accomplicesinthecrime。
　　Thesecondconclusioncameasthenecessaryconsequenceofthefirst。
　　WethreehadnomercytoexpectfromCountFoscoandSirPercivalGlyde。
　　Thesuccessoftheconspiracyhadbroughtwithitacleargaintothosetwomenofthirtythousandpounds——twentythousandtoone，tenthousandtotheotherthroughhiswife。Theyhadthatinterest，aswellasotherinterests，inensuringtheirimpunityfromexposure，andtheywouldleavenostoneunturned，nosacrificeunattempted，notreacheryuntried，todiscovertheplaceinwhichtheirvictimwasconcealed，andtopartherfromtheonlyfriendsshehadintheworld——MarianHalcombeandmyself。
　　Thesenseofthisseriousperil——aperilwhicheverydayandeveryhourmightbringnearerandnearertous——wastheoneinfluencethatguidedmeinfixingtheplaceofourretreat。IchoseitinthefareastofLondon，wheretherewerefewestidlepeopletoloungeandlookabouttheminthestreets。Ichoseitinapoorandapopulousneighbourhood——becausetheharderthestruggleforexistenceamongthemenandwomenaboutus，thelesstheriskoftheirhavingthetimeortakingthepainstonoticechancestrangerswhocameamongthem。ThesewerethegreatadvantagesIlookedto，butourlocalitywasagaintousalsoinanotherandahardlylessimportantrespect。Wecouldlivecheaplybythedailyworkofmyhands，andcouldsaveeveryfarthingwepossessedtoforwardthepurpose，therighteouspurpose，ofredressinganinfamouswrong——which，fromfirsttolast，Inowkeptsteadilyinview。
　　Inaweek’stimeMarianHalcombeandIhadsettledhowthecourseofournewlivesshouldbedirected。
　　Therewerenootherlodgersinthehouse，andwehadthemeansofgoinginandoutwithoutpassingthroughtheshop。Iarranged，forthepresentatleast，thatneitherMariannorLaurashouldstiroutsidethedoorwithoutmybeingwiththem，andthatinmyabsencefromhometheyshouldletnooneintotheirroomsonanypretencewhatever。Thisruleestablished，I
　　wenttoafriendwhomIhadknowninformerdays——awoodengraverinlargepractice——toseekforemployment，tellinghim，atthesametime，thatIhadreasonsforwishingtoremainunknown。
　　HeatonceconcludedthatIwasindebt，expressedhisregretintheusualforms，andthenpromisedtodowhathecouldtoassistme。Ilefthisfalseimpressionundisturbed，andacceptedtheworkhehadtogive。
　　Heknewthathecouldtrustmyexperienceandmyindustry。Ihadwhathewanted，steadinessandfacility，andthoughmyearningswerebutsmall，theysufficedforournecessities。Assoonaswecouldfeelcertainofthis，MarianHalcombeandIputtogetherwhatwepossessed。Shehadbetweentwoandthreehundredpoundsleftofherownproperty，andIhadnearlyasmuchremainingfromthepurchase-moneyobtainedbythesaleofmydrawing-master’spracticebeforeIleftEngland。Togetherwemadeupbetweenusmorethanfourhundredpounds。ldepositedthislittlefortuneinabank，tobekeptfortheexpenseofthosesecretinquiriesandinvestigationswhichIwasdeterminedtosetonfoot，andtocarryonbymyselfifIcouldfindnoonetohelpme。Wecalculatedourweeklyexpendituretothelastfarthing，andwenevertouchedourlittlefundexceptinLaura’sinterestsandforLaura’ssake。
　　Thehouse-work，which，ifwehaddaredtrustastrangernearus，wouldhavebeendonebyaservant，wastakenonthefirstday，takenasherownright，byMarianHalcombe。`Whatawoman’shandsarefitfor，’shesaid，`earlyandlate，thesehandsofmineshalldo。’Theytrembledassheheldthemout。ThewastedarmstoldtheirsadstoryofthePast，assheturnedupthesleevesofthepoorplaindressthatsheworeforsafety’ssake；
　　buttheunquenchablespiritofthewomanburntbrightinherevenyet。
　　Isawthebigtearsrisethickinhereyes，andfallslowlyoverhercheeksasshelookedatme。Shedashedthemawaywithatouchofheroldenergy，andsmiledwithafaintreflectionofheroldgoodspirits。`Don’tdoubtmycourage，Walter，’shepleaded，`it’smyweaknessthatcries，notme。
　　Thehouse-workshallconqueritifIcan’t。’Andshekeptherword——thevictorywaswonwhenwemetintheevening，andshesatdowntorest。Herlargesteadyblackeyeslookedatmewithaflashoftheirbrightfirmnessofbygonedays。`Iamnotquitebrokendownyet，’shesaid。`Iamworthtrustingwithmyshareofthework。’BeforeIcouldanswer，sheaddedinawhisper，`Andworthtrustingwithmyshareintheriskandthedangertoo。Rememberthat，ifthetimecomes！’
　　Ididrememberitwhenthetimecame。
　　AsearlyastheendofOctoberthedailycourseofourliveshadassumeditssettleddirection，andwethreewereascompletelyisolatedinourplaceofconcealmentasifthehousewelivedinhadbeenadesertisland，andthegreatnetworkofstreetsandthethousandsofourfellow-creaturesallroundusthewatersofanillimitablesea。Icouldnowreckononsomeleisuretimeforconsideringwhatmyfutureplanofactionshouldbe，andhowImightarmmyselfmostsecurelyattheoutsetforthecomingstrugglewithSirPercivalandtheCount。
　　IgaveupallhopeofappealingtomyrecognitionofLaura，ortoMarian’srecognitionofher，inproofofheridentity。Ifwehadlovedherlessdearly，iftheinstinctimplantedinusbythatlovehadnotbeenfarmorecertainthananyexerciseofreasoning，farkeenerthananyprocessofobservation，evenwemighthavehesitatedonfirstseeingher。
　　Theoutwardchangeswroughtbythesufferingandtheterrorofthepasthadfearfully，almosthopelessly，strengthenedthefatalresemblancebetweenAnneCatherickandherself。InmynarrativeofeventsatthetimeofmyresidenceinLimmeridgeHouse，Ihaverecorded，frommyownobservationofthetwo，howthelikeness，strikingasitwaswhenviewedgenerally，failedinmanyimportantpointsofsimilaritywhentestedindetail。Inthoseformerdays，iftheyhadbothbeenseentogethersidebyside，nopersoncouldforamomenthavemistakenthemonefortheother——ashashappenedoftenintheinstancesoftwins。Icouldnotsaythisnow。ThesorrowandsufferingwhichIhadonceblamedmyselfforassociatingevenbyapassingthoughtwiththefutureofLauraFairlie，hadsettheirprofaningmarksontheyouthandbeautyofherface；andthefatalresemblancewhichIhadonceseenandshudderedatseeing，inideaonly，wasnowarealandlivingresemblancewhichasserteditselfbeforemyowneyes。Strangers，acquaintances，friendsevenwhocouldnotlookatheraswelooked，ifshehadbeenshowntotheminthefirstdaysofherrescuefromtheAsylum，mighthavedoubtedifsheweretheLauraFairlietheyhadonceseen，anddoubtedwithoutblame。
　　Theoneremainingchance，whichIhadatfirstthoughtmightbetrustedtoserveus——thechanceofappealingtoherrecollectionofpersonsandeventswithwhichnoimpostercouldbefamiliar，wasproved，bythesadtestofourlaterexperience，tobehopeless。EverylittlecautionthatMarianandIpractisedtowardsher——everylittleremedywetried，tostrengthenandsteadyslowlytheweakened，shakenfaculties，wasafreshprotestinitselfagainsttheriskofturninghermindbackonthetroubledandtheterriblepast。
　　TheonlyeventsofformerdayswhichweventuredonencouraginghertorecallwerethelittletrivialdomesticeventsofthathappytimeatLimmeridge，whenIfirstwentthereandtaughthertodraw。ThedaywhenIrousedthoseremembrancesbyshowingherthesketchofthesummer-housewhichshehadgivenmeonthemorningofourfarewell，andwhichhadneverbeenseparatedfrommesince，wasthebirthdayofourfirsthope。Tenderlyandgradually，thememoryoftheoldwalksanddrivesdawneduponher，andthepoorwearypiningeyeslookedatMarianandatmewithanewinterest，withafalteringthoughtfulnessinthem，whichfromthatmomentwecherishedandkeptalive。Iboughtheralittleboxofcolours，andasketch-bookliketheoldsketch-bookwhichIhadseeninherhandsonthemorningthatwefirstmet。Onceagain——ohme，onceagain！——atsparehourssavedfrommywork，inthedullLondonlight，inthepoorLondonroom，Isatbyhersidetoguidethefalteringtouch，tohelpthefeeblehand。DaybydayIraisedandraisedthenewinteresttillitsplaceintheblankofherexistencewasatlastassured——tillshecouldthinkofherdrawingandtalkofit，andpatientlypractiseitbyherself，withsomefaintreflectionoftheinnocentpleasureinmyencouragement，thegrowingenjoymentinherownprogress，whichbelongedtothelostlifeandthelosthappinessofpastdays。
　　Wehelpedhermindslowlybythissimplemeans，wetookheroutbetweenustowalkonfinedays，inaquietoldCitysquarenearathand，wheretherewasnothingtoconfuseoralarmher——wesparedafewpoundsfromthefundatthebanker’stogetherwine，andthedelicatestrengtheningfoodthatsherequired——weamusedherintheeveningswithchildren’sgamesatcards，withscrapbooksfullofprintswhichIborrowedfromtheengraverwhoemployedme——bythese，andothertriflingattentionslikethem，wecomposedherandsteadiedher，andhopedallthings，ascheerfullyaswecouldfromtimeandcare，andlovethatneverneglectedandneverdespairedofher。Buttotakehermercilesslyfromseclusionandrepose——toconfrontherwithstrangers，orwithacquaintanceswhowerelittlebetterthanstrangers——torousethepainfulimpressionsofherpastlifewhichwehadsocarefullyhushedtorest——this，eveninherowninterests，wedarednotdo。Whateversacrificesitcost，whateverlong，weary，heart-breakingdelaysitinvolved，thewrongthathadbeeninflictedonher，ifmortalmeanscouldgrappleit，mustberedressedwithoutherknowledgeandwithoutherhelp。
　　Thisresolutionsettled，itwasnextnecessarytodecidehowthefirstriskshouldbeventured，andwhatthefirstproceedingsshouldbe。
　　AfterconsultingwithMarian，Iresolvedtobeginbygatheringtogetherasmanyfactsascouldbecollected——thentoasktheadviceofMrKyrlewhomweknewwecouldtrust，andtoascertainfromhim，inthefirstinstance，ifthelegalremedylayfairlywithinourreach。IowedittoLaura’sinterestsnottostakeherwholefutureonmyownunaidedexertions，solongastherewasthefaintestprospectofstrengtheningourpositionbyobtainingreliableassistanceofanykind。
　　ThefirstsourceofinformationtowhichIappliedwasthejournalkeptatBlackwaterParkbyMarianHalcombe。TherewerepassagesinthisdiaryrelatingtomyselfwhichshethoughtitbestthatIshouldnotsee。Accordingly，shereadtomefromthemanuscript，andItookthenotesIwantedasshewenton。Wecouldonlyfindtimetopursuethisoccupationbysittinguplateatnight。Threenightsweredevotedtothepurpose，andwereenoughtoputmeinpossessionofallthatMariancouldtell。
　　MynextproceedingwastogainasmuchadditionalevidenceasIcouldprocurefromotherpeoplewithoutexcitingsuspicion。IwentmyselftoMrsVeseytoascertainifLaura’simpressionofhavingslepttherewascorrectornot。Inthiscase，fromconsiderationforMrsVesey’sageandinfinity，andinallsubsequentcasesofthesamekindfromconsiderationsofcaution，Ikeptourrealpositionasecret，andwasalwayscarefultospeakofLauraas`thelateLadyGlyde’。
　　MrsVesey’sanswertomyinquiriesonlyconfirmedtheapprehensionswhichIhadpreviouslyfelt。Laurahadcertainlywrittentosayshewouldpassthenightundertheroofofheroldfriend——butshehadneverbeennearthehouse。