The Woman in White: The Third Epoch: Part 3, Chapter 5 Summary & Analysis

Count Fosco is already seated when Walter and Pesca arrive at the opera that evening. Walter watches him covertly through the first act and sees that the Count enjoys the music and draws attention to himself by nodding and singing along. At the interval, he points Count Fosco out to Pesca but Pesca does not recognize him. Walter notices that a mild looking, foreign man “with a scar on his face” is watching them and turns around to look at the Count.

Suddenly, Count Fosco looks down into the pit—where Walter and Pesca are seated—and meets Pesca’s gaze. Walter knows immediately that the Count recognizes Pesca and is terrified of him. The foreign man nearby also seems to notice this. Pesca is shocked by the change which comes over the Count when they see each other, but Walter distracts him by asking him to look for other people in the crowd. As soon as Pesca looks away, the Count rushes out of the theater. The foreign man in the row beside Pesca also gets up and leaves.

Walter begs Pesca to leave with him and explains that he needs to speak to him privately. The pair return to Pesca’s house and there, Walter asks Pesca to tell him about the political reason that he left Italy. Walter is surprised when a change comes over Pesca; he looks haggard and afraid and tells Walter that he “does not know what he asks” of him. Walter reminds Pesca that he is asking for Laura’s sake. Pesca, remembering the day that Walter saved his life, agrees to tell him what he can.

Pesca tells Walter that he is a member of a secret society in Italy and that he used to work for them as a young man. He has been ordered to live in England by this society and he waits for their orders; he never knows when he might be called upon by them. He explains to Walter that he must keep this a secret as, if Pesca tells anyone about the society, he will be killed. Pesca tells Walter that the society—called “The Brotherhood”—is dedicated to fighting against corrupt governments, “for the people,” all over Europe, but they are merciless towards members who betray the order.

Pesca tells Walter that members of The Brotherhood are branded with a secret mark, and he shows Walter the mark on his own arm. Pesca sees that Walter has drawn his own conclusions from this story and has guessed that Count Fosco was a member of The Brotherhood but has acted as a spy for the government and has betrayed them. Pesca confirms that he has never seen Count Fosco before but that, if Fosco is so terrified of him, then the Count must be a traitor. Pesca is drained from telling his story and begs Walter to leave him and ask no more about it. Walter promises to keep Pesca’s secret and invites him for breakfast the next day, which Pesca gratefully agrees to.