lookingperson，whowasneverseenelsewhere，orunderothercircumstances。Itwasremarked，too，thatthisman，whoserelationtoSirRobertwasneverdistinctlyascertained，wastheonlypersontowhomheseemedtospeakunnecessarily；itwasobservedthatwhilewiththecountrygentryheexchangednofurthercommunicationthanwhatwasunavoidableinarranginghissportingtransactions，withthispersonhewouldconverseearnestlyandfrequently。Traditionassertsthat，toenhancethecuriositywhichthisunaccountableandexclusivepreferenceexcited，thestrangerpossessedsomestrikingandunpleasantpeculiaritiesofpersonandofgarb——shedoesnotsay，however，whatthesewere——butthey，inconjunctionwithSirRobert’ssecludedhabitsandextraordinaryrunofluck——asuccesswhichwassupposedtoresultfromthesuggestionsandimmediateadviceoftheunknown——weresufficienttowarrantreportinpronouncingthattherewassomethingQUEERinthewind，andinsurmisingthatSirRobertwasplayingafearfulandahazardousgame，andthat，inshort，hisstrangecompanionwaslittlebetterthanthedevilhimselfYears，however，rolledquietlyaway，andnothingnoveloccurredinthearrangementsofCastleArdagh，exceptingthatSirRobertpartedwithhisoddcompanion，butasnobodycouldtellwhencehecame，sonobodycouldsaywhitherhehadgone。SirRobert’shabits，however，underwentnoconsequentchange；hecontinuedregularlytofrequenttheracemeetings，withoutmixingatallintheconvivialitiesofthegentry，andimmediatelyafterwardstorelapseintothesecludedmonotonyofhisordinarylife。
Itwassaidthathehadaccumulatedvastsumsofmoney——and，ashisbetswerealwayssuccessful，andalwayslarge，suchmusthavebeenthecase。Hedidnotsuffertheacquisitionofwealth，however，toinfluencehishospitalityorhishousekeeping——heneitherpurchasedland，norextendedhisestablishment；andhismodeofenjoyinghismoneymusthavebeenaltogetherthatofthemiser——consistingmerelyinthepleasureoftouchingandtellinghisgold，andintheconsciousnessofwealth。
SirRobert’stemper，sofarfromimproving，becamemorethanevergloomyandmorose。Hesometimescarriedtheindulgenceofhisevildispositionstosuchaheightthatitbordereduponinsanity。
Duringtheseparoxysmshewouldneithereat，drink，norsleep。Onsuchoccasionsheinsistedonperfectprivacy，evenfromtheintrusionofhismosttrustedservants；
hisvoicewasfrequentlyheard，sometimesinearnestsupplication，sometimeasifinloudandangryaltercationwithsomeunknownvisitant；sometimeshewould，forhourstogether，walktoandfrothroughoutthelongoakwainscotedapartment，whichhegenerallyoccupied，withwildgesticulationsandagitatedpace，inthemannerofonewhohasbeenrousedtoastateofunnaturalexcitementbysomesuddenandappallingintimation。