The Woman in White: Halcombe 5

Summary

Storytime for Grownups: The Woman in White – Halcombe 5 Summary

Release Date: March 3, 2025

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode of Storytime for Grownups, host Faith Moore delves into Chapter Five of Wilkie Collins' classic novel, The Woman in White. Alongside co-host Kate, Faith not only narrates the chapters but also provides insightful commentary, fostering a deeper appreciation for the intricacies of classic literature. This episode seamlessly blends storytelling with thoughtful analysis, making it accessible and enjoyable for both seasoned readers and newcomers alike.

Community and Membership Updates

Faith begins by expressing gratitude to her listeners, especially those who participated in a recent interactive “Tea Time” discussion. Kate shares highlights from their vibrant conversation, which focused on the characters Sir Percival and Count Fosco, and speculated on their true intentions within the story. She emphasizes the value of community engagement, inviting listeners to join future Tea Times and become members of the online Drawing Room—a growing space for book enthusiasts to discuss literature and share ideas.

Book Progress and Listening Experience

Addressing listener queries about the book's length, Kate outlines the reading schedule, indicating that the journey through The Woman in White is expected to last until the end of May. This structured approach helps listeners gauge their progress and maintain engagement as they follow along. Faith reiterates the importance of subscribing, leaving reviews, and spreading the word to support the independent podcast, ensuring its continued growth and longevity.

Recap of Previous Chapters

Before diving into the new chapter, Kate provides a succinct recap of Chapter Four:

• Scene Setting: Laura, Count Fosco, and Madame Fosco are in Sir Percival's study.
• Conflict Introduction: Sir Percival pressures Laura to sign a document without reading it, leading to tension.
• Suspicious Activity: Marian notices Count Fosco placing his own letter into the mailbag, raising doubts about their motives.
• Cliffhanger: The uncertainty surrounding the authenticity of Marian’s letter sets the stage for further suspense.

Listener Engagement: Kate’s Insightful Question

Kate introduces a listener's question, reflecting on the evolving portrayal of Sir Percival and Count Fosco:

• Quotation: "The whole conversation by the lake about murder was so uncomfortable... It feels like a game of whodunnit." ([07:31] Kate)
• Discussion Points:
  • The initial suspicion that Sir Percival might be a murderer due to his controlling behavior.
  • Reassessment of Sir Percival’s intentions as his actions don't align with the previously assumed murderous plot.
  • Contrast between Sir Percival’s possible motives for monetary gain versus actual criminal intent.
  • The duality of Count Fosco’s character—protective yet potentially intrusive.

In-Depth Chapter 5 Summary

Faith narrates the fifth chapter, where the tension escalates as Laura confides in Marian about her troubled marriage to Sir Percival. Key events include:

• Dinner Interaction: Count Fosco entertains guests with anecdotes, temporarily distracting from earlier tensions.
• Secret Confession: Laura and Marian take a solitary walk by the lake, where Laura reveals the pain and manipulation she endures from Sir Percival.
• Mysterious Encounter: The appearance of a shadowy figure near the boathouse heightens the suspense, leaving Laura and Marian unsettled.
• Investigation: Marrying suspicions arise as Faith discovers inconsistencies in Count Fosco’s alibis, deepening the mystery.

Key Insights and Analysis

Faith and Kate dissect the complexities of the characters and plot:

• Sir Percival's Transformation: Initially perceived as a potential villain, his actions in Chapter Five complicate this view, suggesting a more nuanced character driven by financial desperation rather than outright malice.
  • Quote: "If his plan all along has been to murder her for his money, why would he go through all this business with the signature?" ([08:05] Kate)
• Count Fosco’s Ambiguity: His seemingly protective stance contrasts with mysterious undertakings, making him a character of depth and unpredictability.
  • Quote: "Count Fosco seems like he might be snooping around for some reason, which is sort of ominous." ([13:07] Kate)
• Marian’s Perspective: Her growing distrust of Count Fosco over Sir Percival highlights the intricate web of alliances and enmities within the narrative.
  • Quote: "Yes, I am more afraid of his interference than I am of Sir Percival's violence." ([14:20] Kate)

Notable Quotes

• “Women can resist a man's love, a man's fame, a man's personal appearance, and a man's money, but they cannot resist a man's tongue when he knows how to talk to them.” ([17:21] Kate)
• “The influence of all others that I dreaded most was actually the one tie which now held me to Laura in the hour of her utmost need.” ([15:03] Kate)
• “Her cold blue eyes almost warmed as she spoke the words.” ([17:54] Kate)

Conclusion and Call to Action

Faith wraps up the episode by inviting listeners to share their thoughts and questions, fostering a collaborative and interactive listening experience. She encourages participation through her website and social media, emphasizing the importance of community support in sustaining the podcast. As she transitions into narrating Chapter Five, Faith ensures that both returning and new listeners remain engaged and eager for the unfolding mystery in The Woman in White.

Join the Conversation

To further immerse yourself in the discussion and share your insights:

• Visit faithmoore.com and click on "Contact."
• Engage with the community through the Drawing Room.
• Support the podcast by subscribing, leaving reviews, and sharing with friends.

Stay tuned for the next episode, where Faith and Kate will continue unraveling the enigmatic threads of The Woman in White, deepening the intrigue and uncovering the secrets that lie ahead.

Transcript

[Faith Moore]

Hello and welcome to Storytime for Grown Ups. I'm Faith Moore and this season we're reading the Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. Each episode I'll read a few chapters from the book, pausing from time to time to give brief explanations so it's easier to follow along. It's like an audiobook with built in notes. So brew a pot of tea, find a cozy chair and settle in. It's story time. Hi everyone. Welcome back.

[Kate]

I just want to say thank you.

[Faith Moore]

To those of you who were there.

[Kate]

On Thursday in the drawing room for tea time. I had a lovely time chatting with all of you and we had a great discussion, discussion about the book and particularly about Sir Percival and Count Fosco and what we think is actually going on with those two and who the bad guy is going to turn out to be. It was a really great conversation. I love getting to chat with you. So thank you to those of you who were there. Thank you for supporting the show in that way and it's so much fun. And of course, if you weren't there.

[Faith Moore]

If you missed it.

[Kate]

If you'd like to join next time, I will announce the next date of.

[Faith Moore]

The next tea time soon.

[Kate]

It's going to be probably near the.

[Faith Moore]

End of March in the evening on.

[Kate]

A weekday, but I haven't scheduled it yet, but I will and I will announce it here. And if you're interested in becoming a.

[Faith Moore]

Member, either to join the Tea Times.

[Kate]

Or just to join the Drawing Room, which is our online community. It's a kind of place where we can chat, we can type to each other about, about the book and about books generally, and just ourselves. It's. It's a community and it's really growing and it's lovely to see. So if you'd like to be a part of that, you can just scroll down description of this episode and you'll find a link to the membership options and you can just kind of look at it and see if you'd like to sign up. And if you don't, that's completely fine because this show is still here. This is still the main room of the house and nothing is going to change about that. You will always get everything that this show has to offer, even if you don't sign up for those memberships. That's important to me and I hope that you will stick around regardless. So welcome. Regardless of what, what you're doing, where you are, whether you're a member or not, welcome. I'm so glad that you're here. Welcome to real Time to those of you who have just found yourself in a position to have to wait for episodes. I've gotten a couple of emails lately from people saying, ah, I've caught up. I was binging, I've caught up and now I have to wait for the next episode. I know it's bittersweet to find yourself in real time, but I really do think it's the best way to listen. So welcome to those of you. Welcome to those of you who have always been with us in real time. And welcome if you're listening sometime and we've already moved on into the future. Welcome to those of you who are still in the past. I'm happy that you're with us. Okay, one other Quick Housekeeping thing. I've been getting some questions, understandably, about how long is the book? You know, I always feel like when I'm reading a book, I like to feel the pages that are under my left hand, meaning the pages I've read, and the pages under my right hand, meaning the pages that are still to go. Because it kind of helps you get a sense of, okay, where am I in the story? Is this about to wrap up? Or are we ages and ages away from the end and there's still much more to go? So since you don't have the book in your hand, I know some of you do, some of you like to read along in an actual copy, but I think many of us don't have the book in our hands as we're listening, and so it can be hard to know. So it's reasonable to be asking, well.

[Faith Moore]

Where are we in the story?

[Kate]

So this book is going to take us through the end of May. So we started this book at the beginning of January. It is now the beginning of March, which means we've been reading it for two months and we have three months left to go, so we're not even really halfway yet. So that should kind of give you a sense of where we are. And I hope that's helpful to those of you who are kind of trying to get your bearings. So that's one thing.

[Faith Moore]

And then, just as always, please make sure you're subscribed.

[Kate]

If you're enjoying the show, please tap those five stars. If you've got a couple of extra seconds, please leave a positive review. I love reading those, so you'd be making me happy. But also those are the things that help this podcast kind of magically appear in people's podcast players as a suggestion, something they might want to try and that helps to grow the podcast, and.

[Faith Moore]

Of course, just spreading the word. Tell a friend, tell a colleague, a.

[Kate]

Family member, somebody on the street, somebody random. Tell them about this show. Text them a link to the show, or just tell them and suggest that they give it a try, because that's really the way that this show can grow. And growing. The show is really great because it means there's going to be more of us listening and writing in and talking about our ideas. And it also means that I'll be able to keep doing this show for.

[Faith Moore]

Many years to come.

[Kate]

And that's exactly what I want to do. I want to do many more books. We have so much more to read.

[Faith Moore]

So spread the word.

[Kate]

Okay, so last time we read Halcomb's narrative, Chapter four, and today we're going to read Halcomb's narrative, Chapter five. I have a great question comment today that we're going to read and talk about and then we'll move on to the chapter. So, but first, let's just remind ourselves of where we left off and let's do the recap. Here it is.

[Faith Moore]

Okay, so where we left off.

[Kate]

Laura, Count Fosco, and Madame Fosco were.

[Faith Moore]

All in Sir Percival's study with Sir.

[Kate]

Percival when Sir Percival came out and.

[Faith Moore]

Asked Marian to come in, too, because.

[Kate]

Count Fosco had raised an objection to his wife being one of the witnesses and had suggested that Marian take her place instead. Count Fosco explains that the witnesses should be two independent people, not two people so closely connected as he and his wife. So Marian agrees, for Laura's sake to be the second witness.

[Faith Moore]

Sir Percival tries to get Laura to.

[Kate]

Sign a document, which he doesn't let her read. So then Laura won't sign it because she can't read it, and Marian backs her up. Sir Percival is furious and eludes to something about their marriage, which Marian doesn't understand, but which angers Laura and makes her, like, categorically refuse to sign anything unless she can read it first. Count Fosco intervenes and asks Percival to wait about all of this until tomorrow.

[Faith Moore]

So Percival is in a hurry to.

[Kate]

Go and see Mrs. Catherick and find out why she came to visit his house. So he agrees to wait, but storms off in a huff. Laura is very upset and embarrassed, and.

[Faith Moore]

She says that she's been keeping a.

[Kate]

Secret about her relations with Sir Percival.

[Faith Moore]

From Marian, but she doesn't feel well.

[Kate]

Enough to tell her. Now Marian decides that they should write to Mr. Gilmore's replacement, Mr. Curl, and ask him what they should do in this situation. So she writes a letter, and she asks him to send his answer via a special messenger and to instruct that messenger to give his reply to Marian and to no one else. And that will ensure that they get the answer before the next afternoon, which is when Sir Percival is going to.

[Faith Moore]

Come back and ask Laura to sign again.

[Kate]

When Marian puts the letter into the.

[Faith Moore]

Post bag to be mailed, Madame Fosco asks her to take a walk with.

[Kate]

Her and is sort of uncharacteristically chatty for about half an hour until she suddenly, abruptly leaves.

[Faith Moore]

When Marian comes back inside, she sees.

[Kate]

Count Fosco putting his own letter into the mailbag. And even though she's not really sure why, Marian decides that she should seal her own letter.

[Faith Moore]

And she takes it back to her room, where she discovers that it's possible.

[Kate]

Although she can't be sure, that the letter has been tampered with.

[Faith Moore]

So now they're waiting until tomorrow when.

[Kate]

The lawyer will hopefully write back and.

[Faith Moore]

Tell them what to do. All right, so today's question comes to us from Kate.

[Kate]

Kate writes, the whole conversation by the lake about murder was so uncomfortable.

[Faith Moore]

Then the agitation about her wanting to read what she is signing in the.

[Kate]

Next chapter, he does seem less like a murderer. So he here would be Sir Percival. Right.

[Faith Moore]

But certainly far less agreeable as well. Like a man stressed beyond capacity, lashing out in very poor form.

[Kate]

Then the whole suspicious business around the letter, it feels like a game of whodunnit.

[Faith Moore]

The author is still so good at keeping us holding our breath.

[Kate]

What's going to happen? I'm so nervous. Okay.

[Faith Moore]

Right.

[Kate]

So I think it makes sense at this point to kind of reassess our situation a little bit, because before Laura and Sir Percival got married, many of us were feeling like Sir Percival was going to turn out to be a murderer.

[Faith Moore]

And he still might.

[Kate]

But the thing that we thought was going to happen, right, that he was orchestrating the marriage settlement so that he could get everything after Laura dies, and then that he was going to kill her on their honeymoon and inherit it.

[Faith Moore]

That hasn't happened.

[Kate]

Their honeymoon lasted six months, and Laura survived it. They've been living at Blackwater park for a bit now, and Laura has survived that.

[Faith Moore]

And now the fact that Percival seems.

[Kate]

To be trying to get money out of her through having her sign some sort of document has to kind of give us pause.

[Faith Moore]

Right.

[Kate]

If his plan all along has been to murder her for his money, why would he go through all this business with the signature? Why not just kill her and then get everything? So Like Kate is saying in her letter, it's actually possible that he isn't our murderer if a murder is even the crime that's going to end up being committed. And it's possible that in fact he's.

[Faith Moore]

Just a guy who did marry for money, but not in a criminal kind.

[Kate]

Of way, just in the way of someone who's in debt and sees marrying an heiress as a possible way out of it, which was a thing that men did back then. And while it was seen as unseemly to kind of overtly state that as your purpose in marrying someone, people certainly did it and no one thought too badly of them for doing it. So it's possible that we've had Sir Percival wrong all of this time and that he wasn't trying to marry Laura in order to kill her, but only in order to become richer, which was a fairly normal if not very romantic thing to do.

[Faith Moore]

But of course, all of this begs.

[Kate]

The question of why he won't let Laura see what she's signing. Because that does still kind of reek of wrongdoing in some way, right? And of. Of deception, certainly. So it's possible that Sir Percival is still going to turn out to be a murderer or to commit some other truly heinous crime. But it's also possible, I think, that he's just sort of a kind of ne'er do well of a much lower order than we thought. Like maybe he's just a guy who likes to gamble or spend his money a lot or whatever and he doesn't take care of his money and he's got a short temper and he really just needs money right now, right? Maybe he's just that guy. None of which speaks well of him. And of course Marian has always kind of disliked him and now she downright.

[Faith Moore]

Hates and distrusts him because she thinks.

[Kate]

And I think we can think this too at this point, she thinks that.

[Faith Moore]

His kindness and his attentiveness to Lauren before they were married was all an.

[Kate]

Act kind of cooked up to get her to agree to marry him so that he could get at her money. Here's what she says. This is a quote.

[Faith Moore]

My sole motive for distrusting his honesty sprang from the change which I had observed in his language and in his.

[Kate]

Manners at Blackwater Park.

[Faith Moore]

A change which convinced me that he had been acting a part throughout the.

[Kate]

Whole period of his probation at Limmeridge House.

[Faith Moore]

His elaborate delicacy, his ceremonious politeness, which.

[Kate]

Harmonized so agreeably with Mr. Gilmour's old.

[Faith Moore]

Fashioned notions his modesty with Laura, his candour with me, his moderation with Mr. Fairley. All these were the artifices of a mean, cunning and brutal man who had dropped his disguise when his practice duplicity had gained its end and had openly.

[Kate]

Shown himself in the library on that very day. Right. So Percival certainly isn't a good guy.

[Faith Moore]

And he may still turn out to.

[Kate]

Be the bad guy. But I think it's fair to say that at this point it's not really looking like he's going to be the bad guy in the way that we thought. Meaning he doesn't seem at this point to want to kill anyone necessarily.

[Faith Moore]

Of course, we do still have the.

[Kate]

Whole Anne Catherick situation hanging over our heads and we don't know what that's about. And it's possible that if Sir Percival is our bad guy that it's in fact whatever is up with Anne Catherick that will turn out to be the way that he proves himself to be evil or whatever. But we just don't know at this point. And there seems to be some secret that Laura is keeping from Marian, right?

[Faith Moore]

That has to do with her marriage.

[Kate]

It's clear that Laura and Sir Percival don't get along and that there's something.

[Faith Moore]

Bad between them that Laura hasn't told Marian.

[Kate]

And that could add to our sense of Percival being a bad guy. Here's what she I have kept many.

[Faith Moore]

Things from your knowledge, Marian, for fear.

[Kate]

Of distressing you and making you unhappy.

[Faith Moore]

At the outset of our new lives. You don't know how he has used me.

[Kate]

And yet you ought to know, for.

[Faith Moore]

You saw how he used me today. You heard him sneer at my presuming to be scrupulous. You heard him say I had made a virtue of necessity in marrying him. So that's one thing, right?

[Kate]

Sir Percival is rude and bad tempered and after Laura's money and treating her badly in their marriage in some as yet undisclosed way. But he may not actually want to kill her. Right? And then we've got Count Fosco, right?

[Faith Moore]

On the one hand, as Kate was.

[Kate]

Implying in her letter, it's possible that Count Fosco looked at Marian's letter to the lawyer for some reason. Why would he do that? We have no idea at this point and we don't even really know that he did so. On the one hand, though, Count Fosco seems like he might be snooping around for some reason, which is sort of ominous.

[Faith Moore]

But on the other hand, Fosco essentially saved Laura from having to sign the.

[Kate]

Document without seeing it.

[Faith Moore]

And he seemed to be looking after.

[Kate]

Laura's interests by having Marian be a witness in place of Madame Fosco. Right. Because without Marian, all the witnesses are essentially on Sir Percival's side.

[Faith Moore]

And so allowing Marian in causes there.

[Kate]

To be someone on Laura's side too. Why would Fosco do that if he was completely in line with Sir Percival's motives and Sir Percival's ideas? So again, Fosco has a bunch of contradictions.

[Faith Moore]

He seems to be looking out for.

[Kate]

Laura and Marian and to be scolding Percival for his temper and his treatment of the ladies. But he also seems to potentially be sneaking around with the help of his wife, trying to read Marian's letters. But one thing we can say for sure is that Marian has decided that.

[Faith Moore]

Of the two of them, right, between.

[Kate]

Sir Percival and Count Fosco, Marian has decided that it's Fosco who's the most dangerous.

[Faith Moore]

Right? Not necessarily that he's actually trying to.

[Kate]

Harm them, but that if he were, she feels like he's a far more.

[Faith Moore]

Dangerous enemy to have than Sir Percival.

[Kate]

Here's what she says about that.

[Faith Moore]

Yes, I am more afraid of his.

[Kate]

Interference than I am of Sir Percival's violence. Remember what I said to you in the library? She's talking to Laura.

[Faith Moore]

Whatever you do, Laura, don't make an enemy of the Count.

[Kate]

Not to mention the fact that Sir Percival actually seems to be sort of under Count Fosco's thumb. Right? Fosco seems to wield this huge influence over Sir Percival. And because of that, Marian sees that it's actually Fosco who might make the decision to allow her to keep living at Blackwater park with Laura. Here's what she says about his influence.

[Faith Moore]

The influence of all others that I.

[Kate]

Dreaded most was actually the one tie.

[Faith Moore]

Which now held me to Laura in.

[Kate]

The hour of her utmost need. Okay.

[Faith Moore]

And here again, we are acutely aware.

[Kate]

Of how alone Laura and Marian are. There's no one in the house they can appeal to for help. And now it's possible that their outgoing.

[Faith Moore]

Letters might be searched. And Marian has to take the precaution of telling the lawyers messenger to speak to no one but her.

[Kate]

I mean, I don't know about you, but it's all starting to feel a little claustrophobic.

[Faith Moore]

Right?

[Kate]

So, as Kate says in her letter, what is going to happen? Right? Will the message from the lawyer arrive before Sir Percival gets back? If it does, will it help them in any way? Will whatever sir percival learns from Mrs. Catherick change anything. And is there any way out of this whole situation for Laura and Marian? We are just going to have to keep reading to find out. Don't forget to write to me, okay? I absolutely love to hear from you. You're never bothering me. I want to know what you're thinking at this point as we're reading along. Faithkmoore.com and click on Contact. Or you can just scroll down into the description of this episode wherever you're listening and click on the link that's there. So please do get in touch.

[Faith Moore]

All right, let's get started with Holcomb's narrative, Chapter five of the Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. It's story time five June 17th when the dinner hour brought us together again, Count Fosco was in his usual excellent spirits. He exerted himself to interest and amuse us as if he was determined to efface from our memories all recollection of what had passed in the library that afternoon.

[Kate]

Lively descriptions of his adventures in traveling.

[Faith Moore]

Amusing anecdotes of remarkable people whom he had met with abroad, quaint comparisons between.

[Kate]

The social customs of various nations, illustrated by examples drawn from men and women indiscriminately all over Europe. Humorous confessions of the innocent follies of his own early life when he ruled the fashions of a second rate Italian town and wrote preposterous romances on the frenzy model for a second rate Italian newspaper.

[Faith Moore]

All flowed in succession so easily and so gaily from his lips and all.

[Kate]

Addressed our various curiosities and various interests.

[Faith Moore]

So directly and so delicately that Laura and I listened to him with as.

[Kate]

Much attention and, inconsistent as it may.

[Faith Moore]

Seem, with as much admiration also as Madame Fosco herself. Women can resist a man's love, a man's fame, a man's personal appearance, and a man's money, but they cannot resist a man's tongue when he knows how to talk to them. After dinner, while the favorable impression which he had produced on us was still vivid in our minds, the Count modestly.

[Kate]

Withdrew to read in the library.

[Faith Moore]

Laura proposed a stroll in the grounds to enjoy the close of the long evening. It was necessary in common politeness to ask Madame Fosco to join us, but this time she had apparently received her orders beforehand, and she begged we would kindly excuse her. The Count will probably want a fresh supply of cigarettes, she remarked by way of apology, and nobody can make them to his satisfaction but myself. Her cold blue eyes almost warmed as she spoke the words. She looked actually proud of being the officiating medium through which her lord and master composed himself with tobacco smoke. Laura and I went out together alone. It was a misty, heavy evening. There was a sense of blight in the air. The flowers were drooping in the garden, and the ground was parched and dewless. The western heaven, as we saw it over the quiet trees was of a pale yellow hue, and the sun was setting faintly in a haze. Coming rain seemed near. It would fall probably with the fall of night. Which way shall we go? I asked. Towards the lake, Marion? If you like, she answered. You seem unaccountably fond, Laura. Of that dismal lake? No, not of the lake, but of the scenery about it. The sand and heath and the fir trees are the only objects I can discover in all this large place to remind me of Limmeridge. But we will walk in some other direction if you prefer it. I have no favorite walks at Blackwater park, my love. One is the same as another to me. Let us go to the lake. We may find it cooler in the open space than we find it here. We walked through the shadowy plantation in silence. The heaviness in the evening air oppressed us both, and when we reached the boathouse we were glad to sit down and rest inside. A white fog hung low over the lake. The dense brown line of the trees on the opposite bank appeared above it, like a dwarf forest floating in the sky. The sandy ground shelving downward from where we sat was lost mysteriously in the outward layers of the fog. The silence was horrible. No rustling of the leaves, no bird's note in the wood, no cry of water fowl from the pools of the hidden lake. Even the croaking of the frogs had ceased to night. It is very desolate and gloomy, said Laura, but we can be more alone here than anywhere else. She spoke quietly and looked at the wilderness of sand and mist with steady, thoughtful eyes. I could see that her mind was too much occupied to feel the dreary impressions from without which had fastened themselves already on mine. I promised Marian to tell you the truth about my married life instead of leaving you any longer to guess it for yourself. She began. That secret is the first I have ever had from you, love, and I am determined it shall be the last. I was silent, as you know, for your sake, and perhaps a little for my own sake as well. It is very hard for a woman to confess that the man to whom she has given her whole life is the man of all others who cares least for the gift. If you were married yourself, Marian, and especially if you were happily married, you would feel for me as no single woman can feel, however kind and true she may be. What answer could I make? I could only take her hand and look at her with my whole heart as well as my eyes would let me. How often she went on. I have heard you laughing over what you used to call your poverty. How often you have made me mock speeches of congratulation on my wealth. Oh, Marian, never laugh again. Thank God for your poverty. It has made you your own mistress and has saved you from the lot that has fallen on me. A sad beginning on the lips of a young wife. Sad in its quiet, plain spoken truth. The few days we had all passed together at Blackwater park had been many. Enough to show meto show anyone what her husband had married her for. Meaning Sir Percival married Laura for her money and for no other reason. You shall not be distressed, she said, by hearing how soon my disappointments and my trials began. Or even by knowing what they were. It is bad enough to have them on my memory. If I tell you how he received the first and last attempt at remonstrance that I ever made, you will know how he has always treated me. As well as if I had described it in so many words. So a remonstrance is like a protest.

[Kate]

So she's going to tell Marian about.

[Faith Moore]

The first time she ever protested against something Sir Percival did. And this story is going to show Marian more, more generally, the way that Sir Percival treats her. It was one day at Rome when we had ridden out together to the tomb of Cecilia Metella. The sky was calm and lovely and the grand old ruin looked beautiful. And the remembrance that a husband's love had raised it in the old time to a wife's memory made me feel more tenderly and more anxiously towards my husband than I had ever felt. Would you build such a tomb for me, Percival? I asked him. You said you loved me dearly before we were married. And yet since that time I could get no farther. Marian. He was not even looking at me. I pulled down my veil, thinking it best not to let him see that the tears were in my eyes. I fancied he had not paid any attention to me, but he had. He said, come away, and laughed to himself as he helped me onto my horse. He mounted his own horse and laughed again as we rode away. If I do build you a tomb, he said, it will be done with your own money. I wonder whether Cecilia Metella had a fortune and paid for hers. I made no reply. How could I, when I was crying behind my veil? Ah, you Light complexioned women are all sulky, he said. What do you want? Compliments and soft speeches? Well, I am in a good humor this morning. Consider the compliments paid and the speeches said. Men little know when they say hard things to us, how well we remember them and how much harm they do us. It would have been better for me if I had gone on crying. But his contempt dried up my tears and hardened my heart. From that time, Marian, I never checked myself again in thinking of Walter Hartright. I let the memory of those happy days when we were so fond of each other in secret come back and comfort me. What else had I to look to for consolation? If we had been together, you would have helped me to better things. I know it was wrong, darling, but tell me if I was wrong without any excuse I was obliged to turn my face from her. Don't ask me, I said. Have I suffered as you have suffered? What right have I to decide? I used to think of him, she pursued, dropping her voice and moving closer to me. I used to think of him when Percival left me alone at night to go among the opera people. I used to fancy what I might have been if it had pleased God to bless me with poverty and if I had been his wife. I used to see myself in my neat cheap gown sitting at home and waiting for him while he was earning our bread. Sitting at home and working for him and loving him all the better because I had to work for him. Seeing him come in tired and taking off his hat and coat for him and Marian pleasing him with little dishes at dinner that I had learned to make for his sake. Oh, I hope he is never lonely enough and sad enough to think of me and see me as I have thought of him and seen him. As she said those melancholy words, all the lost tenderness returned to her voice and all the lost beauty trembled back into her face face. Her eyes rested as lovingly on the blighted, solitary, ill omened view before us as if they saw the friendly hills of Cumberland in the dim and threatening sky. Don't speak of Walter any more, I.

[Kate]

Said as soon as I could control myself.

[Faith Moore]

Oh, Laura, spare us both the wretchedness of talking of him. Now she roused herself and looked at me tenderly. I would rather be silent about him forever, she answered, than cause you a moment's pain. It is in your interest, I pleaded. It is for your sake that I speak. If your husband heard you, it would not surprise him if he did hear me. She made that strange reply with a weary calmness and coldness the change in her manner when she gave the answer startled me almost as much as the answer itself. Not surprise him, I repeated. Laura, remember what you are saying.

[Kate]

You frighten me.

[Faith Moore]

It is true, she said. It is what I wanted to tell you today when we were talking in your room. My only secret when I opened my heart to him at Limmeridge was a harmless secret, Marian. You said so yourself. The name was all I kept from him, and he has discovered it. Meaning Sir Percival now knows that it was Walter that Laura is in love with. Before he only knew that she's loved someone else. I heard her, but I could say nothing. Her last words had killed the little hope that still lived in me. It happened at Rome, she went on, as wearily calm and cold as ever. We were at a little party given to the English by some friends of Sir Percival's, Mr. And Mrs. Markland. Mrs. Markland had the reputation of sketching very beautifully, and some of the guests prevailed on her to show us her drawings. We all admired them, but something I said attracted her attention particularly to me. Surely you draw yourself? She asked. I used to draw little once, I answered, but I have given it up. If you have once drawn, she said, you may take to it again one of these days. And if you do, I wish you would let me recommend you a master. I said nothing. You know why, Marian, and tried to change the conversation, but Mrs. Markland persisted. I have had all sorts of teachers, she went on, but the best of all, the most intelligent and the most attentive, was a Mr. Hartright. If you ever take up your drawing again, do try him as a master. He is a young man, modest and gentlemanlike. I am sure you will like him. Think of those words being spoken to me publicly in the presence of strangersstrangers who had been invited to meet the bride and bridegroom. I did all I could to control myself. I said nothing and looked down close at the drawings. When I ventured to raise my head again, my eyes and my husband's eyes met, and I knew by his look that my face had betrayed me. We will see about Mr. Hartright, he said, looking at me all the time, when we get back to England. I agree with you, Mrs. Markland. I think Lady Glyde is sure to like him. He laid an emphasis on the last words which made my cheeks burn and set my heart beating as if it would stifle me. Nothing more was said. We came away early. He was silent in the carriage driving back to the hotel. He helped me out and followed me upstairs as usual. But the moment we were in the drawing room, he locked the door, pushed me down into a chair and stood over me with his hands on my shoulders. Ever since that morning when you made your audacious confession to me at Limmeridge, he said, I have wanted to find out the match. And I have found him in your face to night. Your drawing master was the man, and his name is Hartright. You shall repent it and he shall repent it to the last hour of your lives. Now go to bed and dream of.

[Kate]

Him if you like, with the marks.

[Faith Moore]

Of my horsewhip on his shoulders. Whenever he is angry with me now, he refers to what I acknowledge to him in your presence with a sneer or a threat. I have no power to prevent him from putting his own horrible construction on the confidence I placed in him. I have no influence to make him believe me or to keep him silent. You looked surprised to day when you heard him tell me that I had made a virtue of necessity in marrying him. You will not be surprised again when you hear him repeat it the next time he is out of temper.

[Kate]

Oh, Marian, don't.

[Faith Moore]

Don't. You're hurting me. I had caught her in my arms and the sting and torment of my remorse had closed them round her like a vice. Yes, my remorse. The white despair of Walter's face when my cruel words struck him to the heart in the summer house at Limmeridge rose before me in mute, unendurable reproach. My hand had pointed the way which led the man my sister loved step by step, far from his country and his friends. Between those two young hearts I had stood to sunder them forever, the one from the other and his life and her life lay wasted before me alike in witness of the deed. I had done this and done it for Sir Percival Glyde. For Sir Percival Glyde. I heard her speaking and I knew by the tone of her voice that she was comforting mei, who deserved nothing but the reproach of her silence. How long it was before I mastered the absorbing misery of my own thoughts, I cannot tell. I was first conscious that she was kissing me. And then my eyes seemed to wake on a sudden to their sense of outward things. And I knew that I was looking mechanically straight before me at the prospect of the lake. It is late, I heard her whisper. It will be dark in the plantation. She took my arm and repeated, marion, it will be dark in the plantation. Give me a minute longer, I said. A minute to get better in. I was afraid to trust myself to look at her yet, and I kept my eyes fixed on the view. It was late. The dense brown line of trees in the sky had faded in the gathering darkness to the faint resemblance of a long wreath of smoke. The mist over the lake below had stealthily enlarged and advanced on us. The silence was as breathless as ever. But the horror of it had gone, and the solemn mystery of its stillness was all that remained. We are far from the house, she whispered. Let us go back. She stopped suddenly and turned her face from me towards the entrance of the boathouse. Marion, she said, trembling violently, do you see nothing? Look. Where? Down there, below us. She pointed. My eyes followed her hand, and I saw it too. A living figure was moving over the waste of heath in the distance. It crossed our range of view from the boathouse and passed darkly along the outer edge of the mist. It stopped far off in front of us, waited, and passed on, moving slowly with the white cloud of mist behind it and above it. Slowly, slowly, till it glided by the edge of the boathouse and we saw it no more. We were both unnerved by what had passed between us that evening. Some minutes elapsed before Laura would venture into the plantation, and before I could make up my mind to lead her back to the house. Was it a man or a woman? She asked in a whisper as we moved at last into the dark dampness of the outer air. I am not certain. Which do you think it looked like? A woman. I was afraid it might be a man in a long cloak. It may be a man. In this dim light, it is not possible to be certain. Wait, Marian. I am frightened. I don't see the path. Suppose the figure should follow us? Not at all likely, Laura. There is really nothing to be alarmed about. The shores of the lake are not far from the village, and they are free to anyone to walk on by, day or night. It is only wonderful we have seen no living creature there before. We were now in the plantation. It was very dark, so dark that we found some difficulty in keeping the path. I gave Laura my arm, and we walked as fast as we could on our way back. Before we were halfway through, she stopped and forced me to stop with her. She was listening. Hush, she whispered. I hear something behind us. Dead leaves, I said to cheer her. Or a twig blown off the trees. It is summertime, Marian, and there is not a breath of wind. Listen. I heard the sound, too. A sound like a light footstep following us. No matter who it is or what it is, I said, let us walk on. In another minute, if there is anything to alarm us, we shall be near enough to the house to be heard. We went on quickly, so quickly that Laura was breathless by the time we were nearly through the plantation and within sight of the lighted windows. I waited a moment to give her breathing time. Just as we were about to proceed, she stopped me again and signed to me with her hand to listen once more. We both heard distinctly a long, heavy sigh behind us in the black depths of the trees. Who's there? I called out. There was no answer. Who's there? I repeated. An instant of silence followed, and then we heard the light fall of the footsteps again, fainter and fainter, sinking away into the darkness. Sinking, sinking, sinking, till they were lost in the silence. We hurried out from the trees to the open lawn beyond, crossed it rapidly, and without another word passing between us, reached the house. In the light of the hall lamp, Laura looked at me with white cheeks and startled eyes.

[Kate]

I am half dead with fear, she said.

[Faith Moore]

Who could it have been? We will try to guess tomorrow, I replied. In the meantime, say nothing to anyone of what we have heard and seen. Why not? Because silence is safe, and we have need of safety in this house. I sent Laura upstairs immediately and waited a minute to take off my hat and put my hair smooth, and then went at once to make my first investigations in the library, on pretence of searching for a book. There sat the Count, filling out the largest easy chair in the house, smoking and reading calmly with his feet on an ottoman, his cravat across his knees and his shirt collar wide open. And there sat Madame Fosco, like a quiet child, on a stool by his side, making cigarettes. Neither husband nor wife could by any possibility, have been out late that evening and have just got back to the house in a hurry. I felt that my object in visiting the library was answered the moment I set eyes on them. So she wanted to know if it was Count Fosco or Madame Fosco following them. But she can see clearly that they've.

[Kate]

Been in the house this whole time.

[Faith Moore]

Count Fosco rose in polite confusion and tied his cravat on when I entered the room. Pray don't let me disturb you, I said. I have only come here to get a book. All unfortunate men of my size suffer from the heat, said the count, refreshing himself gravely with a large green fan. I wish I could change places with my excellent wife. She is as cool at this moment as a fish in the pond outside. The countess allowed herself to thaw under the influence of her husband's quaint comparison. I am never warm, Miss Halcombe, she remarked, with the modest air of a woman who is confessing to one of her own merits. Have you and Lady Glyde been out this evening? Asked the count, while I was taking a book from the shelves to preserve appearances. Yes. We went out to get a little air. May I ask in what direction? In the direction of the lake, as far as the boathouse. Aha. As far as the boathouse. Under other circumstances I might have resented his curiosity, but to night I hailed it as another proof that neither he nor his wife were connected with the mysterious appearance on the lake. No more adventures, I suppose, this evening, he went on. No more discoveries like your discovery of the wounded dog. He fixed his unfathomable grey eyes on me with that cold, clear, irresistible glitter in them which always forces me to look at him and always makes me uneasy while I do look. An unutterable suspicion that his mind is prying into mine overcomes me at these times, and it overcame me now. No, I said shortly.

[Kate]

No adventures.

[Faith Moore]

No discoveries. I tried to look away from him and leave the room. Strange as it seems, I hardly think I should have succeeded in the attempt if Madame Fosco had not helped me by causing him to move and look away first. Count, you are keeping Miss Halcombe standing, she said the moment he turned round to get me a chair. I seized my opportunity, thanked him, made my excuses, and slipped out. An hour later, when Laura's maid happened to be in her mistress's room, I took occasion to refer to the closeness of the night, with a view to ascertaining next how the servants had been passing their time. Have you been suffering much from the heat downstairs? I asked.

[Kate]

No, miss, said the girl.

[Faith Moore]

We have not felt it to speak of. You have been out in the woods, then?

[Kate]

I suppose?

[Faith Moore]

Some of us thought of going, miss, but Cook said she should take her chair into the cool courtyard outside the kitchen door, and on second thoughts, all the rest of us took our chairs out there too.

[Kate]

The housekeeper was now the only person who remained to be accounted for.

[Faith Moore]

Is Mrs. Mickelson gone to bed yet? I inquired. I should think not, miss, said the girl, smiling. Mrs. Mickelson is more likely to be getting up just now than going to bed.

[Kate]

Why?

[Faith Moore]

What do you mean?

[Kate]

Has Mrs. Mickelson been taken to her.

[Faith Moore]

Bed in the daytime? No, miss, not exactly.

[Kate]

But the next thing to it, she's.

[Faith Moore]

Been asleep all the evening on the sofa in her own room, putting together what I observed for myself in the library and what I had just heard from Laura's maid, one conclusion seems inevitable. The figure we saw at the lake was not the figure of Madame Fosco, of her husband, or of any of the servants. The footsteps we heard behind us were not the footsteps of anyone belonging to the house. Who could it have been? It seems useless to inquire. I cannot even decide whether the figure was a man's or a woman's. I can only say that I think it was a woman's. Thank you so much for listening. I'd love to know what you thought of the chapters. Is there anything you'd like me to clarify? Did something particularly interest you? Please go to my website, faithkmoore.com click on contact and send me your questions and thoughts. Or you can click on the link in the Show Notes to contact me. I'll feature one or two of your entries at the start of the next episode. Speaking of links, don't forget to take a look at the other links in the Show Notes. You can learn more about me, check out our merch store or pick up one of my books. Before I go, I'd like to ask a quick favor. This is an independent podcast. It's produced, recorded and marketed by me, so I need your help. Spread the word about the show by posting about it on social media or texting a link to your friends. Subscribe, tap those five stars and leave a positive review wherever you're listening. If you are able to support the show financially, there's a link in the Show Notes to make a donation. I would really, really appreciate it. Alright everyone, story time is over. To be continued.