acquaintance。Ifeltthathehadtakenalikingtome，and，inspiteofwhatIhadheardabouthisbehaviortoMissElmslie，inspiteofthesuspicionswhichthehistoryofhisfamilyandhisownconducthadarrayedagainsthim，Ibegantolike\"MadMonkton\"asmuchashelikedme。Wetookmanyaquietridetogetherinthecountry，andsailedoftenalongtheshoresoftheBayoneitherside。Butfortwoeccentricitiesinhisconduct，whichIcouldnotatallunderstand，Ishouldsoonhavefeltasmuchatmyeaseinhissocietyasifhehadbeenmyownbrother。
ThefirstoftheseeccentricitiesconsistedinthereappearanceonseveraloccasionsoftheoddexpressioninhiseyeswhichI
hadfirstseenwhenheaskedmewhetherIknewanythingabouttheduel。Nomatterwhatweweretalkingabout，orwherewehappenedtobe，thereweretimeswhenhewouldsuddenlylookawayfrommyface，nowononesideofme，nowontheother，butalwayswheretherewasnothingtosee，andalwayswiththesameintensityandfiercenessinhiseyes。Thislookedsolikemadness——orhypochondriaattheleast——thatIfeltafraidtoaskhimaboutit，andalwayspretendednottoobservehim。
Thesecondpeculiarityinhisconductwasthatheneverreferred，whileinmycompany，tothereportsabouthiserrandatNaples，andneveroncespokeofMissElmslie，orofhislifeatWincotAbbey。Thisnotonlyastonishedme，butamazedthosewhohadnoticedourintimacy，andwhohadmadesurethatImustbethedepositaryofallhissecrets。Butthetimewasnearathandwhenthismystery，andsomeothermysteriesofwhichIhadnosuspicionatthatperiod，werealltoberevealed。
Imethimonenightatalargeball，givenbyaRussiannobleman，whosenameIcouldnotpronouncethen，andcannotremembernow。I