The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-08-15
been discovered nrst

| Marian restrained me from stepnine ir
| 10 my own rescue when she effected he,
sisters escape. ran the risk, and trust
ed In the complete destruction OF Lady
| Glyde's identity. III either Marian ol
Mr.. Hartright attempted 10 assert thai
Identity. they would publicly expose
| themselves to the imputation OF sustain.
| Ing rank deception: they would he al.
| trusted and discredited accordingly. and
they would, therefore. be powerless "a
place my interests. or Percivars secret
| In jeopardy. / committed one error ir
trusting myself TO such a blindfold cal
culation OF chances as this. I committed
another when Percival had paid the pen.
atty OF his own obstinacy and violence
by granting Lady Clyde n second re.
prieve from the mad house. and allowins
Mr Haruight second chance OF escap-
ing himself In brief, Fosco. at thA Sc
rlous crisis. was untrue 10 himself De-
piorable and uncharacteristic fault, Be-
hoid the cause In my heart-behold in
the image OF Marian Halcombe. the first
and last weakness OF Fosco's lifel
AT the ripe age OF sixty. make this
unparalleled confession. Youths. / in
woke your sympathy. Maidens. claim
your tears.
word nore-and the attention OF the
reader concentrated breathlessly on N.Y.
self) shall he released.
MY own mental insight Informs me that
three Inevitable questions will be asked
mere py persons OF inquiring minds They
snail be stated; they shall be answered
First question. What is the secret Of
Nine. Fosco's unhesitating devotion OF
herself 10 the fulhllment OF my boldest
wishes 10 the furtherance of my deepest
pans! 1 might answer this by simply
referring 10 my own character. and by
asking. In my turn: Where. In the his
tory OF the world. has a man OF nv order
ever been found without a woman in the
oackground. self-immolated on the altar
or his life? But I remember that am
writing in England l remember that 7
was married in England-and I ask. n
womans marriage obligations I'm this
country provide for her private opinIon
or her husbands principles? Mo- They
charge her unreservedly to love honor
and obey him That Is exactly what nv
wife has done. / stand here on n su-
preme moral elevation and loftily assert
her accurate performance Of ner conjugal
dutles. Silence. calumnyl Your SYM
pathy- wives OF England. for Nine. Fosco
Second question: II Anne Catherick had
not died when she did what should I
nave done? l should. in that case have
assisted worn-out ma ture in finding per-
manent repose should have opened
the doors Of the prison OF life. and have
extended to the captive (incurably affiict-
ed In mind and body botht happy re-
lease.
Third question. On a calm revision Of
all the circumstances-Is nv conduct
worthy OF any serious blame? Most en-
phatically. no. Have / not carefully
avoided exposing myself 10 the odlum Of
committing unnecessary crime? With nv
vast resources I'm chemistry. I might have
taken Lady Glyde's life. At immense
personal sacrifice. / followed the dictates
OF my own ingenuity my own huma nifty.
my own caution. and took her identity
instead. Judge me by what I might have
done. How comparatively innocent-how
indirectly virtuous / appear. in what
really did.
announced. on beginning Il. that this
narrative would he n. remarkable docu-
ment. II has entirely answered my ex-
pectations. Receive these fervid lines
my last legacy 10 the country | leave
forever They are worthy OF the occa-
sion, and worthy Of FOSCO.
THE STORY CONCLUDED BY WAL
TER HARTRIGHT
When ! closed the last leaf ~ the
counts manuscript. the half hour during
which had engaged to remain al Forest
road had expired. NJ. Rubelle looked at
and left the agent in possession Of the
errpty house. ! never saw him again:
I never heard more Of him or Of his wife
out Of the dark byways Of vilainy and
deceit. they had crawled across our path
into the same by-ways they crawlsd
1atk secretly. and were lost
In n quarter Of an hour after leaving
Forest road. | was at home again.
Eut few words sufflced 10 tell Laura
my 5aa 70
had ended, and what the next event n,
our lives was likely to be.
left all details 10 he described later
In the day. and FASTENED back to
st. Johns Wood. to see the person of
whom Count Fosco had ordered the hy.
when he went 10 meet Laura at the
station.
The address in my possession led me 10
some livery stables" about a quarter
OF a mile distant from Forest Road. The
proprietor proved 10 be a civil and re-
spectacle man. When ] explained that
an important family matter obliged me
to ask him 20 refer TO his books for the
purpose Of ascerteining a date with which
the record OF his business transactions
might supply me. he offered no objection
to granting my request. The book was
produced; and there. under the date OF
July 2sth, 1850" the order was entered
in these words:
'Brougham 20 Count Fosco. Forest
road. Two o'clock. (John Owen)"
] found. on inquiry. that the name OF
John owen" attached 20 the entry
referred To the man who had been en-
ployed TO drive the ny. He was then
at work in the stable-yard. and was sent
for 10 see me. at my request.
DO YOU remember driving gentleman,
In the month Of July last. from Num-
ber Forest road. 10 the Waterloo Bridge
statlon7" 7 asked.
Well sir, said the man; II can't ex-
actly say do
Perhaps YOU remember the gentleman
himself? Can you call 20 mind driving a
foreigner last summer tall gentleman,
and remarkably fat7'
The mans face frightened directly IT
remember him. sir. The fattest gentle
man as ever see-and the heaviest Gus
toner | ever drove. Yes. yes-I call him
to mind sir We did go 20 the station.
and n was from Forest road There was
a parrot or summit like g. screechinz
In the window The gentleman was I'm n
mortal hurry about the lady's luggage:
and he gave me a handsome present for
looking sharp and getting the boxes"