The Woman in White

Walter announces that he will recount what happened to Marian and Laura after the other narratives left off.

He begins with Marian. While still recovering at Blackwater, she received news from Madame Fosco that Laura was dead. After reaching London, she told Mr. Kyrle of her suspicions (presumably, that Laura was murdered), but his investigations turned up nothing. She then traveled to Limmeridge. Count Fosco was there for Laura’s funeral, and in a letter to Mr. Fairlie, he wrote that Anne had been found and returned to the psychiatric hospital; however, she now claimed to be Laura.

Marian continued trying to investigate Sir Percival, Count Fosco, and Mrs. Rubelle, but discovered little beyond the fact that Sir Percival was now in Paris. She therefore resolved to visit Anne in the hospital. Once brought to “Anne,” Marian recognized Laura immediately. Rather than waste time going to court—and traumatizing Laura further in the process—Marian bribed the nurse to help Laura escape.

While leaving with Marian, Laura told Marian the story of what had happened to her in London, which Walter in turn relays. However, Laura does not remember the date of her trip to London (or many other key pieces of evidence).

When Laura arrived in London, Count Fosco took Laura to a house where two men questioned her. She fainted when Fosco told her that Marian’s health had taken a turn for the worse; they revived her with water and smelling salts, but the water tasted odd and made her dizzy once again. From this point on, her memory grows more confused. She believes that she slept at Mrs. Vesey’s house that night and that Mrs. Rubelle was there as well. The next morning, she recalls leaving the house with Mrs. Rubelle and Fosco, but then there is a gap in her memories until the moment she woke up at the hospital. The tags inside her clothes said “Anne Catherick,” and the nurses told her that Lady Glyde was dead.

Walter explains that Laura/Anne was admitted to the hospital on July 27 and that Marian rescued her on October 15. Marian brought Laura to Limmeridge House, but neither Mr. Fairlie nor any of the servants recognized her. Fearing discovery, Marian decided to take Laura to London, but as they walked from the house, Laura insisted on turning back to visit her mother’s grave. This was when they met Walter.

Based on Marian and Laura’s stories, Walter concludes that Fosco and Sir Percival conspired to switch Anne and Laura’s identities. He lives with Marian and Laura in a run-down neighborhood and supports them by working as a wood engraver. Marian and Laura hide in the house for fear of recognition. They have few resources, but Marian and Walter set aside what money they do have to benefit Laura.

How to establish Laura’s identity remains a problem, however. Laura’s physical and mental health have declined during her time in the hospital, and Walter and Marian do not dare talk to her about that period. Eventually, Walter decides to appeal to Mr. Kyrle, presenting everything he knows of the case. As he compiles the evidence, he visits Mrs. Vesey, who tells him that Laura did not stay with her before her commitment to the hospital; this undermines Laura’s credibility as a witness. However, she gives him the letter Laura sent her before leaving for London, and Walter adds this to a growing stockpile of testimonies.

When Walter leaves to consult Mr. Kyrle, Laura worries that he has grown tired of her and will not return. Walter, speaking privately with Marian before departing, is more concerned that Sir Percival will return to London after hearing of “Anne’s” escape.

Belatedly, it occurs to Walter that Count Fosco may have spies stationed at Mr. Kyrle’s office. Nevertheless, he consults the lawyer, who listens to Walter’s story and asks him questions but tells him he does not have enough evidence to make a legal case; in fact, most of the material evidence weighs against him, and Sir Percival’s financial resources make mounting any challenge at all difficult. To prove his case, Walter needs to establish that Anne died before the date on which Laura traveled to London. Walter vows not to abandon Laura’s cause. Before Walter leaves, Mr. Kyrle gives him a letter addressed to Marian, care of her lawyer. Outside the office, Walter notices two men following him—the same who were watching him after his employment at Limmeridge.

Walter delivers the letter to Marian, who immediately recognizes the handwriting as Count Fosco’s. She grows more incensed as she reads it. It tells Marian to remain in hiding; it uses fawning language but contains veiled threats against herself and Walter. Marian makes it clear that she wants to see Count Fosco dead. Walter assures her that he plans to continue to act himself. He hopes that the doctor Mr. Dawson can shed light on the date of Laura’s departure; failing that, he will try to learn the date of the night Sir Percival stayed at a village inn, as this was known to have occurred mere hours after Laura boarded a train for London. Alternatively, he will discover Sir Percival’s secret and use it to make him reveal the truth about Laura.

Walter speaks to Mr. Dawson, but the doctor’s recollections do not help establish the date of Laura’s departure. Inquiring at the inn also proves a dead end, as it has gone out of business. While at Blackwater Park speaking to the remaining servants (also unable to clarify when Sir Percival or Laura left), Walter notices that a man dressed in black seems to be following him. He realizes that Sir Percival, who Mr. Kyrle confirmed was back in London, is having him tailed; the man even tries to provoke an altercation, presumably so Sir Percival can have Walter arrested.

Walter returns to Marian and tells her of his failure. He realizes that uncovering Sir Percival’s secret is his last resort, but he relishes this chance to go after Sir Percival directly. He tells Marian that as they will need the assistance of Mrs. Catherick, he hopes to win her trust via Mrs. Clements; Marian suggests writing to Todd’s Corner for information about Mrs. Clements’s whereabouts. In the meantime, Marian tells him what she knows about Sir Percival’s family. His father was reclusive due to an unspecified congenital condition; he eventually moved abroad with his wife, and Sir Percival was born overseas. Both Sir Percival’s parents died young, and Sir Percival returned to England as a young man. This was when he met Laura’s father.

Walter receives Mrs. Clements’s London address from the people at Todd’s Corner and immediately sets off to speak with her.

When speaking to Mrs. Clements, who believes Anne is still alive, Walter is careful not to get her hopes up; he tells her he believes Anne has likely died but that he believes Mrs. Clements can provide information that may bring those responsible for her death to justice. She therefore tells him what happened when they departed Todd’s Corner (where they stayed when Anne posted the anonymous letter warning Laura about marrying Sir Percival). Initially, they went to London, but fearing Sir Percival would find them there, they traveled to Lincolnshire. Anne developed a heart condition shortly after she heard of Laura’s marriage.

During a respite from her illness, Anne insisted on following Laura to Blackwater; they rented a cottage in the village, and Anne walked the grounds hoping to speak to Laura—as she eventually did. However, Anne relapsed before her arranged appointment to meet Laura. Mrs. Clements went in her place, but instead of finding Laura was not there, she met a man Walter recognizes as Count Fosco. Fosco told her that Laura had sent him and that she wanted Anne to travel to London so as not to risk discovery by Sir Percival; Laura would come and visit Anne there.

Two weeks after Anne and Mrs. Clements traveled to London, Fosco’s wife told Mrs. Clements that Laura was at a nearby hotel. Mrs. Clements went with the woman, who slipped away before they reached the hotel. Now anxious, Mrs. Clements returned to Anne but found she was gone; she left after receiving a letter, the contents of which remain unknown. Mrs. Clements has not been able to find Anne at the psychiatric hospital or anywhere else.

When Mrs. Clements remarks that she brought Anne up herself, Walter asks about Anne’s mother. Mrs. Clements explains that she lived near Mr. and Mrs. Catherick in a town called Old Welmingham. Mrs. Catherick was a haughty woman who suddenly agreed to marry her husband after repeatedly refusing him. There was a huge scandal a few months after the Cathericks moved to Old Welmingham, and Mr. Catherick left: He had found jewelry given to his wife by Sir Percival and later overheard them whispering together in the vestry of the church. Mr. Catherick confronted them, and Sir Percival beat him badly. Afterward, there was gossip in the village that Sir Percival might have been the father of Anne and that this was why Mrs. Catherick married in such a hurry.

Walter doesn’t believe this secret would make Sir Percival so afraid of discovery; for one, it seemed already to be common knowledge in Old Welmingham. Moreover, he finds it strange that Mrs. Catherick herself stayed in Old Welmingham given the blow to her reputation. When Mrs. Clements tells Walter that Sir Percival sends Mrs. Catherick money every month, he guesses that Sir Percival has some reason for wanting to keep her there. Nevertheless, the timing of Anne’s birth proves that Mr. Catherick was not her father.

Mrs. Clements tells Walter that Mrs. Catherick was a servant at a place called Varneck Hall before marrying Mr. Catherick; her employer’s name was Major Donthorne. Walter asks how Mrs. Clements came to care for Anne, and Mrs. Clements explains that Mrs. Catherick never cared for her daughter, though she would occasionally take custody of Anne for brief periods (for example, their sojourn at Limmeridge). However, when Mrs. Clements proposed taking Anne to London when she herself moved, Mrs. Catherick forbade it; Mrs. Clements therefore did not see Anne from the time Anne was 10 or 11 until the time she escaped from the hospital. Mrs. Clements knows Sir Percival had Anne committed to prevent her from revealing his secret, though she does not think that Anne knew anything beyond the fact that her mother had some scandalous knowledge relating to Sir Percival.

Before leaving, Walter affirms that Anne has died but assures Mrs. Clements that she received a decent burial. He also asks for Mrs. Catherick’s address, which Mrs. Clements provides.

Laura is despondent when Walter returns to London, fearing she is a burden to Marian and Walter. To ease her mind, Walter says he will sell her drawings so she may contribute to the household income; in reality, he simply sets aside a portion of his income and pretends that it is hers.

Walter decides to travel to Welmingham to investigate Sir Percival’s secret. Marian is worried but acknowledges that Count Fosco is a greater threat than Sir Percival and that Count Fosco is not likely to intervene until Sir Percival is threatened (at which point Fosco himself would risk exposure).

Walter travels to Welmingham and seeks out Mrs. Catherick, bluntly informing her that Anne is dead. Mrs. Catherick meets him with coldness and unemotional hostility. Walter tells her he is intent on revealing Sir Percival’s secret. Now angry, Mrs. Catherick tells him that she has regained a respectable position in society. Walter assures her that he is only interested in targeting Sir Percival, but Mrs. Catherick refuses to get involved, becoming even more enraged when Walter mentions the scandal about the identity of Anne’s father. Walter references her meeting with Sir Percival in the vestry. This seems to frighten Mrs. Catherick, and she insists that Walter leave.

Outside, Walter sees the man who was following him at Blackwater. Walter now trails him to the train station, where the man buys a ticket for Blackwater—to report on Walter’s movements, Walter assumes.

As it is now evening, Walter himself takes a room at a hotel and writes to Marian. He plans to visit Welmingham’s church, as Mrs. Catherick’s “contempt” when talking about Sir Percival’s mother has led Walter to believe that Sir Percival may have been born out of wedlock.

The next day, Walter reaches the church only to find that the men who were following him in London are now waiting for him there. Walter ignores them and seeks out the clerk, who takes him into the vestry and shows him the marriage register, which Walter notes is not kept securely. The clerk tells him that a copy is kept by a lawyer in the town.

Walter finds the marriage of Sir Percival’s mother and father in the register; the only strange thing about it is that the entry is cramped compared to the others. Disheartened, he questions the clerk further and receives the address of the lawyer with a copy of the marriage register. Leaving the church, Walter notices that the two men who have been following him have now been joined by the man in black, who has returned from Blackwater. Based on their presence, Walter deduces that Sir Percival must have some interest in this church.

Walter is followed as he walks away from the church. One of his pursuers jostles against him, and Walter instinctively pushes him, at which the man pretends to be hurt. Walter is taken to the jail. He suspects that Sir Percival will destroy any incriminating evidence before Walter is released; however, Walter then remembers that Mr. Dawson lives nearby and sends a message asking him to post bail. Dawson does so, and Walter is released after less than a day in custody.

Walter visits the lawyer who keeps a copy of the register. The copy does not contain any record of Sir Percival’s parents, implying that Sir Percival forged the entry in the vestry register. Walter decides to return to the church and lay his hands on the forgery as evidence.

Back in Welmingham, three men—presumably the ones who have been tailing Walter—attack Walter on the road. He manages to evade them and goes to the clerk’s house. When he arrives, however, the clerk is flustered because his keys have been stolen. Walter heads to the church with the clerk. When they arrive, the vestry is on fire. Walter hears screaming inside, and a servant of Sir Percival whom Walter encountered on the road identifies the voice as his employer’s. Walter tries various means of rescuing Sir Percival to no avail.

A fire engine eventually arrives and extinguishes the fire, but the vestry itself has been all but destroyed. The body of Sir Percival is discovered; his face is largely unburned, and Walter reflects that it is the first time he ever saw it.

The next morning, Walter writes to Marian explaining what has happened but asking her not to tell Laura. The inquest into Sir Percival’s death begins that afternoon but reaches few conclusions. Walter is called to testify but says little of his suspicions concerning the sequence of events, as he cannot prove anything (the fire having destroyed the only evidence of Sir Percival’s illegitimacy). Privately, Walter believes that when Sir Percival heard that Walter had been released from jail, he ordered an attack on him while simultaneously stealing the keys and going to the vestry to retrieve the evidence. He suspects that the fire itself was accidental, but that Sir Percival shut himself into the vestry to prevent discovery and then found himself trapped in the blaze by a faulty lock.

Now unsure of what course to take in proving Laura’s identity, Walter considers returning to Mrs. Catherick but decides not to. As he lingers in Welmingham, however, she learns what has happened and writes him a letter.

To thank Walter for his part in Sir Percival’s death (if Walter hadn’t been asking so many questions, Sir Percival would never have tried to destroy the register), Mrs. Catherick wants to tell Walter the truth. Mrs. Catherick’s husband was the church clerk at the time Sir Percival moved to the area. In exchange for the presents that Sir Percival gave her, she stole her husband’s keys and helped Sir Percival access the register: He only learned that he was illegitimate—his mother was married to another man—after his parents’ death, and he was determined to secure his “rightful” inheritance. At the time, Mrs. Catherick sympathized with Sir Percival, but her opinion of him quickly changed when he refused to clear up the rumors of their affair. He planned to use this rumor as a smokescreen, but to ensure Mrs. Catherick did not reveal his secret in her bitterness, he agreed to support her financially.

Mrs. Catherick further explains that though she never particularly liked her daughter, she was irritated by both the attention Mrs. Clements and Mrs. Fairlie showed Anne and by their encouraging the girl to wear white. Consequently, she took custody of Anne herself, and Anne at one point heard her angrily venting about her ability to destroy Sir Percival by revealing his secret. Sir Percival visited soon after and called Anne an “idiot.” She lost her temper and uncomprehendingly repeated what she had heard her mother say about a “secret.” Though Mrs. Catherick tried to explain that Anne did not actually know anything, Sir Percival insisted on placing her in the hospital to keep her quiet. She ends by telling Walter that he should not insult her by speculating about the identity of Anne’s father.

Walter decides that he will try to discover the identity of Anne’s father so that her identity can be posthumously restored to her. As he waits for the inquest to conclude, Walter receives a letter from Marian explaining that she and Laura have had to move and asking him to return immediately. That afternoon, the inquest rules that Sir Percival’s death was accidental. Walter leaves for Knowlesbury (for his hearing) immediately afterward; he happens to travel with a man who knows Sir Percival’s lawyer and consequently knows that Sir Percival died virtually penniless.

At the hearing in Knowlesbury, Walter is dismissed without charge. He returns to London.

When Walter arrives at Marian and Laura’s new lodgings, he finds Laura in good spirits. Once in private, however, Marian tells Walter that she saw Count Fosco across the street from their former residence, in conversation with the owner of the psychiatric hospital. Count Fosco then sent Marian a message asking to meet, and she agreed.

During the meeting, Fosco said he would leave her and Laura alone unless his own safety was in doubt. With Sir Percival dead, he believed Walter would pursue Fosco and spoke to the owner of the hospital as part of a plan to have Walter arrested. However, Fosco admitted that he did not want to harm Marian, so he asked her to restrain Walter. Walter assures her that he can bide his time in seeking justice.

Meanwhile, Marian and Walter tell Laura that her husband has died, and Walter continues his investigation in secret. He writes to Major Donthorne, who once employed Mrs. Catherick, and learns that Donthorne did not know Sir Percival but did know Laura’s father. In her letter, Mrs. Catherick disparaged Mrs. Fairlie while praising her husband. Coupled with Anne’s resemblance to Laura, this convinces Walter that Philip Fairlie was Anne’s father.

By spring, Laura is much as she used to be, though she cannot remember (or bear to think about) her time in the hospital. Her demeanor toward Walter also resembles her behavior toward him at Limmeridge, leading him to believe that she is still in love with him—as he is with her.

Before speaking to Laura, Walter consults Marian. He says that he knows Laura’s identity may never be proven but that he would happily live in poverty if only he could marry her. Marian goes to speak to Laura on Walter’s behalf. Soon after, Laura bursts in excitedly and accepts Walter’s proposal. They marry 10 days afterward.

Laura is still troubled by what happened to her, which spurs Walter to finish his investigations. Reconsidering Marian’s diary, Walter deduces that Count Fosco is a spy working for the Italian government and that Mrs. Rubelle might be one of his agents.

Walter decides to ask Pesca if he knows anything about Fosco. Before doing so, however, Walter follows Fosco to an opera house and sees him purchase a ticket. Walter buys two tickets for Pesca and himself.

When Walter and Pesca arrive at the opera, Walter is careful to take seats that allow him to keep Fosco in his line of sight. Walter watches him during the performance and points him out to Pesca during the intermission. Neither Fosco’s face nor name is familiar to Pesca, but as Pesca and Walter peer at Fosco, a foreign man with a scar on his face notes the direction of their gaze and fixates on Fosco himself. In addition, Fosco notices Pesca looking at him and seems to recognize and fear him. The man with the scar also observes this. Pesca looks away, and Fosco leaves the theater in a hurry. The foreign man follows him out.

Worried that Fosco may escape, Walter hurries Pesca home from the theater. He then asks why Pesca left Italy, sensing the answer may explain why Fosco seems to fear him. Reluctantly, Pesca divulges that he once belonged to a revolutionary democratic society (Walter refers to it simply as “the Brotherhood”). The Brotherhood operates according to rules of strict secrecy. Members are unknown to one another but bear the same mark; at initiation, they are also brought before a secretary, which was Pesca’s role while he was in Italy. The punishment for betraying the society is death. Pesca shows Walter the mark he bears on his arm, and Walter vows that he will keep his secret.

Walter deduces that Count Fosco is a former member of the Brotherhood who has since turned spy for the Italian government. He plans to confront him and writes a note to Pesca telling him that, if he does not return, Fosco has killed him; he also includes his suspicions about Fosco’s shifting allegiances, knowing this will oblige Pesca to assassinate Fosco if someone else has not disposed of him first.

Walter stops briefly at his house to check in on Laura. Guessing what Walter is about to do, Marian begs to accompany him, but Walter tells her she must remain behind and look after Laura.

Outside Fosco’s home, Walter notices the man with a scar on his cheek. Ignoring him, Walter knocks on Fosco’s door and asks to speak to Fosco.

Count Fosco is packing when Walter arrives and introduces himself. Recognizing Walter’s name, Count Fosco locks the door. Walter explains that he knows Fosco is fleeing the Brotherhood and that he has informed Pesca of his whereabouts. Fosco had been reaching for a pistol he keeps in a drawer, but learning of Pesca’s involvement stops him short, and he asks what Walter wants in exchange for letting Fosco escape. Walter tells him that he wants to know the date of Laura’s journey from Blackwater to London. Fosco agrees and prepares a written account of his recollection of events. He also provides Sir Percival’s letter documenting Laura’s departure, which Walter notes is dated July 26—as Walter suspected, the date after Laura’s supposed death. As part of their agreement, Walter waits while Fosco sends a man—Mrs. Rubelle’s husband—to Pesca to retrieve Walter’s (unopened) note. Walter is still at the house when the Foscos themselves depart, and he sees the stranger from the opera following Fosco’s carriage as it departs. He then reads Fosco’s account.

Fosco writes that “delicate” political matters brought him to England in 1850. He intended to stay with Sir Percival Glyde, as they had shared interests—specifically, a need for money. Praising Marian effusively, Fosco writes that he cannot possibly add anything to her account of events before her sickness. He therefore skips ahead to the moment when he learned that Anne Catherick posed some threat to Sir Percival’s anticipated fortune—and, through Sir Percival, Fosco’s anticipated fortune. When Sir Percival mentioned that Anne closely resembled Laura, it occurred to Fosco that they could simultaneously rid themselves of Anne and acquire Laura’s fortune by swapping the two women’s identities.

Fosco met with Mrs. Clements, who brought him to Anne, who by now was dying of heart disease. He here interrupts his narrative to object strenuously to the notion that he poisoned Anne by giving her a stimulant for the journey to London or that he would have poisoned Marian during her illness; Fosco insists on the validity of his medical expertise. Resuming the story, Fosco explains that he sent Madame Fosco to London (supposedly to hire Mrs. Rubelle as Marian’s nurse). Meanwhile, Fosco spoke to Mr. Fairlie about inviting Marian to Limmeridge as part of the plan to persuade Laura to “follow” Marian to London.

Once all the pieces were in place—Marian recovering, the servants and doctor dismissed, etc.—Sir Percival and Fosco moved Marian into the disused wing. On July 24, Fosco and his wife traveled to London, where he lured Anne Catherick out with a note asking her to meet with Laura. He escorted Anne to his house, but she panicked after seeing no one but Madame Fosco there. She died the following day and on July 26, Sir Percival wrote that Laura would soon arrive. Fosco met her at the station and took her to the hospital the next day.

Fosco explains that for reasons of self-protection, he would normally have pursued the matter of Laura’s escape from the hospital. However, he could not bear to hurt Marian. He concludes by saying that if Anne had not happened to die when she did, he would have hastened her end, but he suggests that this would have been an act of mercy and points out that he refrained from simply murdering Laura.

Walter visits the carriage company that Count Fosco named in his account as the one that conveyed him and Laura from the station to the Foscos’ residence. The driver remembers Fosco and a woman named Lady Glyde, while the company’s order book corroborates the date Fosco’s manuscript mentioned. Walter brings all this written documentation to Mr. Kyrle.

The next day, Kyrle travels to Limmeridge with Walter, Marian, and Laura. After much self-pitying, Mr. Fairlie agrees to reinstate Laura rather than risk legal proceedings. In front of all the Fairlies’ tenants, Walter reads out an account of what has happened and presents Laura to them under her true identity; everyone agrees that she is in fact Laura. Walter then leads everyone to the grave where Laura is supposedly buried and where he has already arranged for a mason to be present. As the crowd watches, the mason replaces Laura’s name on the tombstone with Anne’s.

Shortly after returning to London, Walter makes plans to travel to Paris for a newspaper assignment; if his employers like the sketches he provides, they may hire him on a more permanent basis. Pesca travels with him, and one day Walter chances upon him talking to the man with the scar on his cheek. Pesca is distressed after this conversation and begs Walter to leave Paris with him. Walter says they cannot leave until later in the day.

In the meantime, Walter decides to visit Notre Dame. He walks past the morgue on the way there and notices that a crowd is gathered outside. He approaches and sees Count Fosco’s corpse; his killer, who Walter assumes is the man with the scar, not only stabbed the count but also used a knife to disfigure the symbol of the Brotherhood on Fosco’s arm.

Early the next year, Laura and Walter have a son. Several months later, Walter’s work takes him to Ireland, where he is out of communication with Laura and Marian for several days. When he returns, no one is home, but a note from Laura explains that they are at Limmeridge. Walter hurries there and learns that Mr. Fairlie has died and that Walter’s newborn son has inherited the estate.