`Whereishe？’whisperedtheservant，staringvacantlyattheflames。
`He’sdustandashes，’saidtheclerk。`Andthebooksaredustandashes——andoh，sirs！thechurchwillbedustandashessoon。’
Thoseweretheonlytwowhospoke。Whentheyweresilentagain，nothingstirredinthestillnessbutthebubbleandthecrackleoftheflames。
Hark！
Aharshrattlingsoundinthedistance——thenthehollowbeatofhorses’
hoofsatfullgallop——thenthelowroar，theall-predominanttumultofhundredsofhumanvoicesclamouringandshoutingtogether。Theengineatlast。
Thepeopleaboutmeallturnedfromthefire，andraneagerlytothebrowofthehill。Theoldclerktriedtogowiththerest，buthisstrengthwasexhausted。Isawhimholdingbyoneofthetombstones。`Savethechurch！’
hecriedoutfaintly，asifthefiremencouldhearhimalready。
Savethechurch！
Theonlymanwhonevermovedwastheservant。Therehestood，hiseyesstillfastenedontheflamesinachangeless，vacantstare。Ispoketohim，Ishookhimbythearm。Hewasrousing。Heonlywhisperedoncemore，`Whereishe？’
Intenminutestheenginewasinposition，thewellatthebackofthechurchwasfeedingit，andthehosewascarriedtothedoorwayofthevestry。
IfhelphadbeenwantedfrommeIcouldnothaveaffordeditnow。Myenergyofwillwasgone——mystrengthwasexhausted——theturmoilofmythoughtswasfearfullyandsuddenlystilled，nowIknewthathewasdead。Istooduselessandhelpless——looking，looking，lookingintotheburningroom。
Isawthefireslowlyconquered。Thebrightnessoftheglarefaded——
thesteamroseinwhiteclouds，andthesmoulderingheapsofembersshowedredandblackthroughitonthefloor。Therewasapause——thenanadvancealltogetherofthefiremenandthepolicewhichblockedupthedoorway——thenaconsultationinlowvoices——andthentwomenweredetachedfromtherest，andsentoutofthechurchyardthroughthecrowd。Thecrowddrewbackoneithersideindeadsilencetoletthempass。
Afterawhileagreatshudderranthroughthepeople，andthelivinglanewidenedslowly。Themencamebackalongitwithadoorfromoneoftheemptyhouses。Theycarriedittothevestryandwentin。Thepoliceclosedagainroundthedoorway，andmenstoleoutfromamongthecrowdbytwosandthreesandstoodbehindthemtobethefirsttosee。Otherswaitedneartobethefisttohear。Womenandchildrenwereamongtheselast。
Thetidingsfromthevestrybegantoflowoutamongthecrowd——theydroppedslowlyfrommouthtomouthtilltheyreachedtheplacewhereIwasstanding。Iheardthequestionsandanswersrepeatedagainandagaininlow，eagertonesallroundme。
`Havetheyfoundhim？’`Yes。’——`Where？’`Againstthedoor，onhisface。’`Whichdoor？’`Thedoorthatgoesintothechurch。Hisheadwasagainstit——hewasdownonhisface。’——`Ishisfaceburnt？’`No。’`Yes，itis。’`No，scorched，notburnt——helayonhisface，Itellyou。’——
`Whowashe？Alord，theysay。’`No，notalord。SirSomething；SirmeansKnight。’`AndBaronight，too。’`No。’`Yes，itdoes。’——`Whatdidhewantinthere？’`Nogood，youmaydependonit。’——`Didhedoitonpurpose？’——
`Burnhimselfonpurpose！’——`Idon’tmeanhimself，Imeanthevestry。’——
`Ishedreadfultolookat？’`Dreadful！’——`Notabouttheface，though？’
`No，no，notsomuchabouttheface。’——`Don’tanybodyknowhim？’`There’samansayshedoes。’——`Who？’`Aservant，theysay。Buthe’sstruckstupid-like，andthepolicedon’tbelievehim。’——`Don’tanybodyelseknowwhoitis？’`Hush——！’
Theloud，clearvoiceofamaninauthoritysilencedthelowhumoftalkingallroundmeinaninstant。
`Whereisthegentlemanwhotriedtosavehim？’saidthevoice。
`Here，sir——hereheis！’Dozensofeagerfacespressedaboutme——
dozensofeagerarmspartedthecrowd。Themaninauthoritycameuptomewithalanterninhishand。
`Thisway，sir，ifyouplease，’hesaidquietly。
Iwasunabletospeaktohim，Iwasunabletoresisthimwhenhetookmyarm。ItriedtosaythatIhadneverseenthedeadmaninhislifetime——thattherewasnohopeofidentifyinghimbymeansofastrangerlikeme。Butthewordsfailedonmylips。Iwasfaint，andsilent，andhelpless。
`Doyouknowhim，sir？’
Iwasstandinginsideacircleofmen。Threeofthemoppositetomewereholdinglanternslowdowntotheground。Theireyes，andtheeyesofalltherest，werefixedsilentlyandexpectantlyonmyface。Iknewwhatwasatmyfeet——Iknewwhytheywereholdingthelanternssolowtotheground。
`Canyouidentifyhim，sir？’
Myeyesdroppedslowly。AtfirstIsawnothingunderthembutacoarsecanvascloth。Thedrippingoftherainonitwasaudibleinthedreadfulsilence。Ilookedup，alongthecloth，andthereattheend，starkandgrimandblack，intheyellowlight——therewashisdeadface。
So，forthefirstandlasttime，Isawhim。SotheVisitationofGodruleditthatheandIshouldmeet。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter35[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter35XTheinquestwashurriedforcertainlocalreasonswhichweighedwiththecoronerandthetownauthorities。Itwasheldontheafternoonofthenextday。Iwasnecessarilyoneamongthewitnessessummonedtoassisttheobjectsoftheinvestigation。
Myfirstproceedinginthemorningwastogotothepost-office，andinquirefortheletterwhichIexpectedfromMarian。Nochangeofcircumstances，howeverextraordinary，couldaffecttheonegreatanxietywhichweighedonmymindwhileIwasawayfromLondon。Themorning’sletter，whichwastheonlyassuranceIcouldreceivethatnomisfortunehadhappenedinmyabsence，wasstilltheabsorbinginterestwithwhichmydaybegan。
Tomyrelief，theletterfromMarianwasattheofficewaitingforme。
Nothinghadhappened——theywerebothassafeandaswellaswhenI
hadleftthem。Laurasentherlove，andbeggedthatIwouldletherknowofmyreturnadaybeforehand。Hersisteradded，inexplanationofthismessage，thatshehadsaved`nearlyasovereign’outofherownprivatepurse，andthatshehadclaimedtheprivilegeoforderingthedinnerandgivingthedinnerwhichwastocelebratethedayofmyreturn。Ireadtheselittledomesticconfidencesinthebrightmorningwiththeterriblerecollectionofwhathadhappenedtheeveningbeforevividinmymemory。ThenecessityofsparingLauraanysuddenknowledgeofthetruthwasthefirstconsiderationwhichthelettersuggestedtome。IwroteatoncetoMariantotellherwhatIhavetoldinthesepages——presentingthetidingsasgraduallyandgentlyasIcould，andwarninghernottoletanysuchthingasanewspaperfallinLaura’swaywhileIwasabsent。Inthecaseofanyotherwoman，lesscourageousandlessreliable，ImighthavehesitatedbeforeIventuredonunreservedlydisclosingthewholetruth。ButIowedittoMariantobefaithfultomypastexperienceofher，andtotrustherasItrustedmyself。
Myletterwasnecessarilyalongone。Itoccupiedmeuntilthetimecameforproceedingtotheinquest。
Theobjectsofthelegalinquirywerenecessarilybesetbypeculiarcomplicationsanddifficulties。Residestheinvestigationintothemannerinwhichthedeceasedhadmethisdeath，therewereseriousquestionstobesettledrelatingtothecauseofthefire，totheabstractionofthekeys，andtothepresenceofastrangerinthevestryatthetimewhentheflamesbrokeout。Eventheidentificationofthedeadmanhadnotyetbeenaccomplished。Thehelplessconditionoftheservanthadmadethepolicedistrustfulofhisassertedrecognitionofhismaster。TheyhadsenttoKnowlesburyover-nighttosecuretheattendanceofwitnesseswhowerewellacquaintedwiththepersonalappearanceofSirPercivalGlyde，andtheyhadcommunicated，thefirstthinginthemorning，withBlackwaterPark。
Theseprecautionsenabledthecoronerandjurytosettlethequestionofidentity，andtoconfirmthecorrectnessoftheservant’sassertion；theevidenceofferedbycompetentwitnesses，andbythediscoveryofcertainfacts，beingsubsequentlystrengthenedbyanexaminationofthedeadman’swatch。ThecrestandthenameofSirPercivalGlydewereengravedinsideit。
Thenextinquiriesrelatedtothefire。
TheservantandI，andtheboywhohadheardthelightstruckinthevestry，werethefirstwitnessescalled。Theboygavehisevidenceclearlyenough，buttheservant’smindhadnotyetrecoveredtheshockinflictedonit——hewasplainlyincapableofassistingtheobjectsoftheinquiry，andhewasdesiredtostanddown。
Tomyownrelief，myexaminationwasnotalongone。Ihadnotknownthedeceased——Ihadneverseenhim——IwasnotawareofhispresenceatOldWelmingham——andIhadnotbeeninthevestryatthefindingofthebody。AllIcouldprovewasthatIhadstoppedattheclerk’scottagetoaskmyway——thatIhadheardfromhimofthelossofthekeys——thatIhadaccompaniedhimtothechurchtorenderwhathelpIcould——thatIhadseenthefire——thatIhadheardsomepersonunknown，insidethevestry，tryingvainlytounlockthedoor——andthatIhaddonewhatI
could，frommotivesofhumanity，tosavetheman。Otherwitnesses，whohadbeenacquaintedwiththedeceased，wereaskediftheycouldexplainthemysteryofhispresumedabstractionofthekeys，andhispresenceintheburningroom。Butthecoronerseemedtotakeitforgranted，naturallyenough，thatI，asatotalstrangerintheneighbourhood，andatotalstrangertoSirPercivalGlyde，couldnotbeinapositiontoofferanyevidenceonthesetwopoints。
ThecoursethatIwasmyselfboundtotake，whenmyformalexaminationhadclosed，seemedcleartome。Ididnotfeelcalledontovolunteeranystatementofmyownprivateconvictions，inthefirstplace，becausemydoingsocouldservenopracticalpurpose，nowthatallproofinsupportofanysurmisesofminewasburntwiththeburntregister；inthesecondplace，becauseIcouldnothaveintelligiblystatedmyopinion——myunsupportedopinion——withoutdisclosingthewholestoryoftheconspiracy，andproducingbeyondadoubtthesameunsatisfactoryeffectonthemindofthecoronerandthejury，whichIhadalreadyproducedonthemindofMrKyrle。