dence of his driver. An arrangement to compensate him for the
temporary loss of the man's services was easily made, and a copy of the
entry in the book was taken by myself, and certified as true by the
master's own signature. I left the livery stables, having settled that
John Owen was to hold himself at my disposal for the next three days,
or for a longer period if necessity required it.

I now had in my possession all the papers that I wanted--the district
registrar's own copy of the certificate of death, and Sir Percival's
dated letter to the Count, being safe in my pocket-book.

With this written evidence about me, and with the coachman's answers
fresh in my memory, I next turned my steps, for the first time since
the beginning of all my inquiries, in the direction of Mr. Kyrle's
office. One of my objects in paying him this second visit was,
necessarily, to tell him what I had done. The other was to warn him of
my resolution to take my wife to Limmeridge the next morning, and to
have her publicly received and recognised in her uncle's house. I left
it to Mr. Kyrle to decide under these circumstances, and in Mr.
Gilmore's absence, whether he was or was not bound, as the family
solicitor, to be present on that occasion in the family interests.

I will say nothing of Mr. Kyrle's amazement, or of the terms in which
he expressed his opinion of my conduct from the first stage of the
investigation to the last. It is only necessary to mention that he at
once decided on accompanying us to Cumberland.

We started the next morning by the early train. Laura, Marian, Mr.
Kyrle, and myself in one carriage, and John Owen, with a clerk from Mr.
Kyrle's office, occupying places in another. On reaching the
Limmeridge station we went first to the farmhouse at Todd's Corner. It
was my firm determination that Laura should not enter her uncle's house
till she appeared there publicly recognised as his niece. I left
Marian to settle the question of accommodation with Mrs. Todd, as soon
as the good woman had recovered from the bewilderment of hearing what
our errand was in Cumberland, and I arranged with her husband that John
Owen was to be committed to the ready hospitality of the farm-servants.
These preliminaries completed, Mr. Kyrle and I set forth together for
Limmeridge House.

I cannot write at any length of our interview with Mr. Fairlie, for I
cannot recall it to mind without feelings of impatience and contempt,
whic