ResolvingtogoatoncetoKnowlesburyonfoot，Iledthewayoutofthevestry。
　　`Thankyoukindly，sir，’saidtheclerk，asIslippedmylittlepresentintohishand。`AreyoureallygoingtowalkallthewaytoKnowlesburyandback？Well！you’restrongonyourlegs，too——andwhatablessingthatis，isn’tit？There’stheroad，youcan’tmissit。IwishIwasgoingyourway——it’spleasanttomeetwithgentlemenfromLondoninalostcornerlikethis。Onehearsthenews。Wishyougoodmorning，sir，andthankyoukindlyoncemore。’
　　Weparted。AsIleftthechurchbehindmeIlookedback，andtherewerethetwomenagainontheroadbelow，withathirdintheircompany，thatthirdpersonbeingtheshortmaninblackwhomIhadtracedtotherailwaytheeveningbefore。
　　Thethreestoodtalkingtogetherforalittlewhile，thenseparated。
　　ThemaninblackwentawaybyhimselftowardsWelmingham——theothertworemainedtogether，evidentlywaitingtofollowmeassoonasIwalkedon。
　　IproceededonmywaywithoutlettingthefellowsseethatItookanyspecialnoticeofthem。Theycausedmenoconsciousirritationoffeelingatthatmoment——onthecontrary，theyratherrevivedmysinkinghopes。
　　InthesurPriseofdiscoveringtheevidenceofthemarriage，IhadforgottentheinferenceIhaddrawnonfirstperceivingthemenintheneighbourhoodofthevestry。TheirreappearanceremindedmethatSirPercivalhadanticipatedmyvisittoOldWelminghamchurchasthenextresultofmyinterviewwithMrsCatherick——otherwisehewouldneverhaveplacedhisspiestheretowaitforme。Smoothlyandfairlyasappearanceslookedinthevestry，therewassomethingwrongbeneaththem——therewassomethingintheregister-book，foraughtIknew，thatIhadnotdiscoveredyet。
　　[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter34[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter34IXOnceoutofsightofthechurch，IpressedforwardbrisklyonmywaytoKnowlesbury。
　　Theroadwas，forthemostpart，straightandlevel。WheneverIlookedbackoveritIsawthetwospiessteadilyfollowingme。Forthegreaterpartofthewaytheykeptatasafedistancebehind。Butonceortwicetheyquickenedtheirpace，asifwiththepurposeofovertakingme，thenstopped，consultedtogether，andfellbackagaintotheirformerposition。
　　Theyhadsomespecialobjectevidentlyinview，andtheyseemedtobehesitatingordifferingaboutthebestmeansofaccomplishingit。Icouldnotguessexactlywhattheirdesignmightbe，butIfeltseriousdoubtsofreachingKnowlesburywithoutsomemischancehappeningtomeontheway。Thesedoubtswererealised。
　　Ihadjustenteredonalonelypartoftheroad，withasharpturnatsomedistanceahead，andhadjustconcludedcalculatingbytimethatImustbegettingneartothetown，whenIsuddenlyheardthestepsofthemenclosebehindme。
　　BeforeIcouldlookround，oneofthemthemanbywhomIhadbeenfollowedinLondonpassedrapidlyonmyleftsideandhustledmewithhisshoulder。
　　IhadbeenmoreirritatedbythemannerinwhichheandhiscompanionhaddoggedmystepsallthewayfromOldWelminghamthanIwasmyselfawareof，andIunfortunatelypushedthefellowawaysmartlywithmyopenhand。
　　Heinstantlyshoutedforhelp。Hiscompanion，thetallmaninthegamekeeper’sclothes，sprangtomyrightside，andthenextmomentthetwoscoundrelsheldmepinionedbetweentheminthemiddleoftheroad。
　　Theconvictionthatatraphadbeenlaidforme，andthevexationofknowingthatIhadfallenintoit，fortunatelyrestrainedmefrommakingmypositionstillworsebyanunavailingstrugglewithtwomen，oneofwhomwould，inallprobability，havebeenmorethanamatchformesingle-handed。
　　IrepressedthefirstnaturalmovementbywhichIhadattemptedtoshakethemoff，andlookedabouttoseeiftherewasanypersonneartowhomIcouldappeal。
　　Alabourerwasatworkinanadjoiningfieldwhomusthavewitnessedallthathadpassed。Icalledtohimtofollowustothetown。Heshookhisheadwithstolidobstinacy，andwalkedawayinthedirectionofacottagewhichstoodbackfromthehigh-road。Atthesametimethemenwhoheldmebetweenthemdeclaredtheirintentionofchargingmewithanassault。
　　Iwascoolenoughandwiseenoughnowtomakenoopposition。`Dropyourholdofmyarms，’Isaid，`andIwillgowithyoutothetown。’Themaninthegamekeeper’sdressroughlyrefused。Buttheshortermanwassharpenoughtolooktoconsequences，andnottolethiscompanioncommithimselfbyunnecessaryviolence。Hemadeasigntotheother，andIwalkedonbetweenthemwithmyarmsfree。
　　Wereachedtheturningintheroad，andthere，closebeforeus，werethesuburbsofKnowlesbury。Oneofthelocalpolicemenwaswalkingalongthepathbytheroadside。Themenatonceappealedtohim。Herepliedthatthemagistratewasthensittingatthetown-hall，andrecommendedthatweshouldappearbeforehimimmediately。
　　Wewentontothetown-hall。Theclerkmadeoutaformalsummons，andthechargewaspreferredagainstme，withthecustomaryexaggerationandthecustomaryperversionofthetruthonsuchoccasions。Themagistrateanill-temperedman，withasourenjoymentintheexerciseofhisownpowerinquiredifanyoneonorneartheroadhadwitnessedtheassault，and，greatlytomysurprise，thecomplainantadmittedthepresenceofthelabourerinthefield。Iwasenlightened，however，astotheobjectoftheadmissionbythemagistrate’snextwords。Heremandedmeatoncefortheproductionofthewitness，expressing，atthesametime，hiswillingnesstotakebailformyreappearanceifIcouldproduceoneresponsiblesuretytoofferit。IfIhadbeenknowninthetownhewouldhaveliberatedmeonmyownrecognisances，butasIwasatotalstrangeritwasnecessarythatIshouldadresponsiblebail。
　　Thewholeobjectofthestratagemwasnowdisclosedtome。IthadbeensomanagedastomakearemandnecessaryinatownwhereIwasaperfectstranger，andwhereIcouldnothopetogetmylibertyonbail。Theremandmerelyextendedoverthreedays，untilthenextsittingofthemagistrate。
　　Butinthattime，whileIwasinconfinement，SirPercivalmightuseanymeanshepleasedtoembarrassmyfutureproceedings——perhapstoscreenhimselffromdetectionaltogether——withouttheslightestfearofanyhindranceonmypart。Attheendofthethreedaysthechargewould，nodoubt，bewithdrawn，andtheattendanceofthewitnesswouldbeperfectlyuseless。
　　Myindignation，Imayalmostsay，mydespair，atthismischievouschecktoallfurtherprogress——sobaseandtriflinginitself，andyetsodishearteningandsoseriousinitsprobableresults——quiteunfittedmeatfirsttoreflectonthebestmeansofextricatingmyselffromthedilemmainwhichInowstood。Ihadthefollytocallforwritingmaterials，andtothinkofprivatelycommunicatingmyrealpositiontothemagistrate。ThehopelessnessandtheimprudenceofthisproceedingfailedtostrikemebeforeIhadactuallywrittentheopeninglinesoftheletter。ItwasnottillIhadpushedthepaperaway——nottill，Iamashamedtosay，Ihadalmostallowedthevexationofmyhelplesspositiontoconquerme——thatacourseofactionsuddenlyoccurredtomymind，whichSirpercivalhadprobablynotanticipated，andwhichmightsetmefreeagaininafewhours。IdeterminedtocommunicatethesituationinwhichIwasplacedtoMrDawson，ofOakLodge。
　　Ihadvisitedthisgentleman’shouse，itmayberemembered，atthetimeofmyfirstinquiriesintheBlackwaterParkneighbourhood，andIhadpresentedtohimaletterofintroductionfromMissHalcombe，inwhichsherecommendedmetohisfriendlyattentioninthestrongestterms。Inowwrote，referringtothisletter，andtowhatIhadpreviouslytoldMrDawsonofthedelicateanddangerousnatureofmyinquiries。IhadnotrevealedtohimthetruthaboutLaura，havingmerelydescribedmyerrandasbeingoftheutmostimportancetoprivatefamilyinterestswithwhichMissHalcombewasconcerned。Usingthesamecautionstill，InowaccountedformypresenceatKnowlesburyinthesamemanner，andIputittothedoctortosaywhetherthetrustreposedinmebyaladywhomhewellknew，andthehospitalityIhadmyselfreceivedinhishouse，justifiedmeornotinaskinghimtocometomyassistanceinaplacewhereIwasquitefriendless。
　　Iobtainedpermissiontohireamessengertodriveawayatoncewithmyletterinaconveyancewhichmightbeusedtobringthedoctorbackimmediately。OakLodgewasontheKnowlesburysideofBlackwater。Themandeclaredhecoulddrivethereinfortyminutes，andcouldbringMrDawsonbackinfortymore。Idirectedhimtofollowthedoctorwhereverhemighthappentobe，ifhewasnotathome，andthensatdowntowaitfortheresultwithallthepatienceandallthehopethatIcouldsummontohelpme。
　　Itwasnotquitehalf-pastonewhenthemessengerdeparted。Beforehalf-pastthreehereturned，andbroughtthedoctorwithhim。MrDawson’skindness，andthedelicacywithwhichhetreatedhispromptassistancequiteasamatterofcourse，almostoverpoweredme。Thebailrequiredwasoffered，andacceptedimmediately。Beforefouro’clock，onthatafternoon，Iwasshakinghandswarmlywiththegoodolddoctor——afreemanagain——inthestreetsofKnowlesbury。
　　MrDawsonhospitablyinvitedmetogobackwithhimtoOakLodge，andtakeupmyquartersthereforthenight。Icouldonlyreplythatmytimewasnotmyown，andIcouldonlyaskhimtoletmepaymyvisitinafewdays，whenImightrepeatmythanks，andoffertohimalltheexplanationswhichIfelttobeonlyhisdue，butwhichIwasnottheninapositiontomake。Wepartedwithfriendlyassurancesonbothsides，andIturnedmystepsatoncetoMrWansborough’sofficeintheHighStreet。
　　Timewasnowofthelastimportance。
　　ThenewsofmybeingfreeonbailwouldreachSirPercival，toanabsolutecertainty，beforenight。Ifthenextfewhoursdidnotputmeinapositiontojustifyhisworstfears，andtoholdhimhelplessatmymercy，ImightloseeveryinchofthegroundIhadgained，nevertorecoveritagain。
　　Theunscrupulousnatureoftheman，thelocalinfluencehepossessed，thedesperateperilofexposurewithwhichmyblindfoldinquiriesthreatenedhim——allwarnedmetopressontopositivediscovery，withouttheuselesswasteofasingleminute。IhadfoundtimetothinkwhileIwaswaitingforMrDawson’sarrival，andIhadwellemployedit。Certainportionsoftheconversationofthetalkativeoldclerk，whichhadweariedmeatthetime，nowrecurredtomymemorywithanewsignificance，andasuspicioncrossedmyminddarklywhichhadnotoccurredtomewhileIwasinthevestry。OnmywaytoKnowlesbury，IhadonlyproposedtoapplytoMrWansboroughforinformationonthesubjectofSirPercival’smother。MyobjectnowwastoexaminetheduplicateregisterofOldWelminghamChurch。
　　MrWansboroughwasinhisofficewhenIinquiredforhim。