“I … I am the man who is destined to restore magic to England!” stammered Mr Norrell, grabbing back his wig and replacing it, slightly askew, upon his head.

“Well, obviously you are that!” said the gentleman. “Or I should not be here! You do not imagine that I would waste my time upon a three-penny hedge-sorcerer, do you? But who are you? That is what I wish to know. What magic have you done? Who was your master? What magical lands have you visited? What enemies have you defeated? Who are your allies?”

Mr Norrell was extremely surprized to be asked so many questions and he was not at all prepared to answer them. He wavered and hesitated before finally fixing upon the only one to which he had a sensible answer. “I had no master. I taught myself.”

“How?”

“From books.”

“Books!” (This in a tone of the utmost contempt.)

“Yes, indeed. There is a great deal of magic in books nowadays. Of course, most of it is nonsense. No one knows as well as I how much nonsense is printed in books. But there is a great deal of useful information too and it is surprizing how, after one has learnt a little, one begins to see …”

Mr Norrell was beginning to warm to his subject, but the gentleman with the thistle-down hair had no patience to listen to other people talk and so he interrupted him.

“Am I the first of my race that you have seen?”

“Oh, yes!”

This answer seemed to please the gentleman with the thistledown hair and he smiled. “So! Should I agree to restore this young woman to life, what would be my reward?”

Mr Norrell cleared his throat. “What sort of thing …?” he said, a little hoarsely.

“Oh! That is easily agreed!” cried the gentleman with the thistle-down hair. “My wishes are the most moderate things in the world. Fortunately I am utterly free from greed and sordid ambition. Indeed, you will find that my proposal is much more to your advantage than mine – such is my unselfish nature! I simply wish to be allowed to aid you in all your endeavours, to advise you upon all matters and to guide you in your studies. Oh! and you must take care to let all the world know that your greatest achievements are due in larger part to me!”

Mr Norrell looked a little ill. He coughed and muttered something about the gentleman’s generosity. “Were I the sort of magician who is eager to entrust all his business to another person, then your offer would be most welcome. But unfortunately … I fear … In short I have no notion of employing you – or indeed any other member of your race – ever again.”

A long silence.

“Well, this is ungrateful indeed!” declared the gentleman, coldly. “I have put myself to the trouble of paying you this visit. I have listened with the greatest good nature to your dreary conversation. I have borne patiently with your ignorance of the proper forms and etiquette of magic. And now you scorn my offer of assistance. Other magicians, I may say, have endured all sorts of torments to gain my help. Perhaps I would do better to speak to the other one. Perhaps he understands better than you how to address persons of high rank and estate?” The gentleman glanced about the room. “I do not see him. Where is he?”