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 upstairs 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 dark beard, apparently a foreigner, met them in the hall, and with great politeness showed them the way upstairs.  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 downstairs 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.