`Afterreadingitoncethrough，’shereplied，`Itookitintotheboat-housewithmetositdownandlookoveritasecondtime。WhileIwasreadingashadowfellacrossthepaper。Ilookedup，andsawSirPercivalstandinginthedoorwaywatchingme。’
　　`Didyoutrytohidetheletter？’
　　`Itried，buthestoppedme。``Youneedn’ttroubletohidethat，’’hesaid。``Ihappentohavereadit。’’Icouldonlylookathimhelplessly——Icouldsaynothing。``Youunderstand？’’hewenton；``Ihavereadit。
　　Idugitupoutofthesandtwohourssince，andburieditagain，andwrotethewordaboveitagain，andleftitreadytoyourhands。Youcan’tlieyourselfoutofthescrapenow。YousawAnneCatherickinsecretyesterday，andyouhavegotherletterinyourhandatthismoment。Ihavenotcaughtheryet，butIhavecaughtyou。Givemetheletter。’’Hesteppedcloseuptome——Iwasalonewithhim，Marian——whatcouldIdo？——Igavehimtheletter。’
　　`Whatdidhesaywhenyougaveittohim？’
　　`Atfirsthesaidnothing。Hetookmebythearm，andledmeoutoftheboat-house，andlookedabouthimonallsides，asifhewasafraidofourbeingseenorheard。Thenheclaspedhishandfastroundmyarm，andwhisperedtome，``WhatdidAnneCathericksaytoyouyesterday？I
　　insistonhearingeveryword，fromfirsttolast。’’’
　　`Didyoutellhim？’
　　`Iwasalonewithhim，Marian——hiscruelhandwasbruisingmyarm——whatcouldIdo？’
　　`Isthemarkonyourarmstill？Letmeseeit。’
　　`Whydoyouwanttoseeit？’
　　`Iwanttoseeit，Laura，becauseourendurancemustend，andourresistancemustbegintoday。Thatmarkisaweapontostrikehimwith。Letmeseeitnow——Imayhavetosweartoitatsomefuturetime。’
　　`Oh，Marian，don’tlookso——don’ttalksoIItdoesn’thurtmenow！’
　　`Letmeseeit！’
　　Sheshowedmethemarks。Iwaspastgrievingoverthem，pastcryingoverthem，pastshudderingoverthem。Theysayweareeitherbetterthanmen，orworse。Ifthetemptationthathasfalleninsomewomen’sway，andmadethemworse，hadfalleninmineatthatmoment——ThankGod！myfacebetrayednothingthathiswifecouldread。Thegentle，innocent，affectionatecreaturethoughtIwasfrightenedforherandsorryforher，andthoughtnomore。
　　`Don’tthinktooseriouslyofit，Marian，’shesaidsimply，asshepulledhersleevedownagain。`Itdoesn’thurtmenow。’
　　`Iwilltrytothinkquietlyofit，mylove，foryoursake——Well！
　　well！AndyoutoldhimallthatAnneCatherickhadsaidtoyou——allthatyoutoldme？
　　`Yes，all。Heinsistedonit——Iwasalonewithhim——Icouldconcealnothing。’
　　`Didhesayanythingwhenyouhaddone？’
　　`Helookedatme，andlaughedtohimselfinmocking，bitterway。``I
　　meantohavetherestoutofyou，’’hesaid，``doyouhear？——therest。’’
　　IdeclaredtohimsolemnlythatIhadtoldhimeverythingIknew。``Notyou，`heanswered，``youknowmorethanyouchoosetotell。Won’tyoutellit？Youshall！I’llwringitoutofyouathomeifIcan’twringitoutofyouhere——Heledmeawaybyastrangepaththroughtheplantation——apathwheretherewasnohopeofourmeetingyou——andhespokenomoretillwecamewithinsightofthehouse。Thenhestoppedagain，andsaid，``Willyoutakeasecondchance，ifIgiveittoyou？Willyouthinkbetterofit。andtellmetherest？’’IcouldonlyrepeatthesamewordsIhadspokenbefore。Hecursedmyobstinacy，andwenton，andtookmewithhimtothehouse。``Youcan’tdeceiveme，’’hesaid，``youknowmorethanyouchoosetotell。I’llhaveyoursecretoutofyou，andI’llhaveitoutofthatsisterofyoursaswell。Thereshallbenomoreplottingandwhisperingbetweenyou。Neitheryounorsheshallseeeachotheragaintillyouhaveconfessedthetruth。I’llhaveyouwatchedmorning，noon，andnight，tillyouconfessthetruth。’’HewasdeaftoeverythingIcouldsay。Hetookmestraightupstairsintomyownroom。Fannywassittingthere，doingsomeworkforme，andheinstantlyorderedherout。``I’lltakegoodcareyou’renotmixedupintheconspiracy，`hesaid。``Youshallleavethishousetoday。Ifyourmistresswantsamaid。sheshallhaveoneofmychoosing。’’Hepushedmeintotheroom，andlockedthedooronme。Hesetthatsenselesswomantowatchmeoutside，Marian！Helookedandspokelikeamadman。Youmayhardlyunderstandit——hedidindeed。’
　　`Idounderstandit，Laura。Heismad——madwiththeterrorsofaguiltyconscience。EverywordyouhavesaidmakesmepositivelycertainthatwhenAnneCatherickleftyouyesterdayyouwereontheeveofdiscoveringasecretwhichmighthavebeenyourvilehusband’sruin，andhethinksyouhavediscoveredit。Nothingyoucansayordowillquietthatguiltydistrust，andconvincehisfalsenatureofyourtruth。Idon’tsaythis，mylove，toalarmyou。Isayittoopenyoureyestoyourposition，andtoconvinceyouoftheurgentnecessityoflettingmeact，asIbestcan，foryourprotectionwhilethechanceisourown。CountFosco’sinterferencehassecuredmeaccesstoyoutoday，buthemaywithdrawthatinterferencetomorrow。
　　SirPercivalhasalreadydismissedFannybecausesheisaquick-wittedgirl，anddevotedlyattachedtoyou，andhaschosenawomantotakeherplacewhocaresnothingforyourinterests，andwhosedullintelligencelowershertothelevelofthewatch-dogintheyard。Itisimpossibletosaywhatviolentmeasureshemaytakenext，unlesswemakethemostofouropportunitieswhilewehavethem。’
　　`Whatcanwedo，Marian？Oh，ifwecouldonlyleavethishouse，nevertoseeitagain！’
　　`Listentome，mylove，andtrytothinkthatyouarenotquitehelplesssolongasIamherewithyou。’
　　`Iwillthinkso——Idothinkso。Don’taltogetherforgetpoorFannyinthinkingofme。Shewantshelpandcomforttoo。’
　　`Iwillnotforgether。IsawherbeforeIcameuphere，andIhavearrangedtocommunicatewithhertonight。Lettersarenotsafeinthepost-bagatBlackwaterPark，andIshallhavetwotowritetoday，inyourinterests，whichmustpassthroughnohandsbutFanny’s。’
　　`Whatletters？’
　　`Imeantowritefirst，Laura，toMrGilmore’spartner，whohasofferedtohelpusinanyfreshemergency。LittleasIknowofthelaw，Iamcertainthatitcanprotectawomanfromsuchtreatmentasthatruffianhasinflictedonyoutoday。IwillgointonodetailsaboutAnneCatherick，becauseI
　　havenocertaininformationtogive。Butthelawyershallknowofthosebruisesonyourarm，andoftheviolenceofferedtoyouinthisroom——
　　heshall，beforeIresttonight！’
　　`Butthinkoftheexposure，Marian！’
　　`Iamcalculatingontheexposure。SirPercivalhasmoretodreadfromitthanyouhave。Theprospectofanexposuremaybringhimtotermswhennothingelsewill。’
　　IroseasIspoke，butLauraentreatedmenottoleaveher。`Youwilldrivehimtodesperation，`shesaid，`andincreaseourdangerstenfold。’
　　Ifeltthetruth——thedishearteningtruth——ofthosewords。ButI
　　couldnotbringmyselfplainlytoacknowledgeittoher。Inourdreadfulpositiontherewasnohelpandnohopeforusbutinriskingtheworst。
　　Isaidsoinguardedterms。Shesighedbitterly，butdidnotcontestthematter。SheonlyaskedaboutthesecondletterthatIhadproposedwriting。
　　Towhomwasittobeaddressed？
　　`ToMrFairlie，’Isaid。`Youruncleisyournearestmalerelative，andtheheadofthefamily。Hemustandshallinterfere。’
　　Laurashookherheadsorrowfully。
　　`Yes，yes，’Iwenton，`youruncleisaweak，selfish，worldlyman，Iknow，butheisnotSirPercivalGlyde，andhehasnosuchfriendabouthimasCountFosco。Iexpectnothingfromhiskindnessorhistendernessoffeelingtowardsyouortowardsme，buthewilldoanythingtopamperhisownindolence，andtosecurehisownquiet。Letmeonlypersuadehimthathisinterferenceatthismomentwillsavehiminevitabletroubleandwretchednessandresponsibilityhereafter，andhewillbestirhimselfforhisownsake。Iknowhowtodealwithhim，Laura——Ihavehadsomepractice。’
　　`IfyoucouldonlyprevailonhimtoletmegobacktoLimmeridgeforalittlewhileandstaytherequietlywithyou，Marian，IcouldbealmostashappyagainasIwasbeforeIwasmarried！’
　　Thosewordssetmethinkinginanewdirection。WoulditbepossibletoplaceSirPercivalbetweenthetwoalternativesofeitherexposinghimselftothescandaloflegalinterferenceonhiswife’sbehalf，orofallowinghertobequietlyseparatedfromhimforatimeunderpretextofavisittoheruncle’shouse？Andcouldhe，inthatcase，bereckonedonaslikelytoacceptthelastresource？Itwasdoubtful——morethandoubtful。Andyet，hopelessastheexperimentseemed，surelyitwasworthtrying。Iresolvedtotryitinsheerdespairofknowingwhatbettertodo。
　　`Youruncleshallknowthewishyouhavejustexpressed，’Isaid，`andIwillaskthelawyer’sadviceonthesubjectaswell。Goodmaycomeofit——andwillcomeofit，Ihope。’
　　SayingthatIroseagain，andagainLauratriedtomakemeresumemyseat。
　　`Don’tleaveme，’shesaiduneasily。`Mydeskisonthattable。Youcanwritehere。’