MrsCatherick’s extraordinary and shameless filled me With disgust. My interest in Sir Percival Glyde’s crime was now at an end, but I decided to keep the letter in case it might help me find out who Anne,s father really was.
Later in the morning I went to the legal enquiry into Sir Percival’s death. I was only asked to say what had happened. I was not asked how I thought the keys had been taken, how the fire had been caused, or why Sir Percival had gone into the vestry. As no one could explain any of these things, the verdict at the end of the enquiry was ‘death by accident’.
Afterwards, a genrleman who was also at the enquiry walked back to the hotel with me. He had heard from Sir Percival’s lawyer that a distant relation abroad would now inherit Blackwater Park. This was obviously the person who should Have inherited it twenty-three years before. If I made Sir Percival’s crime public, it would be to no one’s advantage now. If I kept the secret, the true character of man who had cheated Laura Into marrying him would remain hidden. And for her sake, I Wished to keep it hidden. I still could not leave Hampshire, as I had to report to the Police station in Knowlesbury the next day. I spent another night at the hotel and in the morning went to the post office to Collect the letter from Marian. As promised, we had been written to Each other every day, and Marian’s letters had been full of
Cheerful news.
This morning’s letter was short’and terrified me. Come back as soon as you can. We have had to move. Come to Gower’s Walk, Fulham(number five). I will look out for you. Don’t be alarmed about us, we are both safe and well. But come back – Marian What had happened? What dreadful thing had Count Fosco done while I was away? In spite of my anxiety, I had to wait. I paid my bill at the hotel and took a cad to knowlesbury.
At the police station. As I expected, no one appeared to continue the action against me and I was allowed to go. Half an Hour later I was on the train back to London. I got to Gower’s Walk in Fulham at about nine o’clock.Both Laura and Marian came to the door to let me in. Laura was much brighter and happier, full of plans for the future and for her drawing and painting. Marian’s face was tired and anxious. I could see that she had spared Laura the knowledge of the terrible drath in Welmingham and the true reason for moving to new lodgings. When Laura had left Us and we could speak freely. I tried to give some expression to my feelings and told Marian how much I admired her for the courage and love she had shown. She was too generous to listen to me, and turned the conversationto my worries.
‘I’m so sorry for my letter – it must have alarmed you.’
‘Yes, it did,’ I admitted. ‘Was I right in thinking that you
‘Moved because of a threat by Count Fosco?’
‘Perfectly right,’she said. ‘I saw him yesterday.and worse than that, Walter-I spoke to him.’
‘Spoke to him? Did he come to the house?’
‘He did. Yesterday, when I was passing the window, I saw him in the street. Then there was a knock on the door. I rushed out and there he was,dressed in black, with his smooth face and his deadly smile. I closed the door behind me so that Laura would not see or hear him.’