TheCountesscameintothehallratherhastily，andaskedifIhadleisureenoughforfiveminutes’privateconversation。Feelingalittlesurprisedbysuchanappealfromsuchaperson，Iputmyletterintothebag，andrepliedthatIwasquiteatherdisposal。Shetookmyarmwithunaccustomedfriendlinessandfamiliarity，andinsteadofleadingmeintoanemptyroom，drewmeoutwithhertothebeltofturfwhichsurroundedthelargefish-pond。
AswepassedtheCountonthestepshebowedandsmiled，andthenwentatonceintothehouse，pushingthehalldoortoafterhim，butnotactuallyclosingit。
TheCountesswalkedmegentlyroundthefish-pond。Iexpectedtobemadethedepositaryofsomeextraordinaryconfidence，andIwasastonishedtofindthatMadameFosco’scommunicationformyprivateearwasnothingmorethanapoliteassuranceofhersympathyforme，afterwhathadhappenedinthelibrary。Herhusbandhadtoldherofallthathadpassed，andoftheinsolentmannerinwhichSirPercivalhadspokentome。Thisinformationhadsoshockedanddistressedher，onmyaccountandonLaura’s，thatshehadmadeuphermind，ifanythingofthesorthappenedagain，tomarkhersenseofSirPercival’soutrageousconductbyleavingthehouse。TheCounthadapprovedofheridea，andshenowhopedthatIapprovedofittoo。
IthoughtthisaverystrangeproceedingonthepartofsucharemarkablyreservedwomanasMadameFosco，especiallyaftertheinterchangeofsharpspeecheswhichhadpassedbetweenusduringtheconversationintheboat-houseonthatverymorning。However，itwasmyplaindutytomeetapoliteandfriendlyadvanceonthepartofoneofmyelderswithapoliteandfriendlyreply。IansweredtheCountessaccordinglyinherowntone，andthen，thinkingwehadsaidallthatwasnecessaryoneitherside，madeanattempttogetbacktothehouse。
ButMadameFoscoseemedresolvednottopartwithme，andtomyunspeakableamazement，resolvedalsototalk。Hithertothemostsilentofwomen，shenowpersecutedmewithfluentconventionalitiesonthesubjectofmarriedlife，onthesubjectofSirPercivalandLaura，onthesubjectofherownhappiness，onthesubjectofthelateMrFairlie’sconducttoherinthematterofherlegacy，andonhalfadozenothersubjectsbesides，untilshehaddetainedmewalkingroundandroundthefishpondformorethanhalfanhour，andhadquiteweariedmeout。Whethershediscoveredthisornot，Icannotsay，butshestoppedasabruptlyasshehadbegun——lookedtowardsthehousedoor，resumedhericymannerinamoment，anddroppedmyarmofherownaccordbeforeIcouldthinkofanexcuseforaccomplishingmyownreleasefromher。
AsIpushedopenthedoorandenteredthehall，IfoundmyselfsuddenlyfacetofacewiththeCountagain。Hewasjustputtingaletterintothepost-bag。
Afterhehaddroppeditinandhadclosedthebag，heaskedwhereI
hadleftMadameFosco。Itoldhim，andhewentoutatthehalldoorimmediatelytojoinhiswife。HismannerwhenhespoketomewassounusuallyquietandsubduedthatIturnedandlookedafterhim，wonderingifhewereilloroutofspirits。
Whymynextproceedingwastogostraightuptothepost-bagandtakeoutmyownletterandlookatitagain，withavaguedistrustonme，andwhythelookingatitforthesecondtimeinstantlysuggestedtheideatomymindofsealingtheenvelopeforitsgreatersecurity——aremysterieswhichareeithertoodeeportooshallowformetofathom。Women，aseverybodyknows，constantlyactonimpulseswhichtheycannotexplaineventothemselves，andIcanonlysupposethatoneofthoseimpulseswasthehiddencauseofmyunaccountableconductonthisoccasion。
Whateverinfluenceanimatedme，IfoundcausetocongratulatemyselfonhavingobeyeditassoonasIpreparedtosealtheletterinmyownroom。Ihadoriginallyclosedtheenvelopeintheusualwaybymoisteningtheadhesivepointandpressingitonthepaperbeneath，andwhenInowtrieditwithmyfinger，afteralapseoffullthree-quartersofanhour，theenvelopeopenedontheinstant，withoutstickingortearing。PerhapsIhadfasteneditinsufficiently？Perhapstheremighthavebeensomedefectintheadhesivegum？
Or，perhaps——No！itisquiterevoltingenoughtofeelthatthirdconjecturestirringinmymind。Iwouldrathernotseeitconfrontingmeinplainblackandwhite。
Ialmostdreadtomorrow——somuchdependsonmydiscretionandself-control。
Therearetwoprecautions，atallevents，whichIamsurenottoforget。
ImustbecarefultokeepupfriendlyappearanceswiththeCount，andI
mustbewellonmyguardwhenthemessengerfromtheofficecomesherewiththeanswertomyletter。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter16[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter16June17th——Whenthedinnerhourbroughtustogetheragain，CountFoscowasinhisusualexcellentspirits。Heexertedhimselftointerestandamuseus，asifhewasdeterminedtoeffacefromourmemoriesallrecollectionofwhathadpassedinthelibrarythatafternoon。Livelydescriptionsofhisadventuresintravelling，amusinganecdotesofremarkablepeoplewhomhehadmetwithabroad，quaintcomparisonsbetweenthesocialcustomsofvariousnations，illustratedbyexamplesdrawnfrommenandwomenindiscriminatelyalloverEurope，humorousconfessionsoftheinnocentfolliesofhisownearlylife，whenheruledthefashionsofasecond-rateItaliantown，andwrotepreposterousromancesontheFrenchmodelforasecond-rateItaliannewspaper——allflowedinsuccessionsoeasilyandsogailyfromhislips，andalladdressedourvariouscuriositiesandvariousinterestssodirectlyandsodelicately，thatLauraandIlistenedtohimwithasmuchattentionand，inconsistentasitmayseem，with，asmuchadmirationalso，asMadameFoscoherself。Womencanresistaman’slove，aman’sfame，amanspersonalappearance，andaman’smoney，buttheycannotresistaman’stonguewhenheknowshowtotalktothem。
Afterdinner，whilethefavourableimpressionwhichhehadproducedonuswasstillvividinourminds，theCountmodestlywithdrewtoreadinthelibrary。
Lauraproposedastrollinthegroundstoenjoythecloseofthelongevening。Itwasnecessaryir。commonpolitenesstoaskMadameFoscotojoinus，butthistimeshehadapparentlyreceivedherordersbeforehand，andshebeggedwewouldkindlyexcuseher。`TheCountwillprobablywantafreshsupplyofcigarettes，’sheremarkedbywayofapology，`andnobodycanmakethemtohissatisfactionbutmyself。’Hercoldblueeyesalmostwarmedasshespokethewords——shelookedactuallyproudofbeingtheofficiatingmediumthroughwhichherlordandmastercomposedhimselfwithtobacco-smoke！
LauraandIwentouttogetheralone。
Itwasamisty，heavyevening。Therewasasenseofblightintheair；
theflowersweredroopinginthegarden，andthegroundwasparchedanddewless。Thewesternheaven，aswesawitoverthequiettrees，wasofapaleyellowhue，andthesunwassettingfaintlyinahaze。Comingrainseemednear——itwouldfallprobablywiththefallofnight。
`Whichwayshallwego？’Iasked。
`Towardsthelake，Marian，ifyoulike，’sheanswered。
`Youseemunaccountablyfond，Laura，ofthatdismallake。’
`No，notofthelakebutofthesceneryaboutit。Thesandandheathandthefir-treesaretheonlyobjectsIcandiscover，inallthislargeplace，toremindmeofLimmeridge。Butwewillwalkinsomeotherdirectionifyoupreferit。’
`IhavenofavouritewalksatBlackwaterPark，mylove。Oneisthesameasanothertome。Letusgotothelake——wemayfinditcoolerintheopenspacethanwefindithere。’
Wewalkedthroughtheshadowyplantationinsilence。Theheavinessintheeveningairoppressedusboth，andwhenwereachedtheboat-houseweweregladtositdownandrestinside。
Awhitefoghunglowoverthelake。Thedensebrownlineofthetreesontheoppositebankappearedaboveit，likeadwarfforestfloatinginthesky。Thesandyground，shelvingdownwardfromwherewesat，waslostmysteriouslyintheoutwardlayersofthefog。Thesilencewashorrible。
Norustlingoftheleaves——nobird’snoteinthewood——nocryofwater-fowlfromthepoolsofthehiddenlake。Eventhecroakingofthefrogshadceasedtonight`Itisverydesolateandgloomy，’saidLaura。`Butwecanbemorealoneherethananywhereelse。’
Shespokequietlyandlookedatthewildernessofsandandmistwithsteady，thoughtfuleyes。Icouldseethathermindwastoomuchoccupiedtofeelthedrearyimpressionsfromwithoutwhichhadfastenedthemselvesalreadyonmine。
`Ipromised，Marian，totellyouthetruthaboutmymarriedlife，insteadofleavingyouanylongertoguessitforyourself，’shebegan。`ThatsecretisthefirstIhaveeverhadfromyou，love，andIamdetermineditshallbethelast。Iwassilent，asyouknow，foryoursake——andperhapsalittleformyownsakeaswell。Itisveryhardforawomantoconfessthatthemantowhomshehasgivenherwholelifeisthemanofallotherswhocaresleastforthegift。Ifyouweremarriedyourself，Marian——andespeciallyifyouwerehappilymarried——youwouldfeelformeasnosinglewomancanfeel，howeverkindandtrueshemaybe。’
WhatanswercouldImake？Icouldonlytakeherhandandlookatherwithmywholeheartaswellasmyeyeswouldletme。
`Howoften，’shewenton，`Ihaveheardyoulaughingoverwhatyouusedtocallyour``poverty！’’howoftenyouhavemadememock-speechesofcongratulationonmywealth！Oh，Marian，neverlaughagain。ThankGodforyourpoverty——ithasmadeyouyourownmistress，andhassavedyoufromthelotthathasfallenonme。’
Asadbeginningonthelipsofayoungwife！——sadinitsquiet，plain-spokentruth。ThefewdayswehadallpassedtogetheratBlackwaterParkhadbeenmanyenoughtoshowme——toshowanyone——whatherhusbandhadmarriedherfor。
`Youshallnotbedistressed，’shesaid，`byhearinghowsoonmydisappointmentsandmytrialsbegan——orevenbyknowingwhattheywere。Itisbadenoughtohavethemonmymemory。IfItellyouhowhereceivedthefirstandlastattemptatremonstrancethatIevermade，youwillknowhowhehasalwaystreatedme，aswellasifIhaddescribeditinsomanywords。
ItwasonedayatRomewhenwehadriddenouttogethertothetombofCeciliaMetella。Theskywascalmandlovely，andthegrandoldruinlookedbeautiful，andtheremembrancethatahusband’slovehadraiseditintheoldtimetoawife’smemory，mademefeelmoretenderlyandmoreanxiouslytowardsmyhusbandthanIhadeverfeltyet。``Wouldyoubuildsuchatombforme，Percival？’’Iaskedhim。``Yousaidyoulovedmedearlybeforeweweremarried，andyet，sincethattime——’’Icouldgetnofarther。