domyselfanymoreharminyouramiableestimations——Iwillgetupandtakealittleairywalkofmyown。Dearladies，asyourexcellentSheridansaid，Igo——andleavemycharacterbehindme。”
Hegotup，putthecageonthetable，andpausedforamomenttocountthemiceinit。“One，two，three，four——Ha！”hecried，withalookofhorror，“where，inthenameofHeaven，isthefifth——theyoungest，thewhitest，themostamiableofall——myBenjaminofmice！”
NeitherLauranorIwereinanyfavorabledispositiontobeamused。
TheCount’sglibcynicismhadrevealedanewaspectofhisnaturefromwhichwebothrecoiled。Butitwasimpossibletoresistthecomicaldistressofsoverylargeamanatthelossofsoverysmallamouse。Welaughedinspiteofourselves；andwhenMadameFoscorosetosettheexampleofleavingtheboat-houseempty，sothatherhusbandmightsearchittoitsremotestcorners，werosealsotofollowherout。
Beforewehadtakenthreesteps，theCount’squickeyediscoveredthelostmouseundertheseatthatwehadbeenoccupying。Hepulledasidethebench，tookthelittleanimalupinhishand，andthensuddenlystopped，onhisknees，lookingintentlyataparticularplaceonthegroundjustbeneathhim。
Whenherosetohisfeetagain，hishandshooksothathecouldhardlyputthemousebackinthecage，andhisfacewasofafaintlividyellowhueallover。
“Percival！”hesaid，inawhisper。“Percival！comehere。”
SirPercivalhadpaidnoattentiontoanyofusforthelasttenminutes。
Hehadbeenentirelyabsorbedinwritingfiguresonthesand，andthenrubbingthemoutagainwiththepointofhisstick。
“What’sthematternow？”heasked，loungingcarelesslyintotheboat-house。
“Doyouseenothingthere？”saidtheCount，catchinghimnervouslybythecollarwithonehand，andpointingwiththeothertotheplacenearwhichhehadfoundthemouse。
“Iseeplentyofdrysand。”answeredSirPercival，“andaspotofdirtinthemiddleofit。”
“Notdirt。”whisperedtheCount，fasteningtheotherhandsuddenlyonSirPercival’scollar，andshakingitinhisagitation。
“Blood。”
Laurawasnearenoughtohearthelastword，softlyashewhisperedit。Sheturnedtomewithalookofterror。
“Nonsense，mydear。”Isaid。“Thereisnoneedtobealarmed。
Itisonlythebloodofapoorlittlestraydog。”
Everybodywasastonished，andeverybody’seyeswerefixedonmeinquiringly。
“Howdoyouknowthat？”askedSirPercival，speakingfirst。
“Ifoundthedoghere，dying，onthedaywhenyouallreturnedfromabroad。”Ireplied。“Thepoorcreaturehadstrayedintotheplantation，andhadbeenshotbyyourkeeper。”
“Whosedogwasit？”inquiredSirPercival。“Notoneofmine？”
“Didyoutrytosavethepoorthing？”askedLauraearnestly。“Surelyyoutriedtosaveit，Marian？”
“Yes。”Isaid，“thehousekeeperandIbothdidourbest——butthedogwasmortallywounded，andhediedunderourhands。”
“Whosedogwasit？”persistedSirPercival，repeatinghisquestionalittleirritably。“Oneofmine？”
“No，notoneofyours。”
“Whosethen？Didthehousekeeperknow？”
Thehousekeeper’sreportofMrs。Catherick’sdesiretoconcealhervisittoBlackwaterParkfromSirPercival’sknowledgerecurredtomymemorythemomentheputthatlastquestion，andIhalfdoubtedthediscretionofansweringit；butinmyanxietytoquietthegeneralalarm，Ihadthoughtlesslyadvancedtoofartodrawback，exceptattheriskofexcitingsuspicion，whichmightonlymakemattersworse。Therewasnothingforitbuttoansweratonce，withoutreferencetoresults。
“Yes。”Isaid。“Thehousekeeperknew。ShetoldmeitwasMrs。Catherick’sdog。”
SirPercivalhadhithertoremainedattheinnerendoftheboat-housewithCountFosco，whileIspoketohimfromthedoor。ButtheinstantMrs。Catherick’snamepassedmylipshepushedbytheCountroughly，andplacedhimselffacetofacewithmeundertheopendaylight。
“HowcamethehousekeepertoknowitwasMrs。Catherick’sdog？”heasked，fixinghiseyesonminewithafrowninginterestandattention，whichhalfangered，halfstartledme。
“Sheknewit。”Isaidquietly，“becauseMrs。Catherickbroughtthedogwithher。”
“Broughtitwithher？Wheredidshebringitwithher？”
“Tothishouse。”
“WhatthedevildidMrs。Catherickwantatthishouse？”
Themannerinwhichheputthequestionwasevenmoreoffensivethanthelanguageinwhichheexpressedit。Imarkedmysenseofhiswantofcommonpolitenessbysilentlyturningawayfromhim。
JustasImovedtheCount’spersuasivehandwaslaidonhisshoulder，andtheCount’smellifluousvoiceinterposedtoquiethim。
“MydearPercival！——gently——gently！”
SirPercivallookedroundinhisangriestmanner。TheCountonlysmiledandrepeatedthesoothingapplication。
“Gently，mygoodfriend——gently！”
SirPercivalhesitated，followedmeafewsteps，and，tomygreatsurprise，offeredmeanapology。
“Ibegyourpardon，MissHalcombe。”hesaid。“Ihavebeenoutoforderlately，andIamafraidIamalittleirritable。ButI
shouldliketoknowwhatMrs。Catherickcouldpossiblywanthere。Whendidshecome？Wasthehousekeepertheonlypersonwhosawher？”
“Theonlyperson。”Ianswered，“sofarasIknow。”
TheCountinterposedagain。
“Inthatcasewhynotquestionthehousekeeper？”hesaid。“Whynotgo，Percival，tothefountain-headofinformationatonce？”
“Quiteright！”saidSirPercival。“Ofcoursethehousekeeperisthefirstpersontoquestion。Excessivelystupidofmenottoseeitmyself。”Withthosewordsheinstantlyleftustoreturntothehouse。
ThemotiveoftheCount’sinterference，whichhadpuzzledmeatfirst，betrayeditselfwhenSirPercival’sbackwasturned。HehadahostofquestionstoputtomeaboutMrs。Catherick，andthecauseofhervisittoBlackwaterPark，whichhecouldscarcelyhaveaskedinhisfriend’spresence。ImademyanswersasshortasIcivillycould，forIhadalreadydeterminedtochecktheleastapproachtoanyexchangingofconfidencesbetweenCountFoscoandmyself。Laura，however，unconsciouslyhelpedhimtoextractallmyinformation，bymakinginquiriesherself，whichleftmenoalternativebuttoreplytoher，ortoappearintheveryunenviableandveryfalsecharacterofadepositaryofSirPercival’ssecrets。Theendofitwas，that，inabouttenminutes’time，theCountknewasmuchasIknowofMrs。Catherick，andoftheeventswhichhavesostrangelyconnecteduswithherdaughter，Anne，fromthetimewhenCartrightmetwithhertothisday。
Theeffectofmyinformationonhimwas，inonerespect，curiousenough。
IntimatelyasheknowsSirPercival，andcloselyasheappearstobeassociatedwithSirPercival’sprivateaffairsingeneral，heiscertainlyasfarasIamfromknowinganythingofthetruestoryofAnneCatherick。Theunsolvedmysteryinconnectionwiththisunhappywomanisnowrendereddoublysuspicious，inmyeyes，bytheabsoluteconvictionwhichIfeel，thatthecluetoithasbeenhiddenbySirPercivalfromthemostintimatefriendhehasintheworld。
ItwasimpossibletomistaketheeagercuriosityoftheCount’slookandmannerwhilehedrankingreedilyeverywordthatfellfrommylips。
Therearemanykindsofcuriosity，Iknow——butthereisnomisinterpretingthecuriosityofblanksurprise：ifIeversawitinmylifeIsawitintheCount’sface。
Whilethequestionsandanswersweregoingon，wehadallbeenstrollingquietlybackthroughtheplantation。AssoonaswereachedthehousethefirstobjectthatwesawinfrontofitwasSirPercival’sdog-cart，withthehorseputtoandthegroomwaitingbyitinhisstable-jacket。Iftheseunexpectedappearancesweretobetrusted，theexaminationofthehouse-keeperhadproducedimportantresultsalready。
“Afinehorse，myfriend。”saidtheCount，addressingthegroomwiththemostengagingfamiliarityofmanner，“Youaregoingtodriveout？”
“Iamnotgoing，sir。”repliedtheman，lookingathisstable-jacket，andevidentlywonderingwhethertheforeigngentlemantookitforhislivery。“Mymasterdriveshimself。”
“Aha！”saidtheCount，“doesheindeed？Iwonderhegiveshimselfthetroublewhenhehasgotyoutodriveforhim。Ishegoingtofatiguethatnice，shining，prettyhorsebytakinghimveryfarto-day？”
“Idon’tknow，sir。”answeredtheman。“Thehorseisamare，ifyouplease，sir。She’sthehighest-couragedthingwe’vegotinthestables。Hername’sBrownMolly，sir，andshe’llgotillshedrops。SirPercivalusuallytakesIsaacofYorkfortheshortdistances。”