Meantime， while I thought only of my master and his future bride—saw only them， heard only their discourse， and considered only their movements of importance—the rest of the party were occupied with their own separate interests and pleasures. The Ladies Lynn and Ingram continued to consort in solemn conferences， where they nodded their two turbans at each other， and held up their four hands in confronting gestures of surprise， or mystery， or horror， according to the theme on which their gossip ran， like a pair of magnified puppets. Mild Mrs. Dent talked with good-natured Mrs. Eshton； and the two sometimes bestowed a courteous word or smile on me. Sir George Lynn， Colonel Dent，and Mr. Eshton discussed politics， or county affairs， or justice business. Lord Ingram flirted with Amy Eshton； Louisa played and sang to and with one of the Messrs. Lynn； and Mary Ingram listened languidly to the gallant speeches of the other. Sometimes all， as with one consent， suspended their by-play to observe and listen to the principal actors： for， after all， Mr. Rochester and—because closely connected with him—Miss Ingram were the life and soul of the party. If he was absent from the room an hour， a perceptible dulness seemed to steal over the spirits of his guests；and his re-entrance was sure to give a fresh impulse to the vivacity of conversation.
The want of his animating influence appeared to be peculiarly felt one day that he had been summoned to Millcote on business， and was not likely to return till late. The afternoon was wet： a walk the party had proposed to take to see a gipsy camp， lately pitched on a common beyond Hay， was consequently deferred. Some of the gentlemen were gone to the stables： the younger ones， together with the younger ladies， were playing billiards in the billiard-room. The dowagers Ingram and Lynn sought solace in a quiet game at cards. Blanche Ingram， after having repelled， by supercilious taciturnity， some efforts of Mrs. Dent and Mrs. Eshton to draw her into conversation， had first murmured over some sentimental tunes and airs on the piano， and then， having fetched a novel from the library， had flung herself in haughty listlessness on a sofa， and prepared to beguile， by the spell of fiction， the tedious hours of absence. The room and the house were silent：only now and then the merriment of the billiard-players was heard from above.
It was verging on dusk， and the clock had already given warning of the hour to dress for dinner， when little Adèle， who knelt by me in the drawing-room window-seat， suddenly exclaimed—
“Voilà， 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 come 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 Adèle)， “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 new-comer entered. He bowed to Lady Ingram， as deeming her the eldest lady present.
“It appears I come 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 complexion 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.
The sound of the dressing-bell dispersed the party. It was not till after dinner that I saw him again： he then seemed quite at his ease. But I liked his physiognomy even less than before： it struck me as being at the same time unsettled and inanimate. His eye wandered， and had no meaning in its wandering： this gave him an odd look， such as I never remembered to have seen. For a handsome and not an unamiable-looking man， he repelled me exceedingly： there was no power in that smooth-skinned face of a full oval shape： no firmness in that aquiline nose and small cherry mouth； there was no thought on the low， even forehead； no command in that blank， brown eye.
As I sat in my usual nook， and looked at him with the light of the girandoles on the mantelpiece beaming full over him—for he occupied an arm-chair drawn close to the fire， and kept shrinking still nearer， as if he were cold， I compared him with Mr. Rochester. I think (with deference be it spoken) the contrast could not be much greater between a sleek gander and a fierce falcon： between a meek sheep and the rough-coated keen-eyed dog， its guardian. He had spoken of Mr. Rochester as an old friend. A curious friendship theirs must have been： a pointed illustration， indeed， of the old adage that “extremes meet.”