Hermindinthisinstance，and，asIfeared，inotherinstancesbesides，confusedlypresentedtohersomethingwhichshehadonlyintendedtodointhefalselightofsomethingwhichshehadreallydone。Theunconsciouscontradictionofherselfwaseasytoaccountforinthisway——butitwaslikelytoleadtoseriousresults。Itwasastumbleonthethresholdatstarting——itwasaflawintheevidencewhichtoldfatallyagainstus。
WhenInextaskedfortheletterwhichLaurahadwrittentoMrsVeseyfromBlackwaterPark，itwasgiventomewithouttheenvelope，whichhadbeenthrownintothewastepaperbasket，andlongsincedestroyed。Intheletteritselfnodatewasmentioned——noteventhedayoftheweek。Itonlycontainedtheselines：——`DearestMrsVesey，Iaminsaddistressandanxiety，andImaycometoyourhousetomorrownight，andaskforabed。Ican’ttellyouwhatisthematterinthisletter——IwriteitinsuchfearofbeingfoundoutthatIcanfixmymindonnothing。Praybeathometoseeme。Iwillgiveyouathousandkisses，andtellyoueverything。
YouraffectionateLaura。’Whathelpwasthereinthoselines？None。
OnreturningfromMrsVesey’s，IinstructedMariantowriteobservingthesamecautionwhichIpractisedmyselftoMrsMichelson。Shewastoexpress，ifshepleased，somegeneralsuspicionofCountFosco’sconduct，andshewastoaskthehousekeepertosupplyuswithaplainstatementofevents，intheinterestsoftruth。Whilewewerewaitingfortheanswer，whichreachedusinaweek’stime，IwenttothedoctorinStJohn’sWood，introducingmyselfassentbyMissHalcombetocollect，ifpossible，moreparticularsofhersister’slastillnessthanMrKyrlehadfoundthetimetoprocure。ByMrGoodricke’sassistance，Iobtainedacopyofthecertificateofdeath，andaninterviewwiththewomanJaneGouldwhohadbeenemployedtopreparethebodyforthegrave。ThroughthispersonIalsodiscoveredameansofcommunicatingwiththeservant，HesterPinhorn。Shehadrecentlyleftherplaceinconsequenceofadisagreementwithhermistress，andshewaslodgingwithsomepeopleintheneighbourhoodwhomMrsGouldknew。
InthemannerhereindicatedIobtainedtheNarrativesofthehousekeeper，ofthedoctor，ofJaneGould，andofHesterPinhorn，exactlyastheyarepresentedinthesepages。