldmuchrathernothavespokennow。
　　ButtheexpressionofdistressinLaura’sfacewhensheturnedittowardsme，andtheinsolentinjusticeofherhusband’sconduct，leftmenootheralternativethantogivemyopinion，forhersake，assoonasIwasaskedforit。
　　`Excuseme，SirPercival，’Isaid——`butasoneofthewitnessestothesignature，IventuretothinkthatIhavesomethingtodowiththematter。Laura’sobjectionseemstomeaperfectlyfairone，andspeakingformyselfonly，Icannotassumetheresponsibilityofwitnessinghersignature，unlessshefirstunderstandswhatthewritingiswhichyouwishhertosign。’
　　`Acooldeclaration，uponmysoul！’criedSirPercival。`Thenexttimeyouinviteyourselftoaman’shouse，MissHalcombe，Irecommendyounottorepayhishospitalitybytakinghiswife’ssideagainsthiminamatterthatdoesn’tconcernyou。’
　　Istartedtomyfeetassuddenlyasifhehadstruckme。IfIhadbeenaman，Iwouldhaveknockedhimdownonthethresholdofhisowndoor，andhavelefthishouse，neveronanyearthlyconsiderationtoenteritagain。ButIwasonlyawoman——andIlovedhiswifesodearly！
　　ThankGod，thatfaithfullovehelpedme，andIsatdownagainwithoutsayingaword。SheknewwhatIhadsufferedandwhatIhadsuppressed。
　　Sheranroundtome，withthetearsstreamingfromhereyes。`Oh，Marian！’
　　shewhisperedsoftly。`Ifmymotherhadbeenalive，shecouldhavedonenomoreforme。
　　`Comebackandsign！’criedSirPercivalfromtheothersideofthetable。
　　`ShallI？’sheaskedinmyear；`Iwill，ifyoutellme。’
　　`No，’Ianswered。`Therightandthetrutharewithyou——signnothing，unlessyouhavereaditfirst。’
　　`Comebackandsign！’hereiterated，inhisloudestandangriesttones。
　　TheCount，whohadwatchedLauraandmewithacloseandsilentattention，interposedforthesecondtime。
　　`Percival！’hesaid。`IrememberthatIaminthepresenceofladies。
　　Begoodenough，ifyouplease，torememberittoo。’
　　SirPercivalturnedonhimspeechlesswithpassion。TheCount’sfirmhandslowlytighteneditsgrasponhisshoulder，andtheCount’ssteadyvoicequietlyrepeated，`Begoodenough，ifyouplease，torememberittoo。’
　　Theybothlookedateachother。SirPercivalslowlydrewhisshoulderfromundertheCount’shand，slowlyturnedhisfaceawayfromtheCount’seyes，doggedlylookeddownforalittlewhileattheparchmentonthetable，andthenspoke，withthesullensubmissionofatamedanimal，ratherthanthebecomingresignationofaconvincedman。
　　`Idon’twanttooffendanybody，’hesaid，`butmywife’sobstinacyisenoughtotrythepatienceofasaint。Ihavetoldherthisismerelyaformaldocument——andwhatmorecanshewant？Youmaysaywhatyouplease，butitisnopartofawoman’sdutytosetherhusbandatdefiance。Oncemore，LadyGlyde。andforthelasttime，willyousignorwillyounot？’
　　Laurareturnedtohissideofthetable，andtookupthepenagain。
　　`Iwillsignwithpleasure，’shesaid，`ifyouwillonlytreatmeasaresponsiblebeing。Icarelittlewhatsacrificeisrequiredofme，ifitwillaffectnooneelse，andleadtonoillresults——’
　　`Whotalkedofasacrificebeingrequiredofyou？’hebrokein，withahalf-suppressedreturnofhisformerviolence。
　　`Ionlymeant，’sheresumed，`thatIwouldrefusenoconcessionwhichIcouldhonourablymake。IfIhaveascrupleaboutsigningmynametoanengagementofwhichIknownothing，whyshouldyouvisititonmesoseverely？
　　Itisratherhard，Ithink，totreatCountFosco’sscruplessomuchmoreindulgentlythanyouhavetreatedmine。’
　　Thisunfortunate，yetmostnatural，referencetotheCount’sextraordinarypoweroverherhusband，indirectasitwas，setSirPercival’ssmoulderingtemperonfireagaininaninstant。
　　`Scruples！’herepeated。`Yourscruples！Itisratherlateinthedayforyoutobescrupulous。Ishouldhavethoughtyouhadgotoverallweaknessofthatsort，whenyoumadeavirtueofnecessitybymarryingme。’
　　Theinstanthespokethosewords，Laurathrewdownthepen——lookedathimwithanexpressioninhereyeswhich，throughoutallmyexperienceofher，Ihadneverseeninthembefore，andturnedherbackonhimindeadsilence。
　　Thisstrongexpressionofthemostopenandthemostbittercontemptwassoentirelyunlikeherself，soutterlyoutofhercharacter，thatitsilencedusall。Therewassomethinghidden，beyondadoubt，underthemeresurface-brutalityofthewordswhichherhusbandhadjustaddressedtoher。Therewassomelurkinginsultbeneaththem，ofwhichIwaswhollyignorant，butwhichhadleftthemarkofitsprofanationsoplainlyonherfacethatevenastrangermighthaveseenit。
　　TheCount，whowasnostranger，sawitasdistinctlyasIdid。WhenIleftmychairtojoinLaura，IheardhimwhisperunderhisbreathtoSirPercival，`Youidiot！’
　　LaurawalkedbeforemetothedoorasIadvanced，andatthesametimeherhusbandspoketoheroncemore。
　　`Youpositivelyrefuse，then，togivemeyoursignature？’hesaid，inthealteredtoneofamanwhowasconsciousthathehadlethisownlicenceoflanguageseriouslyinjurehim。
　　`Afterwhatyouhavejustsaidtome，’sherepliedfirmly，`IrefusemysignatureuntilIhavereadeverylineinthatparchmentfromthefirstwordtothelast。Comeaway，Marian，wehaveremainedherelongenough。’
　　`Onemoment！’interposedtheCountbeforeSirPercivalcouldspeakagain——`onemoment，LadyGlyde，Iimploreyou！’
　　Laurawouldhavelefttheroomwithoutnoticinghim，butIstoppedher。
　　`Don’tmakeanenemyoftheCount！’Iwhispered。`Whateveryoudo，don’tmakeanenemyoftheCount！’
　　Sheyieldedtome。Iclosedthedooragain，andwestoodnearitwaiting。
　　SirPercivalsatdownatthetable，withhiselbowonthefoldedparchment，andhisheadrestingonhisclenchedfist。TheCountstoodbetweenus——
　　masterofthedreadfulpositioninwhichwewereplaced，ashewasmasterofeverythingelse。
　　`LadyGlyde，’hesaid，withagentlenesswhichseemedtoaddressitselftoourforlornsituationinsteadoftoourselves，`praypardonmeifI
　　venturetoofferonesuggestion，andpraybelievethatIspeakoutofmyprofoundrespectandmyfriendlyregardforthemistressofthishouse。’
　　HeturnedsharplytowardsSirPercival。`Isitabsolutelynecessary，’heasked，`thatthisthinghere，underyourelbow，shouldbesignedtoday？’
　　`Itisnecessarytomyplansandwishes，’returnedtheothersulkily。
　　`Butthatconsideration，asyoumayhavenoticed，hasnoinfluencewithLadyGlyde。’
　　`Answermyplainquestionplainly。Canthebusinessofthesignaturebeputofftilltomorrow——YesorNo？’
　　`Yes，ifyouwillhaveitso。’
　　`Thenwhatareyouwastingyourtimeforhere？Letthesignaturewaittilltomorrow——letitwaittillyoucomeback。’
　　SirPercivallookedupwithafrownandanoath。
　　`YouaretakingatonewithmethatIdon’tlike，’hesaid。`AtoneIwon’tbearfromanyman。’
　　`Iamadvisingyouforyourgood，’returnedtheCount，withasmileofquietcontempt。`Giveyourselftime——giveLadyGlydetime。Haveyouforgottenthatyourdog-cartiswaitingatthedoor？Mytonesurprisesyou——ha？Idaresayitdoes——itisthetoneofamanwhocankeephistemper。HowmanydosesofgoodadvicehaveIgivenyouinmytime？Morethanyoucancount。HaveIeverbeenwrong？Idefyyoutoquotemeaninstanceofit。Go！takeyourdrive。Thematterofthesignaturecanwaittilltomorrow。
　　Letitwait——andrenewitwhenyoucomeback。’
　　SirPercivalhesitatedandlookedathiswatch。Hisanxietyaboutthesecretjourneywhichhewastotakethatday，revivedbytheCount’swords，wasnowevidentlydisputingpossessionofhismindwithhisanxietytoobtainLaura’ssignature。Heconsideredforalittlewhile，andthengotupfromhischair。
　　`Itiseasytoarguemedown，’hesaid，`whenIhavenotimetoansweryou。Iwilltakeyouradvice，Fosco——notbecauseIwantit，orbelieveinit，butbecauseIcan’tstophereanylonger。’Hepaused，andlookedrounddarklyathiswife。`Ifyoudon’tgivemeyoursignaturewhenIcomebacktomorrow——！’Therestwaslostinthenoiseofhisopeningthebook-casecupboardagain，andlockinguptheparchmentoncemore。Hetookhishatandglovesoffthetable，andmadeforthedoor。LauraandIdrewbacktolethimpass。`Remembertomorrow！’hesaidtohiswife，andwentout。
　　Wewaitedtogivehimtimetocrossthehallanddriveaway。TheCountapproacheduswhilewewerestandingnearthedoor。
　　`YouhavejustseenPercivalathisworst，MissHalcombe，’hesaid。
　　`Ashisoldfriend，Iamsorryforhimandashamedofhim。Ashisoldfriend，Ipromiseyouthatheshallnotbreakouttomorrowinthesamedisgracefulmannerinwhichhehasbrokenouttoday。’