Laurahadtakenmyarmwhilehewasspeaking，andshepresseditsignificantlywhenhehaddone。Itwouldhavebeenahardtrialtoanywomantostandbyandseetheofficeofapologistforherhusband’smisconductquietlyassumedbyhismalefriendinherownhouse——anditwasatrialtoher。
　　IthankedtheCountcivilly，andledherout。Yes！Ithankedhim：forI
　　feltalready，withasenseofinexpressiblehelplessnessandhumiliation，thatitwaseitherhisinterestorhiscapricetomakesureofmycontinuingtoresideatBlackwaterPark，andIknewafterSirPercival’sconducttome，thatwithoutthesupportoftheCount’sinfluence，Icouldnothopetoremainthere。Hisinfluence，theinfluenceofallothersthatIdreadedmost，wasactuallytheonetiewhichnowheldmetoLaurainthehourofherutmostneed！
　　Weheardthewheelsofthedog-cartcrashingonthegravelofthedriveaswecameintothehall。SirPercivalhadstartedonhisjourney。
　　`Whereishegoingto，Marian？’Laurawhispered。`Everyfreshthinghedoesseemstoterrifymeaboutthefuture。Haveyouanysuspicions？’
　　Afterwhatshehadundergonethatmorning，Iwasunwillingtotellhermysuspicions。
　　`HowshouldIknowhissecrets？’Isaidevasively。
　　`Iwonderifthehousekeeperknows？’shepersisted。
　　`Certainlynot，’Ireplied。`Shemustbequiteasignorantasweare。’
　　Laurashookherheaddoubtfully。
　　`DidyounothearfromthehousekeeperthattherewasareportofAnneCatherickhavingbeenseeninthisneighbourhood？Don’tyouthinkhemayhavegoneawaytolookforher？’
　　`Iwouldrathercomposemyself，Laura，bynotthinkingaboutitatall，andafterwhathashappened，youhadbetterfollowmyexample。Comeintomyroom，andrestandquietyourselfalittle。’
　　Wesatdowntogetherclosetothewindow，andletthefragrantsummerairbreatheoverourfaces。
　　`Iamashamedtolookatyou，Marian，’shesaid，`afterwhatyousubmittedtodownstairs，formysake。Oh，myownlove，IamalmostheartbrokenwhenIthinkofit！ButIwilltrytomakeituptoyou——Iwillindeed！’
　　`Hush！hush！’Ireplied；`don’ttalkso。Whatisthetriflingmortificationofmypridecomparedtothedreadfulsacrificeofyourhappiness？’
　　`Youheardwhathesaidtome？’shewentonquicklyandvehemently。
　　`Youheardthewords——butyoudon’tknowwhattheymeant——youdon’tknowwhyIthrewdownthepenandturnedmybackonhim。’Sheroseinsuddenagitation，andwalkedabouttheroom。`Ihavekeptmanythingsfromyourknowledge，Marian，forfearofdistressingyou，andmakingyouunhappyattheoutsetofournewlives。Youdon’tknowhowhehasusedme。Andyetyououghttoknow，foryousawhowheusedmetoday。Youheardhimsneeratmypresumingtobescrupulous——youheardhimsayIhadmadeavirtueofnecessityinmarryinghim。’Shesatdownagain，herfaceflusheddeeply，andherhandstwistedandtwinedtogetherinherlap。`Ican’ttellyouaboutitnow，’shesaid；`IshallburstoutcryingifItellyounow——later，Marian，whenIammoresureofmyself。Mypoorheadaches，darling——aches，aches，aches。Whereisyoursmelling-bottle？Letmetalktoyouaboutyourself。IwishIhadgivenhimmysignature，foryoursake。
　　ShallIgiveittohimtomorrow？Iwouldrathercompromisemyselfthancompromiseyou。Afteryourtakingmypartagainsthim，hewilllayalltheblameonyouifIrefuseagain。Whatshallwedo？Oh，forafriendtohelpusandadviseus！——afriendwecouldreallytrust！’
　　Shesighedbitterly。IsawinherfacethatshewasthinkingofHartright——sawitthemoreplainlybecauseherlastwordssetmethinkingofhimtoo。Insixmonthsonlyfromhermarriagewewantedthefaithfulservicehehadofferedtousinhisfarewellwords。HowlittleIoncethoughtthatweshouldeverwantitatall！
　　`Wemustdowhatwecantohelpourselves，’Isaid。`Letustrytotalkitovercalmly，Laura——letusdoallinourpowertodecideforthebest。’
　　Puttingwhatsheknewofherhusband’sembarrassmentsandwhatIhadheardofhisconversationwiththelawyertogether，wearrivednecessarilyattheconclusionthattheparchmentinthelibraryhadbeendrawnupforthepurposeofborrowingmoney，andthatLaura’ssignaturewasabsolutelynecessarytofititfortheattainmentofSirPercival’sobject。
　　Thesecondquestion，concerningthenatureofthelegalcontractbywhichthemoneywastobeobtained，andthedegreeofpersonalresponsibilitytowhichLauramightsubjectherselfifshesigneditinthedark，involvedconsiderationswhichlayfarbeyondanyknowledgeandexperiencethateitherofuspossessed。Myownconvictionsledmetobelievethatthehiddencontentsoftheparchmentconcealedatransactionofthemeanestandthemostfraudulentkind。
　　IhadnotformedthisconclusioninconsequenceofSirPercival’srefusaltoshowthewritingortoexplainit，forthatrefusalmightwellhaveproceededfromhisobstinatedispositionandhisdomineeringtemperalone。
　　MysolemotivefordistrustinghishonestysprangfromthechangewhichIhadobservedinhislanguageandhismannersatBlackwaterpark，achangewhichconvincedmethathehadbeenactingapartthroughoutthewholeperiodofhisprobationatLimmeridgeHouse。Hiselaboratedelicacy，hisceremoniouspoliteness，whichharmonisedsoagreeablywithMrGilmore’sold-fashionednotions，hismodestywithLaura，hiscandourwithme，hismoderationwithMrFairlie——alltheseweretheartificesofamean，cunning，andbrutalman，whohaddroppedhisdisguisewhenhispractisedduplicityhadgaineditsend，andhadopenlyshownhimselfinthelibraryonthatveryday。IsaynothingofthegriefwhichthisdiscoverycausedmeonLaura’saccount，foritisnottobeexpressedbyanywordsofmine。I
　　onlyrefertoitatall，becauseitdecidedmetoopposehersigningtheparchment，whatevertheconsequencesmightbe，unlessshewasfirstmadeacquaintedwiththecontents。
　　Underthesecircumstances，theonechanceforuswhentomorrowcamewastobeprovidedwithanobjectiontogivingthesignature，whichmightrestonsufficientlyfirmcommercialorlegalgroundstoshakeSirPercival’sresolution，andtomakehimsuspectthatwetwowomenunderstoodthelawsandobligationsofbusinessaswellashimself。
　　Aftersomepondering，Ideterminedtowritetotheonlyhonestmanwithinreachwhomwecouldtrusttohelpusdiscreetlyinourforlornsituation。
　　ThatmanwasMrGilmore’spartner，MrKyrle，whoconductedthebusinessnowthatouroldfriendhadbeenobligedtowithdrawfromit，andtoleaveLondononaccountofhishealth。IexplainedtoLaurathatIhadMrGilmore’sownauthorityforplacingimplicitconfidenceinhispartner’sintegrity，discretion，andaccurateknowledgeofallheraffairs，andwithherfullapprovalIsatdownatoncetowritetheletter。
　　IbeganbystatingourpositiontoMrKyrleexactlyasitwas，andthenaskedforhisadviceinreturn，expressedinplain，downrighttermswhichwecouldcomprehendwithoutanydangerofmisinterpretationsandmistakes。
　　MyletterwasasshortasIcouldpossiblymakeit，andwas，Ihope，unencumberedbyneedlessapologiesandneedlessdetails。
　　JustasIwasabouttoputtheaddressontheenvelopeanobstaclewasdiscoveredbyLaura，whichintheeffortandpreoccupationofwritinghadescapedmymindaltogether。
　　`Howarewetogettheanswerintime？’sheasked。`YourletterwillnotbedeliveredinLondonbeforetomorrowmorningandthepostwillnotbringthereplyheretillthemorningafter。’
　　Theonlywayofovercomingthisdifficultywastohavetheanswerbroughttousfromthelawyer’sofficebyaspecialmessenger。Iwroteapostscripttothateffect，beggingthatthemessengermightbedespatchedwiththereplybytheeleveno’clockmorningtrain，whichwouldbringhimtoourstationattwentyminutespastone，andsoenablehimtoreachBlackwaterParkbytwoo’clockatthelatest。Hewastobedirectedtoaskforme，toanswernoquestionsaddressedtohimbyanyoneelse，andtodeliverhisletterintonohandsbutmine。
　　`IncaseSirPercivalshouldcomebacktomorrowbeforetwoo’clock，’
　　IsaidtoLaura，`thewisestplanforyoutoadoptistobeoutinthegroundsallthemorningwithyourbookoryourwork，andnottoappearatthehousetillthemessengerhashadtimetoarrivewiththeletter。
　　Iwillwaithereforhimallthemorning，toguardagainstanymisadventuresormistakes。ByfollowingthisarrangementIhopeandbelieveweshallavoidbeingtakenbysurprise。Letusgodowntothedrawing-roomnow。
　　Wemayexcitesuspicionifweremainshutuptogethertoolong。’
　　`Suspicion？’sherepeated。`Whosesuspicioncanweexcite，nowthatSirPercivalhasleftthehouse？DoyoumeanCountFosco？’
　　`PerhapsIdo，Laura。’
　　`YouarebeginningtodislikehimasmuchasIdo，Marian。’
　　`No，nottodislikehim。Dislikeisalwaysmoreorlessassociatedwithcontempt——IcanseenothingintheCounttodespise。’
　　`Youarenotafraidofhim，areyou？’
　　`PerhapsIam——alittle。’
　　`Afraidofhim，afterhisinterferenceinourfavourtoday！’
　　`Yes。IammoreafraidofhisinterferencethanIamofSirPercival’sviolence。RememberwhatIsaidtoyouinthelibrary。Whateveryoudo，Laura，don’tmakeanenemyoftheCount！’
　　Wewentdownstairs。Lauraenteredthedrawing-room，whileIproceededacrossthehall，withmyletterinmyhand，toputitintothepost-bag，17
　　whichhungagainstthewalloppositetome。
　　Thehousedoorwasopen，andasIcrossedpastit，IsawCountFoscoandhiswifestandingtalkingtogetheronthestepsoutside，withtheirfacesturnedtowardsme。