Sir Walter Pole had left Mrs Wintertowne’s house at about seven o’clock and had gone back to his lodgings to sleep for a few hours, but at about midday he returned to Brunswick-square just as the Town had supposed. (How our neighbours find us out!) By this time it had become apparent to Mrs Wintertowne that her daughter now enjoyed a certain celebrity; that she had, as it were, risen to public eminence overnight. As well as the people who left their cards at the door, great numbers of letters and messages of congratulation were arriving every hour for Miss Wintertowne, many of them from people of whom Mrs Wintertowne had never heard. “Permit me, madam,” wrote one, “to entreat you to shake off the oppression of that shadowy vale which has been revealed to you.”

That unknown persons should think themselves entitled to comment upon so private a matter as a death and a resurrection, that they should vent their curiosity in letters to her daughter was a circumstance to excite Mrs Wintertowne’s utmost displeasure; she had a great deal to say in censure of such vulgar, ill-bred beings, and upon his arrival at Brunswick-square Sir Walter was obliged to listen to all of it.

“My advice, ma’am,” he said, “is to think no more about it. As we politicians well know a policy of dignity and silence is our best defence against this sort of impertinence.”

“Ah! Sir Walter!” cried his mother-in-law to be. “It is very gratifying to me to discover how frequently our opinions agree! Dignity and silence. Quite. I do not think we can ever be too discreet upon the subject of poor, dear Emma’s sufferings. After tomorrow I for one am determined never to speak of it again.”

“Perhaps,” said Sir Walter, “I did not mean to go so far. Because, you know, we must not forget Mr Norrell. We shall always have a standing reminder of what has happened in Mr Norrell. I fear he must often be with us – after the service he has done us we can scarcely ever shew him consideration enough.” He paused and then added with a wry twist of his ugly face, “Happily Mr Norrell himself has been so good as to indicate how he thinks my share of the obligation might best be discharged.” This was a reference to a conversation which Sir Walter and Mr Norrell had had at four o’clock that morning, when Mr Norrell had waylaid Sir Walter upon the stairs and talked to him at great length about his plans to baffle the French by magic.