I continued to sit by the fire till the coach arrived, and then walked into the street to count the number of the passengers, and observe their appearance. I was particularly struck with the appearance of one gentleman, who had ridden as an inside passenger. He wore a large black cloak, deeply trimmed with crape; his head was covered with a black traveling-cap, surmounted with two or three crape rosettes, and from which depended a long black tassel. The cap was drawn so far over his eyes that he had some difficulty to see his way. A black scarf was wrapped round the lower part of his face, so that his countenance was completely concealed from my view. He appeared anxious to avoid observation, and hurried into the inn as fast as he could. I returned to the office and mentioned to the clerk the strange appearance of the gentlemen in question, but he was too busy to pay any attention to what I had said. Presently afterward a porter brought a small carpet-bag into the office, and placed it upon the table. "Whose bag is that, Timms?" inquired the clerk. "I don't wish to be personal," replied the man, "but I think it belongs to ----," and the fellow pointed to the floor. "You don't mean _him_, surely?" said the clerk. "Yes, I do though; at any rate, if he is not the gentleman I take him for, he must be a second cousin of his, for he is the most unaccountable individual that ever I clapped my eyes on. There is not much good in him, I'll be bound." I listened with breathless anxiety to these words. When the man had finished, I said to him, "How was the gentleman dressed?" "In black." "Had he a cloak on?" "Yes." "A traveling-cap drawn over his eyes?" "Yes." "It's the man I saw descend from the coach," I said to the clerk. "Where is he?" inquired that gentleman. "In the inn," replied the porter. "Is he going to stay all night?" I inquired. "I don't know." "It's very odd," observed the clerk, and he put his pen behind his ear, and placed himself in front of the fire; "very odd," he repeated. "It don't look well," said the porter; "not at all." Some further conversation ensued upon the subject, but as it did not tend to throw any light upon the personage in question, it is unnecessary for me to relate it. Awhile afterward, the clerk went into the hotel to learn, if possible, something more relative to this singular visitor. He was not absent more than a few minutes, and when he returned his countenance, I fancied, was more sedate than usual. I asked him if he had gathered any further information. "There is nobody knows any thing concerning him," he replied; "for when the servants enter the room, he always turns his back toward them. He has not spoken to a single individual since he arrived. There is a man who came by the same coach, who attends upon him, but he does not look like a servant." "There is something extraordinary in his history, or I am much deceived." "I am quite of your opinion," observed the clerk.