Hismethodofrecommendinghimselftomeisentirelydifferent。
　　HeflattersmyvanitybytalkingtomeasseriouslyandsensiblyasifIwasaman。Yes！IcanfindhimoutwhenIamawayfromhim——Iknowheflattersmyvanity，whenIthinkofhimuphereinmyownroom——andyet，whenIgodownstairs，andgetintohiscompanyagain，hewillblindmeagain，andIshallbeflatteredagain，justasifIhadneverfoundhimoutatall！HecanmanagemeashemanageshiswifeandLaura，ashemanagedthebloodhoundinthestable-yard，ashemanagesSirPercivalhimself，everyhourintheday。`MygoodPercival！howIlikeyourroughEnglishhumour！’——`MygoodPercival！howIenjoyyoursolidEnglishsense！’HeputstherudestremarksSirPercivalcanmakeonhiseffeminatetastesandamusementsquietlyawayfromhiminthatmanner——alwayscallingthebaronetbyhisChristianname，smilingathimwiththecalmestsuperiority，pattinghimontheshoulder，andbearingwithhimbenignantly，asagood-humouredfatherbearswithawaywardson。
　　TheinterestwhichIreallycannothelpfeelinginthisstrangelyoriginalmanhasledmetoquestionSirPercivalabouthispastlife。
　　SirPercivaleitherknowslittle，orwilltellmelittle，aboutit。
　　HeandtheCountfirstmetmanyyearsago，atRome，underthedangerouscircumstancestowhichIhavealludedelsewhere。SincethattimetheyhavebeenperpetuallytogetherinLondon，inParis，andinVienna——butneverinItalyagain；theCounthaving，oddlyenough，notcrossedthefrontiersofhisnativecountryforyearspast。Perhapshehasbeenmadethevictimofsomepoliticalpersecution？Atallevents，heseemstobepatrioticallyanxiousnottolosesightofanyofhisowncountrymenwhomayhappentobeinEngland。Ontheeveningofhisarrivalheaskedhowfarwewerefromthenearesttown，andwhetherweknewofanyItaliangentlemenwhomighthappentobesettledthere。HeiscertainlyincorrespondencewithpeopleontheContinent，forhislettershaveallsortsofoddstampsonthem，andIsawoneforhimthismorning，waitinginhisplaceatthebreakfast-table，withahuge，official-lookingsealonit。Perhapsheisincorrespondencewithhisgovernment？Andyet，thatishardlytobereconciledeitherwithmyotherideathathemaybeapoliticalexile。
　　HowmuchIseemtohavewrittenaboutCountFosco！Andwhatdoesitallamountto？——aspoor，dearMrGilmorewouldask，inhisimpenetrablebusiness-likeway。IcanonlyrepeatthatIdoassuredlyfeel，evenonthisshortacquaintance，astrange，half-willing，half-unwillinglikingfortheCount。HeseemstohaveestablishedovermethesamesortofascendencywhichhehasevidentlygainedoverSirPercival。Free，andevenrude，ashemayoccasionallybeinhismannertowardshisfatfriend，SirPercivalisneverthelessafraid，asIcanplainlysee，ofgivinganyseriousoffencetotheCount。IwonderwhetherIamafraidtoo？Icertainlyneversawaman，inallmyexperience，whomlshouldbesosorrytohaveforanenemy。
　　IsthisbecauseIlikehim，orbecauseIamafraidofhim？Chisa？——
　　asCountFoscomightsayinhisownlanguage。Whoknows？
　　June16th——Somethingtochronicletodaybesidesmyownideasandimpressions。Avisitorhasarrived——quiteunknowntoLauraandtome，andapparentlyquiteunexpectedbySirPercival。
　　Wewereallatlunch，intheroomwiththenewFrenchwindowsthatopenintotheverandah，andtheCountwhodevourspastryasIhaveneveryetseenitdevouredbyanyhumanbeingsbutgirlsatboarding-schoolshadjustamusedusbyaskinggravelyforhisfourthtart——whentheservantenteredtoannouncethevisitor。
　　`MrMerrimanhasjustcome，SirPercival，andwishestoseeyouimmediately。’
　　SirPercivalstarted，andlookedatthemanwithanexpressionofangryalarm。
　　`MrMerriman！’herepeated，asifhethoughthisownearsmusthavedeceivedhim。
　　`Yes，SirPercival——MrMerriman，fromLondon。’
　　`Whereishe？’
　　`Inthelibrary，SirPercival。’
　　Heleftthetabletheinstantthelastanswerwasgiven，andhurriedoutoftheroomwithoutsayingawordtoanyofus。
　　`WhoisMrMerriman？’askedLaura，appealingtome。
　　`Ihavenottheleastidea，’wasallIcouldsayinreply。
　　TheCounthadfinishedhisfourthtart，andhadgonetoaside-tabletolookafterhisviciouscockatoo。Heturnedroundtouswiththebirdperchedonhisshoulder。
　　`MrMerrimanisSirPercival’ssolicitor，’hesaidquietly。
　　SirPercival’ssolicitor。ItwasaperfectlystraightforwardanswertoLaura’squestion，andvet，underthecircumstances，itwasnotsatisfactory。
　　IfMrMerrimanhadbeenspeciallysentfurbyhisclient，therewouldhavebeennothingverywonderfulinhisleavingtowntoobeythesummons。ButwhenalawyertravelsfromLondontoHampshirewithoutbeingsentfor，andwhenhisarrivalatagentleman’shouseseriouslystartlesthegentlemanhimself，itmaybesafelytakenforgrantedthatthelegalvisitoristhebearerofsomeveryimportantandveryunexpectednews——newswhichmaybeeitherverygoodorverybad，butwhichcannot，ineithercase，beofthecommoneverydaykind。
　　LauraandIsatsilentatthetableforaquarterofanhourormore，wonderinguneasilywhathadhappened，andwaitingforthechanceofSirPercival’sspeedyreturn。Therewerenosignsofhisreturn，andwerosetoleavetheroom。
　　TheCount，attentiveasusual，advancedfromthecornerinwhichhehadbeenfeedinghiscockatoo，withthebirdstillperchedonhisshoulder，andopenedthedoorforus。LauraandMadameFoscowentoutfirst。JustasIwasonthepointoffollowingthemhemadeasignwithhishand，andspoketome，beforeIpassedhim，intheoddestmanner。
　　`Yes，’hesaid，quietlyansweringtheunexpressedideaatthatmomentinmymind，asifIhadplainlyconfidedittohiminsomanywords——
　　`yes，MissHalcombe，somethinghashappened。’
　　Iwasonthepointofanswering，`Ineversaidso，’buttheviciouscockatooruffledhisclippedwingsandgaveascreechthatsetallmynervesonedgeinaninstant，andmademeonlytoogladtogetoutoftheroom。
　　IjoinedLauraatthefootofthestairs。Thethoughtinhermindwasthesameasthethoughtinmine，whichCountFoscohadsurprised，andwhenshespokeherwordswerealmosttheechoofhis。She，too，saidtomesecretlythatshewasafraidsomethinghadhappened。
　　[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter14[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter14June16th——Ihaveafewlinesmoretoaddtothisday’sentrybeforeIgotobedtonight。
　　AbouttwohoursafterSirPercivalrosefromtheluncheon-tabletoreceivehissolicitor，MrMerriman，inthelibrary，Ileftmyroomalonetotakeawalkintheplantations。JustasIwasattheendofthelandingthelibrarydooropenedandthetwogentlemencameout。Thinkingitbestnottodisturbthembyappearingonthestairs，Iresolvedtodefergoingdowntilltheyladcrossedthehall。Althoughtheyspoketoeachotheringuardedtones，theirwordswerepronouncedwithsufficientdistinctnessofutterancetoreachmyears。
　　`Makeyourmindeasy，SirPercival，’Iheardthelawyersay；`itallrestswithLadyGlyde。’
　　Ihadturnedtogobacktomyownroomforaminuteortwo，butthesoundofLaura’snameonthelipsofastrangerstoppedmeinstantly。I
　　daresayitwasverywrongandverydiscreditabletolisten，butwhereisthewoman，inthewholerangeofoursex，whocanregulateheractionsbytheabstractprinciplesofhonour，whenthoseprinciplespointoneway，andwhenheraffections，andtheinterestswhichgrowoutofthem，pointtheother？
　　Ilistened——andundersimilarcircumstancesIwouldlistenagain——
　　yes！withmyearatthekeyhole，ifIcouldnotpossiblymanageitinanyotherway。
　　`Youquiteunderstand，SirPercival，’thelawyerwenton。`LadyGlydeistosignhernameinthepresenceofawitness——oroftwowitnesses，ifyouwishtobeparticularlycareful——andisthentoputherfingeronthesealandsay，``Ideliverthisasmyactanddeed。’’Ifthatisdoneinaweek’stimethearrangementwillbeperfectlysuccessful，andtheanxietywillbeallover。Ifnot——’
　　`Whatdoyoumeanby``ifnot’’？’askedSirPercivalangrily。`Ifthethingmustbedoneitshallbedone。Ipromiseyouthat，Merriman-’
　　`Justso，SirPercival——justso；buttherearetwoalternativesinalltransactions，andwelawyersliketolookbothoftheminthefaceboldly。Ifthroughanyextraordinarycircumstancethearrangementshouldnotbemade，IthinkImaybeabletogetthepartiestoacceptbillsatthreemonths。Buthowthemoneyistoberaisedwhenthebillsfalldue——’
　　`Damnthebills！Themoneyisonlytobegotinoneway，andinthatway，Itellyouagain，itshallbegot。Takeaglassofwine，Merriman，beforeyougo。’
　　`Muchobliged，SirPercival，Ihavenotamomenttoloseiflamtocatchtheup-train。Youwillletmeknowassoonasthearrangementiscomplete？andyouwillnotforgetthecautionIrecommended——’
　　`OfcourseIwon’t。There’sthedog-cartatthedoorforyou。Mygroomwillgetyoutothestationinnotime。Benjamin，drivelikemad！Jumpin。IfMrMerrimanmissesthetrainyouloseyourplace。Holdfast，Merriman，andifyouareupsettrusttothedeviltosavehisown。’Withthatpartingbenedictionthebaronetturnedaboutandwalkedbacktothelibrary。
　　Ihadnotheardmuch，butthelittlethathadreachedmyearswasenoughtomakemefeeluneasy。The`something’that`hadhappened’wasbuttooPlainlyaseriousmoneyembarrassment，andSirPercival’srelieffromitdependeduponLaura。Theprospectofseeingherinvolvedinherhusband’ssecretdifficultiesfilledmewithdismay，exaggerated，nodoubt，bymyignoranceofbusinessandmysettleddistrustofSirPercival。Insteadofgoingout，asIproposed，IwentbackimmediatelytoLaura’sroomtotellherwhatIhadheard。
　　Shereceivedmybadnewssocomposedlyastosurpriseme。Sheevidentlyknowsmoreofherhusband’scharacterandherhusband’sembarrassmentsthanIhavesuspecteduptothistime。
　　`Ifearedasmuch，’shesaid，`whenIheardofthatstrangegentlemanwhocalled，anddeclinedtoleavehisname。’
　　`Whodoyouthinkthegentlemanwas，then？’Iasked。
　　`SomepersonwhohasheavyclaimsonSirPercival，’sheanswered，`andwhohasbeenthecauseofMrMerriman’svisitheretoday。’
　　`Doyouknowanythingaboutthoseclaims？’
　　`No，Iknownoparticulars。’