下载辰思小说免费APP
Whowasthewoman？Themanwhosavedherlifeneverknew。Themagistratewhoremandedher，thechaplainwhoexhortedher，thereporterwhoexhibitedherinprint，neverknew。Itwasrecordedofherwithsurprisethat，thoughmostrespectablydressed，shehadneverthelessdescribedherselfasbeing“indistress。”Shehadexpressedthedeepestcontrition，buthadpersistedingivinganamewhichwasonthefaceofitafalseone;intellingacommonplacestory，whichwasmanifestlyaninvention;andinrefusingtothelasttofurnishanyclewtoherfriends。Aladyconnectedwithacharitableinstitution(“interestedbyherextremeeleganceandbeauty“)hadvolunteeredtotakechargeofher，andtobringherintoabetterframeofmind。Thefirstday’sexperienceofthepenitenthadbeenfarfromcheering，andthesecondday’sexperiencehadbeenconclusive。Shehadlefttheinstitutionbystealth;and——thoughthevisitingclergyman，takingaspecialinterestinthecase，hadcausedspecialeffortstobemade——allsearchafterher，fromthattimeforth，hadprovedfruitless。
Whilethisuselessinvestigation(undertakenatAllan’sexpressdesire)wasinprogress，thelawyershadsettledthepreliminaryformalitiesconnectedwiththesuccessiontotheproperty。AllthatremainedwasforthenewmasterofThorpeAmbrosetodecidewhenhewouldpersonallyestablishhimselfontheestateofwhichhewasnowthelegalpossessor。
Leftnecessarilytohisownguidanceinthismatter，Allansettleditforhimselfinhisusualhot-headed，generousway。HepositivelydeclinedtotakepossessionuntilMrs。Blanchardandherniece(whohadbeenpermittedthusfar，asamatterofcourtesy，toremainintheiroldhome)hadrecoveredfromthecalamitythathadbefallenthem，andwerefittodecideforthemselveswhattheirfutureproceedingsshouldbe。Aprivatecorrespondencefollowedthisresolution，comprehending，onAllan’sside，unlimitedoffersofeverythinghehadtogive(inahousewhichhehadnotyetseen)，and，ontheladies’side，adiscreetlyreluctantreadinesstoprofitbytheyounggentleman’sgenerosityinthematteroftime。Totheastonishmentofhislegaladvisers，Allanenteredtheirofficeonemorning，accompaniedbyMr。Brock，andannounced，withperfectcomposure，thattheladieshadbeengoodenoughtotakehisownarrangementsoffhishands，andthat，indeferencetotheirconvenience，hemeanttodeferestablishinghimselfatThorpeAmbrosetillthatdaytwomonths。ThelawyersstaredatAllan，andAllan，returningthecompliment，staredatthelawyers。
“Whatonearthareyouwonderingat，gentlemen？”heinquired，withaboyishbewildermentinhisgood-humoredblueeyes。“Whyshouldn’tIgivetheladiestheirtwomonths，iftheladieswantthem？Letthepoorthingstaketheirowntime，andwelcome。Myrights？andmyposition？Oh，pooh！pooh！I’minnohurrytobesquireoftheparish;it’snotinmyway。WhatdoImeantodoforthetwomonths？WhatIshouldhavedoneanyhow，whethertheladieshadstayedornot;Imeantogocruisingatsea。That’swhat_I_like！I’vegotanewyachtathomeinSomersetshire——ayachtofmyownbuilding。AndI’lltellyouwhat，sir。”continuedAllan，seizingtheheadpartnerbythearminthefervorofhisfriendlyintentions，“youlooksadlyinwantofaholidayinthefreshair，andyoushallcomealongwithmeonthetrialtripofmynewvessel。Andyourpartners，too，iftheylike。Andtheheadclerk，whoisthebestfellowIevermetwithinmylife。Plentyofroom——we’llallshakedowntogetheronthefloor，andwe’llgiveMr。Brockarugonthecabintable。ThorpeAmbrosebehanged！Doyoumeantosay，ifyouhadbuiltavesselyourself(asIhave)，youwouldgotoanyestateinthethreekingdoms，whileyourownlittlebeautywassittinglikeaduckonthewaterathome，andwaitingforyoutotryher？Youlegalgentlemenaregreathandsatargument。Whatdoyouthinkofthatargument？I
thinkit’sunanswerable——andI’mofftoSomersetshireto-morrow。”
Withthosewords，thenewpossessorofeightthousandayeardashedintotheheadclerk’soffice，andinvitedthatfunctionarytoacruiseonthehighseas，withasmackontheshoulderwhichwashearddistinctlybyhismastersinthenextroom。ThefirmlookedininterrogativewonderatMr。Brock。AclientwhocouldseeapositionamongthelandedgentryofEnglandwaitingforhim，withoutbeinginahurrytooccupyitattheearliestpossibleopportunity，wasaclientofwhomtheypossessednopreviousexperience。
“Hemusthavebeenveryoddlybroughtup。”saidthelawyerstotherector。
“Veryoddly。”saidtherectortothelawyers。
AlastleapoveronemonthmorebroughtMr。Brocktothepresenttime——tothebedroomatCastletown，inwhichhewassittingthinking，andtotheanxietywhichwasobstinatelyintrudingitselfbetweenhimandhisnight’srest。Thatanxietywasnounfamiliarenemytotherector’speaceofmind。IthadfirstfoundhimoutinSomersetshiresixmonthssince，andithadnowfollowedhimtotheIsleofManundertheinveteratelyobtrusiveformofOziasMidwinter。
ThechangeinAllan’sfutureprospectshadworkednocorrespondingalterationinhisperversefancyforthecastawayatthevillageinn。InthemidstoftheconsultationswiththelawyershehadfoundtimetovisitMidwinter，andonthejourneybackwiththerectortherewasAllan’sfriendinthecarriage，returningwiththemtoSomersetshirebyAllan’sowninvitation。
Theex-usher’shairhadgrownagainonhisshavenskull，andhisdressshowedtherenovatinginfluenceofanaccessionofpecuniarymeans，butinallotherrespectsthemanwasunchanged。
HemetMr。Brock’sdistrustwiththeolduncomplainingresignationtoit;hemaintainedthesamesuspicioussilenceonthesubjectofhisrelativesandhisearlylife;hespokeofAllan’skindnesstohimwiththesameundisciplinedfervorofgratitudeandsurprise。“IhavedonewhatIcould，sir。”hesaidtoMr。Brock，whileAllanwasasleepintherailwaycarriage。“I
havekeptoutofMr。Armadale’sway，andIhavenotevenansweredhislastlettertome。MorethanthatismorethanIcando。I
don’taskyoutoconsidermyownfeelingtowardtheonlyhumancreaturewhohasneversuspectedandneverill-treatedme。Icanresistmyownfeeling，butIcan’tresisttheyounggentlemanhimself。There’snotanotherlikehimintheworld。Ifwearetobepartedagain，itmustbehisdoingoryours——notmine。Thedog’smasterhaswhistled。”saidthisstrangeman，withamomentaryoutburstofthehiddenpassioninhim，andasuddenspringingofangrytearsinhiswildbrowneyes，“anditishard，sir，toblamethedogwhenthedogcomes。”
OncemoreMr。Brock’shumanitygotthebetterofMr。Brock’scaution。Hedeterminedtowait，andseewhatthecomingdaysofsocialintercoursemightbringforth。
Thedayspassed;theyachtwasriggedandfittedforsea;acruisewasarrangedtotheWelshcoast——andMidwintertheSecretwasthesameMidwinterstill。Confinementonboardalittlevesseloffive-and-thirtytonsofferednogreatattractiontoamanofMr。Brock’stimeoflife。Buthesailedonthetrialtripoftheyachtnevertheless，ratherthantrustAllanalonewithhisnewfriend。
Wouldtheclosecompanionshipofthethreeontheircruisetemptthemanintotalkingofhisownaffairs？No;hewasreadyenoughonothersubjects，especiallyifAllanledthewaytothem。Butnotawordescapedhimabouthimself。Mr。Brocktriedhimwithquestionsabouthisrecentinheritance，andwasansweredashehadbeenansweredoncealreadyattheSomersetshireinn。Itwasacuriouscoincidence，Midwinteradmitted，thatMr。Armadale’sprospectsandhisownprospectsshouldbothhaveunexpectedlychangedforthebetteraboutthesametime。Buttheretheresemblanceended。Itwasnolargefortunethathadfallenintohislap，thoughitwasenoughforhiswants。Ithadnotreconciledhimwithhisrelations，forthemoneyhadnotcometohimasamatterofkindness，butasamatterofright。Asforthecircumstancewhichhadledtohiscommunicatingwithhisfamily，itwasnotworthmentioning，seeingthatthetemporaryrenewalofintercoursewhichhadfollowedhadproducednofriendlyresults。
Nothinghadcomeofitbutthemoney——and，withthemoney，ananxietywhichtroubledhimsometimes，whenhewokeinthesmallhoursofthemorning。
Atthoselastwordshebecamesuddenlysilent，asifforoncehiswell-guardedtonguehadbetrayedhim。
Mr。Brockseizedtheopportunity，andbluntlyaskedhimwhatthenatureoftheanxietymightbe。Diditrelatetomoney？No;itrelatedtoaLetterwhichhadbeenwaitingforhimformanyyears。Hadhereceivedtheletter？Notyet;ithadbeenleftunderchargeofoneofthepartnersinthefirmwhichhadmanagedthebusinessofhisinheritanceforhim;thepartnerhadbeenabsentfromEngland;andtheletter，lockedupamonghisownprivatepapers，couldnotbegotattillhereturned。HewasexpectedbacktowardthelatterpartofthatpresentMay，and，ifMidwintercouldbesurewherethecruisewouldtakethemtoatthecloseofthemonth，hethoughthewouldwriteandhavetheletterforwarded。Hadheanyfamilyreasonstobeanxiousaboutit？Nonethatheknewof;hewascurioustoseewhathadbeenwaitingforhimformanyyears，andthatwasall。Soheansweredtherector’squestions，withhistawnyfaceturnedawayoverthelowbulwarkoftheyacht，andhisfishing-linedragginginhissupplebrownhands。
Favoredbywindandweather，thelittlevesselhaddonewondersonhertrialtrip。Beforetheperiodfixedforthedurationofthecruisehadhalfexpired，theyachtwasashighupontheWelshcoastasHolyhead;andAllan，eagerforadventureinunknownregions，haddeclaredboldlyforanextensionofthevoyagenorthwardtotheIsleofMan。Havingascertainedfromreliableauthoritythattheweatherreallypromisedwellforacruiseinthatquarter，andthat，intheeventofanyunforeseennecessityforreturn，therailwaywasaccessiblebythesteamerfromDouglastoLiverpool，Mr。Brockagreedtohispupil’sproposal。Bythatnight’sposthewrotetoAllan’slawyersandtohisownrectory，indicatingDouglasintheIsleofManasthenextaddresstowhichlettersmightbeforwarded。Atthepost-officehemetMidwinter，whohadjustdroppedaletterintothebox。Rememberingwhathehadsaidonboardtheyacht，Mr。
Brockconcludedthattheyhadbothtakenthesameprecaution，andhadorderedtheircorrespondencetobeforwardedtothesameplace。
LatethenextdaytheysetsailfortheIsleofMan。
Forafewhoursallwentwell;butsunsetbroughtwithitthesignsofacomingchange。Withthedarknessthewindrosetoagale，andthequestionwhetherAllanandhisjourneymenhadorhadnotbuiltastoutsea-boatwasseriouslytestedforthefirsttime。Allthatnight，aftertryingvainlytobearupforHolyhead，thelittlevesselkeptthesea，andstoodhertrialbravely。ThenextmorningtheIsleofManwasinview，andtheyachtwassafeatCastletown。Asurveybydaylightofhullandriggingshowedthatallthedamagedonemightbesetrightagaininaweek’stime。ThecruisingpartyhadaccordinglyremainedatCastletown，Allanbeingoccupiedinsuperintendingtherepairs，Mr。Brockinexploringtheneighborhood，andMidwinterinmakingdailypilgrimagesonfoottoDouglasandbacktoinquireforletters。
ThefirstofthecruisingpartywhoreceivedaletterwasAllan。
“Moreworriesfromthoseeverlastinglawyers。”wasallhesaid，whenhehadreadtheletter，andhadcrumpleditupinhispocket。Therector’sturncamenext，beforetheweek’ssojournatCastletownhadexpired。OnthefifthdayhefoundaletterfromSomersetshirewaitingforhimatthehotel。IthadbeenbroughttherebyMidwinter，anditcontainednewswhichentirelyoverthrewallMr。Brock’sholidayplans。Theclergymanwhohadundertakentododutyforhiminhisabsencehadbeenunexpectedlysummonedhomeagain;andMr。Brockhadnochoice(thedayoftheweekbeingFriday)buttocrossthenextmorningfromDouglasstoLiverpool，andgetbackbyrailwayonSaturdaynightintimeforSunday’sservice。
Havingreadhisletter，andresignedhimselftohisalteredcircumstancesaspatientlyashemight，therectorpassednexttoaquestionthatpressedforseriousconsiderationinitsturn。
BurdenedwithhisheavyresponsibilitytowardAllan，andconsciousofhisownundiminisheddistrustofAllan’snewfriend，howwashetoact，intheemergencythatnowbesethim，towardthetwoyoungmenwhohadbeenhiscompanionsonthecruise？
Mr。BrockhadfirstaskedhimselfthatawkwardquestionontheFridayafternoon，andhewasstilltryingvainlytoanswerit，aloneinhisownroom，atoneo’clockontheSaturdaymorning。ItwasthenonlytheendofMay，andtheresidenceoftheladiesatThorpeAmbrose(unlesstheychosetoshortenitoftheirownaccord)wouldnotexpiretillthemiddleofJune。Eveniftherepairsoftheyachthadbeencompleted(whichwasnotthecase)，therewasnopossiblepretenseforhurryingAllanbacktoSomersetshire。Butoneotheralternativeremained——toleavehimwherehewas。Inotherwords，toleavehim，attheturning-pointofhislife，underthesoleinfluenceofamanwhomhehadfirstmetwithasacastawayatavillageinn，andwhowasstill，toallpracticalpurposes，atotalstrangertohim。
Indespairofobtaininganybettermeansofenlightenmenttoguidehisdecision，Mr。BrockrevertedtotheimpressionwhichMidwinterhadproducedonhisownmindinthefamiliarityofthecruise。
Youngashewas，theex-usherhadevidentlylivedavariedlife。
Hecouldspeakofbookslikeamanwhohadreallyenjoyedthem;
hecouldtakehisturnatthehelmlikeasailorwhoknewhisduty;hecouldcook，andclimbtherigging，andlaytheclothfordinner，withanodddelightintheexhibitionofhisowndexterity。Thedisplayofthese，andotherqualitieslikethem，ashisspiritsrosewiththecruise，hadrevealedthesecretofhisattractionforAllanplainlyenough。Buthadalldisclosuresrestedthere？Hadthemanletnochancelightinonhischaracterintherector’spresence？Verylittle;andthatlittledidnotsethimforthinamorallyalluringaspect。Hiswayintheworldhadlainevidentlyindoubtfulplaces;familiaritywiththesmallvillainiesofvagabondspeepedoutofhimnowandthen;and，moresignificantstill，hehabituallysleptthelight，suspicioussleepofamanwhohasbeenaccustomedtoclosehiseyesindoubtofthecompanyunderthesameroofwithhim。Downtotheverylatestmomentoftherector’sexperienceofhim——downtothatpresentFridaynight——hisconducthadbeenpersistentlysecretandunaccountabletotheverylast。AfterbringingMr。Brock’slettertothehotel，hehadmysteriousdisappearedfromthehousewithoutleavinganymessageforhiscompanions，andwithoutlettinganybodyseewhetherhehadorhadnotreceivedaletterhimself。Atnightfallhehadcomebackstealthilyinthedarkness，hadbeencaughtonthestairsbyAllan，eagertotellhimofthechangeintherector’splans，hadlistenedtothenewswithoutawordofremark！andhadendedbysulkilylockinghimselfintohisownroom。Whatwasthereinhisfavortosetagainstsuchrevelationsofhischaracterasthese——againsthiswanderingeyes，hisobstinatereservewiththerector，hisominoussilenceonthesubjectoffamilyandfriends？Littleornothing:thesumofallhismeritsbeganandendedwithhisgratitudetoAllan。
Mr。Brocklefthisseatonthesideofthebed，trimmedhiscandle，and，stilllostinhisownthoughts，lookedoutabsentlyatthenight。Thechangeofplacebroughtnonewideaswithit。
Hisretrospectoverhisownpastlifehadamplysatisfiedhimthathispresentsenseofresponsibilityrestedonnomerelyfancifulgrounds，and，havingbroughthimtothatpoint，hadlefthimthere，standingatthewindow，andseeingnothingbutthetotaldarknessinhisownmindfaithfullyreflectedbythetotaldarknessofthenight。
“IfIonlyhadafriendtoapplyto！“thoughttherector。“IfI
couldonlyfindsomeonetohelpmeinthismiserableplace！“
Atthemomentwhentheaspirationcrossedhismind，itwassuddenlyansweredbyalowknockatthedoor，andavoicesaidsoftlyinthepassageoutside，“Letmecomein。”
Afteraninstant’spausetosteadyhisnerves，Mr。Brockopenedthedoor，andfoundhimself，atoneo’clockinthemorning，standingfacetofaceonthethresholdofhisownbedroomwithOziasMidwinter。
“Areyouill？”askedtherector，assoonashisastonishmentwouldallowhimtospeak。
“Ihavecomeheretomakeacleanbreastofit！“wasthestrangeanswer。“Willyouletmein？”
Withthosewordshewalkedintotheroom，hiseyesontheground，hislipsashypale，andhishandholdingsomethinghiddenbehindhim。
“Isawthelightunderyourdoor。”hewenton，withoutlookingup，andwithoutmovinghishand，“andIknowthetroubleonyourmindwhichiskeepingyoufromyourrest。Youaregoingawayto-morrowmorning，andyoudon’tlikeleavingMr。Armadalealonewithastrangerlikeme。”
Startledashewas，Mr。Brocksawtheseriousnecessityofbeingplainwithamanwhohadcomeatthattime，andhadsaidthosewordstohim。
“Youhaveguessedright。”heanswered。“IstandintheplaceofafathertoAllanArmadale，andIamnaturallyunwillingtoleavehim，athisage，withamanwhomIdon’tknow。”
OziasMidwintertookastepforwardtothetable。Hiswanderingeyesrestedontherector’sNewTestament，whichwasoneoftheobjectslyingonit。
“YouhavereadthatBook，intheyearsofalonglife，tomanycongregations。”hesaid。“Hasittaughtyoumercytoyourmiserablefellow-creatures？”
Withoutwaitingtobeanswered，helookedMr。Brockinthefaceforthefirsttime，andbroughthishiddenhandslowlyintoview。
“Readthat。”hesaid;“and，forChrist’ssake，pitymewhenyouknowwhoIam。”
Helaidaletterofmanypagesonthetable。ItwastheletterthatMr。NealhadpostedatWildbadnineteenyearssince。
CHAPTERII。
THE。MANREVEALED。
THEfirstcoolbreathingsofthecomingdawnflutteredthroughtheopenwindowasMr。BrockreadtheclosinglinesoftheConfession。Heputitfromhiminsilence，withoutlookingup。
Thefirstshockofdiscoveryhadstruckhismind，andhadpassedawayagain。Athisage，andwithhishabitsofthought，hisgraspwasnotstrongenoughtoholdthewholerevelationthathadfallenonhim。Allhisheart。whenheclosedthemanuscript，waswiththememoryofthewomanwhohadbeenthebelovedfriendofhislaterandhappierlife;allhisthoughtswerebusywiththemiserablesecretofhertreasontoherownfatherwhichtheletterhaddisclosed。
Hewasstartledoutofthenarrowlimitsofhisownlittlegriefbythevibrationofthetableatwhichhesat，underahandthatwaslaidonitheavily。Theinstinctofreluctancewasstronginhim;butheconqueredit，andlookedup。There，silentlyconfrontinghiminthemixedlightoftheyellowcandleflameandthefaintgraydawn，stoodthecastawayofthevillageinn——theinheritorofthefatalArmadalename。
Mr。Brockshudderedastheterrorofthepresenttimeandthedarkerterroryetofthefuturethatmightbecomingrushedbackonhimatthesightoftheman’sface。Themansawit，andspokefirst。
“Ismyfather’scrimelookingatyououtofmyeyes？”heasked。
“Hastheghostofthedrownedmanfollowedmeintotheroom？”
Thesufferingandthepassionthathewasforcingbackshookthehandthathestillkeptonthetable，andstifledthevoiceinwhichhespokeuntilitsanktoawhisper。
“Ihavenowishtotreatyouotherwisethanjustlyandkindly。”
answeredMr。Brock。“Domejusticeonmyside，andbelievethatI
amincapableofcruellyholdingyouresponsibleforyourfather’scrime。”
Thereplyseemedtocomposehim。Hebowedhisheadinsilence，andtookuptheconfessionfromthetable。
“Haveyoureadthisthrough？”heasked，quietly。
“Everywordofit，fromfirsttolast。”
“HaveIdealtopenlywithyousofar。HasOziasMidwinter——“
“Doyoustillcallyourselfbythatname。”interruptedMr。Brock，“nowyourtruenameisknowntome？”
“SinceIhavereadmyfather’sconfession。”wastheanswer，“I
likemyuglyaliasbetterthanever。AllowmetorepeatthequestionwhichIwasabouttoputtoyouaminutesince:HasOziasMidwinterdonehisbestthusfartoenlightenMr。Brock？”
Therectorevadedadirectreply。“Fewmeninyourposition。”hesaid，“wouldhavehadthecouragetoshowmethatletter。”
“Don’tbetoosure，sir，ofthevagabondyoupickedupattheinntillyouknowalittlemoreofhimthanyouknownow。Youhavegotthesecretofmybirth，butyouarenotinpossessionyetofthestoryofmylife。Yououghttoknowit，andyoushallknowit，beforeyouleavemealonewithMr。Armadale。Willyouwait，andrestalittlewhile，orshallItellityounow？”
“Now。”saidMr。Brock，stillasfarawayaseverfromknowingtherealcharacterofthemanbeforehim。
EverythingOziasMidwintersaid，everythingOziasMidwinterdid，wasagainsthim。Hehadspokenwithasardonicindifference，almostwithaninsolenceoftone，whichwouldhaverepelledthesympathiesofanymanwhoheardhim。Andnow，insteadofplacinghimselfatthetable，andaddressinghisstorydirectlytotherector，hewithdrewsilentlyandungraciouslytothewindow-seat。
Therehesat，hisfaceaverted，hishandsmechanicallyturningtheleavesofhisfather’slettertillhecametothelast。Withhiseyesfixedontheclosinglinesofthemanuscript，andwithastrangemixtureofrecklessnessandsadnessinhisvoice，hebeganhispromisednarrativeinthesewords:
“Thefirstthingyouknowofme。”hesaid，“iswhatmyfather’sconfessionhastoldyoualready。HementionsherethatIwasachild，asleeponhisbreast，whenhespokehislastwordsinthisworld，andwhenastranger’shandwrotethemdownforhimathisdeathbed。Thatstranger’sname，asyoumayhavenoticed，issignedonthecover——’AlexanderNeal，WritertotheSignet，Edinburgh。’ThefirstrecollectionIhaveisofAlexanderNealbeatingmewithahorsewhip(IdaresayIdeservedit)，inthecharacterofmystepfather。”
“Haveyounorecollectionofyourmotheratthesametime？”askedMr。Brock。
“Yes;Irememberherhavingshabbyoldclothesmadeuptofitme，andhavingfinenewfrocksboughtforhertwochildrenbyhersecondhusband。Iremembertheservantslaughingatmeinmyoldthings，andthehorsewhipfindingitswaytomyshouldersagainforlosingmytemperandtearingmyshabbyclothes。Mynextrecollectiongetsontoayearortwolater。Iremembermyselflockedupinalumber-room，withabitofbreadandamugofwater，wonderingwhatitwasthatmademymotherandmystepfatherseemtohatetheverysightofme。Ineversettledthatquestiontillyesterday，andthenIsolvedthemystery，whenmyfather’sletterwasputintomyhands。MymotherknewwhathadreallyhappenedonboardtheFrenchtimber-ship，andmystepfatherknewwhathadreallyhappened，andtheywerebothwellawarethattheshamefulsecretwhichtheywouldfainhavekeptfromeverylivingcreaturewasasecretwhichwouldbeonedayrevealedto_me。_Therewasnohelpforit——theconfessionwasintheexecutor’shands，andtherewasI，anill-conditionedbrat，withmymother’snegrobloodinmyface，andmymurderingfather’spassionsinmyheart，inheritoroftheirsecretinspiteofthem！Idon’twonderatthehorsewhipnow，ortheshabbyoldclothes，orthebreadandwaterinthelumber-room。Naturalpenaltiesallofthem，sir，whichthechildwasbeginningtopayalreadyforthefather’ssin。”
Mr。Brocklookedattheswarthy，secretface，stillobstinatelyturnedawayfromhim。“Isthisthestarkinsensibilityofavagabond。”heaskedhimself，“orthedespair，indisguise，ofamiserableman？”
“Schoolismynextrecollection。”theotherwenton——“acheapplaceinalostcornerofScotland。Iwasleftthere，withabadcharactertohelpmeatstarting。Ispareyouthestoryofthemaster’scaneintheschoolroom，andtheboys’kicksintheplayground。Idaresaytherewasingrainedingratitudeinmynature;atanyrate，Iranaway。Thefirstpersonwhometmeaskedmyname。Iwastooyoungandtoofoolishtoknowtheimportanceofconcealingit，and，asamatterofcourse，Iwastakenbacktoschoolthesameevening。TheresulttaughtmealessonwhichIhavenotforgottensince。Inadayortwomore，likethevagabondIwas，Iranawayforthesecondtime。Theschoolwatch-doghadhadhisinstructions，Isuppose:hestoppedmebeforeIgotoutsidethegate。Hereishismark，amongtherest，onthebackofmyhand。Hismaster’smarksIcan’tshowyou;theyareallonmyback。Canyoubelieveinmyperversity？
Therewasadevilinmethatnodogcouldworryout。IranawayagainassoonasIleftmybed，andthistimeIgotoff。AtnightfallIfoundmyself(withapocketfuloftheschooloatmeal)lostonamoor。Ilaydownonthefinesoftheather，undertheleeofagreatgrayrock。DoyouthinkIfeltlonely？NotI！Iwasawayfromthemaster’scane，awayfrommyschoolfellows’kicks，awayfrommymother，awayfrommystepfather;andIlaydownthatnightundermygoodfriendtherock，thehappiestboyinallScotland！“
Throughthewretchedchildhoodwhichthatonesignificantcircumstancedisclosed，Mr。Brockbegantoseedimlyhowlittlewasreallystrange，howlittlereallyunaccountable，inthecharacterofthemanwhowasnowspeakingtohim。
“Isleptsoundly。”Midwintercontinued，“undermyfriendtherock。WhenIwokeinthemorning，Ifoundasturdyoldmanwithafiddlesittingononesideofme，andtwoperformingdogsontheother。Experiencehadmademetoosharptotellthetruthwhenthemanputhisfirstquestions。Hedidn’tpressthem;hegavemeagoodbreakfastoutofhisknapsack，andheletmerompwiththedogs。’I’lltellyouwhat，’hesaid，whenhehadgotmyconfidenceinthismanner，’youwantthreethings，myman:youwantanewfather，anewfamily，andanewname。I’llbeyourfather。I’llletyouhavethedogsforyourbrothers;and，ifyou’llpromisetobeverycarefulofit，I’llgiveyoumyownnameintothebargain。OziasMidwinter，Junior，youhavehadagoodbreakfast;ifyouwantagooddinner，comealongwithme！’
Hegotup，thedogstrottedafterhim，andItrottedafterthedogs。Whowasmynewfather？youwillask。Ahalf-breedgypsy，sir;adrunkard，aruffian，andathief——andthebestfriendI
everhad！Isn’tamanyourfriendwhogivesyouyourfood，yourshelter，andyoureducation？OziasMidwintertaughtmetodancetheHighlandfling，tothrowsomersaults，towalkonstilts，andtosingsongstohisfiddle。Sometimesweroamedthecountry，andperformedatfairs。Sometimeswetriedthelargetowns，andenlivenedbadcompanyoveritscups。Iwasanice，livelylittleboyofelevenyearsold，andbadcompany，thewomenespecially，tookafancytomeandmynimblefeet。Iwasvagabondenoughtolikethelife。ThedogsandIlivedtogether，ate，anddrank，andslepttogether。Ican’tthinkofthosepoorlittlefour-footedbrothersofmine，evennow，withoutachokinginthethroat。Manyisthebeatingwethreetooktogether;manyisthehardday’sdancingwedidtogether;manyisthenightwehaveslepttogether，andwhimperedtogether，onthecoldhill-side。I’mnottryingtodistressyou，sir;I’monlytellingyouthetruth。Thelifewithallitshardshipswasalifethatfittedme，andthehalf-breedgypsywhogavemehisname，ruffianashewas，wasaruffianIliked。”
“Amanwhobeatyou！“exclaimedMr。Brock，inastonishment。
“Didn’tItellyoujustnow，sir，thatIlivedwiththedogs？anddidyoueverhearofadogwholikedhismastertheworseforbeatinghim？Hundredsofthousandsofmiserablemen，women，andchildrenwouldhavelikedthatman(asIlikedhim)ifhehadalwaysgiventhemwhathealwaysgaveme——plentytoeat。Itwasstolenfoodmostly，andmynewgypsyfatherwasgenerouswithit。
Heseldomlaidthestickonuswhenhewassober;butitdivertedhimtohearusyelpwhenhewasdrunk。Hedieddrunk，andenjoyedhisfavoriteamusementwithhislastbreath。Oneday(whenIhadbeentwoyearsinhisservice)，aftergivingusagooddinneroutonthemoor，hesatdownwithhisbackagainstastone，andcalledusuptodiverthimselfwithhisstick。Hemadethedogsyelpfirst，andthenhecalledtome。Ididn’tgoverywillingly;
hehadbeendrinkingharderthanusual，andthemorehedrankthebetterhelikedhisafter-dinneramusement。Hewasinhighgood-humorthatday，andhehitmesohardthathetoppledover，inhisdrunkenstate，withtheforceofhisownblow。Hefellwithhisfaceinapuddle，andlaytherewithoutmoving。Iandthedogsstoodatadistance，andlookedathim:wethoughthewasfeigning，togetusnearandhaveanotherstrokeatus。Hefeignedsolongthatweventureduptohimatlast。Ittookmesometimetopullhimover;hewasaheavyman。WhenIdidgethimonhisback，hewasdead。Wemadealltheoutcrywecould;
butthedogswerelittle，andIwaslittle，andtheplacewaslonely;andnohelpcametous。Itookhisfiddleandhisstick;
Isaidtomytwobrothers，’Comealong，wemustgetourownlivingnow;’andwewentawayheavy-hearted，andlefthimonthemoor。Unnaturalasitmayseemtoyou，Iwassorryforhim。I
kepthisuglynamethroughallmyafter-wanderings，andIhaveenoughoftheoldleavenleftinmetolikethesoundofitstill。MidwinterorArmadale，nevermindmynamenow，wewilltalkofthatafterward;youmustknowtheworstofmefirst。”
“Whynotthebestofyou？”saidMr。Brock，gently。
“Thankyou，sir;butIamheretotellthetruth。Wewillgeton，ifyouplease，tothenextchapterinmystory。ThedogsandI
didbadly，afterourmaster’sdeath;ourluckwasagainstus。I
lostoneofmylittlebrothers——thebestperformerofthetwo;hewasstolen，andIneverrecoveredhim。Myfiddleandmystiltsweretakenfrommenext，bymainforce，byatrampwhowasstrongerthanI。ThesemisfortunesdrewTommyandme——Ibegyourpardon，sir，Imeanthedog——closertogetherthanever。
Ithinkwehadsomekindofdimforebodingonbothsidesthatwehadnotdonewithourmisfortunesyet;anyhow，itwasnotverylongbeforewewerepartedforever。Wewereneitherofusthieves(ourmasterhadbeensatisfiedwithteachingustodance);butwebothcommittedaninvasionoftherightsofproperty，forallthat。Youngcreatures，evenwhentheyarehalfstarved，cannotresisttakingarunsometimesonafinemorning。TommyandI
couldnotresisttakingarunintoagentleman’splantation;thegentlemanpreservedhisgame;andthegentleman’skeeperknewhisbusiness。Iheardagungooff;youcanguesstherest。GodpreservemefromeverfeelingsuchmiseryagainasIfeltwhenI
laydownbyTommy，andtookhim，deadandbloody，inmyarms！Thekeeperattemptedtopartus;Ibithim，likethewildanimalI
was。Hetriedthestickonmenext;hemightaswellhavetrieditononeofthetrees。Thenoisereachedtheearsoftwoyoungladiesridingneartheplace——daughtersofthegentlemanonwhosepropertyIwasatrespasser。Theyweretoowellbroughtuptolifttheirvoicesagainstthesacredrightofpreservinggame，buttheywerekind-heartedgirls，andtheypitiedme，andtookmehomewiththem。Irememberthegentlemenofthehouse(keensportsmenallofthem)roaringwithlaughterasIwentbythewindows，crying，withmylittledeaddoginmyarms。Don’tsupposeIcomplainoftheirlaughter;itdidmegoodservice;itrousedtheindignationofthetwoladies。Oneofthemtookmeintoherowngarden，andshowedmeaplacewhereImightburymydogundertheflowers，andbesurethatnootherhandsshouldeverdisturbhimagain。Theotherwenttoherfather，andpersuadedhimtogivetheforlornlittlevagabondachanceinthehouse，underoneoftheupperservants。Yes！youhavebeencruisingincompanywithamanwhowasonceafoot-boy。Isawyoulookatme，whenIamusedMr。Armadalebylayingtheclothonboardtheyacht。NowyouknowwhyIlaiditsoneatly，andforgotnothing。Ithasbeenmygoodfortunetoseesomethingofsociety;
Ihavehelpedtofillitsstomachandblackitsboots。Myexperienceoftheservants’hallwasnotalongone。BeforeIhadwornoutmyfirstsuitoflivery，therewasascandalinthehouse。Itwastheoldstory;thereisnoneedtotellitoveragainforthethousandthtime。Loosemoneyleftonatable，andnotfoundthereagain;alltheservantswithcharacterstoappealtoexceptthefoot-boy，whohadbeenrashlytakenontrial。Well！
well！Iwasluckyinthathousetothelast;IwasnotprosecutedfortakingwhatIhadnotonlynevertouched，butneverevenseen:Iwasonlyturnedout。OnemorningIwentinmyoldclothestothegravewhereIhadburiedTommy。Igavetheplaceakiss;Isaidgood-bytomylittledeaddog;andthereIwas，outintheworldagain，attheripeageofthirteenyears！“
“Inthatfriendlessstate，andatthattenderage。”saidMr。
Brock，“didnothoughtcrossyourmindofgoinghomeagain？”
“Iwenthomeagain，sir，thatverynight——Isleptonthehill-side。WhatotherhomehadI？Inadayortwo’stimeI
driftedbacktothelargetownsandthebadcompany，thegreatopencountrywassolonelytome，nowIhadlostthedogs！Twosailorspickedmeupnext。Iwasahandylad，andIgotacabin-boy’sberthonboardacoasting-vessel。Acabin-boy’sberthmeansdirttolivein，offaltoeat，aman’sworkonaboy’sshoulders，andtherope’s-endatregularintervals。ThevesseltouchedataportintheHebrides。Iwasasungratefulasusualtomybestbenefactors;Iranawayagain。Somewomenfoundme，halfdeadofstarvation，inthenorthernwildsoftheIsleofSkye。ItwasnearthecoastandItookaturnwiththefishermennext。Therewaslessoftherope’s-endamongmynewmasters;butplentyofexposuretowindandweather，andhardworkenoughtohavekilledaboywhowasnotaseasonedtramplikeme。Ifoughtthroughittillthewintercame，andthenthefishermenturnedmeadriftagain。Idon’tblamethem;foodwasscarce，andmouthsweremany。Withfaminestaringthewholecommunityintheface，whyshouldtheykeepaboywhodidn’tbelongtothem？Agreatcitywasmyonlychanceinthewinter-time;soIwenttoGlasgow，andallbutsteppedintothelion’smouthassoonasIgotthere。
IwasmindinganemptycartontheBroomielaw，whenIheardmystepfather’svoiceonthepavementsideofthehorsebywhichI
wasstanding。Hehadmetsomepersonwhomheknew，and，tomyterrorandsurprise，theyweretalkingaboutme。Hiddenbehindthehorse，IheardenoughoftheirconversationtoknowthatI
hadnarrowlyescapeddiscoverybeforeIwentonboardthecoasting-vessel。Ihadmetatthattimewithanothervagabondboyofmyownage;wehadquarreledandparted。Thedayafter，mystepfather’sinquiriesweremadeinthatverydistrict，anditbecameaquestionwithhim(agoodpersonaldescriptionbeingunattainableineithercase)whichofthetwoboysheshouldfollow。Oneofthem，hewasinformed，wasknownas“Brown。”andtheotheras“Midwinter。”Brownwasjustthecommonnamewhichacunningrunawayboywouldbemostlikelytoassume;Midwinter，justtheremarkablenamewhichhewouldbemostlikelytoavoid。
ThepursuithadaccordinglyfollowedBrown，andhadallowedmetoescape。IleaveyoutoimaginewhetherIwasnotdoublyandtreblydeterminedtokeepmygypsymaster’snameafterthat。Butmyresolutiondidnotstophere。Imadeupmymindtoleavethecountryaltogether。Afteradayortwo’slurkingabouttheoutward-boundvesselsinport，Ifoundoutwhichsailedfirst，andhidmyselfonboard。Hungertriedhardtoforcemeoutbeforethepilothadleft;buthungerwasnotnewtome，andIkeptmyplace。ThepilotwasoutofthevesselwhenImademyappearanceondeck，andtherewasnothingforitbuttokeepmeorthrowmeoverboard。Thecaptainsaid(Ihavenodoubtquitetruly)thathewouldhavepreferredthrowingmeoverboard;butthemajestyofthelawdoessometimesstandthefriendevenofavagabondlikeme。InthatwayIcamebacktoasea-life。InthatwayIlearnedenoughtomakemehandyanduseful(asIsawyounoticed)onboardMr。Armadale’syacht。Isailedmorethanonevoyage，inmorethanonevessel，tomorethanonepartoftheworld，andI
mighthavefollowedtheseaforlife，ifIcouldonlyhavekeptmytemperundereveryprovocationthatcouldbelaidonit。Ihadlearnedagreatdeal;but，nothavinglearnedthat，ImadethelastpartofmylastvoyagehometotheportofBristolinirons;
andIsawtheinsideofaprisonforthefirsttimeinmylife，onachargeofmutinousconducttooneofmyofficers。Youhaveheardmewithextraordinarypatience，sir，andIamgladtotellyou，inreturn，thatwearenotfarnowfromtheendofmystory。
Youfoundsomebooks，ifIrememberright，whenyousearchedmyluggageattheSomersetshireinn？”
Mr。Brockansweredintheaffirmative。
“Thosebooksmarkthenextchangeinmylife——andthelast，beforeItooktheusher’splaceattheschool。Mytermofimprisonmentwasnotalongone。Perhapsmyyouthpleadedforme;
perhapstheBristolmagistratestookintoconsiderationthetimeIhadpassedinironsonboardship。Anyhow，IwasjustturnedseventeenwhenIfoundmyselfoutontheworldagain。Ihadnofriendstoreceiveme;Ihadnoplacetogoto。Asailor’slife，afterwhathadhappened，wasalifeIrecoiledfromindisgust。I
stoodinthecrowdonthebridgeatBristol，wonderingwhatI
shoulddowithmyfreedomnowIhadgotitback。WhetherIhadalteredintheprison，orwhetherIwasfeelingthechangeincharacterthatcomeswithcomingmanhood，Idon’tknow;buttheoldrecklessenjoymentoftheoldvagabondlifeseemedquitewornoutofmynature。AnawfulsenseoflonelinesskeptmewanderingaboutBristol，inhorrorofthequietcountry，tillafternightfall。Ilookedatthelightskindlingintheparlorwindows，withamiserableenvyofthehappypeopleinside。Awordofadvicewouldhavebeenworthsomethingtomeatthattime。Well！
Igotit:apolicemanadvisedmetomoveon。Hewasquiteright;
whatelsecouldIdo？Ilookedupatthesky，andtherewasmyoldfriendofmanyanight’swatchatsea，thenorthstar。’Allpointsofthecompassarealiketome，’Ithoughttomyself;
’I’llgo_your_way。’Noteventhestarwouldkeepmecompanythatnight。Itgotbehindacloud，andleftmealoneintherainanddarkness。Igropedmywaytoacart-shed，fellasleep，anddreamedofoldtimes，whenIservedmygypsymasterandlivedwiththedogs。God！whatIwouldhavegivenwhenIwoketohavefeltTommy’slittlecoldmuzzleinmyhand！WhyamIdwellingonthesethings？Whydon’tIgetontotheend？Youshouldn’tencourageme，sir，bylistening，sopatiently。Afteraweekmoreofwandering，withouthopetohelpme，orprospectstolookto，I
foundmyselfinthestreetsofShrewsbury，staringinatthewindowsofabook-seller’sshop。Anoldmancametotheshopdoor，lookedabouthim，andsawme。’Doyouwantajob？’heasked。’Andareyounotabovedoingitcheap？’Theprospectofhavingsomethingtodo，andsomehumancreaturetospeakawordto，temptedme，andIdidaday’sdirtyworkinthebook-seller’swarehouseforashilling。Moreworkfollowedatthesamerate。InaweekIwaspromotedtosweepouttheshopandputuptheshutters。Innoverylongtimeafter，Iwastrustedtocarrythebooksout;andwhenquarter-daycame，andtheshop-manleft，I
tookhisplace。Wonderfulluck！youwillsay;hereIhadfoundmywaytoafriendatlast。IhadfoundmywaytooneofthemostmercilessmisersinEngland;andIhadriseninthelittleworldofShrewsburybythepurelycommercialprocessofundersellingallmycompetitors。Thejobinthewarehousehadbeendeclinedatthepricebyeveryidlemaninthetown，andIdidit。Theregularporterreceivedhisweeklypittanceunderweeklyprotest。
Itooktwoshillingsless，andmadenocomplaint。Theshop-mangavewarningonthegroundthathewasunderfedaswellasunderpaid。Ireceivedhalfhissalary，andlivedcontentedlyonhisreversionaryscraps。Neverweretwomensowellsuitedtoeachotherasthatbook-sellerandI。_His_oneobjectinlifewastofindsomebodywhowouldworkforhimatstarvationwages。
_My_oneobjectinlifewastofindsomebodywhowouldgivemeanasylumovermyhead。Withoutasinglesympathyincommon——withoutavestigeoffeelingofanysort，hostileorfriendly，growingupbetweenusoneitherside——withoutwishingeachothergood-nightwhenwepartedonthehousestairs，orgood-morningwhenwemetattheshopcounter，welivedaloneinthathouse，strangersfromfirsttolast，fortwowholeyears。Adismalexistenceforaladofmyage，wasitnot？Youareaclergymanandascholar——surelyyoucanguesswhatmadethelifeendurabletome？”
Mr。Brockrememberedthewell-wornvolumeswhichhadbeenfoundintheusher’sbag。“Thebooksmadeitendurabletoyou。”hesaid。
Theeyesofthecastawaykindledwithanewlight。
“Yes！“hesaid，“thebooks——thegenerousfriendswhometmewithoutsuspicion——themercifulmasterswhoneverusedmeill！
TheonlyyearsofmylifethatIcanlookbackonwithsomethinglikepridearetheyearsIpassedinthemiser’shouse。TheonlyunalloyedpleasureIhaveevertastedisthepleasurethatI
foundformyselfonthemiser’sshelves。Earlyandlate，throughthelongwinternightsandthequietsummerdays，Idrankatthefountainofknowledge，andneverweariedofthedraught。Therewerefewcustomerstoserve，forthebooksweremostlyofthesolidandscholarlykind。Noresponsibilitiesrestedonme，fortheaccountswerekeptbymymaster，andonlythesmallsumsofmoneyweresufferedtopassthroughmyhands。Hesoonfoundoutenoughofmetoknowthatmyhonestywastobetrusted，andthatmypatiencemightbecountedon，treatmeashemight。Theoneinsightinto_his_characterwhichIobtained，onmyside，widenedthedistancebetweenustoitslastlimits。Hewasaconfirmedopium-eaterinsecret——aprodigalinlaudanum，thoughamiserinallbesides。Heneverconfessedhisfrailty，andInevertoldhimIhadfounditout。Hehadhispleasureapartfromme，andIhadmypleasureapartfrom_him。_Weekafterweek，monthaftermonth，therewesat，withoutafriendlywordeverpassingbetweenus——I，alonewithmybookatthecounter;he，alonewithhisledgerintheparlor，dimlyvisibletomethroughthedirtywindow-paneoftheglassdoor，sometimesporingoverhisfigures，sometimeslostandmotionlessforhoursintheecstasyofhisopiumtrance。Timepassed，andmadenoimpressiononus;theseasonsoftwoyearscameandwent，andfoundusstillunchanged。
Onemorning，attheopeningofthethirdyear，mymasterdidnotappear，asusual，togivememyallowanceforbreakfast。Iwentupstairs，andfoundhimhelplessinhisbed。Herefusedtotrustmewiththekeysofthecupboard，ortoletmesendforadoctor。
Iboughtamorselofbread，andwentbacktomybooks，withnomorefeelingfor_him_(Ihonestlyconfessit)thanhewouldhavehadfor_me_underthesamecircumstances。AnhourortwolaterI
wasrousedfrommyreadingbyanoccasionalcustomerofours，aretiredmedicalman。Hewentupstairs。Iwasgladtogetridofhimandreturntomybooks。Hecamedownagain，anddisturbedmeoncemore。’Idon’tmuchlikeyou，mylad，’hesaid;’butIthinkitmydutytosaythatyouwillsoonhavetoshiftforyourself。
Youarenogreatfavoriteinthetown，andyoumayhavesomedifficultyinfindinganewplace。Provideyourselfwithawrittencharacterfromyourmasterbeforeitistoolate。’Hespoketomecoldly。Ithankedhimcoldlyonmyside，andgotmycharacterthesameday。Doyouthinkmymasterletmehaveitfornothing？Nothe！Hebargainedwithmeonhisdeathbed。Iwashiscreditorforamonth’ssalary，andhewouldn’twritealineofmytestimonialuntilIhadfirstpromisedtoforgivehimthedebt。
Threedaysafterwardhedied，enjoyingtothelastthehappinessofhavingoverreachedhisshop-man。’Aha！’hewhispered，whenthedoctorformallysummonedmetotakeleaveofhim，’Igotyoucheap！’WasOziasMidwinter’sstickascruelasthat？Ithinknot。Well！thereIwas，outontheworldagain，butsurelywithbetterprospectsthistime。IhadtaughtmyselftoreadLatin，Greek，andGerman;andIhadgotmywrittencharactertospeakforme。Alluseless！Thedoctorwasquiteright;Iwasnotlikedinthetown。Thelowerorderofthepeopledespisedmeforsellingmyservicestothemiseratthemiser’sprice。Asforthebetterclasses，Ididwiththem(Godknowshow！)whatIhavealwaysdonewitheverybodyexceptMr。Armadale——Iproducedadisagreeableimpressionatfirstsight;Icouldn’tmenditafterward;andtherewasanendofmeinrespectablequarters。ItisquitelikelyImighthavespentallmysavings，mypunylittlegoldenoffspringoftwoyears’miserablegrowth，butforaschooladvertisementwhichIsawinalocalpaper。Theheartlesslymeantermsthatwereofferedencouragedmetoapply;andIgottheplace。HowIprosperedinit，andwhatbecameofmenext，thereisnoneedtotellyou。Thethreadofmystoryisallwoundoff;
myvagabondlifestandsstrippedofitsmystery;andyouknowtheworstofmeatlast。”
Amomentofsilencefollowedthoseclosingwords。Midwinterrosefromthewindow-seat，andcamebacktothetablewiththeletterfromWildbadinhishand。
“Myfather’sconfessionhastoldyouwhoIam;andmyownconfessionhastoldyouwhatmylifehasbeen。”hesaid，addressingMr。Brock，withouttakingthechairtowhichtherectorpointed。“IpromisedtomakeacleanbreastofitwhenI
firstaskedleavetoenterthisroom。HaveIkeptmyword？”
“Itisimpossibletodoubtit。”repliedMr。Brock。“Youhaveestablishedyourclaimonmyconfidenceandmysympathy。Ishouldbeinsensible，indeed，ifIcouldknowwhatInowknowofyourchildhoodandyouryouth，andnotfeelsomethingofAllan’skindnessforAllan’sfriend。”
“Thankyou，sir。”saidMidwinter，simplyandgravely。
HesatdownoppositeMr。Brookatthetableforthefirsttime。
“Inafewhoursyouwillhaveleftthisplace。”heproceeded。“IfIcanhelpyoutoleaveitwithyourmindatease，Iwill。Thereismoretobesaidbetweenusthanwehavesaiduptothistime。
MyfuturerelationswithMr。Armadalearestillleftundecided;
andtheseriousquestionraisedbymyfather’sletterisaquestionwhichwehaveneitherofusfacedyet。”
Hepaused，andlookedwithamomentaryimpatienceatthecandlestillburningonthetable，inthemorninglight。Thestruggletospeakwithcomposure，andtokeephisownfeelingsstoicallyoutofview，wasevidentlygrowingharderandhardertohim。
“Itmaypossiblyhelpyourdecision。”hewenton，“ifItellyouhowIdeterminedtoacttowardMr。Armadale——inthematterofthesimilarityofournames——whenIfirstreadthisletter，andwhenIhadcomposedmyselfsufficientlytobeabletothinkatall。”
Hestopped，andcastasecondimpatientlookatthelightedcandle。“Willyouexcusetheoddfancyofanoddman？”heasked，withafaintsmile。“Iwanttoputoutthecandle:Iwanttospeakofthenewsubject，inthenewlight。”
Heextinguishedthecandleashespoke，andletthefirsttendernessofthedaylightflowuninterruptedlyintotheroom。
“Imustoncemoreaskyourpatience。”heresumed，“ifIreturnforamomenttomyselfandmycircumstances。IhavealreadytoldyouthatmystepfathermadeanattempttodiscovermesomeyearsafterIhadturnedmybackontheScotchschool。Hetookthatstepoutofnoanxietyofhisown，butsimplyastheagentofmyfather’strustees。Intheexerciseoftheirdiscretion，theyhadsoldtheestatesinBarbadoes(atthetimeoftheemancipationoftheslaves，andtheruinofWestIndianproperty)forwhattheestateswouldfetch。Havinginvestedtheproceeds，theywereboundtosetasideasumformyyearlyeducation。Thisresponsibilityobligedthemtomaketheattempttotraceme——afruitlessattempt，asyoualreadyknow。Alittlelater(asIhavebeensinceinformed)Iwaspubliclyaddressedbyanadvertisementinthenewspapers，whichIneversaw。Laterstill，whenIwastwenty-one，asecondadvertisementappeared(whichIdidsee)
offeringarewardforevidenceofmydeath。IfIwasalive，Ihadarighttomyhalfshareoftheproceedsoftheestatesoncomingofage;ifdead，themoneyrevertedtomymother。Iwenttothelawyers，andheardfromthemwhatIhavejusttoldyou。Aftersomedifficultyinprovingmyidentity——andafteraninterviewwithmystepfather，andamessagefrommymother，whichhashopelesslywidenedtheoldbreachbetweenus——myclaimwasallowed;andmymoneyisnowinvestedformeinthefunds，underthenamethatisreallymyown。”
Mr。Brockdreweagerlynearertothetable。Hesawtheendnowtowhichthespeakerwastending“Twiceayear。”Midwinterpursued，“Imustsignmyownnametogetmyownincome。Atallothertimes，andunderallothercircumstances，ImayhidemyidentityunderanynameIplease。AsOziasMidwinter，Mr。Armadalefirstknewme;asOziasMidwinterheshallknowmetotheendofmydays。Whatevermaybetheresultofthisinterview——whetherIwinyourconfidenceorwhetherIloseit——ofonethingyoumayfeelsure:yourpupilshallneverknowthehorriblesecretwhichIhavetrustedtoyourkeeping。Thisisnoextraordinaryresolution;for，asyouknowalready，itcostsmenosacrificeoffeelingtokeepmyassumedname。Thereisnothinginmyconducttopraise;itcomesnaturallyoutofthegratitudeofathankfulman。Reviewthecircumstancesforyourself，sir，andsetmyownhorrorofrevealingthemtoMr。Armadaleoutofthequestion。Ifthestoryofthenamesisevertold，therecanbenolimitingittothedisclosureofmyfather’scrime;itmustgobacktothestoryofMrs。Armadale’smarriage。Ihaveheardhersontalkofher;I
knowhowheloveshermemory。AsGodismywitness，heshallneverloveitlessdearlythrough_me！_“
Simplyasthewordswerespoken，theytouchedthedeepestsympathiesintherector’snature:theytookhisthoughtsbacktoMrs。Armadale’sdeathbed。Theresatthemanagainstwhomshehadignorantlywarnedhiminherson’sinterests;andthatman，ofhisownfree-will，hadlaidonhimselftheobligationofrespectinghersecretforherson’ssake！ThememoryofhisownpasteffortstodestroytheveryfriendshipoutofwhichthisresolutionhadsprungroseandreproachedMr。Brock。HeheldouthishandtoMidwinterforthefirsttime。“Inhername，andinherson’sname。”hesaid，warmly，“Ithankyou。”
Withoutreplying，Midwinterspreadtheconfessionopenbeforehimonthetable。
“IthinkIhavesaidallthatitwasmydutytosay。”hebegan，“beforewecouldapproachtheconsiderationofthisletter。
WhatevermayhaveappearedstrangeinmyconducttowardyouandtowardMr。Armadalemaybenowtrustedtoexplainitself。YoucaneasilyimaginethenaturalcuriosityandsurprisethatImusthavefelt(ignorantasIthenwasofthetruth)whenthesoundofMr。Armadale’snamefirststartledmeastheechoofmyown。YouwillreadilyunderstandthatIonlyhesitatedtotellhimIwashisnamesake，becauseIhesitatedtodamagemyposition——inyourestimation，ifnotinhis——byconfessingthatIhadcomeamongyouunderanassumedname。And，afterallthatyouhavejustheardofmyvagabondlifeandmylowassociates，youwillhardlywonderattheobstinatesilenceImaintainedaboutmyself，atatimewhenIdidnotfeelthesenseofresponsibilitywhichmyfather’sconfessionhaslaidonme。Wecanreturntothesesmallpersonalexplanations，ifyouwishit，atanothertime;theycannotbesufferedtokeepusfromthegreaterinterestswhichwemustsettlebeforeyouleavethisplace。Wemaycomenow——“Hisvoicefaltered，andhesuddenlyturnedhisfacetowardthewindow，soastohideitfromtherector’sview。“Wemaycomenow。”herepeated，hishandtremblingvisiblyasitheldthepage，“tothemurderonboardthetimber-ship，andtothewarningthathasfollowedmefrommyfather’sgrave。”
Softly——asifhefearedtheymightreachAllan，sleepingintheneighboringroom——hereadthelastterriblewordswhichtheScotchman’spenhadwrittenatWildbad，astheyfellfromhisfather’slips:
“AvoidthewidowofthemanIkilled——ifthewidowstilllives。
Avoidthemaidwhosewickedhandsmoothedthewaytothemarriage——ifthemaidisstillinherservice。And，morethanall，avoidthemanwhobearsthesamenameasyourown。Offendyourbestbenefactor，ifthatbenefactor’sinfluencehasconnectedyouonewiththeother。Desertthewomanwholovesyou，ifthatwomanisalinkbetweenyouandhim。Hideyourselffromhimunderanassumedname。Putthemountainsandtheseasbetweenyou;beungrateful;beunforgiving;beallthatismostrepellenttoyourowngentlernature，ratherthanliveunderthesameroofandbreathethesameairwiththatman。NeverletthetwoAllanArmadalesmeetinthisworld;never，never，never！“
Afterreadingthosesentences，hepushedthemanuscriptfromhim，withoutlookingup。Thefatalreservewhichhehadbeeninafairwayofconqueringbutafewminutessince，possesseditselfofhimoncemore。Againhiseyeswandered;againhisvoicesankintone。Astrangerwhohadheardhisstory，andwhosawhimnow，wouldhavesaid，“Hislookislurking，hismannerisbad;heis，everyinchofhim，hisfather’sson。”
“Ihaveaquestiontoaskyou。”saidMr。Brock，breakingthesilencebetweenthem，onhisside。“Whyhaveyoujustreadthatpassageinyourfather’sletter？”
“Toforcemeintotellingyouthetruth。”wastheanswer。“YoumustknowhowmuchthereisofmyfatherinmebeforeyoutrustmetobeMr。Armadale’sfriend。Igotmyletteryesterday，inthemorning。Someinnerwarningtroubledme，andIwentdownonthesea-shorebymyselfbeforeIbroketheseal。Doyoubelievethedeadcancomebacktotheworldtheyoncelivedin？Ibelievemyfathercamebackinthatbrightmorninglight，throughtheglareofthatbroadsunshineandtheroarofthatjoyfulsea，andwatchedmewhileIread。WhenIgottothewordsthatyouhavejustheard，andwhenIknewthattheveryendwhichhehaddieddreadingwastheendthathadreallycome，Ifeltthehorrorthathadcreptoverhiminhislastmomentscreepingoverme。I
struggledagainstmyself，as_he_wouldhavehadmestruggle。I
triedtobeallthatwasmostrepellenttomyowngentlernature;
Itriedtothinkpitilesslyofputtingthemountainsandtheseasbetweenmeandthemanwhoboremyname。HourspassedbeforeI
couldprevailonmyselftogobackandruntheriskofmeetingAllanArmadaleinthishouse。WhenIdidgetback，andwhenhemetmeatnightonthestairs，IthoughtIwaslookinghiminthefaceas_my_fatherlooked_his_fatherinthefacewhenthecabindoorclosedbetweenthem。Drawyourownconclusions，sir。
Say，ifyoulike，thattheinheritanceofmyfather’sheathenbeliefinfateisoneoftheinheritanceshehaslefttome。I
won’tdisputeit;Iwon’tdenythatallthroughyesterday_his_
superstitionwas_my_superstition。ThenightcamebeforeIcouldfindmywaytocalmerandbrighterthoughts。ButIdidfindmyway。YoumaysetitdowninmyfavorthatIliftedmyselfatlastabovetheinfluenceofthishorribleletter。Doyouknowwhathelpedme？”
“Didyoureasonwithyourself？”
“Ican’treasonaboutwhatIfeel。”
“Didyouquietyourmindbyprayer？”
“Iwasnotfittopray。”
“Andyetsomethingguidedyoutothebetterfeelingandthetruerview？”
“Somethingdid。”
“Whatwasit？”
“MyloveforAllanArmadale。”
Hecastadoubting，almostatimidlookatMr。Brockashegavethatanswer，and，suddenlyleavingthetable，wentbacktothewindow-seat。
“HaveInorighttospeakofhiminthatway？”heasked，keepinghisfacehiddenfromtherector。“HaveInotknownhimlongenough;haveInotdoneenoughforhimyet？RememberwhatmyexperienceofothermenhadbeenwhenIfirstsawhishandheldouttome——whenIfirstheardhisvoicespeakingtomeinmysick-room。WhathadIknownofstrangers’handsallthroughmychildhood？Ihadonlyknownthemashandsraisedtothreatenandtostrikeme。Hishandputmypillowstraight，andpattedmeontheshoulder，andgavememyfoodanddrink。WhathadIknownofothermen’svoices，whenIwasgrowinguptobeamanmyself？I
hadonlyknownthemasvoicesthatjeered，voicesthatcursed，voicesthatwhisperedincornerswithaviledistrust。_His_
voicesaidtome，’Cheerup，Midwinter！we’llsoonbringyouroundagain。You’llbestrongenoughinaweektogooutforadrivewithmeinourSomersetshirelanes。’Thinkofthegypsy’sstick;thinkofthedevilslaughingatmewhenIwentbytheirwindowswithmylittledeaddoginmyarms;thinkofthemasterwhocheatedmeofmymonth’ssalaryonhisdeathbed——andaskyourownheartifthemiserablewretchwhomAllanArmadalehastreatedashisequalandhisfriendhassaidtoomuchinsayingthatheloveshim？Idolovehim！It_will_comeoutofme;Ican’tkeepitback。Ilovetheverygroundhetreadson！Iwouldgivemylife——yes，thelifethatisprecioustomenow，becausehiskindnesshasmadeitahappyone——ItellyouIwouldgivemylife——“
Thenextwordsdiedawayonhislips;thehystericalpassionrose，andconqueredhim。HestretchedoutoneofhishandswithawildgestureofentreatytoMr。Brock;hisheadsankonthewindow-sillandheburstintotears。
Eventhentheharddisciplineoftheman’slifeasserteditself。
Heexpectednosympathy，hecountedonnomercifulhumanrespectforhumanweakness。Thecruelnecessityofself-suppressionwaspresenttohismind，whilethetearswerepouringoverhischeeks。“Givemeaminute。”hesaid，faintly。“I’llfightitdowninaminute;Iwon’tdistressyouinthiswayagain。”
Truetohisresolution，inaminutehehadfoughtitdown。Inaminutemorehewasabletospeakcalmly。
“Wewillgetback，sir，tothosebetterthoughtswhichhavebroughtmefrommyroomtoyours。”heresumed。“IcanonlyrepeatthatIshouldneverhavetornmyselffromtheholdwhichthisletterfastenedonme，ifIhadnotlovedAllanArmadalewithallthatIhaveinmeofabrother’slove。Isaidtomyself，’Ifthethoughtofleavinghimbreaksmyheart，thethoughtofleavinghimiswrong！’Thatwassomehourssince，andIaminthesamemindstill。Ican’tbelieve——Iwon’tbelieve——thatafriendshipwhichhasgrownoutofnothingbutkindnessononeside，andnothingbutgratitudeontheother，isdestinedtoleadtoanevilend。Judge，youwhoareaclergyman，betweenthedeadfather，whosewordisinthesepages，andthelivingson，whosewordisnowonhislips！Whatisitappointedmetodo，nowthatIambreathingthesameair，andlivingunderthesameroofwiththesonofthemanwhommyfatherkilled——toperpetuatemyfather’scrimebymortallyinjuringhim，ortoatoneformyfather’scrimebygivinghimthedevotionofmywholelife？Thelastofthosetwofaithsismyfaith，andshallbemyfaith，happenwhatmay。Inthestrengthofthatbetterconviction，I
havecomeheretotrustyouwithmyfather’ssecret，andtoconfessthewretchedstoryofmyownlife。Inthestrengthofthatbetterconviction，Icanfaceyouresolutelywiththeoneplainquestion，whichmarkstheoneplainendofallthatIhavecomeheretosay。Yourpupilstandsatthestarting-pointofhisnewcareer，inapositionsingularlyfriendless;hisonegreatneedisacompanionofhisownageonwhomhecanrely。Thetimehascome，sir，todecidewhetherIamtobethatcompanionornot。AfterallyouhaveheardofOziasMidwinter，tellmeplainly，willyoutrusthimtobeAllanArmadale’sfriend？”
Mr。Brockmetthatfearlesslyfrankquestionbyafearlessfranknessonhisside。
“IbelieveyouloveAllan。”hesaid，“andIbelieveyouhavespokenthetruth。AmanwhohasproducedthatimpressiononmeisamanwhomIamboundtotrust。Itrustyou。”
Midwinterstartedtohisfeet，hisdarkfaceflushingdeep;hiseyesfixedbrightlyandsteadily，atlast，ontherector’sface。
“Alight！“heexclaimed，tearingthepagesofhisfather’sletter，onebyone，fromthefasteningthatheldthem。“Letusdestroythelastlinkthatholdsustothehorriblepast！Letusseethisconfessionaheapofashesbeforewepart！“
“Wait！“saidMr。Brock。“Beforeyouburnit，thereisareasonforlookingatitoncemore。”
ThepartedleavesofthemanuscriptdroppedfromMidwinter’shands。Mr。Brocktookthemup，andsortedthemcarefullyuntilhefoundthelastpage。
“Iviewyourfather’ssuperstitionasyouviewit。”saidtherector。“Butthereisawarninggivenyouhere，whichyouwilldowell(forAllan’ssakeandforyourownsake)nottoneglect。Thelastlinkwiththepastwillnotbedestroyedwhenyouhaveburnedthesepages。Oneoftheactorsinthisstoryoftreacheryandmurderisnotdeadyet。Readthosewords。”
