第5章

Hepushedthepageacrossthetable，withhisfingerononesentence。Midwinter’sagitationmisledhim。Hemistooktheindication，andread，“AvoidthewidowofthemanIkilled，ifthewidowstilllives。”

“Notthatsentence。”saidtherector。“Thenext。”

Midwinterreadit:“Avoidthemaidwhosewickedhandsmoothedthewaytothemarriage，ifthemaidisstillinherservice。”

“Themaidandthemistressparted。”saidMr。Brock，“atthetimeofthemistress’smarriage。ThemaidandthemistressmetagainatMrs。Armadale’sresidenceinSomersetshirelastyear。Imyselfmetthewomaninthevillage，andImyselfknowthathervisithastenedMrs。Armadale’sdeath。Waitalittle，andcomposeyourself;IseeIhavestartledyou。”

Hewaitedashewasbid，hiscolorfadingawaytoagraypalenessandthelightinhisclearbrowneyesdyingoutslowly。Whattherectorhadsaidhadproducednotransientimpressiononhim;

therewasmorethandoubt，therewasalarminhisface，ashesatlostinhisownthought。Wasthestruggleofthepastnightrenewingitselfalready？Didhefeelthehorrorofhishereditarysuperstitioncreepingoverhimagain？

“Canyouputmeonmyguardagainsther？”heasked，afteralongintervalofsilence。“Canyoutellmehername？”

“IcanonlytellyouwhatMrs。Armadaletoldme。”answeredMr。

Brock。“Thewomanacknowledgedhavingbeenmarriedinthelongintervalsincesheandhermistresshadlastmet。Butnotawordmoreescapedheraboutherpastlife。ShecametoMrs。Armadaletoaskformoney，underapleaofdistress。Shegotthemoney，andsheleftthehouse，positivelyrefusing，whenthequestionwasputtoher，tomentionhermarriedname。”

“Yousawheryourselfinthevillage。Whatwasshelike？”

“Shekeptherveildown。Ican’ttellyou。”

“Youcantellmewhatyou_did_see？”

“Certainly。Isaw，assheapproachedme，thatshemovedverygracefully，thatshehadabeautifulfigure，andthatshewasalittleoverthemiddleheight。Inoticed，whensheaskedmethewaytoMrs。Armadale’shouse，thathermannerwasthemannerofalady，andthatthetoneofhervoicewasremarkablysoftandwinning。Lastly，Irememberedafterwardthatsheworeathickblackveil，ablackbonnet，ablacksilkdress，andaredPaisleyshawl。IfeelalltheimportanceofyourpossessingsomebettermeansofidentifyingherthanIcangiveyou。Butunhappily——“

Hestopped。Midwinterwasleaningeagerlyacrossthetable，andMidwinter’shandwaslaidsuddenlyonhisarm。

“Isitpossiblethatyouknowthewoman？”askedMr。Brock，surprisedatthesuddenchangeinhismanner。

“No。”

“WhathaveIsaid，then，thathasstartledyouso？”

“Doyourememberthewomanwhothrewherselffromtheriversteamer？”askedtheother——“thewomanwhocausedthatsuccessionofdeathswhichopenedAllanArmadale’swaytotheThorpeAmbroseestate？”

“Irememberthedescriptionofherinthepolicereport。”

answeredtherector。

“_That_woman。”pursuedMidwinter，“movedgracefully，andhadabeautifulfigure。_That_womanworeablackveil，ablackbonnet，ablacksilkgown，andaredPaisleyshawl——“Hestopped，releasedhisholdofMr。Brock’sarm，andabruptlyresumedhischair。“Canitbethesame？”hesaidtohimselfinawhisper。

“_Is_thereafatalitythatfollowsmeninthedark？Andisitfollowing_us_inthatwoman’sfootsteps？”

Iftheconjecturewasright，theoneeventinthepastwhichhadappearedtobeentirelydisconnectedwiththeeventsthathadprecededitwas，onthecontrary，theonemissinglinkwhichmadethechaincomplete。Mr。Brock’scomfortablecommonsenseinstinctivelydeniedthatstartlingconclusion。HelookedatMidwinterwithacompassionatesmile。

“Myyoungfriend。”hesaid，kindly，“haveyouclearedyourmindofallsuperstitionascompletelyasyouthink？Iswhatyouhavejustsaidworthyofthebetterresolutionatwhichyouarrivedlastnight？”

Midwinter’sheaddroopedonhisbreast;thecolorrushedbackoverhisface;hesighedbitterly。

“Youarebeginningtodoubtmysincerity。”hesaid。“Ican’tblameyou。”

“Ibelieveinyoursincerityasfirmlyasever。”answeredMr。

Brock。“Ionlydoubtwhetheryouhavefortifiedtheweakplacesinyournatureasstronglyasyouyourselfsuppose。Manyamanhaslostthebattleagainsthimselffaroftenerthanyouhavelostityet，andhasneverthelesswonhisvictoryintheend。I

don’tblameyou，Idon’tdistrustyou。Ionlynoticewhathashappened，toputyouonyourguardagainstyourself。Come！come！

Letyourownbettersensehelpyou;andyouwillagreewithmethatthereisreallynoevidencetojustifythesuspicionthatthewomanwhomImetinSomersetshire，andthewomanwhoattemptedsuicideinLondon，areoneandthesame。NeedanoldmanlikemeremindayoungmanlikeyouthattherearethousandsofwomeninEnglandwithbeautifulfigures——thousandsofwomenwhoarequietlydressedinblacksilkgownsandredPaisleyshawls？”

Midwintercaughteagerlyatthesuggestion;tooeagerly，asitmighthaveoccurredtoahardercriticonhumanitythanMr。

Brock。

“Youarequiteright，sir。”hesaid，“andIamquitewrong。Tensofthousandsofwomenanswerthedescription，asyousay。Ihavebeenwastingtimeonmyownidlefancies，whenIoughttohavebeencarefullygatheringupfacts。IfthiswomaneverattemptstofindherwaytoAllan，Imustbepreparedtostopher。”Hebegansearchingrestlesslyamongthemanuscriptleavesscatteredaboutthetable，pausedoveroneofthepages，andexamineditattentively。’Thishelpsmetosomethingpositive。”hewenton;

“thishelpsmetoaknowledgeofherage。ShewastwelveatthetimeofMrs。Armadale’smarriage;addayear，andbringhertothirteen;addAllan’sage(twenty-two)，andwemakeherawomanoffive-and-thirtyatthepresenttime。Iknowherage;andI

knowthatshehasherownreasonsforbeingsilentabouthermarriedlife。Thisissomethinggainedattheoutset，anditmaylead，intime，tosomethingmore。”HelookedupbrightlyagainatMr。Brock。“AmIintherightwaynow，sir？AmIdoingmybesttoprofitbythecautionwhichyouhavekindlygivenme？”

“Youarevindicatingyourownbettersense。”answeredtherector，encouraginghimtotrampledownhisownimagination，withanEnglishman’sreadydistrustofthenoblestofthehumanfaculties。“Youarepavingthewayforyourownhappierlife。”

“AmI？”saidtheother，thoughtfully。

Hesearchedamongthepapersoncemore，andstoppedatanotherofthescatteredpages。

“Theship！“heexclaimed，suddenly，hiscolorchangingagain，andhismanneralteringontheinstant。

“Whatship？”askedtherector。

“Theshipinwhichthedeedwasdone。”Midwinteranswered，withthefirstsignsofimpatiencethathehadshownyet。“Theshipinwhichmyfather’smurderoushandturnedthelockofthecabindoor。”

“Whatofit？”saidMr。Brock。

Heappearednottohearthequestion;hiseyesremainedfixedintentlyonthepagethathewasreading。

“AFrenchvessel，employedinthetimbertrade。”hesaid，stillspeakingtohimself——“aFrenchvessel，named_LaGracedeDieu。_

Ifmyfather’sbeliefhadbeentherightbelief——ifthefatalityhadbeenfollowingme，stepbystep，frommyfather’sgrave，inoneorotherofmyvoyages，Ishouldhavefalleninwiththatship。”HelookedupagainatMr。Brock。“Iamquitesureaboutitnow。”hesaid。“Thosewomenaretwo，andnotone。”

Mr。Brockshookhishead。

“Iamgladyouhavecometothatconclusion。”hesaid。“ButI

wishyouhadreacheditinsomeotherway。”

Midwinterstartedpassionatelytohisfeet，and，seizingonthepagesofthemanuscriptwithbothhands，flungthemintotheemptyfireplace。

“ForGod’ssakeletmeburnit！“heexclaimed。“Aslongasthereisapageleft，Ishallreadit。And，aslongasIreadit，myfathergetsthebetterofme，inspiteofmyself！“

Mr。Brockpointedtothematch-box。Inanothermomenttheconfessionwasinflames。Whenthefirehadconsumedthelastmorselofpaper，Midwinterdrewadeepbreathofrelief。

“Imaysay，likeMacbeth:’Why，so，beinggone，Iamamanagain！’“hebrokeoutwithafeverishgayety。“Youlookfatigued，sir;andnowonder。”headded，inalowertone。“Ihavekeptyoutoolongfromyourrest——Iwillkeepyounolonger。

Dependonmyrememberingwhatyouhavetoldme;dependonmystandingbetweenAllanandanyenemy，manorwoman，whocomesnearhim。Thankyou，Mr。Brock;athousandthousandtimes，thankyou！Icameintothisroomthemostwretchedoflivingmen;Icanleaveitnowashappyasthebirdsthataresingingoutside！“

Asheturnedtothedoor，theraysoftherisingsunstreamedthroughthewindow，andtouchedtheheapofasheslyingblackintheblackfireplace。ThesensitiveimaginationofMidwinterkindledinstantlyatthesight。

“Look！“hesaid，joyously。“ThepromiseoftheFutureshiningovertheashesofthePast！“

Aninexplicablepityfortheman，atthemomentofhislifewhenheneededpityleast，stoleovertherector’sheartwhenthedoorhadclosed，andhewasleftbyhimselfagain。

“Poorfellow！“hesaid，withanuneasysurpriseathisowncompassionateimpulse。“Poorfellow！“

CHAPTERIII。

DAYANDNIGHT

THEmorninghourshadpassed;thenoonhadcomeandgone;andMr。

Brockhadstartedonthefirststageofhisjourneyhome。

AfterpartingfromtherectorinDouglasHarbor，thetwoyoungmenhadreturnedtoCastletown，andhadthereseparatedatthehoteldoor，Allanwalkingdowntothewatersidetolookafterhisyacht，andMidwinterenteringthehousetogettherestthatheneededafterasleeplessnight。

Hedarkenedhisroom;heclosedhiseyes，butnosleepcametohim。Onthisfirstdayoftherector’sabsence，hissensitivenatureextravagantlyexaggeratedtheresponsibilitywhichhenowheldintrustforMr。Brock。AnervousdreadofleavingAllanbyhimself，evenforafewhoursonly，kepthimwakinganddoubting，untilitbecameareliefratherthanahardshiptorisefromthebedagain，and，followinginAllan’sfootsteps，totakethewaytothewatersidewhichledtotheyacht。

Therepairsofthelittlevesselwerenearlycompleted。Itwasabreezy，cheerfulday;thelandwasbright，thewaterwasblue，thequickwavesleapedcrisplyinthesunshine，themenweresingingattheirwork。Descendingtothecabin，Midwinterdiscoveredhisfriendbusilyoccupiedinattemptingtosettheplacetorights。Habituallytheleastsystematicofmortals，Allannowandthenawoketoanoverwhelmingsenseoftheadvantagesoforder，andonsuchoccasionsaperfectfrenzyoftidinesspossessedhim。Hewasdownonhisknees，hotlyandwildlyatwork，whenMidwinterlookedinonhim;andwasfastreducingtheneatlittleworldofthecabintoitsoriginalelementsofchaos，withamisdirectedenergywonderfultosee。

“Here’samess！“saidAllan，risingcomposedlyonthehorizonofhisownaccumulatedlitter。“Doyouknow，mydearfellow，IbegintowishIhadletwellalone！“

Midwintersmiled，andcametohisfriend’sassistancewiththenaturalneat-handednessofasailor。

ThefirstobjectthatheencounteredwasAllan’sdressing-case，turnedupsidedown，withhalfthecontentsscatteredonthefloor，andwithadusterandahearth-broomlyingamongthem。

Replacingthevariousobjectswhichformedthefurnitureofthedressing-caseonebyone，Midwinterlightedunexpectedlyonaminiatureportrait，oftheold-fashionedovalform，primlyframedinasettingofsmalldiamonds。

“Youdon’tseemtosetmuchvalueonthis。”hesaid。“Whatisit？”

Allanbentoverhim，andlookedattheminiature。“Itbelongedtomymother。”heanswered;“andIsetthegreatestvalueonit。Itisaportraitofmyfather。”

Midwinterputtheminiatureabruptly，intoAllan’shands，andwithdrewtotheoppositesideofthecabin。

“Youknowbestwherethethingsoughttobeputinyourowndressing-case。”hesaid，keepinghisbackturnedonAllan。“I’llmaketheplacetidyonthissideofthecabin，andyoushallmaketheplacetidyontheother。”

Hebegansettinginorderthelitterscatteredabouthimonthecabintableandonthefloor。Butitseemedasiffatehaddecidedthathisfriend’spersonalpossessionsshouldfallintohishandsthatmorning，employthemwherehemight。OneamongthefirstobjectswhichhetookupwasAllan’stobaccojar，withthestoppermissing，andwithaletter(whichappearedbythebulkofittocontaininclosures)crumpledintothemouthofthejarinthestopper’splace。

“Didyouknowthatyouhadputthishere？”heasked。“Istheletterofanyimportance？”

Allanrecognizeditinstantly。ItwasthefirstofthelittleseriesofletterswhichhadfollowedthecruisingpartytotheIsleofMan——theletterwhichyoungArmadalehadbrieflyreferredtoasbringinghim“moreworriesfromthoseeverlastinglawyers。”

andhadthendismissedfromfurthernoticeasrecklesslyasusual。

“Thisiswhatcomesofbeingparticularlycareful。”saidAllan;

“hereisaninstanceofmyextremethoughtfulness。YoumaynotthinkitbutIputtheletterthereonpurpose。EverytimeIwenttothejar，youknow，Iwassuretoseetheletter;andeverytimeIsawtheletter，Iwassuretosaytomyself，’Thismustbeanswered。’There’snothingtolaughat;itwasaperfectlysensiblearrangement，ifIcouldonlyhaverememberedwhereIputthejar。SupposeItieaknotinmypocket-handkerchiefthistime？Youhaveawonderfulmemory，mydearfellow。Perhapsyou’llremindmeinthecourseoftheday，incaseIforgettheknotnext。”

Midwintersawhisfirstchance，sinceMr。Brock’sdeparture，ofusefullyfillingMr。Brock’splace。

“Hereisyourwriting-case。”hesaid;“whynotanswertheletteratonce？Ifyouputitawayagain，youmayforgetitagain。”

“Verytrue。”returnedAllan。“Buttheworstofitis，Ican’tquitemakeupmymindwhatanswertowrite。Iwantawordofadvice。Comeandsitdownhere，andI’lltellyouallaboutit。”

Withhisloudboyishlaugh——echoedbyMidwinter，whocaughttheinfectionofhisgayety——hesweptaheapofmiscellaneousincumbrancesoffthecabinsofa，andmaderoomforhisfriendandhimselftotaketheirplaces。Inthehighflowofyouthfulspirits，thetwosatdowntotheirtriflingconsultationoveraletterlostinatobaccojar。Itwasamemorablemomenttobothofthem，lightlyastheythoughtofitatthetime。Beforetheyhadrisenagainfromtheirplaces，theyhadtakenthefirstirrevocablesteptogetheronthedarkandtortuousroadoftheirfuturelives。

Reducedtoplainfacts，thequestiononwhichAllannowrequiredhisfriend’sadvicemaybestatedasfollows:

WhilethevariousarrangementsconnectedwiththesuccessiontoThorpeAmbrosewereinprogressofsettlement，andwhilethenewpossessoroftheestatewasstillinLondon，aquestionhadnecessarilyarisenrelatingtothepersonwhoshouldbeappointedtomanagetheproperty。ThestewardemployedbytheBlanchardfamilyhadwritten，withoutlossoftime，toofferhisservices。

Althoughaperfectlycompetentandtrustworthyman，hefailedtofindfavorintheeyesofthenewproprietor。Acting，asusual，onhisfirstimpulses，andresolved，atallhazards，toinstallMidwinterasapermanentinmateatThorpeAmbrose，Allanhaddeterminedthatthesteward’splacewastheplaceexactlyfittedforhisfriend，forthesimplereasonthatitwouldnecessarilyobligehisfriendtolivewithhimontheestate。HehadaccordinglywrittentodeclinetheproposalmadetohimwithoutconsultingMr。Brock，whosedisapprovalhehadgoodreasontofear;andwithouttellingMidwinter，whowouldprobably(ifachancewereallowedhimofchoosing)havedeclinedtakingasituationwhichhisprevioustraininghadbynomeansfittedhimtofill。

Furthercorrespondencehadfollowedthisdecision，andhadraisedtwonewdifficultieswhichlookedalittleembarrassingonthefaceofthem，butwhichAllan，withtheassistanceofhislawyer，easilycontrivedtosolve。Thefirstdifficulty，ofexaminingtheoutgoingsteward’sbooks，wassettledbysendingaprofessionalaccountanttoThorpeAmbrose;andtheseconddifficulty，ofputtingthesteward’semptycottagetosomeprofitableuse(Allan’splansforhisfriendcomprehendingMidwinter’sresidenceunderhisownroof)，wasmetbyplacingthecottageonthelistofanactivehouseagentintheneighboringcountytown。InthisstatethearrangementshadbeenleftwhenAllanquittedLondon。

Hehadheardandthoughtnothingmoreofthematter，untilaletterfromhislawyershadfollowedhimtotheIsleofMan，inclosingtwoproposalstooccupythecottage，bothreceivedonthesameday，andrequestingtohear，athisearliestconvenience，whichofthetwohewaspreparedtoaccept。

Findinghimself，afterhavingconvenientlyforgottenthesubjectforsomedayspast，placedfacetofaceoncemorewiththenecessityfordecision，Allannowputthetwoproposalsintohisfriend’shands，and，afteraramblingexplanationofthecircumstancesofthecase，requestedtobefavoredwithawordofadvice。Insteadofexaminingtheproposals，Midwinterunceremoniouslyputthemaside，andaskedthetwoverynaturalandveryawkwardquestionsofwhothenewstewardwastobe，andwhyhewastoliveinAllan’shouse？

“I’lltellyouwho，andI’lltellyouwhy，whenwegettoThorpeAmbrose。”saidAllan。“Inthemeantimewe’llcallthestewardX。

Y。Z。，andwe’llsayheliveswithme，becauseI’mdevilishsharp，andImeantokeephimundermyowneye。Youneedn’tlooksurprised。Iknowthemanthoroughlywell;herequiresagooddealofmanagement。IfIofferedhimthesteward’splacebeforehand，hismodestywouldgetinhisway，andhewouldsay’No。’IfIpitchhimintoitneckandcrop，withoutawordofwarningandwithnobodyathandtorelievehimofthesituation，he’llhavenothingforitbuttoconsultmyinterests，andsay’Yes。’X。Y。Z。isnotatallabadfellow，Icantellyou。

You’llseehimwhenwegotoThorpeAmbrose;andIratherthinkyouandhewillgetonuncommonlywelltogether。”

ThehumoroustwinkleinAllan’seye，theslysignificanceinAllan’svoice，wouldhavebetrayedhissecrettoaprosperousman。Midwinterwasasfarfromsuspectingitasthecarpenterswhowereatworkabovethemonthedeckoftheyacht。

“Istherenostewardnowontheestate？”heasked，hisfaceshowingplainlythathewasfarfromfeelingsatisfiedwithAllan’sanswer。“Isthebusinessneglectedallthistime？”

“Nothingofthesort！“returnedAllan。“Thebusinessisgoingwith’awetsheetandaflowingsea，andawindthatfollowsfree。’I’mnotjoking;I’monlymetaphorical。Aregularaccountanthaspokedhisnoseintothebooks，andasteady-goinglawyer’sclerkattendsattheofficeonceaweek。Thatdoesn’tlooklikeneglect，doesit？Leavethenewstewardaloneforthepresent，andjusttellmewhichofthosetwotenantsyouwouldtake，ifyouwereinmyplace。”

Midwinteropenedtheproposals，andreadthemattentively。

ThefirstproposalwasfromnolessapersonthanthesolicitoratThorpeAmbrose，whohadfirstinformedAllanatParisofthelargefortunethathadfallenintohishands。Thisgentlemanwrotepersonallytosaythathehadlongadmiredthecottage，whichwascharminglysituatedwithinthelimitsoftheThorpeAmbrosegrounds。Hewasabachelor，ofstudioushabits，desirousofretiringtoacountryseclusionafterthewearandtearofhisbusinesshours;andheventuredtosaythatMr。Armadale，inacceptinghimasatenant，mightcountonsecuringanunobtrusiveneighbor，andonputtingthecottageintoresponsibleandcarefulhands。

Thesecondproposalcamethroughthehouseagent，andproceededfromatotalstranger。Thetenantwhoofferedforthecottage，inthiscase，wasaretiredofficerinthearmy——oneMajorMilroy。

Hisfamilymerelyconsistedofaninvalidwifeandanonlychild——ayounglady。Hisreferenceswereunexceptionable;andhe，too，wasespeciallyanxioustosecurethecottage，astheperfectquietofthesituationwasexactlywhatwasrequiredbyMrs。

Milroyinherfeeblestateofhealth。

“Well，whichprofessionshallIfavor？”askedAllan。“Thearmyorthelaw？”

“Thereseemstometobenodoubtaboutit。”saidMidwinter。“Thelawyerhasbeenalreadyincorrespondencewithyou;andthelawyer’sclaimis，therefore，theclaimtobepreferred。”“Iknewyouwouldsaythat。InallthethousandsoftimesIhaveaskedotherpeopleforadvice，IneveryetgottheadviceIwanted。

Here’sthisbusinessoflettingthecottageasaninstance。I’mallontheothersidemyself。Iwanttohavethemajor。”

“Why？”

YoungArmadalelaidhisforefingeronthatpartoftheagent’sletterwhichenumeratedMajorMilroy’sfamily，andwhichcontainedthethreewords——“ayounglady。”

“Abachelorofstudioushabitswalkingaboutmygrounds。”saidAllan，“isnotaninterestingobject;ayoungladyis。IhavenottheleastdoubtMissMilroyisacharminggirl。OziasMidwinteroftheseriouscountenance！thinkofherprettymuslindressflittingaboutamongyourtreesandcommittingtrespassesonyourproperty;thinkofheradorablefeettrottingintoyourfruit-garden，andherdeliciousfreshlipskissingyourripepeaches;thinkofherdimpledhandsamongyourearlyviolets，andherlittlecream-colorednoseburiedinyourblush-roses。Whatdoesthestudiousbacheloroffermeinexchangeforthelossofallthis？Heoffersmearheumaticbrownobjectingaitersandawig。No！no！Justiceisgood，mydearfriend;but，believeme，MissMilroyisbetter。”

“Canyoubeseriousaboutanymortalthing，Allan？”

“I’lltrytobe，ifyoulike。IknowIoughttotakethelawyer;

butwhatcanIdoifthemajor’sdaughterkeepsrunninginmyhead？”

Midwinterreturnedresolutelytothejustandsensibleviewofthematter，andpresseditonhisfriend’sattentionwithallthepersuasionofwhichhewasmaster。Afterlisteningwithexemplarypatienceuntilhehaddone，Allansweptasupplementaryaccumulationoflitteroffthecabintable，andproducedfromhiswaistcoatpocketahalf-crowncoin。

“I’vegotanentirelynewidea。”hesaid。“Let’sleaveittochance。”

Theabsurdityoftheproposal——ascomingfromalandlord——wasirresistible。Midwinter’sgravitydesertedhim。

“I’llspin。”continuedAllan，“andyoushallcall。Wemustgiveprecedencetothearmy，ofcourse;sowe’llsayHeads，themajor;

Tails，thelawyer。Onespintodecide。Now，then，lookout！“

Hespunthehalf-crownonthecabintable。

“Tails！“criedMidwinter，humoringwhathebelievedtobeoneofAllan’sboyishjokes。

ThecoinfellonthetablewiththeHeaduppermost。

“Youdon’tmeantosayyouarereallyinearnest！“saidMidwinter，astheotheropenedhiswriting-caseanddippedhispenintheink。

“Oh，butIam，though！“repliedAllan。“Chanceisonmyside，andMissMilroy’s;andyou’reoutvoted，twotoone。It’snousearguing。Themajorhasfallenuppermost，andthemajorshallhavethecottage。Iwon’tleaveittothelawyers;they’llonlybeworryingmewithmoreletters。I’llwritemyself。”

Hewrotehisanswerstothetwoproposals，literallyintwominutes。Onetothehouseagent:“Dearsir，IacceptMajorMilroy’soffer;lethimcomeinwhenhepleases。Yourstruly，AllanArmadale。”Andonetothelawyer:“Dearsir，Iregretthatcircumstancespreventmefromacceptingyourproposal。Yourstruly。”etc。“Peoplemakeafussaboutletter-writing。”Allanremarked，whenhehaddone。“_I_finditeasyenough。”

Hewrotetheaddressesonhistwonotes，andstampedthemforthepost，whistlinggayly。Whilehehadbeenwriting，hehadnotnoticedhowhisfriendwasoccupied。Whenhehaddone，itstruckhimthatasuddensilencehadfallenonthecabin;and，lookingup，heobservedthatMidwinter’swholeattentionwasstrangelyconcentratedonthehalfcrownasitlayheaduppermostonthetable。Allansuspendedhiswhistlinginastonishment。

“Whatonearthareyoudoing？”heasked。

“Iwasonlywondering。”repliedMidwinter。

“Whatabout？”persistedAllan。

“Iwaswondering。”saidtheother，handinghimbackthehalf-crown，“whetherthereissuchathingaschance。”

Halfanhourlaterthetwonoteswereposted;andAllan，whoseclosesuperintendenceoftherepairsoftheyachthadhithertoallowedhimbutlittleleisuretimeonshore，hadproposedtowhileawaytheidlehoursbytakingawalkinCastletown。EvenMidwinter’snervousanxietytodeserveMr。Brock’sconfidenceinhimcoulddetectnothingobjectionableinthisharmlessproposal，andtheyoungmensetforthtogethertoseewhattheycouldmakeofthemetropolisoftheIsleofMan。

Itisdoubtfulifthereisaplaceonthehabitableglobewhich，regardedasasight-seeinginvestmentofferingitselftothespareattentionofstrangers，yieldssosmallapercentageofinterestinreturnasCastletown。Beginningwiththewaterside，therewasaninnerharbortosee，withadrawbridgetoletvesselsthrough;anouterharbor，endinginadwarflighthouse;aviewofaflatcoasttotheright，andaviewofaflatcoasttotheleft。Inthecentralsolitudesofthecity，therewasasquatgraybuildingcalled“thecastle“;alsoamemorialpillardedicatedtooneGovernorSmelt，withaflattopforastatue，andnostatuestandingonit;alsoabarrack，holdingthehalf-companyofsoldiersallottedtotheisland，andexhibitingonespirit-brokensentryatitslonelydoor。Theprevalentcolorofthetownwasfaintgray。Thefewshopsopenwerepartedatfrequentintervalsbyothershopsclosedanddesertedindespair。

Thewearyloungingofboatmenonshorewastreblywearyhere;theyouthofthedistrictsmokedtogetherinspeechlessdepressionundertheleeofadeadwall;theraggedchildrensaidmechanically:“Giveusapenny。”andbeforethecharitablehandcouldsearchthemercifulpocket，lapsedawayagaininmisanthropicdoubtofthehumannaturetheyaddressed。Thesilenceofthegraveoverflowedthechurchyard，andfilledthismiserabletown。Butoneedifice，prosperoustolookat，roseconsolatoryinthedesolationofthesedreadfulstreets。

Frequentedbythestudentsoftheneighboring“CollegeofKingWilliam。”thisbuildingwasnaturallydedicatedtotheusesofapastry-cook’sshop。Here，atleast(viewedthroughthefriendlymediumofthewindow)，therewassomethinggoingonforastrangertosee;forhere，onhighstools，thepupilsofthecollegesat，withswinginglegsandslowlymovingjaws，and，hushedinthehorridstillnessofCastletown，gorgedtheirpastrygravely，inanatmosphereofawfulsilence。

“HangmeifIcanlookanylongerattheboysandthetarts！“

saidAllan，dragginghisfriendawayfromthepastry-cook’sshop。

“Let’stryifwecan’tfindsomethingelsetoamuseusinthenextstreet。”

Thefirstamusingobjectwhichthenextstreetpresentedwasacarver-and-gilder’sshop，expiringfeeblyinthelaststageofcommercialdecay。Thecounterinsidedisplayednothingtoviewbuttherecumbentheadofaboy，peacefullyasleepintheunbrokensolitudeoftheplace。Inthewindowwereexhibitedtothepassingstrangerthreeforlornlittlefly-spottedframes;asmallposting-bill，dustywithlong-continuedneglect，announcingthatthepremisesweretolet;andonecoloredprint，thelastofaseriesillustratingthehorrorsofdrunkenness，onthefiercesttemperanceprinciples。Thecomposition——representinganemptybottleofgin，animmenselyspaciousgarret，aperpendicularScripturereader，andahorizontalexpiringfamily——appealedtopublicfavor，undertheentirelyunobjectionabletitleof“TheHandofDeath。”Allan’sresolutiontoextractamusementfromCastletownbymainforcehadresistedagreatdeal，butitfailedhimatthisstageoftheinvestigations。Hesuggestedtryinganexcursiontosomeotherplace。Midwinterreadilyagreeing，theywentbacktothehoteltomakeinquiries。

ThankstothemixedinfluenceofAllan’sreadygiftoffamiliarity，andtotalwantofmethodinputtinghisquestions，aperfectdelugeofinformationflowedinonthetwostrangers，relatingtoeverysubjectbutthesubjectwhichhadactuallybroughtthemtothehotel。TheymadevariousinterestingdiscoveriesinconnectionwiththelawsandconstitutionoftheIsleofMan，andthemannersandcustomsofthenatives。ToAllan’sdelight，theManxmenspokeofEnglandasofawell-knownadjacentisland，situatedatacertaindistancefromthecentralempireoftheIsleofMan。ItwasfurtherrevealedtothetwoEnglishmenthatthishappylittlenationrejoicedinlawsofitsown，publiclyproclaimedonceayearbythegovernorandthetwoheadjudges，groupedtogetheronthetopofanancientmound，infancycostumesappropriatetotheoccasion。Possessingthisenviableinstitution，theislandaddedtoittheinestimableblessingofalocalparliament，calledtheHouseofKeys，anassemblyfarinadvanceoftheotherparliamentbelongingtotheneighboringisland，inthisrespect——thatthemembersdispensedwiththepeople，andsolemnlyelectedeachother。Withtheseandmanymorelocalparticulars，extractedfromallsortsandconditionsofmeninandaboutthehotel，Allanwhiledawaythewearytimeinhisownessentiallydesultorymanner，untilthegossipdiedoutofitself，andMidwinter(whohadbeenspeakingapartwiththelandlord)quietlyrecalledhimtothematterinhand。Thefinestcoastsceneryintheislandwassaidtobetothewestwardandthesouthward，andtherewasafishingtowninthoseregionscalledPortSt。Mary，withahotelatwhichtravelerscouldsleep。IfAllan’simpressionsofCastletownstillinclinedhimtotryanexcursiontosomeotherplace，hehadonlytosayso，andacarriagewouldbeproducedimmediately。Allanjumpedattheproposal，andintenminutesmoreheandMidwinterwereontheirwaytothewesternwildsoftheisland。

Withtriflingincidents，thedayofMr。Brock’sdeparturehadwornonthusfar。Withtriflingincidents，inwhichnotevenMidwinter’snervouswatchfulnesscouldseeanythingtodistrust，itwasstilltoproceed，untilthenightcame——anightwhichoneatleastofthetwocompanionswasdestinedtoremembertotheendofhislife。

Beforethetravelershadadvancedtwomilesontheirroad，anaccidenthappened。Thehorsefell，andthedriverreportedthattheanimalhadseriouslyinjuredhimself。TherewasnoalternativebuttosendforanothercarriagetoCastletown，ortogetontoPortSt。Maryonfoot。

Decidingtowalk，MidwinterandAllanhadnotgonefarbeforetheywereovertakenbyagentlemandrivingaloneinanopenchaise。Hecivillyintroducedhimselfasamedicalman，livingclosetoPortSt。Mary，andofferedseatsinhiscarriage。Alwaysreadytomakenewacquaintances，Allanatonceacceptedtheproposal。Heandthedoctor(whosenamewasascertainedtobeHawbury)becamefriendlyandfamiliarbeforetheyhadbeenfiveminutesinthechaisetogether;Midwinter，sittingbehindthem，reservedandsilent，onthebackseat。TheyseparatedjustoutsidePortSt。Mary，beforeMr。Hawbury’shouse，Allanboisterouslyadmiringthedoctor’sneatFrenchwindowsandprettyflower-gardenandlawn，andwringinghishandatpartingasiftheyhadknowneachotherfromboyhoodupward。ArrivedinPortSt。Mary，thetwofriendsfoundthemselvesinasecondCastletownonasmallerscale。Butthecountryround，wild，open，andhilly，deserveditsreputation。Awalkbroughtthemwellenoughonwiththeday——stilltheharmless，idledaythatithadbeenfromthefirst——toseetheeveningnearathand。Afterwaitingalittletoadmirethesun，settinggrandlyoverhill，andheath，andcrag，andtalking，whiletheywaited，ofMr。Brockandhislongjourneyhome，theyreturnedtothehoteltoordertheirearlysupper。

Nearerandnearerthenight，andtheadventurewhichthenightwastobringwithit，cametothetwofriends;andstilltheonlyincidentsthathappenedwereincidentstobelaughedat，iftheywerenoticedatall。Thesupperwasbadlycooked;thewaiting-maidwasimpenetrablystupid;theold-fashionedbell-ropeinthecoffee-roomhadcomedowninAllan’shands，and，strikinginitsdescentapaintedchinashepherdessonthechimney-piece，hadlaidthefigureinfragmentsonthefloor。Eventsastriflingasthesewerestilltheonlyeventsthathadhappened，whenthetwilightfaded，andthelightedcandleswerebroughtintotheroom。

FindingMidwinter，afterthedoublefatigueofasleeplessnightandarestlessday，butlittleinclinedforconversation，Allanlefthimrestingonthesofa，andloungedintothepassageofthehotel，onthechanceofdiscoveringsomebodytotalkto。HereanotherofthetrivialincidentsofthedaybroughtAllanandMr。

Hawburytogetheragain，andhelped——whetherhappilyornot，yetremainedtobeseen——tostrengthentheacquaintancebetweenthemoneitherside。

The“bar“ofthehotelwassituatedatoneendofthepassage，andthelandladywasinattendancethere，mixingaglassofliquorforthedoctor，whohadjustlookedinforalittlegossip。OnAllan’saskingpermissiontomakeathirdinthedrinkingandthegossiping，Mr。Hawburycivillyhandedhimtheglasswhichthelandladyhadjustfilled。Itcontainedcoldbrandy-and-water。AmarkedchangeinAllan’sface，ashesuddenlydrewbackandaskedforwhiskyinstead，caughtthedoctor’smedicaleye。“Acaseofnervousantipathy。”saidMr。Hawbury，quietlytakingtheglassawayagain。TheremarkobligedAllantoacknowledgethathehadaninsurmountableloathing(whichhewasfoolishenoughtobealittleashamedofmentioning)tothesmellandtasteofbrandy。Nomatterwithwhatdilutingliquidthespiritwasmixed，thepresenceofit，instantlydetectedbyhisorgansoftasteandsmell，turnedhimsickandfaintifthedrinktouchedhislips。Startingfromthispersonalconfession，thetalkturnedonantipathiesingeneral;andthedoctoracknowledged，onhisside，thathetookaprofessionalinterestinthesubject，andthathepossessedacollectionofcuriouscasesathome，whichhisnewacquaintancewaswelcometolookat，ifAllanhadnothingelsetodothatevening，andifhewouldcall，whenthemedicalworkofthedaywasover，inanhour’stime。

Cordiallyacceptingtheinvitation(whichwasextendedtoMidwinteralso，ifhecaredtoprofitbyit)，Allanreturnedtothecoffee-roomtolookafterhisfriend。Halfasleepandhalfawake，Midwinterwasstillstretchedonthesofa，withthelocalnewspaperjustdroppingoutofhislanguidhand。

“Iheardyourvoiceinthepassage。”hesaid，drowsily。“Whomwereyoutalkingto？”

“Thedoctor。”repliedAllan。“Iamgoingtosmokeacigarwithhim，inanhour’stime。Willyoucometoo？”

Midwinterassentedwithawearysigh。Alwaysshylyunwillingtomakenewacquaintances，fatigueincreasedthereluctancehenowfelttobecomeMr。Hawbury’sguest。Asmattersstood，however，therewasnoalternativebuttogo;for，withAllan’sconstitutionalimprudence，therewasnosafelytrustinghimaloneanywhere，andmoreespeciallyinastranger’shouse。Mr。Brockwouldcertainlynothavelefthispupiltovisitthedoctoralone;andMidwinterwasstillnervouslyconsciousthatheoccupiedMr。Brock’splace。

“Whatshallwedotillit’stimetogo？”askedAllan，lookingabouthim。“Anythinginthis？”headded，observingthefallennewspaper，andpickingitupfromthefloor。

“I’mtootiredtolook。Ifyoufindanythinginteresting，readitout。”saidMidwinter，thinkingthatthereadingmighthelptokeephimawake。

Partofthenewspaper，andnosmallpartofit，wasdevotedtoextractsfrombooksrecentlypublishedinLondon。OneoftheworksmostlargelylaidundercontributioninthismannerwasofthesorttointerestAllan:itwasahighlyspicednarrativeofTravelingAdventuresinthewildsofAustralia。Pouncingonanextractwhichdescribedthesufferingsofthetraveling-party，lostinatracklesswilderness，andindangerofdyingbythirst，Allanannouncedthathehadfoundsomethingtomakehisfriend’sfleshcreep，andbeganeagerlytoreadthepassagealoud。

Resolutenottosleep，Midwinterfollowedtheprogressoftheadventure，sentencebysentence，withoutmissingaword。Theconsultationofthelosttravelers，withdeathbythirststaringthemintheface;theresolutiontopressonwhiletheirstrengthlasted;thefallofaheavyshower，thevaineffortsmadetocatchtherainwater，thetransientreliefexperiencedbysuckingtheirwetclothes;thesufferingsrenewedafewhoursafter;thenightadvanceofthestrongestoftheparty，leavingtheweakestbehind;thefollowingaflightofbirdswhenmorningdawned;thediscoverybythelostmenofthebroadpoolofwaterthatsavedtheirlives——allthisMidwinter’sfast-failingattentionmasteredpainfully，Allan’svoicegrowingfainterandfainteronhisearwitheverysentencethatwasread。Soonthenextwordsseemedtodropawaygently，andnothingbuttheslowlysinkingsoundofthevoicewasleft。Thenthelightintheroomdarkenedgradually，thesounddwindledintodelicioussilence，andthelastwakingimpressionsofthewearyMidwintercamepeacefullytoanend。

Thenexteventofwhichhewasconsciouswasasharpringingatthecloseddoorofthehotel。Hestartedtohisfeet，withthereadyalacrityofamanwhoselifehasaccustomedhimtowakeattheshortestnotice。Aninstant’slookroundshowedhimthattheroomwasempty，andaglanceathiswatchtoldhimthatitwascloseonmidnight。Thenoisemadebythesleepyservantinopeningthedoor，andthetreadthenextmomentofquickfootstepsinthepassage，filledhimwithasuddenforebodingofsomethingwrong。Ashehurriedlysteppedforwardtogooutandmakeinquiry，thedoorofthecoffee-roomopened，andthedoctorstoodbeforehim。

“Iamsorrytodisturbyou。”saidMr。Hawbury。“Don’tbealarmed;

there’snothingwrong。”

“Whereismyfriend？”askedMidwinter。

“Atthepierhead。”answeredthedoctor。“Iam，toacertainextent，responsibleforwhatheisdoingnow;andIthinksomecarefulperson，likeyourself，oughttobewithhim。”

ThehintwasenoughforMidwinter。Heandthedoctorsetoutforthepierimmediately，Mr。Hawburymentioningonthewaythecircumstancesunderwhichhehadcometothehotel。

PunctualtotheappointedhourAllanhadmadehisappearanceatthedoctor’shouse，explainingthathehadlefthiswearyfriendsofastasleeponthesofathathehadnothadthehearttowakehim。Theeveninghadpassedpleasantly，andtheconversationhadturnedonmanysubjects，until，inanevilhour，Mr。Hawburyhaddroppedahintwhichshowedthathewasfondofsailing，andthathepossessedapleasure-boatofhisownintheharbor。Excitedontheinstantbyhisfavoritetopic，Allanhadlefthishostnohospitablealternativebuttotakehimtothepierheadandshowhimtheboat。Thebeautyofthenightandthesoftnessofthebreezehaddonetherestofthemischief;theyhadfilledAllanwithirresistiblelongingsforasailbymoonlight。Preventedfromaccompanyinghisguestbyprofessionalhindranceswhichobligedhimtoremainonshore，thedoctor，notknowingwhatelsetodo，hadventuredondisturbingMidwinter，ratherthantaketheresponsibilityofallowingMr。Armadale(nomatterhowwellhemightbeaccustomedtothesea)tosetoffonasailingtripatmidnightentirelybyhimself。

ThetimetakentomakethisexplanationbroughtMidwinterandthedoctortothepierhead。There，sureenough，wasyoungArmadaleintheboat，hoistingthesail，andsingingthesailor’s“Yo-heave-ho！“atthetopofhisvoice。

“Comealong，oldboy！“criedAllan。“You’rejustintimeforafrolicbymoonlight！“

Midwintersuggestedafrolicbydaylight，andanadjournmenttobedinthemeantime。

“Bed！“criedAllan，onwhoseharum-scarumhighspiritsMr。

Hawbury’shospitalityhadcertainlynotproducedasedativeeffect。“Hearhim，doctor！onewouldthinkhewasninety！Bed，youdrowsyolddormouse！Lookatthat，andthinkofbedifyoucan！“

Hepointedtothesea。Themoonwasshininginthecloudlessheaven;thenight-breezeblewsoftandsteadyfromtheland;thepeacefulwatersrippledjoyfullyinthesilenceandthegloryofthenight。Midwinterturnedtothedoctorwithawiseresignationtocircumstances:hehadseenenoughtosatisfyhimthatallwordsofremonstrancewouldbewordssimplythrownaway。

“Howisthetide？”heasked。

Mr。Hawburytoldhim。

“Arethereoarsintheboat？”

“Yes。”

“Iamwellusedtothesea。”saidMidwinter，descendingthepiersteps。“Youmaytrustmetotakecareofmyfriend，andtotakecareoftheboat。”

“Good-night，doctor！“shoutedAllan。“Yourwhisky-and-waterisdelicious——yourboat’salittlebeauty——andyou’rethebestfellowIevermetinmylife！“

Thedoctorlaughedandwavedhishand，andtheboatglidedoutfromtheharbor，withMidwinteratthehelm。

Asthebreezethenblew，theyweresoonabreastofthewestwardheadland，boundingtheBayofPoolvash，andthequestionwasstartedwhethertheyshouldrunouttoseaorkeepalongtheshore。Thewisestproceeding，intheeventofthewindfailingthem，wastokeepbytheland。Midwinteralteredthecourseoftheboat，andtheysailedonsmoothlyinasouth-westerlydirection，abreastofthecoast。

Littlebylittlethecliffsroseinheight，andtherocks，massedwildandjagged，showedriftedblackchasmsyawningdeepintheirseawardsides。OfftheboldpromontorycalledSpanishHead，Midwinterlookedominouslyathiswatch。ButAllanpleadedhardforhalfallhourmore，andforaglanceatthefamouschanneloftheSound，whichtheywerenowfastnearing，andofwhichhehadheardsomestartlingstoriesfromtheworkmenemployedonhisyacht。ThenewchangewhichMidwinter’scompliancewiththisrequestrendereditnecessarytomakeinthecourseoftheboatbroughtherclosetothewind;andrevealed，ononeside，thegrandviewofthesouthernmostshoresoftheIsleofMan，and，ontheother，theblackprecipicesoftheisletcalledtheCalf，separatedfromthemainlandbythedarkanddangerouschanneloftheSound。

OncemoreMidwinterlookedathiswatch。“Wehavegonefarenough。”hesaid。“Standbythesheet！“

“Stop！“criedAllan，fromthebowsoftheboat。“GoodGod！here’sawreckedshiprightaheadofus！“

Midwinterlettheboatfalloffalittle，andlookedwheretheotherpointed。

There，strandedmidwaybetweentherockyboundariesoneithersideoftheSound——there，neveragaintoriseonthelivingwatersfromhergraveonthesunkenrock;lostandlonelyinthequietnight;high，anddark，andghostlyintheyellowmoonshine，laytheWreckedShip。

“Iknowthevessel。”saidAllan，ingreatexcitement。“Iheardmyworkmentalkingofheryesterday。Shedriftedinhere，onapitch-darknight，whentheycouldn’tseethelights;apooroldworn-outmerchantman，Midwinter，thattheship-brokershaveboughttobreakup。Let’sruninandhavealookather。”

Midwinterhesitated。Alltheoldsympathiesofhissea-lifestronglyinclinedhimtofollowAllan’ssuggestion;butthewindwasfallinglight，andhedistrustedthebrokenwaterandtheswirlingcurrentsofthechannelahead。“Thisisanuglyplacetotakeaboatintowhenyouknownothingaboutit。”hesaid。

“Nonsense！“returnedAllan。“It’saslightasday，andwefloatintwofeetofwater。”

BeforeMidwintercouldanswer，thecurrentcaughttheboat，andsweptthemonwardthroughthechannelstraighttowardthewreck。

“Lowerthesail。”saidMidwinter，quietly，“andshiptheoars。Wearerunningdownonherfastenoughnow，whetherwelikeitornot。”

Bothwellaccustomedtotheuseoftheoar，theybroughtthecourseoftheboatundersufficientcontroltokeepheronthesmoothestsideofthechannel——thesidewhichwasnearesttotheIsletoftheCalf。Astheycameswiftlyupwiththewreck，MidwinterresignedhisoartoAllan;and，watchinghisopportunity，caughtaholdwiththeboat-hookonthefore-chainsofthevessel。Thenextmomenttheyhadtheboatsafelyinhand，undertheleeofthewreck。

Theship’sladderusedbytheworkmenhungoverthefore-chains。

Mountingit，withtheboat’sropeinhisteeth，Midwintersecuredoneend，andloweredtheothertoAllanintheboat。“Makethatfast。”hesaid，“andwaittillIseeifit’sallsafeonboard。”

Withthosewords，hedisappearedbehindthebulwark。

“Wait？”repeatedAllan，intheblankestastonishmentathisfriend’sexcessivecaution。“Whatonearthdoeshemean？I’llbehangedifIwait。Whereoneofusgoes，theothergoestoo！“

Hehitchedthelooseendoftheroperoundtheforwardthwartoftheboat，and，swinginghimselfuptheladder，stoodthenextmomentonthedeck。“Anythingverydreadfulonboard？”heinquiredsarcastically，asheandhisfriendmet。

Midwintersmiled。“Nothingwhatever。”hereplied。“ButIcouldn’tbesurethatweweretohavethewholeshiptoourselvestillI

gotoverthebulwarkandlookedaboutme。”

Allantookaturnonthedeck，andsurveyedthewreckcriticallyfromstemtostern。

“Notmuchofavessel。”hesaid;“theFrenchmengenerallybuildbettershipsthanthis。”

Midwintercrossedthedeck，andeyedAllaninamomentarysilence。

“Frenchmen？”herepeated，afteraninterval。“IsthisvesselFrench？”

“Yes。”

“Howdoyouknow？”

“ThemenIhavegotatworkontheyachttoldme。Theyknowallabouther。”

Midwintercamealittlenearer。Hisswarthyfacebegantolook，toAllan’seyes，unaccountablypaleinthemoonlight。

“Didtheymentionwhattradeshewasengagedin？”

“Yes;thetimbertrade。”

AsAllangavethatanswer，Midwinter’sleanbrownhandclutchedhimfastbytheshoulder，andMidwinter’steethchatteredinhisheadliketheteethofamanstruckbyasuddenchill。

“Didtheytellyouhername？”heasked，inavoicethatdroppedsuddenlytoawhisper。

“Theydid，Ithink。Butithasslippedmymemory——Gently，oldfellow;theselongclawsofyoursarerathertightonmyshoulder。”

“Wasthename——？”Hestopped，removedhishand，anddashedawaythegreatdropsthatweregatheringonhisforehead。“Wasthename_LaGracedeDieu？_“

“Howthedeucedidyoucometoknowit？That’sthename，sureenough。_LaGracedeDieu。_“

Atonebound，Midwinterleapedonthebulwarkofthewreck。

“Theboat！“hecried，withascreamofhorrorthatrangfarandwidethroughthestillnessofthenight，andbroughtAllaninstantlytohisside。

Thelowerendofthecarelesslyhitchedropewaslooseonthewater，andahead，inthetrackofthemoonlight，asmallblackobjectwasfloatingoutofview。Theboatwasadrift。

CHAPTERIV。

THESHADOWOFTHEPAST。

ONEsteppingbackunderthedarkshelterofthebulwark，andonestandingoutboldlyintheyellowlightofthemoon，thetwofriendsturnedfacetofaceonthedeckofthetimber-ship，andlookedateachotherinsilence。ThenextmomentAllan’sinveteraterecklessnessseizedonthegrotesquesideofthesituationbymainforce。Heseatedhimselfastrideonthebulwark，andburstoutboisterouslyintohisloudestandheartiestlaugh。

“Allmyfault。”hesaid;“butthere’snohelpforitnow。Hereweare，hardandfastinatrapofourownsetting;andtheregoesthelastofthedoctor’sboat！Comeoutofthedark，Midwinter;I

can’thalfseeyouthere，andIwanttoknowwhat’stobedonenext。”

Midwinterneitheranswerednormoved。Allanleftthebulwark，and，mountingtheforecastle，lookeddownattentivelyatthewatersoftheSound。

“Onethingisprettycertain。”hesaid。“Withthecurrentonthatside，andthesunkenrocksonthis，wecan’tfindourwayoutofthescrapebyswimming，atanyrate。Somuchfortheprospectatthisendofthewreck。Let’stryhowthingslookattheother。

Rouseup，messmate！“hecalledout，cheerfully，ashepassedMidwinter。“Comeandseewhattheoldtubofatimber-shiphasgottoshowusastern。”Hesaunteredon，withhishandsinhispockets，hummingthechorusofacomicsong。

Hisvoicehadproducednoapparenteffectonhisfriend;but，atthelighttouchofhishandinpassing，Midwinterstarted，andmovedoutslowlyfromtheshadowofthebulwark。“Comealong！“

criedAllan，suspendinghissingingforamoment，andglancingback。Still，withoutawordofanswer，theotherfollowed。Thricehestoppedbeforehereachedthesternendofthewreck:thefirsttime，tothrowasidehishat，andpushbackhishairfromhisforeheadandtemples;thesecondtime，reeling，giddy，toholdforamomentbyaring-boltcloseathand;thelasttime(thoughAllanwasplainlyvisibleafewyardsahead)，tolookstealthilybehindhim，withthefurtivescrutinyofamanwhobelievesthatotherfootstepsarefollowinghiminthedark。

“Notyet！“hewhisperedtohimself，witheyesthatsearchedtheemptyair。“Ishallseehimastern，withhishandonthelockofthecabindoor。”

Thesternendofthewreckwasclearoftheship-breakers’

lumber，accumulatedintheotherpartsofthevessel。Here，theoneobjectthatrosevisibleonthesmoothsurfaceofthedeckwasthelowwoodenstructurewhichheldthecabindoorandroofedinthecabinstairs。Thewheel-househadbeenremoved，thebinnaclehadbeenremoved，butthecabinentrance，andallthathadbelongedtoit，hadbeenleftuntouched。Thescuttlewason，andthedoorwasclosed。

Ongainingtheafter-partofthevessel，Allanwalkedstraighttothestern，andlookedouttoseaoverthetaffrail。Nosuchthingasaboatwasinviewanywhereonthequiet，moon-brightenedwaters。KnowingMidwinter’ssighttobebetterthanhisown，hecalledout，“Comeuphere，andseeifthere’safishermanwithinhailofus。”Hearingnoreply，helookedback。Midwinterhadfollowedhimasfarasthecabin，andhadstoppedthere。Hecalledagaininaloudervoice，andbeckonedimpatiently。

Midwinterhadheardthecall，forhelookedup，butstillheneverstirredfromhisplace。Therehestood，asifhehadreachedtheutmostlimitsoftheshipandcouldgonofurther。

Allanwentbackandjoinedhim。Itwasnoteasytodiscoverwhathewaslookingat，forhekepthisfaceturnedawayfromthemoonlight;butitseemedasifhiseyeswerefixed，withastrangeexpressionofinquiry，onthecabindoor。“Whatistheretolookatthere？”Allanasked。“Let’sseeifit’slocked。”Ashetookastepforwardtoopenthedoor，Midwinter’shandseizedhimsuddenlybythecoatcollarandforcedhimback。Themomentafter，thehandrelaxedwithoutlosingitsgrasp，andtrembledviolently，likethehandofamancompletelyunnerved。

“AmItoconsidermyselfincustody？”askedAllan，halfastonishedandhalfamused。“Whyinthenameofwonderdoyoukeepstaringatthecabindoor？Anysuspiciousnoisesbelow？It’snousedisturbingtherats——ifthat’swhatyoumean——wehaven’tgotadogwithus。Men？Livingmentheycan’tbe;fortheywouldhaveheardusandcomeondeck。Deadmen？Quiteimpossible！Noship’screwcouldbedrownedinaland-lockedplacelikethis，unlessthevesselbrokeupunderthem——andhere’sthevesselassteadyasachurchtospeakforherself。Manalive，howyourhandtrembles！Whatistheretoscareyouinthatrottenoldcabin？

Whatareyoushakingandshiveringabout？Anycompanyofthesupernaturalsortonboard？Mercypreserveus！(astheoldwomensay)doyouseeaghost？”

“_Iseetwo！_“answeredtheother，drivenheadlongintospeechandactionbyamaddeningtemptationtorevealthetruth。“Two！“

herepeated，hisbreathburstingfromhimindeep，heavygasps，ashetriedvainlytoforcebackthehorriblewords。“Theghostofamanlikeyou，drowninginthecabin！Andtheghostofamanlikeme，turningthelockofthedooronhim！“

OncemoreyoungArmadale’sheartylaughterrangoutloudandlongthroughthestillnessofthenight。

“Turningthelockofthedoor，ishe？”saidAllan，assoonashismerrimentlefthimbreathenoughtospeak。“That’sadevilishunhandsomeaction，MasterMidwinter，onthepartofyourghost。

TheleastIcando，afterthat，istoletmineoutofthecabin，andgivehimtherunoftheship。”

Withnomorethanamomentaryexertionofhissuperiorstrength，hefreedhimselfeasilyfromMidwinter’shold。“Belowthere！“hecalledout，gayly，ashelaidhisstronghandonthecrazylock，andtoreopenthecabindoor。“GhostofAllanArmadale，comeondeck！“Inhisterribleignoranceofthetruth，heputhisheadintothedoorwayandlookeddown，laughing，attheplacewherehismurderedfatherhaddied。“Pah！“heexclaimed，steppingbacksuddenly，withashudderofdisgust。“Theairisfoulalready;andthecabinisfullofwater。”

Itwastrue。Thesunkenrocksonwhichthevessellaywreckedhadbursttheirwaythroughherlowertimbersastern，andthewaterhadwelledupthroughtheriftedwood。Here，wherethedeedhadbeendone，thefatalparallelbetweenpastandpresentwascomplete。Whatthecabinhadbeeninthetimeofthefathers，thatthecabinwasnowinthetimeofthesons。

Allanpushedthedoortoagainwithhisfoot，alittlesurprisedatthesuddensilencewhichappearedtohavefallenonhisfriendfromthemomentwhenhehadlaidhishandonthecabinlock。Whenheturnedtolook，thereasonofthesilencewasinstantlyrevealed。Midwinterhaddroppedonthedeck。Helaysenselessbeforethecabindoor;hisfaceturnedup，whiteandstill，tothemoonlight，likethefaceofadeadman。

InamomentAllanwasathisside。Helookeduselesslyroundthelonelylimitsofthewreck，asheliftedMidwinter’sheadonhisknee，forachanceofhelp，whereallchancewasruthlesslycutoff。“WhatamItodo？”hesaidtohimself，inthefirstimpulseofalarm。“Notadropofwaternear，butthefoulwaterinthecabin。”Asuddenrecollectioncrossedhismemory，thefloridcolorrushedbackoverhisface，andhedrewfromhispocketawicker-coveredflask。“Godblessthedoctorforgivingmethisbeforewesailed！“hebrokeout，fervently，ashepoureddownMidwinter’sthroatsomedropsoftherawwhiskywhichtheflaskcontained。Thestimulantactedinstantlyonthesensitivesystemoftheswooningman。Hesighedfaintly，andslowlyopenedhiseyes。“HaveIbeendreaming？”heasked，lookingupvacantlyinAllan’sface。Hiseyeswanderedhigher，andencounteredthedismantledmastsofthewreckrisingweirdandblackagainstthenightsky。Heshudderedatthesightofthem，andhidhisfaceonAllan’sknee。“Nodream！“hemurmuredtohimself，mournfully。“Ohme，nodream！“

“Youharebeenovertiredallday。”saidAllan，“andthisinfernaladventureofourshasupsetyou。Takesomemorewhisky，it’ssuretodoyougood。Canyousitbyyourself，ifIputyouagainstthebulwark，so？”

“Whybymyself？Whydoyouleaveme？”askedMidwinter。

Allanpointedtothemizzenshroudsofthewreck，whichwerestillleftstanding。“Youarenotwellenoughtoroughitheretilltheworkmencomeoffinthemorning。”hesaid。“Wemustfindourwayonshoreatonce，ifwecan。Iamgoinguptogetagoodviewallround，andseeifthere’sahousewithinhailofus。”

Eveninthemomentthatpassedwhilethosefewwordswerespoken，Midwinter’seyeswanderedbackdistrustfullytothefatalcabindoor。“Don’tgonearit！“hewhispered。“Don’ttrytoopenit，forGod’ssake！“