The Woman in White: The Second Epoch: Part 1, Chapter 7 Summary & Analysis

Sir Percival goes out early the next morning. Laura and Marian plan to keep their meeting with Anne Catherick and Laura sets out alone, while Marian prepares to follow her. After waiting a short time, Marian sets out into the plantation. While she is moving through it, she hears footsteps—they sound like a woman’s followed by a man’s—and tries to find the source. She cannot locate them and becomes confused and, eventually, without finding Laura or Anne, returns to the house.

When Marian arrives back at the house, the housekeeper tells her that Sir Percival brought Laura back to the house not long ago. She says that they have had a huge argument and Sir Percival has fired Laura’s maid, Fanny. He has given no reason for this, and Marian is concerned, as Fanny is one of the only people they can trust in the house.

Marian runs to Laura’s room and finds the door guarded by Margaret Poacher, a stupid, spiteful servant. Furious, Marian flies to the library and finds Sir Percival, Count Fosco, and Madame Fosco there. Marian tells Sir Percival that there are laws in England which prevent men keeping their wives as prisoners, and Sir Percival cautions her that he may lock her up too.

Madame Fosco suddenly announces that she will not stay in a house where ladies are mistreated—something Marian feels she would not do without her husband’s permission—and Count Fosco enthusiastically agrees with her. Sir Percival is furious and confused, but he reluctantly agrees to free Laura, and Marian rushes to Laura’s room to see if she is alright.

Laura is distressed but unharmed. She asks Marian why she has been set free and Marian says that, of course, Count Fosco has intervened. Laura replies in disgust that the Count is a spy and, just then, there is a knock on the door; Madame Fosco has come up to return Marian’s handkerchief. When she opens the door, her face is white and livid, and Marian knows that she has overheard.

Laura tells Marian that, when she arrived at the boathouse that morning, Anne was not there but had left a note for her buried in the sand. The note explained that Anne had been followed by a fat man—who must be Count Fosco—and that she dared not return to the spot. She wrote that she would tell Laura Sir Percival’s secret at another time. Just as Laura was reading this, Sir Percival appeared behind her, confiscated the note, and dragged her back to the house, leaving bruises on her arms. All the way, he questioned her violently about the secret. When Fanny, Laura’s maid, came upon them by accident as they entered the house, Sir Percival immediately dismissed her.

Marian now tells Laura that she plans to write secretly to Mr. Kyrle and Mr. Fairlie for help. The bruises on Laura’s arms are evidence of mistreatment that she will use to free Laura from her marriage. As they cannot use the postbag—which Count Fosco spies on—Marian will try to get the notes to Fanny in the village. She advises Laura to lock her door and then hurries out of the room.