“Whatpossesshimtoehomeinthatstyle?”saidMissIngram.“HerodeMesrour(theblackhorse),didhenot,wheout?andPilotwaswithhim:-whathashedohtheanimals?”

    Asshesaidthis,sheapproachedhertallpersonandamplegarmentssohewindow,thatIwasobligedtobendbackalmosttothebreakingofmyspine:inhereagernessshedidnotobservemeatfirst,butwhenshedid,shecurledherlipandmovedtoanothercasement.Thepost-chaisestopped;thedriverrangthedoor-bell,alemanalightedattiredintravellinggarb;butitwasnotMr.Rochester;itwasatall,fashionable-lookingman,astranger.

    “Howprovoking!”exclaimedMissIngram:“youtiresomemonkey!”(apostrophisingAdèle),“whoperchedyouupinthewindowtogivefalseintelligence?”aonmeanangryglance,asifIwereinfault.

    Someparleyingwasaudibleinthehall,andsoonthenew-erentered.HebowedtoLadyIngram,asdeemiheeldestladypresent.

    “ItappearsIeataninopportuime,madam,”saidhe,“whenmyfriend,Mr.Rochester,isfromhome;butIarrivefromaverylongjourney,andIthinkImaypresumesofaronoldandintimateacquaintaoinstalmyselfheretillhereturns.”

    Hismannerolite;hisat,inspeaking,struckmeasbeingsomewhatunusual,—notpreciselyfn,butstillnotaltogetherEnglish:hisagemightbeaboutMr.Rochester’s,—betweenthirtyandforty;hisplexionwassingularlysallow:otherwisehewasafine-lookingman,atfirstsightespecially.Oncloserexamination,youdetectedsomethinginhisfacethatdispleased,orratherthatfailedtoplease.Hisfeatureswereregular,buttoorelaxed:hiseyewaslargeandwellcut,butthelifelookingoutofitwasatame,vatlife—atleastsoIthought.

    Thesoundofthedress