The story concluded by Walter Hartwright, chapter 1.

When I closed the last leaf of the Count's manuscript, the half-hour during which I had

engaged to remain at Forrest Road had expired.

Mulsier Rubel looked at his watch and bowed.

I rose immediately and left the agent in possession of the empty house.

I never saw him again.

I never heard more of him or his wife.

Out of the dark byways of villainy and deceit, they had crawled across our path.

Into the same byways, they crawled back secretly and were lost.

In a quarter of an hour after leaving Forrest Road, I was at home again.

But few words suffice to tell Laura and Maryanne how my desperate venture had ended and what

the next event in our lives was likely to be.

I left all details to be described later in the day and hastened back to St. John's

Wood to see the person of whom Count Fosco had ordered the fly when he went to meet Laura

at the station.

The address in my possession led me to some livery staples about a quarter of a mile distant

from Forrest Road.

The proprietor proved to be a civil and respectable man.

When I explained that an important family matter obliged me to ask him to refer to his books

for the purpose of ascertaining a date with which the record of his business transactions

might supply me.

He offered no objection to granting my request.

...