Hisvoicefalteredoverthelastwords——faltered，asifhewereactuallysheddingtears！
　　SirPercivalconfusedlyattemptedtoexcusehimself，buttheCountwastoomagnanimoustolistentohim。
　　`No！’hesaid。`Whenmyfriendhaswoundedme，Icanpardonhimwithoutapologies。Tellme，inplainwords，doyouwantmyhelp？’
　　`Yes，badlyenough。’
　　`Andyoucanaskforitwithoutcompromisingyourself？’
　　`Icantry，atanyrate。’
　　`Try，then。’
　　`Well，thisishowitstands：——ItoldyoutodaythatIhaddonemybesttofindAnneCatherick，andfailed。’
　　`Yes，youdid。’
　　`Fosco！I’malostmanifIdon’tfindher。’
　　`Ha！Isitsoseriousasthat？’
　　Alittlestreamoflighttravelledoutundertheverandah，andfelloverthegravel-walk。TheCounthadtakenthelampfromtheinnerpartoftheroomtoseehisfriendclearlybythelightofit。
　　`Yes！’hesaid。`Yourfacespeaksthetruththistime。Serious，indeed——asseriousasthemoneymattersthemselves。’
　　`Moreserious。AstrueasIsithere，moreserious！’
　　Thelightdisappearedagainandthetalkwenton。
　　`IshowedyouthelettertomywifethatAnneCatherickhidinthesand，’
　　SirPercivalcontinued。`There’snoboastinginthatletter，Fosco——shedoesknowtheSecret。’
　　`Sayaslittleaspossible，Percival，inmypresence，oftheSecret。
　　Doessheknowitfromyou？’
　　`No，fromhermother。’
　　`Twowomeninpossessionofyourprivatemind——bad，bad，bad，myfriendIOnequestionhere，beforewegoanyfarther。Themotiveofyourshuttingupthedaughterintheasylumisnowplainenoughtome，butthemannerofherescapeisnotquitesoclear。Doyoususpectthepeopleinchargeofherofclosingtheireyespurposely，attheinstanceofsomeenemywhocouldaffordtomakeitworththeirwhile？’
　　`No，shewasthebest-behavedpatienttheyhad——and，likefools，theytrustedher。She’sjustmadenoughtobeshutup，andjustsaneenoughtoruinmewhenshe’satlarge——ifyouunderstandthat？’
　　`Idounderstandit。Now，Percival，comeatoncetothepoint，andthenIshallknowwhattodo。Whereisthedangerofyourpositionatthepresentmoment？’
　　`AnneCatherickisinthisneighbourhood，andincommunicationwithLadyGlyde——there’sthedanger，plainenough。Whocanreadthelettershehidinthesand，andnotseethatmywifeisinpossessionoftheSecret，denyitasshemay？’
　　`Onemoment，Percival。IfLadyGlydedoesknowtheSecret，shemustknowalsothatitisacompromisingsecretforyou。Asyourwife，surelyitisinherinteresttokeepit？’
　　`Isit？I’mcomingtothat。Itmightbeherinterestifshecaredtwostrawsaboutme。ButIhappentobeanencumbranceinthewayofanotherman。Shewasinlovewithhimbeforeshemarriedme——she’sinlovewithhimnow——aninfernalvagabondofadrawing-master，namedHartright。’
　　`Mydearfriend！whatisthereextraordinaryinthat？Theyareallinlovewithsomeotherman。Whogetsthefirstofawoman’sheart？InallmyexperienceIhaveneveryetmetwiththemanwhowasNumberOne。NumberTwo，sometimes。NumberThree，Four，Five，often。NumberOne，never！Heexists，ofcourse——butIhavenotmetwithhun。’
　　`Wait！Ihaven’tdoneyet。WhodoyouthinkhelpedAnneCathericktogetthestart，whenthepeoplefromthemad-housewereafterher？Hartright。
　　WhodoyouthinksawheragaininCumberland？HartrightBothtimeshespoketoheralone。Stop！don’tinterruptme。Thescoundrel’sassweetonmywifeassheisonhim。HeknowstheSecret，andsheknowstheSecret。Onceletthembothgettogetheragain，andit’sherinterestandhisinteresttoturntheirinformationagainstme。’
　　`Gently，Percival——gentlyIAreyouinsensibletothevirtueofLadyGlyde？’
　　`ThatforthevirtueofLadyGlyde！Ibelieveinnothingaboutherbuthermoney。Don’tyouseehowthecasestands？Shemightbeharmlessenoughbyherself；butifshehadthatvagabondHartright——’
　　`Yes，yes，Isee。WhereisMrHartright？’
　　`Outofthecountry。Ifhemeanstokeepawholeskinonhisbones，Irecommendhimnottocomebackinahurry。’
　　`Areyousureheisoutofthecountry？’
　　`Certain。IhadhimwatchedfromthetimeheleftCumberlandtothetimehesailed。Oh，I’vebeencareful，Icantellyou！AnneCathericklivedwithsomepeopleatafarm-housenearLimmeridge。Iwenttheremyself，aftershehadgivenmetheslip，andmadesurethattheyknewnothing。
　　IgavehermotheraformoflettertowritetoMissHalcombe，exoneratingmefromanybadmotiveinputtingherunderrestraint。I’vespent，I’mafraidtosayhowmuch，intryingtotraceher，andinspiteofitall，sheturnsuphereandescapesmeonmyownproperty！HowdoIknowwhoelsemayseeher，whoelsemayspeaktoher？Thatpryingscoundrel，Hartright，maycomebackwithoutmyknowingit，andmaymakeuseofhertomorrow——’
　　`Nothe，Percival！WhileIamonthespot，andwhilethatwomanisintheneighbourhood，IwillanswerforourlayinghandsonherbeforeMrHartright——evenifhedoescomeback。Isee！yes，yes，Isee！ThefindingofAnneCatherickisthefirstnecessity——makeyourmindeasyabouttherest。Yourwifeishere，underyourthumb——MissHalcombeisinseparablefromher，andis，therefore，underyourthumbalso——andMrHartrightisoutofthecountry。ThisinvisibleAnneofyoursisallwehavetothinkofforthepresent。Youhavemadeyourinquiries？’
　　`Yes。Ihavebeentohermother，Ihaveransackedthevillage——andalltonopurpose。’
　　`Ishermothertobedependedon？’
　　`Yes，’
　　`Shehastoldyoursecretonce。’
　　`Shewon’ttellitagain。’
　　`Whynot？Areherowninterestsconcernedinkeepingit，aswellasyours？’
　　`Yes——deeplyconcerned。’
　　`Iamgladtohearit，Percival，foryoursake。Don’tbediscouraged，myfriend。Ourmoneymatters，asItoldyou，leavemeplentyoftimetoturnroundin，andImaysearchforAnneCathericktomorrowtobetterpurposethanyou。Onelastquestionbeforewegotobed。’
　　`Whatisit？’
　　`Itisthis。WhenIwenttotheboat-housetotellLadyGlydethatthelittledifficultyofhersignaturewasputoff，accidenttookmethereintimetoseeastrangewomanpartinginaverysuspiciousmannerfromyourwife。Butaccidentdidnotbringmenearenoughtoseethissamewoman’sfaceplainly。ImustknowhowtorecogniseourinvisibleAnne。Whatisshelike？’
　　`Like？Come！I’lltellyouintwowords。She’sasicklylikenessofmywife。’
　　Thechaircreaked，andthepillarshookoncemore。TheCountwasonhisfeetagain——thistimeinastonishment。
　　`What！！！’heexclaimedeagerly。
　　`Fancymywife，afterabadillness，withatouchofsomethingwronginherhead——andthereisAnneCatherickforyou，’answeredSirPercival。
　　`Aretheyrelatedtoeachother？’
　　`Notabitofit。’
　　`Andyetsolike？’
　　`Yes，solike。Whatareyoulaughingabout？’
　　Therewasnoanswerandnosoundofanykind。TheCountwaslaughinginhissmoothsilentinternalway。
　　`Whatareyoulaughingabout？’reiteratedSirPercival。
　　`Perhapsatmyownfancies，mygoodfriend。AllowmemyItalianhumour——doInotcomeoftheillustriousnationwhichinventedtheexhibitionofPunch？Well，well，well，IshallknowAnneCatherickwhenIseeher——andsoenoughfortonight。Makeyourmindeasy，Percival。Sleep，myson，thesleepofthejust，andseewhatIwilldoforyouwhendaylightcomestohelpusboth。Ihavemyprojectsandmyplanshereinmybighead。
　　YoushallpaythosebillsandfindAnneCatherick——mysacredwordofhonouronit，butyoushall！AmIafriendtobetreasuredinthebestcornerofyourheart，oramInot？AmIworththoseloansofmoneywhichyousodelicatelyremindedmeofalittlewhilesince？Whateveryoudo，neverwoundmeinmysentimentsanymore。Recognisethem，Percival！imitatethem，Percival！Iforgiveyouagain——Ishakehandsagain。Goodnight！’
　　Notanotherwordwasspoken。IheardtheCountclosethelibrarydoor。