Although the artist falls in love with that niece she must unfortunately obey her late father's final wish that she marry Sir Percival, who seeks to swindle her out of her uncle's money with the help of Count Fosco.  
One of the novel's two villains spends much of his scenes playing with small birds and mice.  One of the protagonists is a drawing master hired by a wealthy hypochondriac, Mr. Fairlie, to teach watercolors to his niece and her unattractive half-sister, Marian.  Although the artist falls in love with that niece she must unfortunately obey her late father's final wish that she marry Sir Percival, who seeks to swindle her out of her uncle's money with the help of Count Fosco.  The story begins when Walter Hartright has a midnight encounter with the title character who bears a striking resemblance to Laura in, FTP, what 1860 work named for the color of Anne Catherick's clothes, a novel by Wilkie Collins?
One of the novel's two villains spends much of his scenes playing with small birds and mice.  
The Woman in White