afe and well. But come
back.--Marian."

The news which those lines contained--news which I instantly associated
with some attempted treachery on the part of Count Fosco--fairly
overwhelmed me. I stood breathless with the paper crumpled up in my
hand. What had happened? What subtle wickedness had the Count planned
and executed in my absence? A night had passed since Marian's note was
written--hours must elapse still before I could get back to them--some
new disaster might have happened already of which I was ignorant. And
here, miles and miles away from them, here I must remain--held, doubly
held, at the disposal of the law!

I hardly know to what forgetfulness of my obligations anxiety and alarm
might not have tempted me, but for the quieting influence of my faith
in Marian. My absolute reliance on her was the one earthly
consideration which helped me to restrain myself, and gave me courage
to wait. The inquest was the first of the impediments in the way of my
freedom of action. I attended it at the appointed time, the legal
formalities requiring my presence in the room, but as it turned out,
not calling on me to repeat my evidence. This useless delay was a hard
trial, although I did my best to quiet my impatience by following the
course of the proceedings as closely as I could.

The London solicitor of the deceased (Mr. Merriman) was among the
persons present. But he was quite unable to assist the objects of the
inquiry. He could only say that he was inexpressibly shocked and
astonished, and that he could throw no light whatever on the mysterious
circumstances of the case. At intervals during the adjourned
investigation, he suggested questions which the Coroner put, but which
led to no results. After a patient inquiry, which lasted nearly three
hours, and which exhausted every available source of information, the
jury pronounced the customary verdict in cases of sudden death by
accident. They added to the formal decision a statement, that there
had been no evidence to show how the keys had been abstracted, how the
fire had been caused, or what the purpose was for which the deceased
had entered the vestry. This act closed the proceedings. The legal
representative of the dead man was left to provide for the necessities
of the interment, and the witnesses were free to retire.

Resolved not to lose a minute in getting to Knowlesbury, I paid my bill
at the hotel, and hired a fly to take me to the town. A