Thisconsiderationatoncedecidedthedisposalofmyevening。Iprocuredthetickets，leavinganoteattheProfessor’slodgingsontheway。AtaquartertoeightIcalledtotakehimwithmetothetheatre。Mylittlefriendwasinastateofthehighestexcitement，withafestiveflowerinhisbutton-hole，andthelargestopera-glassIeversawhuggedupunderhisarm。
　　`Areyouready？’Iasked。
　　`Right-all-right，’saidPesca。
　　Westartedforthetheatre。IIIThelastnotesoftheintroductiontotheoperawerebeingplayed，andtheseatsinthepitwereallfilled，whenPescaandIreachedthetheatre。
　　Therewasplentyofroom，however，inthepassagethatranroundthepit——preciselythepositionbestcalculatedtoanswerthepurposeforwhichIwasattendingtheperformance。Iwentfirsttothebarrierseparatingusfromthestalls，andlookedfortheCountinthatpartofthetheatre。
　　Hewasnotthere。Returningalongthepassage，ontheleft-handsidefromthestage，andlookingaboutmeattentively，Idiscoveredhiminthepit。
　　Heoccupiedanexcellentplace，sometwelveorfourteenseatsfromtheendofabench，withinthreerowsofthestalls。Iplacedmyselfexactlyonalinewithhim，Pescastandingbymyside。TheProfessorwasnotyetawareofthepurposeforwhichIhadbroughthimtothetheatre，andhewasrathersurprisedthatwedidnotmovenearertothestage。
　　Thecurtainrose，andtheoperabegan。
　　Throughoutthewholeofthefirstactweremainedinourposition——
　　theCount，absorbedbytheorchestraandthestage，nevercastingsomuchasachanceglanceatus。NotanoteofDonizetti’sdeliciousmusicwaslostonhim。Therehesat，highabovehisneighbours，smiling，andnoddinghisgreatheadenjoyinglyfromtimetotime。WhenthepeoplenearhimapplaudedthecloseofanairasanEnglishaudienceinsuchcircumstancesalwayswillapplaud，withouttheleastconsiderationfortheorchestralmovementwhichimmediatelyfollowedit，helookedroundatthemwithanexpressionofcompassionateremonstrance，andhelduponehandwithagestureofpoliteentreaty。Atthemorerefinedpassagesofthesingingatthemoredelicatephasesofthemusic，whichpassedunapplaudedbyothers，hisfathands，adornedwithperfectly-fittingblackkidgloves，softlypattedeachother，intokenofthecultivatedappreciationofamusicalman。Atsuchtimes，hisoilymurmurofapproval，`Bravo！Bra-a-a-a！’hummedthroughthesilence，likethepurringofagreatcat。Hisimmediateneighboursoneitherside——hearty，ruddy-facedpeoplefromthecountry，baskingamazedlyinthesunshineoffashionableLondon——seeingandhearinghim，begantofollowhislead。Manyaburstofapplausefromthepitthatnightstartedfromthesoft，comfortablepattingoftheblack-glovedhands。Theman’svoraciousvanitydevouredthisimpliedtributetohislocalandcriticalsupremacywithanappearanceofthehighestrelish。Smilesrippledcontinuouslyoverhisfatface。Helookedabouthim，atthepausesinthemusic，serenelysatisfiedwithhimselfandhisfellow-creatures。`Yes！yes！thesebarbarousEnglishpeoplearelearningsomethingfromME。Here，there，andeverywhere，I——Fosco——amaninfluencethatisfelt，amanwhositssupreme！’Ifeverfacespoke，hisfacespokethen，andthatwasitslanguage。
　　Thecurtainfellonthefirstact，andtheaudiencerosetolookaboutthem。ThiswasthetimeIhadwaitedfor——thetimetotryifPescaknewhim。
　　Herosewiththerest，andsurveyedtheoccupantsoftheboxesgrandlywithhisopera-glass。Atfirsthisbackwastowardsus，butheturnedroundintime，tooursideofthetheatre，andlookedattheboxesaboveus，usinghisglassforafewminutes——thenremovingit，butstillcontinuingtolookup。ThiswasthemomentIchose，whenhisfullfacewasinview，fordirectingPesca’sattentiontohim。
　　`Doyouknowthatman？’Iasked。
　　`Whichman，myfriend？’
　　`Thetall，fatman，standingthere，withhisfacetowardsus。’
　　Pescaraisedhimselfontiptoe，andlookedattheCount。
　　`No，’saidtheProfessor。`Thebigfatmanisastrangertome。Ishefamous？Whydoyoupointhimout？’
　　`BecauseIhaveparticularreasonsforwishingtoknowsomethingofhim。Heisacountrymanofyours——hisnameisCountFosco。Doyouknowthatname？’
　　`NotI，Walter。Neitherthenamenorthemanisknowntome。
　　`Areyouquitesureyoudon’trecognisehim？Lookagain——lookcarefully。
　　IwilltellyouwhyIamsoanxiousaboutitwhenweleavethetheatre。
　　Stop！letmehelpyouuphere，whereyoucanseehimbetter。’
　　Ihelpedthelittlemantoperchhimselfontheedgeoftheraiseddaisuponwhichthepit-seatswereallplaced。Hissmallstaturewasnohindrancetohim——herehecouldseeovertheheadsoftheladieswhowereseatedneartheoutermostpartofthebench。
　　Aslim，light-hairedmanstandingbyus，whomIhadnotnoticedbefore——amanwithascaronhisleftcheek——lookedattentivelyatPescaasIhelpedhimup，andthenlookedstillmoreattentively，followingthedirectionofPesca’seyes，attheCount。Ourconversationmighthavereachedhisears，andmight，asitstruckme，haverousedhiscuriosity。
　　Meanwhile，Pescafixedhiseyesearnestlyonthebroad，full，smilingfaceturnedalittleupward，exactlyoppositetohim。
　　`No，’hesaid，`Ihaveneversetmytwoeyesonthatbigfatmanbeforeinallmylife。’
　　AshespoketheCountlookeddownwardstowardstheboxesbehindusonthepittier。
　　TheeyesofthetwoItaliansmet。
　　TheinstantbeforeIhadbeenperfectlysatisfied，fromhisownreiteratedassertion，thatPescadidnotknowtheCount。TheinstantafterwardsI
　　wasequallycertainthattheCountknewPesca！
　　Knewhim，and——moresurprisingstill——fearedhimaswell！Therewasnomistakingthechangethatpassedoverthevillain’sface。Theleadenhuethatalteredhisyellowcomplexioninamoment，thesuddenrigidityofallhisfeatures，thefurtivescrutinyofhiscoldgreyeyes，themotionlessstillnessofhimfromheadtofoottoldtheirowntale。Amortaldreadhadmasteredhimbodyandsoul——andhisownrecognitionofPescawasthecauseofit！
　　Theslimmanwiththescaronhischeekwasstillclosebyus。HehadapparentlydrawnhisinferencefromtheeffectproducedontheCountbythesightofPescaasIhaddrawnmime。Hewasamild，gentlemanlikeman，lookinglikeaforeigner，andhisinterestinourproceedingswasnotexpressedinanythingapproachingtoanoffensivemanner。
　　FormyownpartIwassostartledbythechangeintheCount’sface，soastoundedattheentirelyunexpectedturnwhicheventshadtaken，thatIknewneitherwhattosayordonext。Pescarousedmebysteppingbacktohisformerplaceatmysideandspeakingfirst。
　　`Howthefatmanstares！’heexclaimed。`Isitatme？AmIfamous？
　　HowcanheknowmewhenIdon’tknowhim？’
　　IkeptmyeyestillontheCount。IsawhimmoveforthefirsttimewhenPescamoved，soasnottolosesightofthelittlemaninthelowerpositioninwhichhenowstood。IwascurioustoseewhatwouldhappenifPesca’sattentionunderthesecircumstanceswaswithdrawnfromhim，andIaccordinglyaskedtheProfessorifherecognisedanyofhispupilsthateveningamongtheladiesintheboxes。Pescaimmediatelyraisedthelargeopera-glasstohiseyes，andmoveditslowlyallroundtheupperpartofthetheatre，searchingforhispupilswiththemostconscientiousscrutiny。
　　ThemomentheshowedhimselftobethusengagedtheCountturnedround，slippedpastthepersonswhooccupiedseatsonthefarthersideofhimfromwherehestood，anddisappearedinthemiddlepassagedownthecentreofthepit。IcaughtPescabythearm，andtohisinexpressibleastonishment，hurriedhimroundwithmetothebackofthepittointercepttheCountbeforehecouldgettothedoor。Somewhattomysurprise，theslimmanhastenedoutbeforeus，avoidingastoppagecausedbysomepeopleonoursideofthepitleavingtheirplaces，bywhichPescaandmyselfweredelayed。
　　WhenwereachedthelobbytheCounthaddisappeared，andtheforeignerwiththescarwasgonetoo。
　　`Comehome，’Isaid；`comehome，Pesca，toyourlodgings。Imustspeaktoyouinprivate——Imustspeakdirectly。’
　　`My-soul-bless-my-soul！’criedtheProfessor，inastateoftheextremestbewilderment。`Whatonearthisthematter？’
　　Iwalkedonrapidlywithoutanswering。ThecircumstancesunderwhichtheCounthadleftthetheatresuggestedtomethathisextraordinaryanxietytoescapePescamightcarryhimtofurtherextremitiesstill。Hemightescapeme，too，byleavingLondon。IdoubtedthefutureifIallowedhimsomuchasaday’sfreedomtoactashepleased。AndIdoubtedthatforeignstranger，whohadgotthestartofus，andwhomIsuspectedofintentionallyfollowinghimout。
　　Withthisdoubledistrustinmymind，IwasnotlonginmakingPescaunderstandwhatIwanted。Assoonaswetwowerealoneinhisroom，IincreasedhisconfusionandamazementahundredfoldbytellinghimwhatmypurposewasasplainlyandunreservedlyasIhaveacknowledgedithere。
　　`Myfriend，whatcanIdo？’criedtheProfessor，piteouslyappealingtomewithbothhands。`Deuce-what-the-deuce！howcanIhelpyou，Walter，whenIdon’tknowtheman？’
　　`Heknowsyou——heisafraidofyou——hehasleftthetheatretoescapeyou。Pesca！theremustbeareasonforthis。LookbackintoyourownlifebeforeyoucametoEngland。YouleftItaly，asyouhavetoldmeyourself，forpoliticalreasons。Youhavenevermentionedthosereasonstome，andIdon’tinquireintothemnow。Ionlyaskyoutoconsultyourownrecollections，andtosayiftheysuggestnopastcausefortheterrorwhichthefirstsightofyouproducedinthatman。’