She passed a bad night, she awoke worn out, but later in the day she revived amazingly.  My elastic spirits revived with her.  I could receive no answers from Percival and Madame Rubelle till the morning of the next day, the 26th.  In anticipation of their following my directions, which, accident apart, I knew they would do, I went to secure a fly to fetch Lady Glyde from the railway, directing it to be at my house on the 26th, at two o’clock.  After seeing the order entered in the book, I went on to arrange matters with Monsieur Rubelle.  I also procured the services of two gentlemen who could furnish me with the necessary certificates of lunacy.  One of them I knew personally—­the other was known to Monsieur Rubelle.  Both were men whose vigorous minds soared superior to narrow scruples—­both were labouring under temporary embarrassments—­both believed in me.

It was past five o’clock in the afternoon before I returned from the performance of these duties.  When I got back Anne Catherick was dead.  Dead on the 25th, and Lady Glyde was not to arrive in London till the 26th!

I was stunned.  Meditate on that.  Fosco stunned!

It was too late to retrace our steps.  Before my return the doctor had officiously undertaken to save me all trouble by registering the death, on the date when it happened, with his own hand.  My grand scheme, unassailable hitherto, had its weak place now—­no efforts on my part could alter the fatal event of the 25th.  I turned manfully to the future.  Percival’s interests and mine being still at stake, nothing was left but to play the game through to the end.  I recalled my impenetrable calm—­and played it.

On the morning of the 26th Percival’s letter reached me, announcing his wife’s arrival by the midday train.  Madame Rubelle also wrote to say she would follow in the evening.  I started in the fly, leaving the false Lady Glyde dead in the house, to receive the true Lady Glyde on her arrival by the railway at three o’clock.  Hidden under the seat of the carriage, I carried with me all the clothes Anne Catherick had worn on coming into my house—­ they were destined to assist the resurrection of the woman who was dead in the person of the woman who was living.  What a situation!  I suggest it to the rising romance writers of England.  I offer it, as totally new, to the worn-out dramatists of France.

Lady Glyde was at the station.  There was great crowding and confusion, and more delay than I liked (in case any of her friends had happened to be on the spot), in reclaiming her luggage.  Her first questions, as we drove off, implored me to tell her news of her sister.  I invented news of the most pacifying kind, assuring her that she was about to see her sister at my house.  My house, on this occasion only, was in the neighbourhood of Leicester Square, and was in the occupation of Monsieur Rubelle, who received us in the hall.