"Voila Monsieur Rochester，qui revient!"

I turned，and Miss Ingram darted forwards from her sofa: the others，too，looked up from their several occupations; for at the same time a crunching of wheels and a splashing tramp of horse-hoofs became audible on the wet gravel. A post-chaise was approaching.

"What can possess him to e home in that style?" said Miss Ingram. "He rode Mesrour (the black horse)，did he not，when he went out? and pilot was with him:- what has he done with the animals?"

As she said this，she approached her tall person and ample garments so near the window，that I was obliged to bend back almost to the breaking of my spine: in her eagerness she did not observe me at first，but when she did，she curled her lip and moved to another casement. The post-chaise stopped; the driver rang the door-bell，and a gentleman alighted attired in travelling garb; but it was not Mr. Rochester; it was a tall，fashionable-looking man，a stranger.

"How provoking!" exclaimed Miss Ingram: "you tiresome monkey!" (apostrophising Adele)，"who perched you up in the window to give false intelligence?" and she cast on me an angry glance，as if I were in fault.

Some parleying was audible in the hall，and soon the newer entered. He bowed to Lady Ingram，as deeming her the eldest lady present.

"It appears I e at an inopportune time，madam," said he，"when my friend，Mr. Rochester，is from home; but I arrive from a very long journey，and I think I may presume so far on old and intimate acquaintance as to instal myself here till he returns."

His manner was polite; his accent，in speaking，struck me as being somewhat unusual,- not precisely foreign，but still not altogether English: his age might be about Mr. Rochester"s,- between thirty and forty; his plexion was singularly sallow: otherwise he was a fine-looking man，at first sight especially. On closer examination，you detected something in his face that displeased，or rather that failed to please. His features were regular，but too relaxed: his eye was large and well cut，but the life looking out of it was a tame，vacant life- at least so I thought.