MyjourneytoPariswasnotundertakenalone。AttheeleventhhourPescadecidedthathewouldaccompanyme。HehadnotrecoveredhiscustomarycheerfulnesssincethenightattheOpera，andhedeterminedtotrywhataweek’sholidaywoulddotoraisehisspirits。
Iperformedtheerrandentrustedtome，anddrewoutthenecessaryreport，onthefourthdayfromourarrivalinParis。ThefifthdayIarrangedtodevotetosight-seeingandamusementsinPesca’scompany。
Ourhotelhadbeentoofulltoaccommodateusbothonthesamefloor。
Myroomwasonthesecondstorey，andPesca’swasaboveme，onthethird。
OnthemorningofthefifthdayIwentupstairstoseeiftheProfessorwasreadytogoout。rustbeforeIreachedthelandingIsawhisdooropenedfromtheinside——along，delicate，nervoushandnotmyfriend’shandcertainlyhelditajar。AtthesametimeIheardPesca’svoicesayingeagerly，inlowtones，andinhisownlanguage——`Irememberthename，butIdon’tknowtheman。YousawattheOperahewassochangedthatI
couldnotrecognisehim。Iwillforwardthereport——Icandonomore。’
`Nomoreneedbedone，’answeredthesecondvoice。Thedooropenedwide，andthelight-hairedmanwiththescaronhischeek——themanIhadseenfollowingCountFosco’scabaweekbefore——cameout。HebowedasIdrewasidetolethimpass——hisfacewasfearfullypale——andheheldfastbythebanistersashedescendedthestairs。
IpushedopenthedoorandenteredPesca’sroom。Hewascrouchedup，inthestrangestmanner，inacornerofthesofa。HeseemedtoshrinkfrommewhenIapproachedhim。
`AmIdisturbingyou？’Iasked。`IdidnotknowyouhadafriendwithyoutillIsawhimcomeout。’
`Nofriend，’saidPescaeagerly。`Iseehimtodayforthefirsttimeandthelast。’
`Iamafraidhehasbroughtyoubadnews？’
`Horriblenews，Walter！LetusgobacktoLondon——Idon’twanttostophere——IamsorryIevercame。Themisfortunesofmyyouthareveryharduponme，’hesaid，turninghisfacetothewall，`veryharduponmeinmylatertime。Itrytoforgetthem——andtheywillnotforgetme！’
`Wecan’treturn，Iamafraid，beforetheafternoon，’Ireplied。`Wouldyouliketocomeoutwithmeinthemeantime？’
`No，myfriend，Iwillwaithere。Butletusgobacktoday——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。
ThefewfactsinconnectionwithhisdeathwhichIsubsequentlyascertainedpartlyfromPescaandpartlyfromothersources，maybestatedherebeforethesubjectisdismissedfromthesepages。
HisbodywastakenoutoftheSeineinthedisguisewhichIhavedescribed，nothingbeingfoundonhimwhichrevealedhisname，hisrank，orhisplaceofabode。Thehandthatstruckhimwasnevertraced，andthecircumstancesunderwhichhewaskilledwereneverdiscovered。IleaveotherstodrawtheirownconclusionsinreferencetothesecretoftheassassinationasIhavedrawnmine。WhenIhaveintimatedthattheforeignerwiththescarwasamemberoftheBrotherhoodadmittedinItalyafterPesca’sdeparturefromhisnativecountry，andwhenIhavefurtheraddedthatthetwocuts，intheformofaT，ontheleftarmofthedeadman，signifiedtheItalianword`Traditore，’andshowedthatjusticehadbeendonebytheBrotherhoodonatraitor，IhavecontributedallthatIknowtowardselucidatingthemysteryofCountFosco’sdeath。
ThebodywasidentifiedthedayafterIhadseenitbymeansofananonymousletteraddressedtohiswife。HewasburiedbyMadameFoscointhecemeteryofPerelaChaise。FreshfuneralwreathscontinuetothisdaytobehungontheornamentalbronzerailingsroundthetombbytheCountess’sownhand。ShelivesinthestrictestretirementatVersailles。Notlongsinceshepublishedabiographyofherdeceasedhusband。Theworkthrowsnolightwhateveronthenamethatwasreallyhisownoronthesecrethistoryofhislife——itisalmostentirelydevotedtothepraiseofhisdomesticvirtues，theassertionofhisrareabilities，andtheenumerationofthehonoursconferredonhim。Thecircumstancesattendinghisdeathareverybrieflynoticed，andaresummeduponthelastpageinthissentence——
`HislifewasonelongassertionoftherightsofthearistocracyandthesacredprinciplesofOrder，andhediedamartyrtohiscause。’IIIThesummerandautumnpassedaftermyreturnfromParis，andbroughtnochangeswiththemwhichneedbenoticedhere。WelivedsosimplyandquietlythattheincomewhichIwasnowsteadilyearningsufficedforallourwants。
IntheFebruaryofthenewyearourfirstchildwasborn——ason。MymotherandsisterandMrsVeseywereourguestsatthelittlechristeningparty，andMrsClementswaspresenttoassistmywifeonthesameoccasion。
Marianwasourboy’sgodmother，andPescaandMrGilmorethelatteractingbyproxywerehisgodfathers。ImayaddherethatwhenMrGilmorereturnedtousayearlaterheassistedthedesignofthesepages，atmyrequest，bywritingtheNarrativewhichappearsearlyinthestoryunderhisname，andwhich，thoughfirstinorderofprecedence，wasthus，inorderoftime，thelastthatIreceived。
Theonlyeventinourliveswhichnowremainstoberecorded，occurredwhenourlittleWalterwassixmonthsold，AtthattimeIwassenttoIrelandtomakesketchesforcertainforthcomingillustrationsinthenewspapertowhichIwasattached。Iwasawayfornearlyafortnight，correspondingregularlywithmywifeandMarian，exceptduringthelastthreedaysofmyabsence，whenmymovementsweretoouncertaintoenablemetoreceiveletters。Iperformedthelatterpartofmyjourneybackatnight，andwhenIreachedhomeinthemorning，tomyutterastonishmenttherewasnoonetoreceiveme。LauraandMarianandthechildhadleftthehouseonthedaybeforemyreturn。
Anotefrommywife，whichwasgiventomebytheservant，onlyincreasedmysurprise，byinformingmethattheyhadgonetoLimmeridgeHouse。Marianhadprohibitedanyattemptatwrittenexplanations——IwasentreatedtofollowthemthemomentIcameback——completeenlightenmentawaitedmeonmyarrivalinCumberland——andIwasforbiddentofeeltheslightestanxietyinthemeantime。Therethenoteended。Itwasstillearlyenoughtocatchthemorningtrain。IreachedLimmeridgeHousethesameafternoon。
MywifeandMarianwerebothupstairs。Theyhadestablishedthemselvesbywayofcompletingmyamazementinthelittleroomwhichhadbeenonceassignedtomeforastudio，whenIwasemployedonMrFairlie’sdrawings。
OntheverychairwhichIusedtooccupywhenIwasatworkMarianwassittingnow，withthechildindustriouslysuckinghiscoraluponherlap——whileLaurawasstandingbythewell-remembereddrawing-tablewhichIhadsooftenused，withthelittlealbumthatIhadfilledforherinpasttimesopenunderherhand。
`Whatinthenameofheavenhasbroughtyouhere？’Iasked。`DoesMrFairlieknow——？’
MariansuspendedthequestiononmylipsbytellingmethatMrFairliewasdead。Hehadbeenstruckbyparalysis，andhadneverralliedaftertheshock。MrKyrlehadinformedthemofhisdeath，andhadadvisedthemtoproceedimmediatelytoLimmeridgeHouse。
Somedimperceptionofagreatchangedawnedonmymind。LauraspokebeforeIhadquiterealisedit。Shestoleclosetometoenjoythesurprisewhichwasstillexpressedinmyface。
`MydarlingWalter，’shesaid，`mustwereallyaccountforourboldnessincominghere？Iamafraid，love，Icanonlyexplainitbybreakingthroughourrule，andreferringtothepast。’
`Thereisnottheleastnecessityfordoinganythingofthekind，’saidMarian。`Wecanbejustasexplicit，andmuchmoreinteresting，byreferringtothefuture。’Sheroseandheldupthechildkickingandcrowinginherarms。`Doyouknowwhothisis，Walter？’sheasked，withbrighttearsofhappinessgatheringinhereyes。
`Evenmybewildermenthasitslimits，’Ireplied。`IthinkIcanstillanswerforknowingmyownchild。’
`Child！’sheexclaimed，withallhereasygaietyofoldtimes。`DoyoutalkinthatfamiliarmannerofoneofthelandedgentryofEngland？Areyouaware，whenIpresentthisillustriousbabytoyournotice，inwhosepresenceyoustand？Evidentlynot！Letmemaketwoeminentpersonagesknowntooneanother：MrWalterHartright——theHeirofLimmeridge。’
Soshespoke。Inwritingthoselastwords，Ihavewrittenall。Thepenfaltersinmyhand。Thelong，happylabourofmanymonthsisover。Marianwasthegoodangelofourlives——letMarianendourStory。THEEND
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