Toexhaustthispartofthesubjectbeforegoingfarther，itmaybementionedthatCountFoscoofferedeveryfacilitytoMrKyrle，onthatgentleman’sstatingthathewassentbyMissHalcombetocollectsuchparticularsashadnotyetreachedherofLadyGlyde’sdecease。MrKyrlewasplacedincommunicationwiththemedicalman，MrGoodricke，andwiththetwoservants。
　　IntheabsenceofanymeansofascertainingtheexactdateofLadyGlyde’sdeparturefromBlackwaterPark，theresultofthedoctor’sandtheservants’
　　evidence，andofthevolunteeredstatementsofCountFoscoandhiswife，wasconclusivetothemindofMrKyrle。HecouldonlyassumethattheintensityofMissHalcombe’ssuffering，underthelossofhersister，hadmisledherjudgmentinamostdeplorablemanner，andhewroteherwordthattheshockingsuspiciontowhichshehadalludedinhispresencewas，inhisopinion，destituteofthesmallestfragmentoffoundationintruth。ThustheinvestigationbyMrGilmore’spartnerbeganandended。
　　Meanwhile，MissHalcombehadreturnedtoLimmeridgeHouse，andhadtherecollectedalltheadditionalinformationwhichshewasabletoobtain。
　　MrFairliehadreceivedhisfirstintimationofhisniece’sdeathfromhissister，MadameFosco，thisletteralsonotcontaininganyexactreferencetodates。Hehadsanctionedhissister’sproposalthatthedeceasedladyshouldbelaidinhermother’sgraveinLimmeridgechurchyard。CountFoscohadaccompaniedtheremainstoCumberland，andhadattendedthefuneralatLimmeridge，whichtookplaceonthe30thofJuly。Itwasfollowed，asamarkofrespect，byalltheinhabitantsofthevillageandtheneighbourhood。
　　Onthenextdaytheinscriptionoriginallydrawnout，itwassaid，bytheauntofthedeceasedlady，andsubmittedforapprovaltoherbrother，MrFairliewasengravedononesideofthemonumentoverthetomb。
　　Onthedayofthefuneral，andforonedayafterit，CountFoscohadbeenreceivedasaguestatLimmeridgeHouse，butnointerviewhadtakenplacebetweenMrFairlieandhimself，bytheformergentleman’sdesire。
　　Theyhadcommunicatedbywriting，andthroughthismediumCountFoscohadmadeMrFairlieacquaintedwiththedetailsofhisniece’slastillnessanddeath。Theletterpresentingthisinformationaddednonewfactstothefactsalreadyknown，butoneveryremarkableparagraphwascontainedinthepostscript。ItreferredtoAnneCatherick。
　　Thesubstanceoftheparagraphinquestionwasasfollows——
　　ItfirstinformedMrFairliethatAnneCatherickofwhomhemighthearfullparticularsfromMissHalcombewhenshereachedLimmeridgehadbeentracedandrecoveredintheneighbourhoodofBlackwaterPark，andhadbeenforthesecondtimeplacedunderthechargeofthemedicalmanfromwhosecustodyshehadonceescaped。
　　Thiswasthefirstpartofthepostscript。ThesecondpartwarnedMrFairliethatAnneCatherick’smentalmaladyhadbeenaggravatedbyherlongfreedomfromcontrol，andthattheinsanehatredanddistrustofSirPercivalGlyde，whichhadbeenoneofhermostmarkeddelusionsinformertimes，stillexistedunderanewly-acquiredform。Theunfortunatewoman’slastideainconnectionwithSirPercivalwastheideaofannoyinganddistressinghim，andofelevatingherself，asshesupposed，intheestimationofthepatientsandnurses，byassumingthecharacterofhisdeceasedwife，theschemeofthispersonationhavingevidentlyoccurredtoherafterastoleninterviewwhichshehadsucceededinobtainingwithLadyGlyde，andatwhichshehadobservedtheextraordinaryaccidentallikenessbetweenthedeceasedladyandherself。ItwastothelastdegreeimprobablethatshewouldsucceedasecondtimeinescapingfromtheAsylum，butitwasjustpossibleshemightfindsomemeansofannoyingthelateLadyGlyde’srelativeswithletters，andinthatcaseMrFairliewaswarnedbeforehandhowtoreceivethem。
　　Thepostscript，expressedintheseterms，wasshowntoMissHalcombewhenshearrivedatLimmeridge。TherewerealsoplacedinherpossessiontheclothesLadyGlydehadworn，andtheothereffectsshehadbroughtwithhertoheraunt’shouse。TheyhadbeencarefullycollectedandsenttoCumberlandbyMadameFosco。
　　SuchwasthepostureofaffairswhenMissHalcombereachedLimmeridgeintheearlypartofSeptember。
　　Shortlyafterwardsshewasconfinedtoherroombyarelapse，herweakenedphysicalenergiesgivingwayundertheseverementalafflictionfromwhichshewasnowsuffering。Ongettingstrongeragain，inamonth’stime，hersuspicionofthecircumstancesdescribedasattendinghersister’sdeathstillremainedunshaken。ShehadheardnothingintheinterimofSirPercivalGlyde，butlettershadreachedherfromMadameFosco，makingthemostaffectionateinquiriesonthepartofherhusbandandherself。Insteadofansweringtheseletters，MissHalcombecausedthehouseinStJohn’sWood，andtheproceedingsofitsinmates，tobeprivatelywatched。
　　Nothingdoubtfulwasdiscovered。Thesameresultattendedthenextinvestigations，whichweresecretlyinstitutedonthesubjectofMrsRubelle。ShehadarrivedinLondonaboutsixmonthsbeforewithherhusband。TheyhadcomefromLyons，andtheyhadtakenahouseintheneighbourhoodofLeicesterSquare，tobefittedupasaboarding-houseforforeigners，whowereexpectedtovisitEnglandinlargenumberstoseetheExhibitionof1851。Nothingwasknownagainsthusbandorwifeintheneighbourhood。Theywerequietpeople，andtheyhadpaidtheirwayhonestlyuptothepresenttime。ThefinalinquiriesrelatedtoSirPercivalGlyde。HewassettledinParis，andlivingtherequietlyinasmallcircleofEnglishandFrenchfriends。
　　Foiledatallpoints，butstillnotabletorest，MissHalcombenextdeterminedtovisittheAsyluminwhichshethensupposedAnneCathericktobeforthesecondtimeconfined。Shehadfeltastrongcuriosityaboutthewomaninformerdays，andshewasnowdoublyinterested——first，inascertainingwhetherthereportofAnneCatherick’sattemptedpersonationofLadyGlydewastrue，andsecondlyifitprovedtobetrue，indiscoveringforherselfwhatthepoorcreature’srealmotiveswereforattemptingthedeceit。
　　AlthoughCountFosco’slettertoMrFairliedidnotmentiontheaddressoftheAsylum，thatimportantomissioncastnodifficultiesinMissHalcombe’sway。WhenMrHartrighthadmetAnneCatherickatLimmeridge，shehadinformedhimofthelocalityinwhichthehousewassituated，andMissHalcombehadnoteddownthedirectioninherdiary，withalltheotherparticularsoftheinterviewexactlyassheheardthemfromMrHartright’sownlips。
　　Accordinglyshelookedbackattheentryandextractedtheaddress——furnishedherselfwiththeCount’slettertoMrFairlieasaspeciesofcredentialwhichmightbeusefultoher，andstartedbyherselffortheAsylumontheeleventhofOctober。
　　ShepassedthenightoftheeleventhinLondon。IthadbeenherintentiontosleepatthehouseinhabitedbyLadyGlyde’soldgoverness，butMrsVesey’sagitationatthesightofherlostpupil’snearestanddearestfriendwassodistressingthatMissHalcombeconsideratelyrefrainedfromremaininginherpresence，andremovedtoarespectableboarding-houseintheneighbourhood，recommendedbyMrsVesey’smarriedsister。ThenextdaysheproceededtotheAsylum，whichwassituatednotfarfromLondononthenorthernsideofthemetropolis。
　　Shewasimmediatelyadmittedtoseetheproprietor。
　　Atfirstheappearedtobedecidedlyunwillingtolethercommunicatewithhispatient。ButonhershowinghimthepostscripttoCountFosco’sletter——onherremindinghimthatshewasthe`MissHalcombe’therereferredto——thatshewasanearrelativeofthedeceasedLadyGlyde——andthatshewasthereforenaturallyinterested，forfamilyreasons，inobservingforherselftheextentofAnneCatherick’sdelusioninrelationtoherlatesister——thetoneandmanneroftheowneroftheAsylumaltered，andhewithdrewhisobjections。Heprobablyfeltthatacontinuedrefusal，underthesecircumstances，wouldnotonlybeanactofdiscourtesyinitself，butwouldalsoimplythattheproceedingsinhisestablishmentwerenotofanaturetobearinvestigationbyrespectablestrangers。
　　MissHalcombe’sownimpressionwasthattheowneroftheAsylumhadnotbeenreceivedintotheconfidenceofSirPercivalandtheCount。Hisconsentingatalltolethervisithispatientseemedtoaffordoneproofofthis，andhisreadinessinmakingadmissionswhichcouldscarcelyhaveescapedthelipsofanaccomplice。certainlyappearedsofurnishanother。
　　Forexample，inthecourseoftheintroductoryconversationwhichtookplace，heinformedMissHalcombethatAnneCatherickhadbeenbroughtbacktohimwiththenecessaryorderandcertificatesbyCountFoscoonthetwenty-seventhofJuly——theCountalsoproducingaletterofexplanationsandinstructionssignedbySirPercivalGlyde。Onreceivinghisinmateagain，theproprietoroftheAsylumacknowledgedthathehadobservedsomecuriouspersonalchangesinher。Suchchangesnodoubtwerenotwithoutprecedentinhisexperienceofpersonsmentallyafflicted。Insanepeoplewereoftenatonetime，outwardlyaswellasinwardly，unlikewhattheywereatanother——thechangefrombettertoworse，orfromworsetobetter，inthemadnesshavinganecessarytendencytoproducealterationsofappearanceexternally。Heallowedforthese，andheallowedalsoforthemodificationintheformofAnneCatherick’sdelusion，whichwasreflectednodoubtinhermannerandexpression。Buthewasstillperplexedattimesbycertaindifferencesbetweenhispatientbeforeshehadescapedandhispatientsinceshehadbeenbroughtback。Thosedifferencesweretoominutetobedescribed。HecouldnotSayofcoursethatshewasabsolutelyalteredinheightorshapeorcomplexion，orinthecolourofherhairandeyes，orinthegeneralformofherface——thechangewassomethingthathefeltmorethansomethingthathesaw。Inshort，thecasehadbeenapuzzlefromthefirst，andonemoreperplexitywasaddedtoitnow。
　　ItcannotbesaidthatthisconversationledtotheresultofevenpartiallypreparingMissHalcombe’smindforwhatwastocome。Butitproduced，nevertheless，averyseriouseffectuponher。Shewassocompletelyunnervedbyit，thatsomelittletimeelapsedbeforeshecouldsummoncomposureenoughtofollowtheproprietoroftheAsylumtothatpartofthehouseinwhichtheinmateswereconfined。
　　Oninquiry，itturnedoutthatthesupposedAnneCatherickwasthentakingexerciseinthegroundsattachedtotheestablishment。OneofthenursesvolunteeredtoconductMissHalcombetotheplace，theproprietoroftheAsylumremaininginthehouseforafewminutestoattendtoacasewhichrequiredhisservices，andthenengagingtojoinhisvisitorinthegrounds。
　　ThenurseledMissHalcombetoadistantpartoftheproperty，whichwasprettilylaidout，andafterlookingaboutheralittle，turnedintoaturfwalk，shadedbyashrubberyoneitherside。Abouthalf-waydownthiswalktwowomenwereslowlyapproaching。Thenursepointedtothemandsaid，`ThereisAnneCatherick，ma’am，withtheattendantwhowaitsonher。Theattendantwillansweranyquestionsyouwishtoput。’Withthosewordsthenurselefthertoreturntothedutiesofthehouse。
　　MissHalcombeadvancedonherside，andthewomenadvancedontheirs。
　　Whentheywerewithinadozenpacesofeachother，oneofthewomenstoppedforaninstant，lookedeagerlyatthestrangelady，shookoffthenurse’sgrasponher，andthenextmomentrushedintoMissHalcombe’sarms。InthatmomentMissHalcomberecognisedhersister——recognisedthedead-alive。