THE WOMAN IN WHITE.

PART THE SECOND. HARTRIGHT's NARRATIVE.

LADY GLYDE'S recollection of the events
which followed her departure from Blackwater
Park began with her arrival at the London terminus
of the South Western Railway. She had
omitted to make a memorandum beforehand of
the day on which she took the journey. All
hope of fixing that important date,by any
evidence of hers, or of Mrs. Michelson's, must
be given up for lost.

On the arrival of the train at the platform,
Lady Glyde found Count Fosco waiting for her.
He was at the carriage-door as soon as the
porter could open it. The train was unusually
crowded, and there was great confusion in
getting the luggage. Some person whom Count
Fosco brought with him procured the luggage
which belonged to Lady Glyde. It was marked
with her name. She drove away alone with the
Count, in a vehicle which she did not particularly
notice at the time.

Her first, question, on leaving the terminus,
referred to Miss Halcombe. The Count informed
her that Miss Halcombe had not yet
gone to Cumberland; after-consideration having
caused him to doubt the prudence of her taking
so long a journey without some days' previous
rest.

Lady Glyde next inquired whether her sister was
then staying in the Count's house. Her recollection
of the answer was confused, her only distinct
impression in relation to it being that the Count
declared he was then taking her to see Miss
Halcombe. Lady Glyde's experience of London
was so limited, that she could not tell, at the
time, through what streets they were driving.
But they never left the streets, and they never
passed any gardens or trees. When the carriage
stopped, it stopped in a small street, behind
a square — a square in which there were shops,
and public buildings, and many people. From
these recollections (of which Lady Glyde was
certain) it seems quite clear that Count Fosco
did not take her to his own residence in the
suburb of St. John's Wood.

They entered the house, and went up-stairs
to a back-room, either on the first or second
floor. The luggage was carefully brought in.
A female servant opened the door; and a man
with a beard, apparently a foreigner, met them
in the hall, and with great politeness showed them
the way up-stairs. In answer to Lady
Glyde's inquiries, the Count assured her that
Miss Halcombe was in the house, and that she
should be immediately informed of her sister's
arrival. He and the foreigner then went away,
and left her by herself in the room. It was
poorly furnished as a sitting-room, and it looked
out on the backs of houses

The place was remarkably quiet; no footsteps
went up or down the stairs — she only heard in
the room beneath her a dull, rumbling sound of
men's voices talking. Before she had been long
left alone, the Count returned, to explain that
Miss Halcombe was then taking rest, and could
not be disturbed for a little while. He was
accompanied into the room by a gentleman (an
Englishman) whom he begged to present as a
friend of his. After this singular introduction
—in the course of which no names, to the best
of Lady Glyde's recollection, had been mentioned
— she was left alone with the stranger.
He was perfectly civil; but he startled and confused
her by some odd questions about herself,
and by looking at her, while he asked them, in a
strange manner. After remaining a short time,
he went out; and a minute or two afterwards a
second stranger—also an Englishman—came in.
This person introduced himself as another
friend of Count Fosco's; and he, in his turn,
looked at her very oddly, and asked some
curious questions—never, as well as she could
remember, addressing her by name; and going
out again, after a little while, like the first man.
By this time, she was so frightened about herself,
and so uneasy about her sister, that she
had thoughts of venturing down stairs again,
and claiming the protection and assistance of
the only woman she had seen in the house—the
servant who answered the door.

Just as she had risen from her chair, the
Count came back into the room. The moment
he appeared, she asked anxiously how long
the meeting between her sister and herself was
to be still delayed. At first, he returned an
evasive answer; but, on being pressed, he
acknowledged, with great apparent reluctance,
that Miss Halcombe was by no means so well
as he had hitherto represented her to be. His
tone and manner, in making this reply, so
alarmed Lady Glyde, or rather so painfully
increased the uneasiness which she had felt in the
company of the two strangers, that a sudden