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，andtheCount(whodevourspastryasIhaveneveryetseenitdevouredbyanyhumanbeingsbutgirlsatboarding-schools)hadjustamusedusbyaskinggravelyforhisfourthtart——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。’
