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Twomoreeventsremaintobeaddedtothechainbeforeitreachesfairlyfromtheoutsetofthestorytotheclose.
Whileournewsenseoffreedomfromthelongoppressionofthepastwasstillstrangetous,Iwassentforbythefriendwhohadgivenmemyfirstemploymentinwoodengraving,toreceivefromhimafreshtestimonyofhisregardformywelfare.
HehadbeencommissionedbyhisemployerstogotoParis,andtoexamineforthemafreshdiscoveryinthepracticalapplicationofhisArt,themeritsofwhichtheywereanxioustoascertain.
Hisownengagementshadnotallowedhimleisuretimetoundertaketheerrand,andhehadmostkindlysuggestedthatitshouldbetransferredtome.
Icouldhavenohesitationinthankfullyacceptingtheoffer,forifIacquittedmyselfofmycommissionasIhopedIshould,theresultwouldbeapermanentengagementontheillustratednewspaper,towhichIwasnowonlyoccasionallyattached.
Ireceivedmyinstructionsandpackedupforthejourneythenextday.
OnleavingLauraoncemore(underwhatchangedcircumstances!)
inhersister’scare,aseriousconsiderationrecurredtome,whichhadmorethanoncecrossedmywife’smind,aswellasmyown,already—ImeantheconsiderationofMarian’sfuture.
Hadweanyrighttoletourselfishaffectionacceptthedevotionofallthatgenerouslife?
Wasitnotourduty,ourbestexpressionofgratitude,toforgetourselves,andtothinkonlyofHER?
Itriedtosaythiswhenwewerealoneforamoment,beforeIwentaway.
Shetookmyhand,andsilencedmeatthefirstwords.
“Afterallthatwethreehavesufferedtogether,”shesaid“therecanbenopartingbetweenustillthelastpartingofall.
Myheartandmyhappiness,Walter,arewithLauraandyou.
Waitalittletilltherearechildren’svoicesatyourfireside.
IwillteachthemtospeakformeinTHEIRlanguage,andthefirstlessontheysaytotheirfatherandmothershallbe—Wecan’tspareouraunt!”
MyjourneytoPariswasnotundertakenalone.
AttheeleventhhourPescadecidedthathewouldaccompanyme.
HehadnotrecoveredhiscustomarycheerfulnesssincethenightattheOpera,andhedeterminedtotrywhataweek’sholidaywoulddotoraisehisspirits.
Iperformedtheerrandentrustedtome,anddrewoutthenecessaryreport,onthefourthdayfromourarrivalinParis.
ThefifthdayIarrangedtodevotetosight-seeingandamusementsinPesca’scompany.
Ourhotelhadbeentoofulltoaccommodateusbothonthesamefloor.
Myroomwasonthesecondstory,andPesca’swasaboveme,onthethird.
OnthemorningofthefifthdayIwentupstairstoseeiftheProfessorwasreadytogoout.
JustbeforeIreachedthelandingIsawhisdooropenedfromtheinside—along,delicate,nervoushand(notmyfriend’shandcertainly)helditajar.
AtthesametimeIheardPesca’svoicesayingeagerly,inlowtones,andinhisownlanguage—“Irememberthename,butIdon’tknowtheman.
YousawattheOperahewassochangedthatIcouldnotrecognisehim.
Iwillforwardthereport—Icandonomore.”
“Nomoreneedbedone,”answeredthesecondvoice.
Thedooropenedwide,andthelight-hairedmanwiththescaronhischeek—themanIhadseenfollowingCountFosco’scabaweekbefore—cameout.
HebowedasIdrewasidetolethimpass—hisfacewasfearfullypale—andheheldfastbythebanistersashedescendedthestairs.
IpushedopenthedoorandenteredPesca’sroom.Hewascrouchedup,inthestrangestmanner,inacornerofthesofa.HeseemedtoshrinkfrommewhenIapproachedhim.
“AmIdisturbingyou?”Iasked.“IdidnotknowyouhadafriendwithyoutillIsawhimcomeout.”
“Nofriend,”saidPescaeagerly.“Iseehimto-dayforthefirsttimeandthelast.”
“Iamafraidhehasbroughtyoubadnews?”
“Horriblenews,Walter!LetusgobacktoLondon—Idon’twanttostophere—IamsorryIevercame.
Themisfortunesofmyyouthareveryharduponme,”hesaid,turninghisfacetothewall,“veryharduponmeinmylatertime.
Itrytoforgetthem—andtheywillnotforgetME!”
“Wecan’treturn,Iamafraid,beforetheafternoon,”Ireplied.“Wouldyouliketocomeoutwithmeinthemeantime?”
“No,myfriend,Iwillwaithere.Butletusgobackto-day—prayletusgoback.”
IlefthimwiththeassurancethatheshouldleaveParisthatafternoon.
WehadarrangedtheeveningbeforetoascendtheCathedralofNotreDame,withVictorHugo’snobleromanceforourguide.
TherewasnothingintheFrenchcapitalthatIwasmoreanxioustosee,andIdepartedbymyselfforthechurch.
ApproachingNotreDamebytheriver-side,Ipassedonmywaytheterribledead-houseofParis—theMorgue.
Agreatcrowdclamouredandheavedroundthedoor.
Therewasevidentlysomethinginsidewhichexcitedthepopularcuriosity,andfedthepopularappetiteforhorror.
Ishouldhavewalkedontothechurchiftheconversationoftwomenandawomanontheoutskirtsofthecrowdhadnotcaughtmyear.
TheyhadjustcomeoutfromseeingthesightintheMorgue,andtheaccounttheyweregivingofthedeadbodytotheirneighboursdescribeditasthecorpseofaman—amanofimmensesize,withastrangemarkonhisleftarm.
ThemomentthosewordsreachedmeIstoppedandtookmyplacewiththecrowdgoingin.
SomedimforeshadowingofthetruthhadcrossedmymindwhenIheardPesca’svoicethroughtheopendoor,andwhenIsawthestranger’sfaceashepassedmeonthestairsofthehotel.
Nowthetruthitselfwasrevealedtome—revealedinthechancewordsthathadjustreachedmyears.
Othervengeancethanminehadfollowedthatfatedmanfromthetheatretohisowndoor—fromhisowndoortohisrefugeinParis.
Othervengeancethanminehadcalledhimtothedayofreckoning,andhadexactedfromhimthepenaltyofhislife.
ThemomentwhenIhadpointedhimouttoPescaatthetheatreinthehearingofthatstrangerbyourside,whowaslookingforhimtoo—wasthemomentthatsealedhisdoom.
Irememberedthestruggleinmyownheart,whenheandIstoodfacetoface—thestrugglebeforeIcouldlethimescapeme—andshudderedasIrecalledit.
Slowly,inchbyinch,Ipressedinwiththecrowd,movingnearerandnearertothegreatglassscreenthatpartsthedeadfromthelivingattheMorgue—nearerandnearer,tillIwasclosebehindthefrontrowofspectators,andcouldlookin.
Therehelay,unowned,unknown,exposedtotheflippantcuriosityofaFrenchmob!
Therewasthedreadfulendofthatlonglifeofdegradedabilityandheartlesscrime!
Hushedinthesublimereposeofdeath,thebroad,firm,massivefaceandheadfrontedussograndlythatthechatteringFrenchwomenaboutmeliftedtheirhandsinadmiration,andcriedinshrillchorus,“Ah,whatahandsomeman!”
Thewoundthathadkilledhimhadbeenstruckwithaknifeordaggerexactlyoverhisheart.
Noothertracesofviolenceappearedaboutthebodyexceptontheleftarm,andthere,exactlyintheplacewhereIhadseenthebrandonPesca’sarm,weretwodeepcutsintheshapeoftheletterT,whichentirelyobliteratedthemarkoftheBrotherhood.
Hisclothes,hungabovehim,showedthathehadbeenhimselfconsciousofhisdanger—theywereclothesthathaddisguisedhimasaFrenchartisan.
Forafewmoments,butnotforlonger,Iforcedmyselftoseethesethingsthroughtheglassscreen.
Icanwriteofthematnogreaterlength,forIsawnomore.
ThefewfactsinconnectionwithhisdeathwhichIsubsequentlyascertained(partlyfromPescaandpartlyfromothersources),maybestatedherebeforethesubjectisdismissedfromthesepages.
HisbodywastakenoutoftheSeineinthedisguisewhichIhavedescribed,nothingbeingfoundonhimwhichrevealedhisname,hisrank,orhisplaceofabode.
Thehandthatstruckhimwasnevertraced,andthecircumstancesunderwhichhewaskilledwereneverdiscovered.
IleaveotherstodrawtheirownconclusionsinreferencetothesecretoftheassassinationasIhavedrawnmine.
WhenIhaveintimatedthattheforeignerwiththescarwasamemberoftheBrotherhood(admittedinItalyafterPesca’sdeparturefromhisnativecountry),andwhenIhavefurtheraddedthatthetwocuts,intheformofaT,ontheleftarmofthedeadman,signifiedtheItalianword“Traditore,”andshowedthatjusticehadbeendonebytheBrotherhoodonatraitor,IhavecontributedallthatIknowtowardselucidatingthemysteryofCountFosco’sdeath.
ThebodywasidentifiedthedayafterIhadseenitbymeansofananonymousletteraddressedtohiswife.
HewasburiedbyMadameFoscointhecemeteryofPerelaChaise.
FreshfuneralwreathscontinuetothisdaytobehungontheornamentalbronzerailingsroundthetombbytheCountess’sownhand.
ShelivesinthestrictestretirementatVersailles.
Notlongsinceshepublishedabiographyofherdeceasedhusband.
Theworkthrowsnolightwhateveronthenamethatwasreallyhisownoronthesecrethistoryofhislife—itisalmostentirelydevotedtothepraiseofhisdomesticvirtues,theassertionofhisrareabilities,andtheenumerationofthehonoursconferredonhim.
Thecircumstancesattendinghisdeathareverybrieflynoticed,andaresummeduponthelastpageinthissentence—“HislifewasonelongassertionoftherightsofthearistocracyandthesacredprinciplesofOrder,andhediedamartyrtohiscause.”
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