Toexhaustthispartofthesubjectbeforegoingfarther，itmaybementionedthatCountFoscoofferedeveryfacilitytoMrKyrle，onthatgentleman’sstatingthathewassentbyMissHalcombetocollectsuchparticularsashadnotyetreachedherofLadyGlyde’sdecease。MrKyrlewasplacedincommunicationwiththemedicalman，MrGoodricke，andwiththetwoservants。
IntheabsenceofanymeansofascertainingtheexactdateofLadyGlyde’sdeparturefromBlackwaterPark，theresultofthedoctor’sandtheservants’
evidence，andofthevolunteeredstatementsofCountFoscoandhiswife，wasconclusivetothemindofMrKyrle。HecouldonlyassumethattheintensityofMissHalcombe’ssuffering，underthelossofhersister，hadmisledherjudgmentinamostdeplorablemanner，andhewroteherwordthattheshockingsuspiciontowhichshehadalludedinhispresencewas，inhisopinion，destituteofthesmallestfragmentoffoundationintruth。ThustheinvestigationbyMrGilmore’spartnerbeganandended。
Meanwhile，MissHalcombehadreturnedtoLimmeridgeHouse，andhadtherecollectedalltheadditionalinformationwhichshewasabletoobtain。
MrFairliehadreceivedhisfirstintimationofhisniece’sdeathfromhissister，MadameFosco，thisletteralsonotcontaininganyexactreferencetodates。Hehadsanctionedhissister’sproposalthatthedeceasedladyshouldbelaidinhermother’sgraveinLimmeridgechurchyard。CountFoscohadaccompaniedtheremainstoCumberland，andhadattendedthefuneralatLimmeridge，whichtookplaceonthe30thofJuly。Itwasfollowed，asamarkofrespect，byalltheinhabitantsofthevillageandtheneighbourhood。
Onthenextdaytheinscriptionoriginallydrawnout，itwassaid，bytheauntofthedeceasedlady，andsubmittedforapprovaltoherbrother，MrFairliewasengravedononesideofthemonumentoverthetomb。
Onthedayofthefuneral，andforonedayafterit，CountFoscohadbeenreceivedasaguestatLimmeridgeHouse，butnointerviewhadtakenplacebetweenMrFairlieandhimself，bytheformergentleman’sdesire。
Theyhadcommunicatedbywriting，andthroughthismediumCountFoscohadmadeMrFairlieacquaintedwiththedetailsofhisniece’slastillnessanddeath。Theletterpresentingthisinformationaddednonewfactstothefactsalreadyknown，butoneveryremarkableparagraphwascontainedinthepostscript。ItreferredtoAnneCatherick。
Thesubstanceoftheparagraphinquestionwasasfollows——
ItfirstinformedMrFairliethatAnneCatherickofwhomhemighthearfullparticularsfromMissHalcombewhenshereachedLimmeridgehadbeentracedandrecoveredintheneighbourhoodofBlackwaterPark，andhadbeenforthesecondtimeplacedunderthechargeofthemedicalmanfromwhosecustodyshehadonceescaped。
Thiswasthefirstpartofthepostscript。ThesecondpartwarnedMrFairliethatAnneCatherick’smentalmaladyhadbeenaggravatedbyherlongfreedomfromcontrol，andthattheinsanehatredanddistrustofSirPercivalGlyde，whichhadbeenoneofhermostmarkeddelusionsinformertimes，stillexistedunderanewly-acquiredform。Theunfortunatewoman’slastideainconnectionwithSirPercivalwastheideaofannoyinganddistressinghim，andofelevatingherself，asshesupposed，intheestimationofthepatientsandnurses，byassumingthecharacterofhisdeceasedwife，theschemeofthispersonationhavingevidentlyoccurredtoherafterastoleninterviewwhichshehadsucceededinobtainingwithLadyGlyde，andatwhichshehadobservedtheextraordinaryaccidentallikenessbetweenthedeceasedladyandherself。ItwastothelastdegreeimprobablethatshewouldsucceedasecondtimeinescapingfromtheAsylum，butitwasjustpossibleshemightfindsomemeansofannoyingthelateLadyGlyde’srelativeswithletters，andinthatcaseMrFairliewaswarnedbeforehandhowtoreceivethem。
Thepostscript，expressedintheseterms，wasshowntoMissHalcombewhenshearrivedatLimmeridge。TherewerealsoplacedinherpossessiontheclothesLadyGlydehadworn，andtheothereffectsshehadbroughtwithhertoheraunt’shouse。TheyhadbeencarefullycollectedandsenttoCumberlandbyMadameFosco。
SuchwasthepostureofaffairswhenMissHalcombereachedLimmeridgeintheearlypartofSeptember。
Shortlyafterwardsshewasconfinedtoherroombyarelapse，herweakenedphysicalenergiesgivingwayundertheseverementalafflictionfromwhichshewasnowsuffering。Ongettingstrongeragain，inamonth’stime，hersuspicionofthecircumstancesdescribedasattendinghersister’sdeathstillremainedunshaken。ShehadheardnothingintheinterimofSirPercivalGlyde，butlettershadreachedherfromMadameFosco，makingthemostaffectionateinquiriesonthepartofherhusbandandherself。Insteadofansweringtheseletters，MissHalcombecausedthehouseinStJohn’sWood，andtheproceedingsofitsinmates，tobeprivatelywatched。
Nothingdoubtfulwasdiscovered。Thesameresultattendedthenextinvestigations，whichweresecretlyinstitutedonthesubjectofMrsRubelle。ShehadarrivedinLondonaboutsixmonthsbeforewithherhusband。TheyhadcomefromLyons，andtheyhadtakenahouseintheneighbourhoodofLeicesterSquare，tobefittedupasaboarding-houseforforeigners，whowereexpectedtovisitEnglandinlargenumberstoseetheExhibitionof1851。Nothingwasknownagainsthusbandorwifeintheneighbourhood。Theywerequietpeople，andtheyhadpaidtheirwayhonestlyuptothepresenttime。ThefinalinquiriesrelatedtoSirPercivalGlyde。HewassettledinParis，andlivingtherequietlyinasmallcircleofEnglishandFrenchfriends。
Foiledatallpoints，butstillnotabletorest，MissHalcombenextdeterminedtovisittheAsyluminwhichshethensupposedAnneCathericktobeforthesecondtimeconfined。Shehadfeltastrongcuriosityaboutthewomaninformerdays，andshewasnowdoublyinterested——first，inascertainingwhetherthereportofAnneCatherick’sattemptedpersonationofLadyGlydewastrue，andsecondlyifitprovedtobetrue，indiscoveringforherselfwhatthepoorcreature’srealmotiveswereforattemptingthedeceit。
AlthoughCountFosco’slettertoMrFairliedidnotmentiontheaddressoftheAsylum，thatimportantomissioncastnodifficultiesinMissHalcombe’sway。WhenMrHartrighthadmetAnneCatherickatLimmeridge，shehadinformedhimofthelocalityinwhichthehousewassituated，andMissHalcombehadnoteddownthedirectioninherdiary，withalltheotherparticularsoftheinterviewexactlyassheheardthemfromMrHartright’sownlips。
Accordinglyshelookedbackattheentryandextractedtheaddress——furnishedherselfwiththeCount’slettertoMrFairlieasaspeciesofcredentialwhichmightbeusefultoher，andstartedbyherselffortheAsylumontheeleventhofOctober。
ShepassedthenightoftheeleventhinLondon。IthadbeenherintentiontosleepatthehouseinhabitedbyLadyGlyde’soldgoverness，butMrsVesey’sagitationatthesightofherlostpupil’snearestanddearestfriendwassodistressingthatMissHalcombeconsideratelyrefrainedfromremaininginherpresence，andremovedtoarespectableboarding-houseintheneighbourhood，recommendedbyMrsVesey’smarriedsister。ThenextdaysheproceededtotheAsylum，whichwassituatednotfarfromLondononthenorthernsideofthemetropolis。
Shewasimmediatelyadmittedtoseetheproprietor。
Atfirstheappearedtobedecidedlyunwillingtolethercommunicatewithhispatient。ButonhershowinghimthepostscripttoCountFosco’sletter——onherremindinghimthatshewasthe`MissHalcombe’therereferredto——thatshewasanearrelativeofthedeceasedLadyGlyde——andthatshewasthereforenaturallyinterested，forfamilyreasons，inobservingforherselftheextentofAnneCatherick’sdelusioninrelationtoherlatesister——thetoneandmanneroftheowneroftheAsylumaltered，andhewithdrewhisobjections。Heprobablyfeltthatacontinuedrefusal，underthesecircumstances，wouldnotonlybeanactofdiscourtesyinitself，butwouldalsoimplythattheproceedingsinhisestablishmentwerenotofanaturetobearinvestigationbyrespectablestrangers。
MissHalcombe’sownimpressionwasthattheowneroftheAsylumhadnotbeenreceivedintotheconfidenceofSirPercivalandtheCount。Hisconsentingatalltolethervisithispatientseemedtoaffordoneproofofthis，andhisreadinessinmakingadmissionswhichcouldscarcelyhaveescapedthelipsofanaccomplice。certainlyappearedsofurnishanother。
Forexample，inthecourseoftheintroductoryconversationwhichtookplace，heinformedMissHalcombethatAnneCatherickhadbeenbroughtbacktohimwiththenecessaryorderandcertificatesbyCountFoscoonthetwenty-seventhofJuly——theCountalsoproducingaletterofexplanationsandinstructionssignedbySirPercivalGlyde。Onreceivinghisinmateagain，theproprietoroftheAsylumacknowledgedthathehadobservedsomecuriouspersonalchangesinher。Suchchangesnodoubtwerenotwithoutprecedentinhisexperienceofpersonsmentallyafflicted。Insanepeoplewereoftenatonetime，outwardlyaswellasinwardly，unlikewhattheywereatanother——thechangefrombettertoworse，orfromworsetobetter，inthemadnesshavinganecessarytendencytoproducealterationsofappearanceexternally。Heallowedforthese，andheallowedalsoforthemodificationintheformofAnneCatherick’sdelusion，whichwasreflectednodoubtinhermannerandexpression。Buthewasstillperplexedattimesbycertaindifferencesbetweenhispatientbeforeshehadescapedandhispatientsinceshehadbeenbroughtback。Thosedifferencesweretoominutetobedescribed。HecouldnotSayofcoursethatshewasabsolutelyalteredinheightorshapeorcomplexion，orinthecolourofherhairandeyes，orinthegeneralformofherface——thechangewassomethingthathefeltmorethansomethingthathesaw。Inshort，thecasehadbeenapuzzlefromthefirst，andonemoreperplexitywasaddedtoitnow。
ItcannotbesaidthatthisconversationledtotheresultofevenpartiallypreparingMissHalcombe’smindforwhatwastocome。Butitproduced，nevertheless，averyseriouseffectuponher。Shewassocompletelyunnervedbyit，thatsomelittletimeelapsedbeforeshecouldsummoncomposureenoughtofollowtheproprietoroftheAsylumtothatpartofthehouseinwhichtheinmateswereconfined。
Oninquiry，itturnedoutthatthesupposedAnneCatherickwasthentakingexerciseinthegroundsattachedtotheestablishment。OneofthenursesvolunteeredtoconductMissHalcombetotheplace，theproprietoroftheAsylumremaininginthehouseforafewminutestoattendtoacasewhichrequiredhisservices，andthenengagingtojoinhisvisitorinthegrounds。
ThenurseledMissHalcombetoadistantpartoftheproperty，whichwasprettilylaidout，andafterlookingaboutheralittle，turnedintoaturfwalk，shadedbyashrubberyoneitherside。Abouthalf-waydownthiswalktwowomenwereslowlyapproaching。Thenursepointedtothemandsaid，`ThereisAnneCatherick，ma’am，withtheattendantwhowaitsonher。Theattendantwillansweranyquestionsyouwishtoput。’Withthosewordsthenurselefthertoreturntothedutiesofthehouse。
MissHalcombeadvancedonherside，andthewomenadvancedontheirs。
Whentheywerewithinadozenpacesofeachother，oneofthewomenstoppedforaninstant，lookedeagerlyatthestrangelady，shookoffthenurse’sgrasponher，andthenextmomentrushedintoMissHalcombe’sarms。InthatmomentMissHalcomberecognisedhersister——recognisedthedead-alive。