e from the lawyer.

This perhaps was not altogether surprising. But it was certainly a
remarkable circumstance that no second letter reached me from Marian,
and that no warning signs appeared of her arrival. Her unexpected
absence did me amazing good. It was so very soothing and pleasant to
infer (as I did of course) that my married connections had made it up
again. Five days of undisturbed tranquillity, of delicious single
blessedness, quite restored me. On the sixth day I felt strong enough
to send for my photographer, and to set him at work again on the
presentation copies of my art-treasures, with a view, as I have
already mentioned, to the improvement of taste in this barbarous
neighbourhood. I had just dismissed him to his workshop, and had just
begun coquetting with my coins, when Louis suddenly made his appearance
with a card in his hand.

"Another Young Person?" I said. "I won't see her. In my state of
health Young Persons disagree with me. Not at home."

"It is a gentleman this time, sir."

A gentleman of course made a difference. I looked at the card.

Gracious Heaven! my tiresome sister's foreign husband, Count Fosco.

Is it necessary to say what my first impression was when I looked at my
visitor's card? Surely not! My sister having married a foreigner, there
was but one impression that any man in his senses could possibly feel.
Of course the Count had come to borrow money of me.

"Louis," I said, "do you think he would go away if you gave him five
shillings?"

Louis looked quite shocked. He surprised me inexpressibly by declaring
that my sister's foreign husband was dressed superbly, and looked the
picture of prosperity. Under these circumstances my first impression
altered to a certain extent. I now took it for granted that the Count
had matrimonial difficulties of his own to contend with, and that he
had come, like the rest of the family, to cast them all on my shoulders.

"Did he mention his business?" I asked.

"Count Fosco said he had come here, sir, because Miss Halcombe was
unable to leave Blackwater Park."

Fresh troubles, apparently. Not exactly his own, as I had supposed,
but dear Marian's. Troubles, anyway. Oh dear!

"Show him in," I said resignedly.

The Count's first appearance really startled me. He was such an
alarmingly large person that I quite trembled. I felt certain that he
would shake the floor and knock down my art-treasures. He did neither
the on