English
Myfirstimpulse,afterreadingMrs.Catherick’sextraordinarynarrative,wastodestroyit.
Thehardenedshamelessdepravityofthewholecomposition,frombeginningtoend—theatrociousperversityofmindwhichpersistentlyassociatedmewithacalamityforwhichIwasinnosenseanswerable,andwithadeathwhichIhadriskedmylifeintryingtoavert—sodisgustedme,thatIwasonthepointoftearingtheletter,whenaconsiderationsuggesteditselfwhichwarnedmetowaitalittlebeforeIdestroyedit.
ThisconsiderationwasentirelyunconnectedwithSirPercival.
Theinformationcommunicatedtome,sofarasitconcernedhim,didlittlemorethanconfirmtheconclusionsatwhichIhadalreadyarrived.
Hehadcommittedhisoffence,asIhadsupposedhimtohavecommittedit,andtheabsenceofallreference,onMrs.Catherick’spart,totheduplicateregisteratKnowlesbury,strengthenedmypreviousconvictionthattheexistenceofthebook,andtheriskofdetectionwhichitimplied,musthavebeennecessarilyunknowntoSirPercival.
Myinterestinthequestionoftheforgerywasnowatanend,andmyonlyobjectinkeepingtheletterwastomakeitofsomefutureserviceinclearingupthelastmysterythatstillremainedtobaffleme—theparentageofAnneCatherickonthefather’sside.
Therewereoneortwosentencesdroppedinhermother’snarrative,whichitmightbeusefultorefertoagain,whenmattersofmoreimmediateimportanceallowedmeleisuretosearchforthemissingevidence.
Ididnotdespairofstillfindingthatevidence,andIhadlostnoneofmyanxietytodiscoverit,forIhadlostnoneofmyinterestintracingthefatherofthepoorcreaturewhonowlayatrestinMrs.Fairlie’sgrave.
Accordingly,Isealeduptheletterandputitawaycarefullyinmypocket-book,tobereferredtoagainwhenthetimecame.
ThenextdaywasmylastinHampshire.WhenIhadappearedagainbeforethemagistrateatKnowlesbury,andwhenIhadattendedattheadjournedinquest,IshouldbefreetoreturntoLondonbytheafternoonortheeveningtrain.
Myfirsterrandinthemorningwas,asusual,tothepost-office.
TheletterfromMarianwasthere,butIthoughtwhenitwashandedtomethatitfeltunusuallylight.Ianxiouslyopenedtheenvelope.
Therewasnothinginsidebutasmallstripofpaperfoldedintwo.
Thefewblottedhurriedly-writtenlineswhichweretracedonitcontainedthesewords:
“Comebackassoonasyoucan.Ihavebeenobligedtomove.
CometoGower’sWalk,Fulham(numberfive).Iwillbeonthelook-outforyou.
Don’tbealarmedaboutus,wearebothsafeandwell.Butcomeback.—Marian.”
Thenewswhichthoselinescontained—newswhichIinstantlyassociatedwithsomeattemptedtreacheryonthepartofCountFosco—fairlyoverwhelmedme.
Istoodbreathlesswiththepapercrumpledupinmyhand.Whathadhappened?
WhatsubtlewickednesshadtheCountplannedandexecutedinmyabsence?
AnighthadpassedsinceMarian’snotewaswritten—hoursmustelapsestillbeforeIcouldgetbacktothem—somenewdisastermighthavehappenedalreadyofwhichIwasignorant.
Andhere,milesandmilesawayfromthem,hereImustremain—held,doublyheld,atthedisposalofthelaw!
Ihardlyknowtowhatforgetfulnessofmyobligationsanxietyandalarmmightnothavetemptedme,butforthequietinginfluenceofmyfaithinMarian.
Myabsoluterelianceonherwastheoneearthlyconsiderationwhichhelpedmetorestrainmyself,andgavemecouragetowait.
Theinquestwasthefirstoftheimpedimentsinthewayofmyfreedomofaction.
Iattendeditattheappointedtime,thelegalformalitiesrequiringmypresenceintheroom,butasitturnedout,notcallingonmetorepeatmyevidence.
Thisuselessdelaywasahardtrial,althoughIdidmybesttoquietmyimpatiencebyfollowingthecourseoftheproceedingsascloselyasIcould.
TheLondonsolicitorofthedeceased(Mr.Merriman)wasamongthepersonspresent.
Buthewasquiteunabletoassisttheobjectsoftheinquiry.
Hecouldonlysaythathewasinexpressiblyshockedandastonished,andthathecouldthrownolightwhateveronthemysteriouscircumstancesofthecase.
Atintervalsduringtheadjournedinvestigation,hesuggestedquestionswhichtheCoronerput,butwhichledtonoresults.
Afterapatientinquiry,whichlastednearlythreehours,andwhichexhaustedeveryavailablesourceofinformation,thejurypronouncedthecustomaryverdictincasesofsuddendeathbyaccident.
Theyaddedtotheformaldecisionastatement,thattherehadbeennoevidencetoshowhowthekeyshadbeenabstracted,howthefirehadbeencaused,orwhatthepurposewasforwhichthedeceasedhadenteredthevestry.Thisactclosedtheproceedings.
Thelegalrepresentativeofthedeadmanwaslefttoprovideforthenecessitiesoftheinterment,andthewitnesseswerefreetoretire.
ResolvednottoloseaminuteingettingtoKnowlesbury,Ipaidmybillatthehotel,andhiredaflytotakemetothetown.
Agentlemanwhoheardmegivetheorder,andwhosawthatIwasgoingalone,informedmethathelivedintheneighbourhoodofKnowlesbury,andaskedifIwouldhaveanyobjectiontohisgettinghomebysharingtheflywithme.
Iacceptedhisproposalasamatterofcourse.
Ourconversationduringthedrivewasnaturallyoccupiedbytheoneabsorbingsubjectoflocalinterest.
MynewacquaintancehadsomeknowledgeofthelateSirPercival’ssolicitor,andheandMr.Merrimanhadbeendiscussingthestateofthedeceasedgentleman’saffairsandthesuccessiontotheproperty.
SirPercival’sembarrassmentsweresowellknownalloverthecountythathissolicitorcouldonlymakeavirtueofnecessityandplainlyacknowledgethem.
Hehaddiedwithoutleavingawill,andhehadnopersonalpropertytobequeath,evenifhehadmadeone,thewholefortunewhichhehadderivedfromhiswifehavingbeenswallowedupbyhiscreditors.
Theheirtotheestate(SirPercivalhavingleftnoissue)wasasonofSirFelixGlyde’sfirstcousin,anofficerincommandofanEastIndiaman.
Hewouldfindhisunexpectedinheritancesadlyencumbered,butthepropertywouldrecoverwithtime,and,if“thecaptain”wascareful,hemightbearichmanyetbeforehedied.
AbsorbedasIwasintheoneideaofgettingtoLondon,thisinformation(whicheventsprovedtobeperfectlycorrect)hadaninterestofitsowntoattractmyattention.
IthoughtitjustifiedmeinkeepingsecretmydiscoveryofSirPercival’sfraud.
Theheir,whoserightshehadusurped,wastheheirwhowouldnowhavetheestate.
Theincomefromit,forthelastthree-and-twentyyears,whichshouldproperlyhavebeenhis,andwhichthedeadmanhadsquanderedtothelastfarthing,wasgonebeyondrecall.
IfIspoke,myspeakingwouldconferadvantageonnoone.
IfIkeptthesecret,mysilenceconcealedthecharacterofthemanwhohadcheatedLauraintomarryinghim.
Forhersake,Iwishedtoconcealit—forhersake,still,Itellthisstoryunderfeignednames.
IpartedwithmychancecompanionatKnowlesbury,andwentatoncetothetown-hall.
AsIhadanticipated,noonewaspresenttoprosecutethecaseagainstme—thenecessaryformalitieswereobserved,andIwasdischarged.
OnleavingthecourtaletterfromMr.Dawsonwasputintomyhand.
Itinformedmethathewasabsentonprofessionalduty,anditreiteratedtheofferIhadalreadyreceivedfromhimofanyassistancewhichImightrequireathishands.
Iwroteback,warmlyacknowledgingmyobligationstohiskindness,andapologisingfornotexpressingmythankspersonally,inconsequenceofmyimmediaterecallonpressingbusinesstotown.
HalfanhourlaterIwasspeedingbacktoLondonbytheexpresstrain.
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