“You ’aven’t told me nothing of the Sig-nor’s ’ealth,” she said; “’as ’e got rid of them dreadful fainty attacks as used to take ’im sometimes, when ’e lived with me?” “No! not quite! He had one yesterday. The Baron says it’s ’is ’eart, and that ’e’s ’ad it a long time. But all we ’ave to do is to be careful, and ’e’ll last as long as any.” “And may I come up and see you some day, Hannah--my lady?” inquired the landlady. “I should like to ’ave a look at the Sig-nor, I must say.” The Markiness dee Sorrento hesitated. “I s’pose I must say ‘yes’, Mrs. Battleby, because of old times, but you must please not to call me ‘Hannah’ before my servant, or she may think it disrespectful. I ’ope you understand the motive!” “O! yes, my lady--certainly, my lady!” replied Mrs. Battleby, as she curtsied the newly-made peeress out at the hall door, and retreated to the kitchen again, to try and solve the marvellous riddle which had been presented to her. Meanwhile the marchioness took an omnibus back to Hampstead, where she found Karl von Steinberg, who had been home about a week, in close conversation with her husband. “I am trying to combat Ricardo’s objection to your giving my friends a séance next week, Hannah!” he said, as she appeared, “but he is very obstinate! He seems to imagine that if your powers are made public, they will deteriorate in some way. I--on the contrary--think they will improve with practice, always provided that we see you are not overtaxed. And _I_ shall be present to prevent that! I have not given up being a doctor, at all events for the benefit of my friends, though I have become a Baron!” “Of course not!” replied Hannah, “and I’ve told the Markiss so a hundred times! Haven’t the sperrits said the same thing? They’re more likely to desert me, if I disobey their orders. Don’t waste no more time over the Markiss, Baron! I’m going to give your friends that séance next week, and as many more as you choose--so there’s an end of the matter!” “But we must follow your husband’s wishes in this respect, Hannah,” said Von Steinberg. “I should not enjoy the séance, for one, if he disapproved of your giving it! He will never shut me out from your home sittings, I am sure, and if he is determined, my friends must go without it, or get another medium to sit for them!” “And where will they find another like me?” replied Hannah, with that strange look in her eyes--half sensual and half cunning--which he had noticed before his departure for Germany. “You know yourself there is not such another in the country! No! I shall sit at your house next week, whatever any one says. Besides, if I do not, Leonora will not come again, and how will you like that, Markiss?” “Did she tell you so?” cried Ricardo, in alarm. “Indeed, she did! She says my gift was given me for the good of humanity and not merely to gratify your selfish wish to see her again.”