Theattemptisatleastworthmaking，andtomorrowIamdetermineditshallbemade。’
`Andsupposeitfails——Ilookattheworstnow，Walter；butIwilllookatthebestifdisappointmentscometotryus——supposenoonecanhelpyouatBlackwater？’
`Therearetwomenwhocanhelpme，andshallhelpme，inLondon——
SirPercivalandtheCount。Innocentpeoplemaywellforgetthedate——
buttheyareguilty，andtheyknowit。IfIfaileverywhereelse，Imeantoforceaconfessionoutofoneorbothofthemonmyownterms。’
AllthewomanflushedupinMarian’sfaceasIspoke。
`BeginwiththeCount，’shewhisperedeagerly。`FormysakebeginwiththeCount。’
`Wemustbegin，forLaura’ssake，wherethereisthebestchanceofsuccess，’Ireplied。
Thecolourfadedfromherfaceagain，andsheshookherheadsadly。
`Yes，’shesaid，`youareright——itwasmeanandmiserableofmetosaythat。Itrytobepatient，Walter，andsucceedbetternowthanIdidinhappiertimes。ButIhavealittleofmyoldtemperstillleft，anditwillgetthebetterofmewhenIthinkoftheCount！’
`Histurnwillcome，’Isaid。`Butremember，thereisnoweakplaceinhislifethatweknowofyet。’Iwaitedalittletoletherrecoverherself-possession，andthenspokethedecisivewords——
`Marian！ThereisaweakplacewebothknowofinSirPercival’slife。’
`YoumeantheSecret！’
`Yes：theSecret。Itisouronlysureholdonhim。Icanforcehimfromhispositionofsecurity，Icandraghimandhisvillainyintothefaceofday，bynoothermeans。WhatevertheCountmayhavedone，SirPercivalhasconsentedtotheconspiracyagainstLaurafromanothermotivebesidesthemotiveofgain。YouheardhimtelltheCountthathebelievedhiswifeknewenoughtoruinhim？YouheardhimsaythathewasalostmanifthesecretofAnneCatherickwasknown？’
`Yes！yes！Idid。’
`Well，Marian，whenourotherresourceshavefailedus，ImeantoknowtheSecret。Myoldsuperstitionclingstome，evenyet。Isayagainthewomaninwhiteisalivinginfluenceinourthreelives。TheEndisappointed——theEndisdrawinguson——andAnneCatherick，deadinhergrave，pointsthewaytoitstill！’
[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter30[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter30VThestoryofmyfirstinquiriesinHampshireissoontold。
MyearlydeparturefromLondonenabledmetoreachMrDawson’shouseintheforenoon。Ourinterview，sofarastheobjectofmyvisitwasconcerned，ledtonosatisfactoryresult。
MrDawson’sbookscertainlyshowedwhenhehadresumedhisattendanceonMissHalcombeatBlackwaterPark，butitwasnotpossibletocalculatebackfromthisdatewithanyexactness，withoutsuchhelpfromMrsMichelsonasIknewshewasunabletoafford。Shecouldnotsayfrommemorywho，insimilarcases，evercan？howmanydayshadelapsedbetweentherenewalofthedoctor’sattendanceonhispatientandthepreviousdepartureofLadyGlyde。ShewasalmostcertainofhavingmentionedthecircumstanceofthedeparturetoMissHalcombe，onthedayafterithappened——butthenshewasnomoreabletofixthedateofthedayonwhichthisdisclosuretookplace，thantofixthedateofthedaybefore，whenLadyGlydehadleftforLondon。Neithercouldshecalculate，withanynearerapproachtoexactness，thetimethathadpassedfromthedepartureofhermistress，tothePeriodwhentheundatedletterfromMadameFoscoarrived。Lastly，asiftocompletetheseriesofdifficulties，thedoctorhimself，havingbeenillatthetime，hadomittedtomakehisusualentryofthedayoftheweekandmonthwhenthegardenerfromBlackwaterParkhadcalledonhimtodeliverMrsMichelson’smessage。
HopelessofobtainingassistancefromMrDawson，IresolvedtotrynextifIcouldestablishthedateofSirPercival’sarrivalatKnowlesbury。
Itseemedlikeafatality！WhenIreachedKnowlesburytheinnwasshutup，andbillswerepostedonthewalls。Thespeculationhadbeenabadone，asIwasinformed，eversincethetimeoftherailway。Thenewhotelatthestationhadgraduallyabsorbedthebusiness，19andtheoldinnwhichweknewtobetheinnatwhichSirPercivalhadputup，hadbeenclosedabouttwomonthssince。Theproprietorhadleftthetownwithallhisgoodsandchattels，andwherehehadgoneIcouldnotpositivelyascertainfromanyone。ThefourpeopleofwhomIinquiredgavemefourdifferentaccountsofhisplansandprojectswhenheleftKnowlesbury。
TherewerestillsomehourstosparebeforethelasttrainleftforLondon，andIdrovebackagaininaflyfromtheKnowlesburystationtoBlackwaterPark，withthepurposeofquestioningthegardenerandthepersonwhokeptthelodge。Ifthey，too，provedunabletoassistme，myresourcesforthepresentwereatanend，andImightreturntotown。
Idismissedtheflyamiledistantfromthepark，andgettingmydirectionsfromthedriver，proceededbymyselftothehouse。
AsIturnedintothelanefromthehigh-road，Isawaman，withacarpet-bag，walkingbeforemerapidlyonthewaytothelodge。Hewasalittleman，dressedinshabbyblack，andwearingaremarkablylargehat。Isethimdownaswellasitwaspossibletojudgeforalawyer’sclerk，andstoppedatoncetowidenthedistancebetweenus。Hehadnotheardme，andhewalkedonoutofsight，withoutlookingback。WhenIpassedthroughthegatesmyself，alittlewhileafterwards，hewasnotvisible——hehadevidentlygoneontothehouse。
Thereweretwowomeninthelodge。Oneofthemwasold，theotherI
knewatonce，byMarian’sdescriptionofher，tobeMargaretPorcher。
IaskedfirstifSirPercivalwasatthePark，andreceivingareplyinthenegative，inquirednextwhenhehadleftit。Neitherofthewomencouldtellmemorethanthathehadgoneawayinthesummer。IcouldextractnothingfromMargaretPorcherbutvacantsmilesandshakingsofthehead。
Theoldwomanwasalittlemoreintelligent，andImanagedtoleadherintospeakingofthemannerofSirPercival’sdeparture，andofthealarmthatitcausedher。Sherememberedhermastercallingheroutofbed，andrememberedhisfrighteningherbyswearing——butthedateatwhichtheoccurrencehappenedwas，asshehonestlyacknowledged，`quitebeyondher。’
OnleavingthelodgeIsawthegardeneratworknotfaroff。WhenI
firstaddressedhim，helookedatmeratherdistrustfully，butonmyusingMrsMichelson’sname，withacivilreferencetohimself，heenteredintoconversationreadilyenough。Thereisnoneedtodescribewhatpassedbetweenus——itended，asallmyotherattemptstodiscoverthedatehadended。
Thegardenerknewthathismasterhaddrivenaway，atnight，`sometimeinJuly，thelastfortnightorthelasttendaysinthemonth’——andknewnomore。
WhilewewerespeakingtogetherIsawthemaninblack，withthelargehat，comeoutfromthehouse，andstandatsomelittledistanceobservingus。
CertainsuspicionsofhiserrandatBlackwaterParkhadalreadycrossedmymind。Theywerenowincreasedbythegardener’sinabilityorunwillingness
totellmewhothemanwas，andIdeterminedtoclearthewaybeforeme，ifpossible，byspeakingtohim。TheplainestquestionIcouldputasastrangerwouldbetoinquireifthehousewasallowedtobeshowntovisitors。
Iwalkeduptothemanatonce，andaccostedhiminthosewords。
HislookandmannerunmistakablybetrayedthatheknewwhoIwas，andthathewantedtoirritatemeintoquarrellingwithhim。Hisreplywasinsolentenoughtohaveansweredthepurpose，ifIhadbeenlessdeterminedtocontrolmyself。Asitwas，Imethimwiththemostresolutepoliteness，apologisedformyinvoluntaryintrusionwhichhecalleda`trespass，’
andleftthegrounds。ItwasexactlyasIsuspected。TherecognitionofmewhenIleftMrKyrle’sofficehadbeenevidentlycommunicatedtoSirPercivalGlyde，andthemaninblackhadbeensenttotheParkinanticipationofmymakinginquiriesatthehouseorintheneighbourhood。IfIhadgivenhimtheleastchanceoflodginganysortoflegalcomplaintagainstme，theinterferenceofthelocalmagistratewouldnodoubthavebeenturnedtoaccountasaclogonmyproceedings，andameansofseparatingmefromMarianandLauraforsomedaysatleast。
IwaspreparedtobewatchedonthewayfromBlackwaterParktothestation，exactlyasIhadbeenwatchedinLondonthedaybefore-ButI
couldnotdiscoveratthetime，whetherIwasreallyfollowedonthisoccasionornot。ThemaninblackmighthavehadmeansoftrackingmeathisdisposalofwhichIwasnotaware，butIcertainlysawnothingofhim，inhisownperson，eitheronthewaytothestation，orafterwardsonmyarrivalattheLondonterminusintheevening。Ireachedhomeonfoot，takingtheprecaution，beforeIapproachedourowndoor，ofwalkingroundbythelonelieststreetintheneighbourhood，andtherestoppingandlookingbackmorethanonceovertheopenspacebehindme。IhadfirstlearnttousethisstratagemagainstsuspectedtreacheryinthewildsofCentralAmerica——andnowIwaspractisingitagain，withthesamepurposeandwithevengreatercaution，intheheartofcivilisedLondonI
NothinghadhappenedtoalarmMarianduringmyabsence。SheaskedeagerlywhatsuccessIhadmetwith。WhenItoldhershecouldnotconcealhersurpriseattheindifferencewithwhichIspokeofthefailureofmyinvestigationsthusfar。
Thetruthwas，thattheill-successofmyinquirieshadinnosensedauntedme。Ihadpursuedthemasamatterofduty，andIhadexpectednothingfromthem。Inthestateofmymindatthattime，itwasalmostarelieftometoknowthatthestrugglewasnownarrowedtoatrialofstrengthbetweenmyselfandSirPercivalGlyde。Thevindictivemotivehadmingleditselfallalongwithmyotherandbettermotives，andIconfessitwasasatisfactiontometofeelthatthesurestway，theonlywayleft，ofservingLaura’scause，wastofastenmyholdfirmlyonthevillainwhohadmarriedher。