Iwaited，therefore，aspatientlyasIcould，untiltheservantcameintoclearthetable。WhenIquittedtheroom，therewerenosigns，inthehouseoroutofit，ofSirPercival’sreturn。IlefttheCountwithapieceofsugarbetweenhislips，andtheviciouscockatooscramblinguphiswaistcoattogetatit，whileMadameFosco，sittingoppositetoherhusband，watchedtheproceedingsofhisbirdandhimselfasattentivelyasifshehadneverseenanythingofthesortbeforeinherlife。OnmywaytotheplantationIkeptcarefullybeyondtherangeofviewfromtheluncheon-roomwindow。Nobodysawmeandnobodyfollowedme。Itwasthenaquartertothreeo’clockbymywatch。
OnceamongthetreesIwalkedrapidly，untilIhadadvancedmorethanhalf-waythroughtheplantation。AtthatpointIslackenedmypaceandproceededcautiously，butIsawnoone，andheardnovoices。BylittleandlittleIcamewithinviewofthebackoftheboat-house——stoppedandlistened——thenwenton，tillIwasclosebehindit，andmusthaveheardanypersonswhoweretalkinginside。Stillthesilencewasunbroken——stillfarandnearnosignofalivingcreatureappearedanywhere。
Afterskirtingroundbythebackofthebuilding，firstononesideandthenontheother，andmakingnodiscoveries，Iventuredinfrontofit，andfairlylookedin。Theplacewasempty。
Icalled，`Laura！’——atfirstsoftly，thenlouderandlouder。Nooneansweredandnooneappeared。ForallthatIcouldseeandhear，theonlyhumancreatureintheneighbourhoodofthelakeandtheplantationwasmyself。
Myheartbegantobeatviolently，butIkeptmyresolution，andsearched，firsttheboat-houseandthenthegroundinfrontofit，foranysignswhichmightshowmewhetherLaurahadreallyreachedtheplaceornot。
Nomarkofherpresenceappearedinsidethebuilding，butIfoundtracesofheroutsideit，infootstepsonthesand。
Idetectedthefootstepsoftwopersons——largefootstepslikeaman’s，andsmallfootsteps，which，byputtingmyownfeetintothemandtestingtheirsizeinthatmanner，IfeltcertainwereLaura’s。Thegroundwasconfusedlymarkedinthiswayjustbeforetheboat-house。Closeagainstonesideofit，undershelteroftheprojectingroof，Idiscoveredalittleholeinthesand——aholeartificiallymade，beyondadoubt。Ijustnoticedit，andthenturnedawayimmediatelytotracethefootstepsasfarasI
could，andtofollowthedirectioninwhichtheymightleadme。
Theyledme，startingfromtheleft-handsideoftheboat-house，alongtheedgeofthetrees，adistance，Ishouldthink，ofbetweentwoandthreehundredyards，andthenthesandygroundshowednofurthertraceofthem。
FeelingthatthepersonswhosecourseIwastrackingmustnecessarilyhaveenteredthePlantationatthispoint，Ienteredittoo。AtfirstIcouldfindnopath，butIdiscoveredoneafterwards，justfaintlytracedamongthetrees，andfollowedit。Ittookme，forsomedistance，inthedirectionofthevillage，untilIstoppedatapointwhereanotherfoot-trackcrossedit。Thebramblesgrewthicklyoneithersideofthissecondpath。Istoodlookingdownit，uncertainwhichwaytotakenext，andwhileIlookedI
sawononethornybranchsomefragmentsoffringefromawoman’sshawl。
AcloserexaminationofthefringesatisfiedmethatithadbeentornfromashawlofLaura’s，andIinstantlyfollowedthesecondpath。Itbroughtmeoutatlast，tomygreatrelief，atthebackofthehouse。Isaytomygreatrelief，becauseIinferredthatLauramust，forsomeunknownreason，havereturnedbeforemebythisroundaboutway。Iwentinbythecourt-yardandtheoffices。ThefirstpersonwhomImetincrossingtheservants’
hallwasMrsMichelson，thehousekeeper。
`Doyouknow，’Iasked，`whetherLadyGlydehascomeinfromherwalkornot？’
`MyladycameinalittlewhileagowithSirPercival，’answeredthehousekeeper。`Iamafraid，MissHalcombe，somethingverydistressinghashappened。’
Myheartsankwithinme。`Youdon’tmeananaccident？’Isaidfaintly。
`No，no——thankGod，noaccident。Butmyladyranupstairstoherownroomintears，andSirPercivalhasorderedmetogiveFannywarningtoleaveinanhour’stime。’
FannywasLaura’smaid——agoodaffectionategirlwhohadbeenwithherforyears——theonlypersoninthehousewhosefidelityanddevotionwecouldbothdependupon。
`WhereisFanny？’Iinquired。
`Inmyroom，MissHalcombe。Theyoungwomanisquiteovercome，andI
toldhertositdownandtrytorecoverherself。’
IwenttoMrsMichelson’sroom，andfoundFannyinacorner，withherboxbyherside，cryingbitterly。
Shecouldgivemenoexplanationwhateverofhersuddendismissal。SirPercivalhadorderedthatsheshouldhaveamonth’swages，inplaceofamonth’swarning，andgo。Noreasonhadbeenassigned——noobjectionhadbeenmadetoherconduct。Shehadbeenforbiddentoappealtohermistress，forbiddeneventoseeherforamomenttosaygood-bye。Shewastogowithoutexplanationsorfarewells，andtogoatonce。
Aftersoothingthepoorgirlbyafewfriendlywords，Iaskedwheresheproposedtosleepthatnight。Sherepliedthatshethoughtofgoingtothelittleinninthevillage，thelandladyofwhichwasarespectablewoman，knowntotheservantsatBlackwaterPark。Thenextmorning，byleavingearly，shemightgetbacktoherfriendsinCumberlandwithoutstoppinginLondon，whereshewasatotalstranger。
IfeltdirectlythatFanny’sdepartureofferedusasafemeansofcommunicationwithLondonandwithLimmeridgeHouse，ofwhichitmightbeveryimportanttoavailourselves。Accordingly，Itoldherthatshemightexpecttohearfromhermistressorfrommeinthecourseoftheevening，andthatshemightdependonourbothdoingallthatlayinourpowertohelpher，underthetrialofleavingusforthepresent。Thosewordssaid，Ishookhandswithherandwentupstairs。
ThedoorwhichledtoLaura’sroomwasthedoorofanantechamberopeningontothepassage。WhenItriedit，itwasboltedontheinside。
Iknocked，andthedoorwasopenedbythesameheavy，overgrownhousemaidwhoselumpishinsensibilityhadtriedmypatiencesoseverelyonthedaywhenIfoundthewoundeddog。Ihad，sincethattime，discoveredthathernamewasMargaretPorcher，andthatshewasthemostawkward，slatternly，andobstinateservantinthehouse。
Onopeningthedoorsheinstantlysteppedouttothethreshold，andstoodgrinningatmeinstolidsilence。
`Whydoyoustandthere？’Isaid`Don’tyouseethatIwanttocomein？’
`Ah，butyoumustn’tcomein，’wastheanswer，withanotherandabroadergrinstill。
`Howdareyoutalktomeinthatway？Standbackinstantly！’
Shestretchedoutagreatredhandandarmoneachsideofher，soastobarthedoorway，andslowlynoddedheraddleheadatme。
`Master’sorders，’shesaid，andnoddedagain。
Ihadneedofallmyself-controltowarnmeagainstcontestingthematterwithher，andtoremindmethatthenextwordsIhadtosaymustbeaddressedtohermaster。Iturnedmybackonher，andinstantlywentdownstairstofindhim。MyresolutiontokeepmytemperunderalltheirritationsthatSirPercivalcouldofferwas，bythistime，ascompletelyforgotten——Isaysotomyshame——asifIhadnevermadeit。Itdidmegood，afterallIhadsufferedandsuppressedinthathouse——itactuallydidmegoodtofeelhowangryIwas。
Thedrawing-roomandthebreakfast-roomwerebothempty。Iwentontothelibrary，andthereIfoundSirPercival，theCount，andMadameFosco。
Theywereallthreestandingup，closetogether，andSirPercivalhadalittleslipofpaperinhishand。AsIopenedthedoorIheardtheCountsaytohim，`No——athousandtimesover，no。’
Iwalkedstraightuptohim，andlookedhimfullintheface。
`AmItounderstand，SirPercival，thatyourwife’sroomisaprison，andthatyourhousemaidisthegaolerwhokeepsit？’Iasked。
`Yes，thatiswhatyouaretounderstand，’heanswered。`Takecaremygaolerhasn’tgotdoubledutytodo——takecareyourroomisnotaprisontoo。’
`Takeyoucarehowyoutreatyourwife，andhowyouthreatenme，’I
brokeoutintheheatofmyanger。`TherearelawsinEnglandtoprotectwomenfromcrueltyandoutrage。IfyouhurtahairofLaura’shead，ifyoudaretointerferewithmyfreedom，comewhatmay，tothoselawsIwillappeal。’
InsteadofansweringmeheturnedroundtotheCount。
`WhatdidItellyou？’heasked。`Whatdoyousaynow？’
`WhatIsaidbefore，’repliedtheCount——`No。’
EveninthevehemenceofmyangerIfelthiscalm，cold，greyeyesonmyface。Theyturnedawayfrommeassoonashehadspoken，andlookedsignificantlyathiswife。MadameFoscoimmediatelymovedclosetomyside，andinthatpositionaddressedSirPercivalbeforeeitherofuscouldspeakagain。
`Favourmewithyourattentionforonemoment，’shesaid，inherclearicily-suppressedtones。`Ihavetothankyou，SirPercival，foryourhospitality，andtodeclinetakingadvantageofitanylonger。IremaininnohouseinwhichladiesaretreatedasyourwifeandMissHalcombehavebeentreatedheretoday！’
SirPercivaldrewbackastep。andstaredatherindeadsilence。Thedeclarationhehadjustheard——adeclarationwhichhewellknew，asI
wellknew，MadameFoscowouldnothaveventuredtomakewithoutherhusband’spermission——seemedtopetrifyhimwithsurprise。TheCountstoodby，andlookedathiswifewiththemostenthusiasticadmiration。
`Sheissublime！’hesaidtohimself。Heapproachedherwhilehespoke，anddrewherhandthroughhisarm。`Iamatyourservice，Eleanor，’hewenton，withaquietdignitythatIhadnevernoticedinhimbefore。`AndatMissHalcombe’sservice，ifshewillhonourmebyacceptingalltheassistanceIcanofferher。’