I returned post-haste to Welmingham to secure a copy of the forged entry.  It was night.  As I approached the church, a man stopped me, mistaking me for Sir Percival Glyde.  A light in the vestry showed to me that Sir Percival had anticipated my discovery and had secretly visited the church for the purpose of destroying the evidences of his crime.  But a terrible fate awaited him.  Even as I approached the church, a huge tongue of flame shot up into the night sky.  As I rushed forward I could hear the baronet vainly seeking to escape from the vestry.  The lock was hampered, and he could not get out.  I tried to force an entry, but by the time the flames were under control the end had come.  We found the charred remains of the man who had walked through life as Sir Percival Clyde lying by the door.

The mystery was now unravelled, and I was free to marry my darling.  The only other point that seemed to need clearing up was the parentage of the unfortunate Anne Catherick.  That was elucidated by Mrs. Catherick herself.  The father of Anne was Philip Fairlie, the father of Laura—­a fact that accounted for the extraordinary likeness between the two girls.  But though our tribulations seemed to be at an end, we had yet to establish the identity of Laura, and to deal with Count Fosco.

To Miss Halcombe the count had written a letter expressive of his admiration, and begging her, for her own sake, to let matters be.  I knew the count was a dangerous enemy, who would not hesitate to employ murder if necessary to gain his ends, but I was determined to re-establish the identity of Laura.  Miss Halcombe’s journal afforded me a clue.  I found there a statement that on the occasion of his first visit to Black-water Park the count had been very concerned to know whether there were any Italians in the neighbourhood.  Without hoping that anything would result from the manoeuvre, I followed the count one night, in the company of my friend, Professor Pesca, to the theatre.  The professor did not recognise Fosco, but when the count, staring round the theatre, focussed his glasses on Pesca, I saw a look of unmistakable terror come over his countenance.  He at once rose from his seat and left the place.  We followed.

The professor was very grave, and it was quite a different man to the light-hearted little Italian that I knew who related to me a strange chapter in his life.  As a young man, Pesca had belonged to, a secret society for the removal of tyrants.  He was still a member of the society, and could be called upon to act at any time.  The count had also been a member of the society, and had betrayed its secret.  Hence his terror of seeing Pesca.

I immediately made use of the weapon that had been placed in my hand.  I went boldly to Fosco’s house, and offered to effect his escape from England in return for a full confession of his share in the abduction of Lady Glyde.  He threatened to kill me, but realising that I had him at my mercy, consented to my terms.