`Haveyounoothersecuritytoborrowupon？’
　　`Notashred。’
　　`Whathaveyouactuallygotwithyourwifeatthepresentmoment？’
　　`Nothingbuttheinterestofhertwentythousandpounds——barelyenoughtopayourdailyexpenses。’
　　`Whatdoyouexpectfromyourwife？’
　　`Threethousandayearwhenheruncledies。’
　　`Afinefortune，Percival。Whatsortofamanisthisuncle？Old？’
　　`No——neitheroldnoryoung。’
　　`Agood-tempered，freely-livingman？Married？No——Ithinkmywifetoldme，notmarried。’
　　`Ofcoursenot。Ifhewasmarried，andhadason，LadyGlydewouldnotbenextheirtotheproperty。I’lltellyouwhatheis。He’samaudlin，twaddling，selfishfool，andboreseverybodywhocomesnearhimaboutthestateofhishealth。’
　　`Menofthatsort，Percival，livelong，andmarrymalevolentlywhenyouleastexpectit。Idon’tgiveyoumuch，myfriend，foryourchanceofthethreethousandayear。Istherenothingmorethatcomestoyoufromyourwife？’
　　`Nothing。’
　　`Absolutelynothing？’
　　`Absolutelynothing——exceptincaseofherdeath。’
　　`Aha！inthecaseofherdeath。’
　　Therewasanotherpause。TheCountmovedfromtheverandahtothegravelwalkoutside。Iknewthathehadmovedbyhisvoice。`Therainhascomeatlast，’Iheardhimsay。Ithadcome。Thestateofmycloakshowedthatithadbeenfallingthicklyforsomelittletime。
　　TheCountwentbackundertheverandah——Iheardthechaircreakbeneathhisweightashesatdowninitagain，`Well，Percival，’hesaid，`andinthecaseofLadyGlyde’sdeath，whatdoyougetthen？’
　　`Ifsheleavesnochildren——’
　　`Whichsheislikelytodo？’
　　`Whichsheisnotintheleastlikelytodo——’
　　`Yes？’
　　`Why，thenIgethertwentythousandpounds。’
　　`Paiddown？’
　　`Paiddown。’
　　Theyweresilentoncemore。AstheirvoicesceasedMadameFosco’sshadowdarkenedtheblindagain。Insteadofpassingthistime，itremained，foramoment，quitestill。Isawherfingersstealroundthecorneroftheblind，anddrawitononeside。Thedimwhiteoutlineofherface，lookingoutstraightoverme，appearedbehindthewindow。Ikeptstill，shroudedfromheadtofootinmyblackcloak。Therain，whichwasfastwettingme，drippedovertheglass，blurredit，andpreventedherfromseeinganything。
　　`Morerain！’Iheardhersaytoherself。Shedroppedtheblind，andIbreathedagainfreely。
　　Thetalkwentonbelowme，theCountresumingitthistime。
　　`Percival！doyoucareaboutyourwife？’
　　`Fosco！that’sratheradownrightquestion。’
　　`IamadownrightmanandIrepeatit。’
　　`Whythedevildoyoulookatmeinthatway？’
　　`Youwon’tanswerme？Well，then，letussayyourwifediesbeforethesummerisout——’
　　`Dropit，Fosco！’
　　`Letussayyourwifedies——’
　　`Dropit，Itellyou！’
　　`Inthatcase，youwouldgaintwentythousandpounds，andyouwouldlose——’
　　`Ishouldlosethechanceofthreethousandayear。’
　　`Theremotechance，Percival——theremotechanceonly。Andyouwantmoney，atonce。Inyourpositionthegainiscertain——thelossdoubtful。’
　　`Speakforyourselfaswellasforme。SomeofthemoneyIwanthasbeenborrowedforyou。Andifyoucometogain，mywife’sdeathwouldbetenthousandpoundsinyourwife’spocket。Sharpasyouare，youseemtohaveconvenientlyforgottenMadameFosco’slegacy。Don’tlookatmeinthatway！Iwon’thaveit！Whatwithyourlooksandyourquestions，uponmysoul，youmakemyfleshcreep！’
　　`Yourflesh？DoesfleshmeanconscienceinEnglish？Ispeakofyourwife’sdeathasIspeakofapossibility。Whynot？Therespectablelawyerswhoscribble-scrabbleyourdeedsandyourwillslookthedeathsoflivingpeopleintheface。Dolawyersmakeyourfleshcreep？Whyshouldl？Itismybusinesstonighttoclearupyourpositionbeyondthepossibilityofamistake，andIhavenowdoneit。Hereisyourposition。Ifyourwifelives，youpaythosebillswithhersignaturetotheparchment。Ifyourwifedies，youpaythemwithherdeath。’
　　AshespokethelightinMadameFosco’sroomwasextinguished，andthewholesecondfloorofthehousewasnowsunkindarkness。
　　`Talk！talk！’grumbledSirPercival。`Onewouldthink，tohearyou，thatmywife’ssignaturetothedeedwasgotalready。’
　　`Youhaveleftthematterinmyhands，’retortedtheCount，`andIhavemorethantwomonthsbeforemetoturnroundin。Saynomoreaboutit，ifyouplease，forthepresent。Whenthebillsaredue，youwillseeforyourselfifmy``talk！talk！’’isworthsomething，orifitisnot。Andnow，Percival，havingdonewiththemoneymattersfortonight，Icanplacemyattentionatyourdisposal，ifyouwishtoconsultmeonthatseconddifficultywhichhasmixeditselfupwithourlittleembarrassments，andwhichhassoalteredyoufortheworse，thatIhardlyknowyouagain。Speak，myfriend——andpardonmeifIshockyourfierynationaltastesbymixingmyselfasecondglassofsugar-and-water。’
　　`It’sverywelltosayspeak，’repliedSirPercival，inafarmorequietandmorepolitetonethanhehadyetadopted，`butit’snotsoeasytoknowhowtobegin。’
　　`ShallIhelpyou？’suggestedtheCount。`ShallIgivethisprivatedifficultyofyoursaname？WhatifIcallit——AnneCatherick？’
　　`Lookhere，Fosco，youandIhaveknowneachotherforalongtime，andifyouhavehelpedmeoutofoneortwoscrapesbeforethis，IhavedonethebestIcouldtohelpyouinreturn，asfarasmoneywouldgo。
　　Wehavemadeasmanyfriendlysacrifices，onbothsides，asmencould，butwehavehadoursecretsfromeachother，ofcourse——haven’twe？’
　　`Youhavehadasecretfromme，Percival。ThereisaskeletoninyourcupboardhereatBlackwaterParkthathaspeepedoutintheselastfewdaysatotherpeoplebesidesyourself。’
　　`Well，supposeithas。Ifitdoesn’tconcernyou，youneedn’tbecuriousaboutit，needyou？’
　　`DoIlookcuriousaboutit？’
　　Yes，youdo。’
　　`So！so！myfacespeaksthetruth，then？Whatanimmensefoundationofgoodtheremustbeinthenatureofamanwhoarrivesatmyage，andwhosefacehasnotyetlostthehabitofspeakingthetruth！——Come，Glyde！
　　letusbecandidonewiththeother。Thissecretofyourshassoughtme：Ihavenotsoughtit。LetussayIamcurious——doyouaskme，asyouroldfriend，torespectyoursecret，andtoleaveit，onceforall，inyourownkeeping？’
　　`Yes——that’sjustwhatIdoask。’
　　`Thenmycuriosityisatanend。Itdiesinmefromthismoment。’
　　`Doyoureallymeanthat？’
　　`Whatmakesyoudoubtme？’
　　`Ihavehadsomeexperience，Fosco，ofyourroundaboutways，andIamnotsosurethatyouwon’twormitoutofmeafterall。’
　　Thechairbelowsuddenlycreakedagain——Ifeltthetrellisworkpillarundermeshakefromtoptobottom。TheCounthadstartedtohisfeet，andhadstruckitwithhishandinindignation。
　　`Percival！Percival！’hecriedpassionately，`doyouknowmenobetterthanthat？Hasallyourexperienceshownyounothingofmycharacteryet？
　　Iamamanoftheantiquetype！Iamcapableofthemostexaltedactsofvirtue——whenIhavethechanceofperformingthem。IthasbeenthemisfortuneofmylifethatIhavehadfewchances。MyconceptionoffriendshipissublimeIIsitmyfaultthatyourskeletonhaspeepedoutatme？WhydoIconfessmycuriosity？YoupoorsuperficialEnglishman，itistomagnifymyownself-control。Icoulddrawyoursecretoutofyou，ifIliked，asIdrawthisfingeroutofthepalmofmyhand——youknowIcould！Butyouhaveappealedtomyfriendship，andthedutiesoffriendshiparesacredtome。See！Itramplemybasecuriosityundermyfeet。Myexaltedsentimentsliftmeaboveit。Recognisethem，Percival！imitatethem，Percival！Shakehands——Iforgiveyou。’