umbling of a coach was audible in the courtyard; a
chance guest had arrived. A great bustling about was heard outside, in
the midst of which resounded Squire John's stentorian voice. He seemed
to be joyfully welcoming some one, and immediately afterwards Martin
entered and announced: "Her Excellency the Countess Flora Eszeky
Szentirmay!"

* * * * *

Fanny, with the trepidation of joy and surprise, awaited the guest who
had just been announced. She had tried to form an idea of her, but what
would this imaginary figure be like in reality?

How the young lady's heart did beat as footsteps drew nearer and nearer
to the door and she heard Karpathy cheerfully conversing with some one!
And now the door opened, and in there came--not that face, not that
figure which Fanny had imagined, but a tall, dry lady of uncertain age,
with a false complexion, false teeth, and false eyes, dressed according
to the latest fashion. A monstrous hat covered with whole bouquets of
flowers, quite shut out the prospect of everything that was behind her
back.

Her mantle was thrown back over her shoulders, which gave a martial,
amazonic cast to her figure, and this impression was intensified by the
low cut of her dress, which allowed one to catch a good glimpse of her
scraggy shoulders and projecting breast-bone, an alarming spectacle. She
had hands, moreover, of correspondingly extraordinary leanness,
embellished, why I cannot tell, by monstrously big swanskin muffs, and
as she was unable to move her arms without saying something at the same
time, and as she could never speak without laughing, and as whenever she
laughed she displayed not only the whole of her upper row of teeth (the
best procurable at Dr. Legrieux's, No. 11, Rue Vivienne, Paris), but the
whole of her gums as well, she continually kept the attention of
whatever company she happened to be in riveted with a horrible
fascination on her elbows, her gums, and her breast-bone.

She had come with her niece as a sort of guard of honour, and Flora had
sent her on in front while she lingered behind to rally Squire John a
little.

Karpathy hastened to make the ladies known to each other: "Dame Marion
Countess Szentirmay--Countess Rudolf Szentirmay--my wife."

Dame Marion Szentirmay made the lady of the house the most perfect and
unexceptionable curtsy, regarding her all the time with an air that
seemed to say, "I wonder if she knows how to return it, po