Thefirstsoundsthatreachedmefrombelowwerecausedbytheopeningorclosingmostprobablythelatterofthreedoorsinsuccession——thedoors，nodoubt，leadingintothehallandintotheroomsoneachsideofthelibrary，whichtheCounthadpledgedhimselftoexamine。ThefirstobjectthatIsawwastheredsparkagaintravellingoutintothenightfromundertheverandah，movingawaytowardsmywindow，waitingamoment，andthenreturningtotheplacefromwhichithadsetout。
`Thedeviltakeyourrestlessness！Whendoyoumeantositdown？’growledSirPercival’svoicebeneathme。
`Ouf！howhotitis！’saidtheCount，sighingandpuffingwearily。
Hisexclamationwasfollowedbythescrapingofthegardenchairsonthetiledpavementundertheverandah——thewelcomesoundwhichtoldmetheyweregoingtositcloseatthewindowasusual。Sofarthechancewasmine。Theclockintheturretstruckthequartertotwelveastheysettledthemselvesintheirchairs。IheardMadameFoscothroughtheopenwindowyawning，andsawhershadowpassoncemoreacrossthewhitefieldoftheblind。
Meanwhile，SirPercivalandtheCountbegantalkingtogetherbelow，nowandthendroppingtheirvoicesalittlelowerthanusual，butneversinkingthemtoawhisper。Thestrangenessandperilofmysituation，thedread，whichIcouldnotmaster，ofMadameFosco’slightedwindow，madeitdifficult，almostimpossible，forme，atfirst，tokeepmypresenceofmind，andtofixmyattentionsolelyontheconversationbeneath。ForsomeminutesIcouldonlysucceedingatheringthegeneralsubstanceofit。IunderstoodtheCounttosaythattheonewindowalightwashiswife’s，thatthegroundfloorofthehousewasquiteclear，andthattheymightnowspeaktoeachotherwithoutfearofaccidents。Sirpercivalmerelyansweredbyupbraidinghisfriendwithhavingunjustifiably-slightedhiswishesandneglectedhisinterestsallthroughtheday。TheCountthereupondefendedhimselfbydeclaringthathehadbeenbesetbycertaintroublesandanxietieswhichhadabsorbedallhisattention，andthattheonlysafetimetocometoanexplanationwasatimewhentheycouldfeelcertainofbeingneitherinterruptednoroverheard。`Weareataseriouscrisisinouraffairs，Percival，’hesaid，`andifwearetodecideonthefutureatall，wemustdecidesecretlytonight’