Hermindinthisinstance，and，asIfeared，inotherinstancesbesides，confusedlypresentedtohersomethingwhichshehadonlyintendedtodointhefalselightofsomethingwhichshehadreallydone。Theunconsciouscontradictionofherselfwaseasytoaccountforinthisway——butitwaslikelytoleadtoseriousresults。Itwasastumbleonthethresholdatstarting——itwasaflawintheevidencewhichtoldfatallyagainstus。
WhenInextaskedfortheletterwhichLaurahadwrittentoMrsVeseyfromBlackwaterPark，itwasgiventomewithouttheenvelope，whichhadbeenthrownintothewastepaperbasket，andlongsincedestroyed。Intheletteritselfnodatewasmentioned——noteventhedayoftheweek。Itonlycontainedtheselines：——`DearestMrsVesey，Iaminsaddistressandanxiety，andImaycometoyourhousetomorrownight，andaskforabed。Ican’ttellyouwhatisthematterinthisletter——IwriteitinsuchfearofbeingfoundoutthatIcanfixmymindonnothing。Praybeathometoseeme。Iwillgiveyouathousandkisses，andtellyoueverything。
YouraffectionateLaura。’Whathelpwasthereinthoselines？None。
OnreturningfromMrsVesey’s，IinstructedMariantowriteobservingthesamecautionwhichIpractisedmyselftoMrsMichelson。Shewastoexpress，ifshepleased，somegeneralsuspicionofCountFosco’sconduct，andshewastoaskthehousekeepertosupplyuswithaplainstatementofevents，intheinterestsoftruth。Whilewewerewaitingfortheanswer，whichreachedusinaweek’stime，IwenttothedoctorinStJohn’sWood，introducingmyselfassentbyMissHalcombetocollect，ifpossible，moreparticularsofhersister’slastillnessthanMrKyrlehadfoundthetimetoprocure。ByMrGoodricke’sassistance，Iobtainedacopyofthecertificateofdeath，andaninterviewwiththewomanJaneGouldwhohadbeenemployedtopreparethebodyforthegrave。ThroughthispersonIalsodiscoveredameansofcommunicatingwiththeservant，HesterPinhorn。Shehadrecentlyleftherplaceinconsequenceofadisagreementwithhermistress，andshewaslodgingwithsomepeopleintheneighbourhoodwhomMrsGouldknew。
InthemannerhereindicatedIobtainedtheNarrativesofthehousekeeper，ofthedoctor，ofJaneGould，andofHesterPinhorn，exactlyastheyarepresentedinthesepages。
Furnishedwithsuchadditionalevidenceasthesedocumentsafforded，IconsideredmyselftobesufficientlypreparedforaconsultationwithMrKyrle，andMarianwroteaccordinglytomentionmynametohim，andtospecifythedayandhouratwhichIrequestedtoseehimonprivatebusiness。
TherewastimeenoughinthemorningformetotakeLauraoutforherwalkasusual，andtoseeherquietlysettledatherdrawingafterwards。
ShelookedupatmewithanewanxietyinherfaceasIrosetoleavetheroom，andherfingersbegantotoydoubtfully，intheoldway，withthebrushesandpencilsonthetable。
`Youarenottiredofmeyet？’shesaid。`Youarenotgoingawaybecauseyouaretiredofme？Iwilltrytodobetter——Iwilltrytogetwell。
Areyouasfondofme，Walter，asyouusedtobe，nowIamsopaleandthin，andsoslowinlearningtodraw？’
Shespokeasachildmighthavespoken，sheshowedmeherthoughtsasachildmighthaveshownthem。Iwaitedafewminuteslonger——waitedtotellherthatshewasdearertomenowthanshehadeverbeeninthepasttimes。`Trytogetwellagain，’Isaid，encouragingthenewhopeinthefuturewhichIsawdawninginhermind，`trytogetwellagain，forMarian’ssakeandformine。’
`Yes，’shesaidtoherself，returningtoherdrawing。`Imusttry，becausetheyarebothsofondofme。’Shesuddenlylookedupagain。`Don’tbegonelong！Ican’tgetonwithmydrawing，Walter，whenyouarenotheretohelpme。’
`Ishallsoonbeback，mydarling——soonbebacktoseehowyouaregettingon。’
Myvoicefalteredalittleinspiteofme。Iforcedmyselffromtheroom。Itwasnotime，then，forpartingwiththeself-controlwhichmightyetservemeinmyneedbeforethedaywasout。
AsIopenedthedoor，IbeckonedtoMariantofollowmetothestairs。
ItwasnecessarytoprepareherforaresultwhichIfeltmightsoonerorlaterfollowmyshowingmyselfopenlyinthestreets。
`Ishall，inallprobability，bebackinafewhours，’Isaid，`andyouwilltakecare，asusual，toletnooneinsidethedoorsinmyabsence。
Butifanythinghappens——’
`Whatcanhappen？’sheinterposedquickly。`Tellmeplainly，Walter，ifthereisanydanger，andIshallknowhowtomeetit。’
`Theonlydanger，’Ireplied，`isthatSirPercivalGlydemayhavebeenrecalledtoLondonbythenewsofLaura’sescape。YouareawarethathehadmewatchedbeforeIleftEngland，andthatheprobablyknowsmebysight，althoughIdon’tknowhim？’
Shelaidherhandonmyshoulderandlookedatmeinanxioussilence。
Isawsheunderstoodtheseriousriskthatthreatenedus。
`Itisnotlikely，’Isaid，`thatIshallbeseeninLondonagainsosoon，eitherbySirPercivalhimselforbythepersonsinhisemploy。Butitisbarelypossiblethatanaccidentmayhappen。Inthatcase，youwillnotbealarmedifIfailtoreturntonight，andyouwillsatisfyanyinquiryofLaura’swiththebestexcusethatyoucanmakeforme？IfIfindtheleastreasontosuspectthatIamwatched，Iwilltakegoodcarethatnospyfollowsmebacktothishouse。Don’tdoubtmyreturn，Marian，howeveritmaybedelayed——andfearnothing。’
`Nothing！’sheansweredfirmly。`Youshallnotregret，Walter，thatyouhaveonlyawomantohelpyou。’Shepaused，anddetainedmeforamomentlonger。`Takecare！’shesaid，pressingmyhandanxiously——`takecare！’
Ilefther，andsetforthtopavethewayfordiscovery——thedarkanddoubtfulway，whichbeganatthelawyer’sdoor。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter29[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter29IVNocircumstancesoftheslightestimportancehappenedonmywaytotheofficesofMessrsGilmore&；Kyrle，inChanceryLane。
WhilemycardwasbeingtakenintoMrKyrle，aconsiderationoccurredtomewhichIdeeplyregrettednothavingthoughtofbefore。TheinformationderivedfromMarian’sdiarymadeitamatterofcertaintythatCountFoscohadopenedherfirstletterfromBlackwaterParktoMrKyrle，andhad，bymeansofhiswife，interceptedthesecond。Hewasthereforewellawareoftheaddressoftheoffice，andhewouldnaturallyinferthatifMarianwantedadviceandassistance，afterLaura’sescapefromtheAsylum，shewouldapplyoncemoretotheexperienceofMrKyrle。InthiscasetheofficeinChanceryLanewastheveryfirstplacewhichheandSirPercivalwouldcausetobewatched，andifthesamepersonswerechosenforthepurposewhohadbeenemployedtofollowme，beforemydeparturefromEngland，thefactofmyreturnwouldinallprobabilitybeascertainedonthatveryday。Ihadthought，generally，ofthechancesofmybeingrecognisedinthestreets，butthespecialriskconnectedwiththeofficehadneveroccurredtomeuntilthepresentmoment。Itwastoolatenowtorepairthisunfortunateerrorinjudgment——toolatetowishthatIhadmadearrangementsformeetingthelawyerinsomeplaceprivatelyappointedbeforehand。IcouldonlyresolvetobecautiousonleavingChanceryLane，andnottogostraighthomeagainunderanycircumstanceswhatever。
AfterwaitingafewminutesIwasshownintoMrKyrle’sprivateroom。
Hewasapale，thin，quiet，self-possessedman，withaveryattentiveeye，averylowvoice，andaveryundemonstrativemanner——notasIjudged
readywithhissympathywherestrangerswereconcerned，andnotatalleasytodisturbinhisprofessionalcomposure。Abettermanformypurposecouldhardlyhavebeenfound。Ifhecommittedhimselftoadecisionatall，andifthedecisionwasfavourable，thestrengthofourcasewasasgoodasprovedfromthatmoment。
`BeforeIenteronthebusinesswhichbringsmehere，’Isaid，`Ioughttowarnyou，MrKyrle，thattheshorteststatementIcanmakeofitmayoccupysomelittletime。’
`MytimeisatMissHalcombe’sdisposal，’hereplied。`Whereanyinterestsofhersareconcerned，Irepresentmypartnerpersonally，aswellasprofessionally。
ItwashisrequestthatIshoulddoso，whenheceasedtotakeanactivepartinbusiness。’
`MayIinquirewhetherMrGilmoreisinEngland？’
`Heisnot，heislivingwithhisrelativesinGermany。Hishealthhasimproved，buttheperiodofhisreturnisstilluncertain。’
Whilewewereexchangingthesefewpreliminarywords，hehadbeensearchingamongthepapersbeforehim，andhenowproducedfromthemasealedletter。
Ithoughthewasabouttohandthelettertome，but，apparentlychanginghismind，heplaceditbyitselfonthetable，settledhimselfinhischair，andsilentlywaitedtohearwhatIhadtosay。
Withoutwastingamomentinprefatorywordsofanysort，Ienteredonmynarrative，andputhiminfullpossessionoftheeventswhichhavealreadybeenrelatedinthesepages。
Lawyerashewastotheverymarrowofhisbones，Istartledhimoutofhisprofessionalcomposure。Expressionsofincredulityandsurprise，whichhecouldnotrepress，interruptedmeseveraltimesbeforeIhaddone。
Ipersevered，however，totheend，andassoonasIreachedit，boldlyaskedtheoneimportantquestion——
`Whatisyouropinion，MrKyrle？’
Hewastoocautioustocommithimselftoananswerwithouttakingtimetorecoverhisself-possessionfist。
`BeforeIgivemyopinion，’hesaid，`Imustbegpermissiontoclearthegroundbyafewquestions。’
Heputthequestions——sharp，suspicious，unbelievingquestions，whichclearlyshowedme，astheyproceeded，thathethoughtIwasthevictimofadelusion，andthathemightevenhavedoubted，butformyintroductiontohimbyMissHalcombe，whetherIwasnotattemptingtheperpetrationofacunningly-designedfraud。