`DoyoubelievethatIhavespokenthetruth，MrKyrle？’Iasked，whenhehaddoneexaminingme。
`Sofarasyourownconvictionsareconcerned，Iamcertainyouhavespokenthetruth，’hereplied。`IhavethehighestesteemforMissHalcombe，andIhavethereforeeveryreasontorespectagentlemanwhosemediationshetrustsinamatterofthiskind。Iwillevengofarther，ifyoulike，andadmit，forcourtesy’ssakeandforargumentssake，thattheidentityofLadyGlydeasalivingpersonisaprovedfacttoMissHalcombeandyourself。Butcametomeforalegalopinion。Asalawyer，andasalawyeronly，itismydutytotellyou，MrHartright，thatyouhavenottheshadowofacase。’
`Youputitstrongly，MrKyrle。’
`Iwilltrytoputitplainlyaswell。TheevidenceofLadyGlyde’sdeathis，onthefaceofit，clearandsatisfactory。Thereisheraunt’stestimonytoprovethatshecametoCountFosco’shouse，thatshefellill，andthatshedied。Thereisthetestimonyofthemedicalcertificatetoprovethedeath，andtoshowthatittookplaceundernaturalcircumstances。
ThereisthefactofthefuneralatLimmeridge，andthereistheassertionoftheinscriptiononthetomb。Thatisthecaseyouwanttooverthrow。
WhatevidencehaveyoutosupportthedeclarationonyoursidethatthepersonwhodiedandwasburiedwasnotLadyGlyde？Letusrunthroughthemainpointsofyourstatementandseewhattheyareworth。MissHalcombegoestoacertainprivateAsylum，andthereseesacertainfemalepatient。
ItisknownthatawomannamedAnneCatherick，andbearinganextraordinarypersonalresemblancetoLadyGlyde，escapedfromtheAsylum；itisknownthatthepersonreceivedtherelastJulywasreceivedasAnneCatherickbroughtback；itisknownthatthegentlemanwhobroughtherbackwarnedMrFairliethatitwaspartofherinsanitytobebentonpersonatinghisdeadniece；anditisknownthatshedidrepeatedlydeclareherselfintheAsylumwherenoonebelievedhertobeLadyGlyde。Theseareallfacts。Whathaveyoutosetagainstthem？MissHalcombe’srecognitionofthewoman，whichrecognitionafter-eventsinvalidateorcontradict。DoesMissHalcombeasserthersupposedsister’sidentitytotheowneroftheAsylum，andtakelegalmeansforrescuingher？No，shesecretlybribesanursetoletherescape。Whenthepatienthasbeenreleasedinthisdoubtfulmanner，andistakentoMrFairlie，doesherecogniseher？Ishestaggeredforoneinstantinhisbeliefofhisniece’sdeath？No。Dotheservantsrecogniseher？No。Isshekeptintheneighbourhoodtoassertherownidentityandtostandthetestoffurtherproceedings？No，sheisprivatelytakentoLondon。Inthemeantimeyouhaverecognisedheralso，butyouarenotarelative——youarenotevenanoldfriendofthefamily。Theservantscontradictyou，andMrFairliecontradictsMissHalcombe，andthesupposedLadyGlydecontradictsherself。ShedeclaresshepassedthenightinLondonatacertainhouse。Yourownevidenceshowsthatshehasneverbeennearthathouse，andyourownadmissionisthatherconditionofmindpreventsyoufromproducingheranywheretosubmittoinvestigation，andtospeakforherself。Ipassoverminorpointsofevidenceonbothsidestosavetime，andIaskyou，ifthiscaseweretogonowintoacourtoflaw——
togobeforeajury，boundtotakefactsastheyreasonablyappear——whereareyourproofs？’
IwasobligedtowaitandcollectmyselfbeforeIcouldanswerhim。
ItwasthefirsttimethestoryofLauraandthestoryofMarianhadbeenpresentedtomefromastranger’spointofview——thefirsttimetheterribleobstaclesthatlayacrossourpathhadbeenmadetoshowthemselvesintheirtruecharacter。
`Therecanbenodoubt，’Isaid，`thatthefacts，asyouhavestatedthem，appeartotellagainstus，but——’
`Butyouthinkthosefactscanbeexplainedaway，’interposedMrKyrle。
`Letmetellyoutheresultofmyexperienceonthatpoint。WhenanEnglishjuryhastochoosebetweenaplainfactonthesurfaceandalongexplanationunderthesurface，italwaystakesthefactinpreferencetotheexplanation。
Forexample，LadyGlydeIcalltheladyyourepresentbythatnameforargument’ssakedeclaresshehassleptatacertainhouse，anditisprovedthatshehasnotsleptatthathouse。Youexplainthiscircumstancebyenteringintothestateofhermind，anddeducingfromitametaphysicalconclusion。Idon’tsaytheconclusioniswrong——Ionlysaythatthejurywilltakethefactofhercontradictingherselfinpreferencetoanyreasonforthecontradictionthatyoucanoffer。’
`Butisitnotpossible，’Iurged，`bydintofpatienceandexertion，todiscoveradditionalevidence？MissHalcombeandIhaveafewhundredpounds——’
Helookedatmewithahalf-suppressedpity，andshookhishead。
`Considerthesubject，MrHartright，fromyourownpointofview，’hesaid。`IfyouarerightaboutSirPercivalGlydeandCountFoscowhichIdon’tadmit，mind，everyimaginabledifficultywouldbethrowninthewayofyourgettingfreshevidence。Everyobstacleoflitigationwouldberaised——everypointinthecasewouldbesystematicallycontested——andbythetimewehadspentourthousandsinsteadofourhundreds，thefinalresultwould，inallprobability，beagainstus。Questionsofidentity，whereinstancesofpersonalresemblanceareconcerned，are，inthemselves，thehardestofallquestionstosettle——thehardest，evenwhentheyarefreefromthecomplicationswhichbesetthecasewearenowdiscussing。Ireallyseenoprospectofthrowinganylightwhateveronthisextraordinaryaffair。EvenifthepersonburiedinLimmeridgechurchyardbenotLadyGlyde，shewas，inlife，onyourshowing，solikeher，thatweshouldgainnothing，ifweappliedforthenecessaryauthoritytohavethebodyexhumed。Inshort，thereisnocase，MrHartright——thereisreallynocase。’
Iwasdeterminedtobelievethattherewasacase，andinthatdeterminationshiftedmyground，andappealedtohimoncemore。
Aretherenototherproofsthatwemightproducebesidestheproofofidentity？’Iasked。
`Notasyouaresituated，’hereplied。`Thesimplestandsurestofallproofs，theproofbycomparisonofdates，is，asIunderstand，altogetheroutofyourreach。Ifyoucouldshowadiscrepancybetweenthedateofthedoctor’scertificateandthedateofLadyGlyde’sjourneytoLondon，thematterwouldwearatotallydifferentaspect，andIshouldbethefirsttosay，Letusgoon。’
`Thatdatemayyetberecovered，MrKyrle。’
`Onthedaywhenitisrecovered，MrHartright，youwillhaveacase。
Ifyouhaveanyprospect，atthismoment，ofgettingatit——tellme，andweshallseeifIcanadviseyou。’
Iconsidered。Thehousekeepercouldnothelpus——Lauracouldnothelpus——Mariancouldnothelpus。Inallprobability，theonlypersonsinexistencewhoMewthedatewereSirPercivalandtheCount。
`Icanthinkofnomeansofascertainingthedateatpresent，’Isaid，`becauseIcanthinkofnopersonswhoaresuretoknowit，butCountFoscoandSirPercivalGlyde。’
MrKyrle’scalmlyattentivefacerelaxed，forthefirsttime，intoasmile。
`Withyouropinionoftheconductofthosetwogentlemen，’hesaid，`youdon’texpecthelpinthatquarter，Ipresume？Iftheyhavecombinedtogainlargesumsofmoneybyaconspiracy，theyarenotlikelytoconfessit，atanyrate。’
`Theymaybeforcedtoconfessit，MrKyrle。’
`Bywhom？’
`Byme。’
Webothrose。Helookedmeattentivelyinthefacewithmoreappearanceofinterestthanhehadshownyet。IcouldseethatIhadperplexedhimalittle。
`Youareverydetermined，’hesaid。`Youhave，nodoubt，apersonalmotiveforproceeding，intowhichitisnotmybusinesstoinquire。Ifacasecanbeproducedinthefuture，Icanonlysay，mybestassistanceisatyourservice。AtthesametimeImustwarnyou，asthemoneyquestionalwaysentersintothelawquestion，thatIseelittlehope，evenifyouultimatelyestablishthefactofLadyGlyde’sbeingalive，ofrecoveringherfortune。Theforeignerwouldprobablyleavethecountrybeforeproceedingswerecommenced，andSirPercival’sembarrassmentsarenumerousenoughandpressingenoughtotransferalmostanysumofmoneyhemaypossessfromhimselftohiscreditors。Youareofcourseaware——’
Istoppedhimatthatpoint。
`LetmebegthatwemaynotdiscussLadyGlyde’saffairs，’Isaid。`I
haveneverknownanythingabouttheminformertimes，andIknownothingofthemnow——exceptthatherfortuneislost。YouarerightinassumingthatIhavepersonalmotivesforstirringinthismatter。Iwishthosemotivestobealwaysasdisinterestedastheyareatthepresentmoment——’
Hetriedtointerposeandexplain。Iwasalittleheated，Isuppose，byfeelingthathehaddoubtedme，andIwentonbluntly，withoutwaitingtohearhim。
`Thereshallbenomoneymotive，’Isaid，`noideaofpersonaladvantageintheserviceImeantorendertoLadyGlyde。Shehasbeencastoutasastrangerfromthehouseinwhichshewasborn——aliewhichrecordsherdeathhasbeenwrittenonhermother’stomb——andtherearetwomen，aliveandunpunished，whoareresponsibleforit。Thathouseshallopenagaintoreceiveherinthepresenceofeverysoulwhofollowedthefalsefuneraltothegrave——thatlieshallbepubliclyerasedfromthetombstonebytheauthorityoftheheadofthefamily，andthosetwomenshallanswerfortheircrimetoME，thoughthejusticethatsitsintribunalsispowerlesstopursuethem。Ihavegivenmylifetothatpurpose，and，aloneasIstand，ifGodsparesme，Iwillaccomplishit。’
Hedrewbacktowardshistable，andsaidnothing。Hisfaceshowedplainlythathethoughtmydelusionhadgotthebetterofmyreason，andthatheconsideredittotallyuselesstogivemeanymoreadvice。
`Weeachkeepouropinion，MrKyrle，’Isaid，`andwemustwaittilltheeventsofthefuturedecidebetweenus。Inthemeantime，Iammuchobligedtoyoufortheattentionyouhavegiventomystatement。Youhaveshownmethatthelegalremedylies，ineverysenseoftheword，beyondourmeans。Wecannotproducethelawproof，andwearenotrichenoughtopaythelawexpenses。Itissomethinggainedtoknowthat。’