第6章

“No，no。”returnedAllan，humoringhim。“WhenIcomedownfromtherigging，I’llcomebackhere。”Hesaidthewordsalittleconstrainedly，noticing，forthefirsttimewhilehenowspoke，anunderlyingdistressinMidwinter’sface，whichgrievedandperplexedhim。“You’renotangrywithme？”hesaid，inhissimple，sweet-temperedway。“Allthisismyfault，Iknow;andI

wasabruteandafooltolaughatyou，whenIoughttohaveseenyouwereill。Iamsosorry，Midwinter。Don’tbeangrywithme！“

Midwinterslowlyraisedhishead。Hiseyesrestedwithamournfulinterest，longandtender，onAllan’sanxiousface。

“Angry？”herepeated，inhislowest，gentlesttones。“Angrywith_you？_——Oh，mypoorboy，wereyoutoblameforbeingkindtomewhenIwasillintheoldwest-countryinn？AndwasItoblameforfeelingyourkindnessthankfully？Wasitourfaultthatweneverdoubtedeachother，andneverknewthatweweretravelingtogetherblindfoldonthewaythatwastoleadushere？Thecrueltimeiscoming，Allan，whenweshallruethedayweevermet。

Shakehands，brother，ontheedgeoftheprecipice——shakehandswhilewearebrothersstill！“

Allanturnedawayquickly，convincedthathismindhadnotyetrecoveredtheshockofthefaintingfit。“Don’tforgetthewhisky！“hesaid，cheerfully，ashesprangintotherigging，andmountedtothemizzen-top。

Itwaspasttwo，themoonwaswaning，andthedarknessthatcomesbeforedawnwasbeginningtogatherroundthewreck。BehindAllan，ashenowstoodlookingoutfromtheelevationofthemizzen-top，spreadthebroadandlonelysea。Beforehimwerethelow，black，lurkingrocks，andthebrokenwatersofthechannel，pouringwhiteandangryintothevastcalmofthewestwardoceanbeyond。Ontherighthand，heavedbackgrandlyfromthewater-side，weretherocksandprecipices，withtheirlittletable-landsofgrassbetween;theslopingdowns，andupward-rollingheathsolitudesoftheIsleofMan。OnthelefthandrosethecraggysidesoftheIsletoftheCalf，hererentwildlyintodeepblackchasms，therelyinglowunderlongsweepingacclivitiesofgrassandheath。Nosoundrose，nolightwasvisible，oneithershore。Theblacklinesofthetopmostmastsofthewrecklookedshadowyandfaintinthedarkeningmysteryofthesky;thelandbreezehaddropped;thesmallshorewardwavesfellnoiseless:farornear，nosoundwasaudiblebutthecheerlessbubblingofthebrokenwaterahead，pouringthroughtheawfulhushofsilenceinwhichearthandoceanwaitedforthecomingday。

EvenAllan’scarelessnaturefeltthesolemninfluenceofthetime。Thesoundofhisownvoicestartledhimwhenhelookeddownandhailedhisfriendondeck“IthinkIseeonehouse。”hesaid。“Here-away，onthemainlandtotheright。”Helookedagain，tomakesure，atadimlittlepatchofwhite，withfaintwhitelinesbehindit，nestlinglowinagrassyhollow，onthemainisland。“Itlookslikeastonehouseandinclosure。”heresumed。“I’llhailit，onthechance。”Hepassedhisarmroundaropetosteadyhimself，madeaspeaking-trumpetofhishands，andsuddenlydroppedthemagainwithoututteringasound。“It’ssoawfullyquiet。”hewhisperedtohimself。“I’mhalfafraidtocallout。”Helookeddownagainondeck。“Ishan’tstartleyou，Midwinter，shallI？”hesaid，withanuneasylaugh。Helookedoncemoreatthefaintwhiteobject，inthegrassyhollow。“Itwon’tdotohavecomeupherefornothing。”hethought，andmadeaspeaking-trumpetofhishandsagain。Thistimehegavethehailwiththewholepowerofhislungs。“Onshorethere！“heshouted，turninghisfacetothemainisland。“Ahoy-hoy-hoy！“

Thelastechoesofhisvoicediedawayandwerelost。Nosoundansweredhimbutthecheerlessbubblingofthebrokenwaterahead。

Helookeddownagainathisfriend，andsawthedarkfigureofMidwinterriseerect，andpacethedeckbackwardandforward，neverdisappearingoutofsightofthecabinwhenitretiredtowardthebowsofthewreck，andneverpassingbeyondthecabinwhenitreturnedtowardthestern。“Heisimpatienttogetaway。”

thoughtAllan;“I’lltryagain。”Hehailedthelandoncemore，and，taughtbypreviousexperience，pitchedhisvoiceinitshighestkey。

Thistimeanothersoundthanthesoundofthebubblingwateransweredhim。Thelowingoffrightenedcattlerosefromthebuildinginthegrassyhollow，andtraveledfaranddrearilythroughthestillnessofthemorningair。Allanwaitedandlistened。Ifthebuildingwasafarmhousethedisturbanceamongthebeastswouldrousethemen。Ifitwasonlyacattle-stable，nothingmorewouldhappen。Thelowingofthefrightenedbrutesroseandfelldrearily，theminutespassed，andnothinghappened。

“Oncemore！“saidAllan，lookingdownattherestlessfigurepacingbeneathhim。Forthethirdtimehehailedtheland。Forthethirdtimehewaitedandlistened。

Inapauseofsilenceamongthecattle，heheardbehindhim，ontheoppositeshoreofthechannel，faintandfaramongthesolitudesoftheIsletoftheCalf，asharp，suddensound，likethedistantclashofaheavydoor-boltdrawnback。Turningatonceinthenewdirection，hestrainedhiseyestolookforahouse。Thelastfaintraysofthewaningmoonlighttrembledhereandthereonthehigherrocks，andonthesteeperpinnaclesofground，butgreatstripsofdarknesslaydenseandblackoverallthelandbetween;andinthatdarknessthehouse，ifhousetherewere，waslosttoview。

“Ihaverousedsomebodyatlast。”Allancalledout，encouragingly，toMidwinter，stillwalkingtoandfroonthedeck，strangelyindifferenttoallthatwaspassingaboveandbeyondhim。“Lookoutfortheanswering，hail！“Andwithhisfacesettowardtheislet，Allanshoutedforhelp。

Theshoutwasnotanswered，butmimickedwithashrill，shriekingderision，withwilderandwildercries，risingoutofthedeepdistantdarkness，andminglinghorriblytheexpressionofahumanvoicewiththesoundofabrute’s。AsuddensuspicioncrossedAllan’smind，whichmadehisheadswimandturnedhishandcoldasitheldtherigging。Inbreathlesssilencehelookedtowardthequarterfromwhichthefirstmimicryofhiscryforhelphadcome。Afteramoment’spausetheshriekswererenewed，andthesoundofthemcamenearer。Suddenlyafigure，whichseemedthefigureofaman，leapedupblackonapinnacleofrock，andcaperedandshriekedinthewaninggleamofthemoonlight。Thescreamsofaterrifiedwomanmingledwiththecriesofthecaperingcreatureontherock。Aredsparkflashedoutinthedarknessfromalightkindledinaninvisiblewindow。Thehoarseshoutingofaman’svoiceinangerwasheardthroughthenoise。A

secondblackfigureleapedupontherock，struggledwiththefirstfigure，anddisappearedwithitinthedarkness。Thecriesgrewfainterandfainter，thescreamsofthewomanwerestilled，thehoarsevoiceofthemanwasheardagainforamoment，hailingthewreckinwordsmadeunintelligiblebythedistance，butintonesplainlyexpressiveofrageandfearcombined。Anothermoment，andtheclangofthedoor-boltwasheardagain，theredsparkoflightwasquenchedindarkness，andalltheisletlayquietintheshadowsoncemore。Thelowingofthecattleonthemain-landceased，roseagain，stopped。Then，coldandcheerlessasever，theeternalbubblingofthebrokenwaterwelledupthroughthegreatgapofsilence——theonesoundleft，asthemysteriousstillnessofthehourfelllikeamantlefromtheheavens，andclosedoverthewreck。

Allandescendedfromhisplaceinthemizzen-top，andjoinedhisfriendagainondeck。

“Wemustwaittilltheship-breakerscomeofftotheirwork。”hesaid，meetingMidwinterhalfwayinthecourseofhisrestlesswalk。“Afterwhathashappened，Idon’tmindconfessingthatI’vehadenoughofhailingtheland。Onlythinkoftherebeingamadmaninthathouseashore，andofmywakinghim！Horrible，wasn’tit？”

Midwinterstoodstillforamoment，andlookedatAllan，withtheperplexedairofamanwhohearscircumstancesfamiliarlymentionedtowhichheishimselfatotalstranger。Heappeared，ifsuchathinghadbeenpossible，tohavepassedoverentirelywithoutnoticeallthathadjusthappenedontheIsletoftheCalf。

“Nothingishorrible_out_ofthisship。”hesaid。“Everythingishorrible_in_it。”

Answeringinthosestrangewords，heturnedawayagain，andwentonwithhiswalk。

Allanpickeduptheflaskofwhiskylyingonthedecknearhim，andrevivedhisspiritswithadram。“Here’sonethingonboardthatisn’thorrible。”heretortedbriskly，ashescrewedonthestopperoftheflask;“andhere’sanother。”headded，ashetookacigarfromhiscaseandlitit。“Threeo’clock！“hewenton，lookingathiswatch，andsettlinghimselfcomfortablyondeckwithhisbackagainstthebulwark。“Daybreakisn’tfaroff;weshallhavethepipingofthebirdstocheerusupbeforelong。I

say，Midwinter，youseemtohavequitegotoverthatunluckyfaintingfit。Howyoudokeepwalking！Comehereandhaveacigar，andmakeyourselfcomfortable。What’sthegoodoftrampingbackwardandforwardinthatrestlessway？”

“Iamwaiting。”saidMidwinter。

“Waiting！Whatfor？”

“Forwhatistohappentoyouortome——ortobothofus——beforeweareoutofthisship。”

“Withsubmissiontoyoursuperiorjudgment，mydearfellow，I

thinkquiteenoughhashappenedalready。Theadventurewilldoverywellasitstandsnow;moreofitismorethanIwant。”Hetookanotherdramofwhisky，andrambledon，betweenthepuffsofhiscigar，inhisusualeasyway。“I’venotgotyourfineimagination，oldboy;andIhopethenextthingthathappenswillbetheappearanceoftheworkmen’sboat。Isuspectthatqueerfancyofyourshasbeenrunningawaywithyouwhileyouweredownhereallbyyourself。Come，now，whatwereyouthinkingofwhileIwasupinthemizzen-topfrighteningthecows？”

Midwintersuddenlystopped。“SupposeItellyou？”hesaid。

“Supposeyoudo？”

Thetorturingtemptationtorevealthetruth，rousedoncealreadybyhiscompanion’smercilessgayetyofspirit，possesseditselfofMidwinterforthesecondtime。Heleanedbackinthedarkagainstthehighsideoftheship，andlookeddowninsilenceatAllan’sfigure，stretchedcomfortablyonthedeck。“Rousehim。”

thefiendwhispered，subtly，“fromthatignorantself-possessionandthatpitilessrepose。Showhimtheplacewherethedeedwasdone;lethimknowitwithyourknowledge，andfearitwithyourdread。Tellhimoftheletteryouburned，andofthewordsnofirecandestroywhicharelivinginyourmemorynow。Lethimseeyourmindasitwasyesterday，whenitrousedyoursinkingfaithinyourownconvictions，tolookbackonyourlifeatsea，andtocherishthecomfortingremembrancethat，inallyourvoyages，youhadneverfalleninwiththisship。Lethimseeyourmindasitisnow，whentheshiphasgotyouattheturning-pointofyournewlife，attheoutsetofyourfriendshipwiththeonemanofallmenwhomyourfatherwarnedyoutoavoid。Thinkofthosedeath-bedwords，andwhispertheminhisear，thathemaythinkofthem，too:’Hideyourselffromhimunderanassumedname。Putthemountainsandtheseasbetweenyou;beungrateful，beunforgiving;beallthatismostrepellenttoyourowngentlernature，ratherthanliveunderthesameroofandbreathethesameairwiththatman。’“Sothetemptercounseled。So，likeanoisomeexhalationfromthefather’sgrave，thefather’sinfluenceroseandpoisonedthemindoftheson。

ThesuddensilencesurprisedAllan;helookedbackdrowsilyoverhisshoulder。“Thinkingagain！“heexclaimed，withawearyyawn。

Midwintersteppedoutfromtheshadow，andcamenearertoAllanthanhehadcomeyet。“Yes。”hesaid，“thinkingofthepastandthefuture。”

“Thepastandthefuture？”repeatedAllan，shiftinghimselfcomfortablyintoanewposition。“Formypart，I’mdumbaboutthepast。It’sasoresubjectwithme:thepastmeansthelossofthedoctor’sboat。Let’stalkaboutthefuture。Haveyoubeentakingapracticalview？asdearoldBrockcallsit。Haveyoubeenconsideringthenextseriousquestionthatconcernsusbothwhenwegetbacktothehotel——thequestionofbreakfast？”

Afteraninstant’shesitation，Midwintertookastepnearer。“I

havebeenthinkingofyourfutureandmine。”hesaid;“Ihavebeenthinkingofthetimewhenyourwayinlifeandmywayinlifewillbetwowaysinsteadofone。”

“Here’sthedaybreak！“criedAllan。“Lookupatthemasts;

they’rebeginningtogetclearagainalready。Ibegyourpardon。

Whatwereyousaying？”

Midwintermadenoreply。Thestrugglebetweenthehereditarysuperstitionthatwasdrivinghimon，andtheunconquerableaffectionforAllanthatwasholdinghimback，suspendedthenextwordsonhislips。Heturnedasidehisfaceinspeechlesssuffering。“Oh，myfather！“hethought，“betterhavekilledmeonthatdaywhenIlayonyourbosom，thanhaveletmeliveforthis。”

“What’sthataboutthefuture？”persistedAllan。“Iwaslookingforthedaylight;Ididn’thear。”

Midwintercontrolledhimself，andanswered:“Youhavetreatedmewithyourusualkindness。”hesaid，“inplanningtotakemewithyoutoThorpeAmbrose。Ithink，onreflection，IhadbetternotintrudemyselfwhereIamnotknownandnotexpected。”Hisvoicefaltered，andhestoppedagain。Themoreheshrankfromit，theclearerthepictureofthehappylifethathewasresigningroseonhismind。

Allan’sthoughtsinstantlyrevertedtothemystificationaboutthenewstewardwhichhehadpracticedonhisfriendwhentheywereconsultingtogetherinthecabinoftheyacht。“Hashebeenturningitoverinhismind？”wonderedAllan;“andishebeginningatlasttosuspectthetruth？I’lltryhim——Talkasmuchnonsense，mydearfellow，asyoulike。”herejoined，“butdon’tforgetthatyouareengagedtoseemeestablishedatThorpeAmbrose，andtogivemeyouropinionofthenewsteward。”

Midwintersuddenlysteppedforwardagain，closetoAllan。

“Iamnottalkingaboutyourstewardoryourestate。”heburstoutpassionately;“Iamtalkingaboutmyself。Doyouhear？

Myself！Iamnotafitcompanionforyou。Youdon’tknowwhoI

am。”Hedrewbackintotheshadowyshelterofthebulwarkassuddenlyashehadcomeoutfromit。“OGod！Ican’ttellhim。”

hesaidtohimself，inawhisper。

Foramoment，andforamomentonly，Allanwassurprised。“Notknowwhoyouare？”Evenasherepeatedthewords，hiseasygoodhumorgottheupper-handagain。Hetookupthewhiskyflask，andshookitsignificantly。“Isay。”heresumed，“howmuchofthedoctor’smedicinedidyoutakewhileIwasupinthemizzen-top？”

ThelighttonewhichhepersistedinadoptingstungMidwintertothelastpitchofexasperation。Hecameoutagainintothelight，andstampedhisfootangrilyonthedeck。“Listentome！“hesaid。“Youdon’tknowhalfthelowthingsIhavedoneinmylifetime。Ihavebeenatradesman’sdrudge;Ihavesweptouttheshopandputuptheshutters;Ihavecarriedparcelsthroughthestreet，andwaitedformymaster’smoneyathiscustomers’

doors。”

“Ihaveneverdoneanythinghalfasuseful。”returnedAllan，composedly。“Dearoldboy，whatanindustriousfellowyouhavebeeninyourtime！“

“I’vebeenavagabondandablackguardinmytime。”returnedtheother，fiercely;“I’vebeenastreettumbler，atramp，agypsy’sboy！I’vesungforhalf-pencewithdancingdogsonthehigh-road！

I’vewornafoot-boy’slivery，andwaitedattable！I’vebeenacommonsailors’cook，andastarvingfisherman’sJack-of-all-trades！Whathasagentlemaninyourpositionincommonwithamaninmine？Canyoutake_me_intothesocietyatThorpeAmbrose？Why，myverynamewouldbeareproachtoyou。

FancythefacesofyournewneighborswhentheirfootmenannounceOziasMidwinterandAllanArmadaleinthesamebreath！“Heburstintoaharshlaugh，andrepeatedthetwonamesagain，withascornfulbitternessofemphasiswhichinsistedpitilesslyonthemarkedcontrastbetweenthem。

SomethinginthesoundofhislaughterjarredpainfullyevenonAllan’seasynature。Heraisedhimselfonthedeckandspokeseriouslyforthefirsttime。“Ajoke’sajoke，Midwinter。”hesaid，“aslongasyoudon’tcarryittoofar。IrememberyoursayingsomethingofthesamesorttomeoncebeforewhenIwasnursingyouinSomersetshire。YouforcedmetoaskyouifI

deservedtobekeptatarms-lengthby_you_ofallthepeopleintheworld。Don’tforcemetosaysoagain。Makeasmuchfunofmeasyouplease，oldfellow，inanyotherway。_That_wayhurtsme。”

Simpleasthewordswere，andsimplyastheyhadbeenspoken，theyappearedtoworkaninstantrevolutioninMidwinter’smind。

Hisimpressiblenaturerecoiledasfromsomesuddenshock。

Withoutawordofreply，hewalkedawaybyhimselftotheforwardpartoftheship。Hesatdownonsomepiledplanksbetweenthemasts，andpassedhishandoverhisheadinavacant，bewilderedway。Thoughhisfather’sbeliefinfatalitywashisownbeliefoncemore——thoughtherewasnolongertheshadowofadoubtinhismindthatthewomanwhomMr。BrockhadmetinSomersetshire，andthewomanwhohadtriedtodestroyherselfinLondon，wereoneandthesame——thoughallthehorrorthatmasteredhimwhenhefirstreadtheletterfromWildbadhadnowmasteredhimagain，Allan’sappealtotheirpastexperienceofeachotherhadcomehometohisheart，withaforcemoreirresistiblethantheforceofhissuperstitionitself。Inthestrengthofthatverysuperstition，henowsoughtthepretextwhichmightencouragehimtosacrificeeverylessgenerousfeelingtotheonepredominantdreadofwoundingthesympathiesofhisfriend。“Whydistresshim？”hewhisperedtohimself。“Wearenottheendhere:thereistheWomanbehindusinthedark。Whyresisthimwhenthemischief’sdone，andthecautioncomestoolate？What_is_tobe_will_be。WhathaveItodowiththefuture？andwhathashe？”

HewentbacktoAllan，satdownbyhisside，andtookhishand。

“Forgiveme。”hesaid，gently;“Ihavehurtyouforthelasttime。”Beforeitwaspossibletoreply，hesnatchedupthewhiskyflaskfromthedeck。“Come！“heexclaimed，withasuddenefforttomatchhisfriend’scheerfulness，“youhavebeentryingthedoctor’smedicine，whyshouldn’tI？”

Allanwasdelighted。“Thisissomethinglikeachangeforthebetter。”hesaid;“Midwinterishimselfagain。Hark！therearethebirds。Hail，smilingmorn！smilingmorn！“Hesangthewordsofthegleeinhisold，cheerfulvoice，andclappedMidwinterontheshoulderinhisold，heartyway。“Howdidyoumanagetoclearyourheadofthoseconfoundedmegrims？Doyouknowyouwerequitealarmingaboutsomethinghappeningtooneorotherofusbeforewewereoutofthisship？”

“Sheernonsense！“returnedMidwinter，contemptuously。“Idon’tthinkmyheadhaseverbeenquiterightsincethatfever;I’vegotabeeinmybonnet，astheysayintheNorth。Let’stalkofsomethingelse。Aboutthosepeopleyouhaveletthecottageto？I

wonderwhethertheagent’saccountofMajorMilroy’sfamilyistobedependedon？Theremightbeanotherladyinthehouseholdbesideshiswifeandhisdaughter。”

“Oho！“criedAllan，“_you’re_beginningtothinkofnymphsamongthetrees，andflirtationsinthefruit-garden，areyou？Anotherlady，eh？Supposethemajor’sfamilycirclewon’tsupplyanother？

Weshallhavetospinthathalf-crownagain，andtossupforwhichistohavethefirstchancewithMissMilroy。”

ForonceMidwinterspokeaslightlyandcarelesslyasAllanhimself。“No，no。”hesaid，“themajor’slandlordhasthefirstclaimtothenoticeofthemajor’sdaughter。I’llretireintothebackground，andwaitforthenextladywhomakesherappearanceatThorpeAmbrose。”

“Verygood。I’llhaveanaddresstothewomenofNorfolkpostedintheparktothateffect。”saidAllan。“Areyouparticulartoashadeaboutsizeorcomplexion？What’syourfavoriteage？”

Midwintertrifledwithhisownsuperstition，asamantrifleswiththeloadedgunthatmaykillhim，orwiththesavageanimalthatmaymaimhimforlife。Hementionedtheage(ashehadreckonedithimself)ofthewomanintheblackgownandtheredPaisleyshawl。

“Five-and-thirty，“hesaid。

Asthewordspassedhislips，hisfactitiousspiritsdesertedhim。Helefthisseat，impenetrablydeaftoallAllan’seffortsatrallyinghimonhisextraordinaryanswer，andresumedhisrestlesspacingofthedeckindeadsilence。Oncemorethehauntingthoughtwhichhadgonetoandfrowithhiminthehourofdarknesswenttoandfrowithhimnowinthehourofdaylight。

OncemoretheconvictionpossesseditselfofhismindthatsomethingwastohappentoAllanortohimselfbeforetheyleftthewreck。

Minutebyminutethelightstrengthenedintheeasternsky;andtheshadowyplacesonthedeckofthetimber-shiprevealedtheirbarrenemptinessundertheeyeofday。Asthebreezeroseagain，theseabegantomurmurwakefullyinthemorninglight。Eventhecoldbubblingofthebrokenwaterchangeditscheerlessnote，andsoftenedontheearasthemellowingfloodofdaylightpouredwarmoveritfromtherisingsun。Midwinterpausedneartheforwardpartoftheship，andrecalledhiswanderingattentiontothepassingtime。

Thecheeringinfluencesofthehourwereroundhim，lookwherehemight。Thehappymorningsmileofthesummersky，sobrightlymercifultotheoldandwearyearth，lavisheditsall-embracingbeautyevenonthewreck。Thedewthatlayglitteringontheinlandfieldslayglitteringonthedeck，andthewornandrustedriggingwasgemmedasbrightlyasthefreshgreenleavesonshore。Insensibly，ashelookedround，Midwinter’sthoughtsrevertedtothecomradewhohadsharedwithhimtheadventureofthenight。Hereturnedtotheafter-partoftheship，spoketoAllanasheadvanced。Receivingnoanswer，heapproachedtherecumbentfigureandlookedcloseratit。Lefttohisownresources，Allanhadletthefatiguesofthenighttaketheirownwaywithhim。Hisheadhadsunkback;hishathadfallenoff;helaystretchedatfulllengthonthedeckofthetimber-ship，deeplyandpeacefullyasleep。

Midwinterresumedhiswalk;hismindlostindoubt;hisownpastthoughtsseemingsuddenlytohavegrownstrangetohim。Howdarklyhisforebodingshaddistrustedthecomingtime，andhowharmlesslythattimehadcome！Thesunwasmountingintheheavens，thehourofreleasewasdrawingnearerandnearer，andofthetwoArmadalesimprisonedinthefatalship，onewassleepingawaythewearytime，andtheotherwasquietlywatchingthegrowthofthenewday。

Thesunclimbedhigher;thehourworeon。Withthelatentdistrustofthewreckwhichstillclungtohim，Midwinterlookedinquiringlyoneithershoreforsignsofawakeninghumanlife。

Thelandwasstilllonely。Thesmokewreathsthatweresoontorisefromcottagechimneyshadnotrisenyet。

Afteramoment’sthoughthewentbackagaintotheafter-partofthevessel，toseeiftheremightbeafisherman’sboatwithinhailasternofthem。Absorbedforthemomentbythenewidea，hepassedAllanhastily，afterbarelynoticingthathestilllayasleep。Onestepmorewouldhavebroughthimtothetaffrail，whenthatstepwassuspendedbyasoundbehindhim，asoundlikeafaintgroan。Heturned，andlookedatthesleeperonthedeck。

Hekneltsoftly，andlookedcloser。

“Ithascome！“hewhisperedtohimself。“Notto_me_——butto_him。_“

Ithadcome，inthebrightfreshnessofthemorning;ithadcome，inthemysteryandterrorofaDream。ThefacewhichMidwinterhadlastseeninperfectreposewasnowthedistortedfaceofasufferingman。TheperspirationstoodthickonAllan’sforehead，andmattedhiscurlinghair。Hispartiallyopenedeyesshowednothingbutthewhiteoftheeyeballgleamingblindly。Hisoutstretchedhandsscratchedandstruggledonthedeck。Frommomenttomomenthemoanedandmutteredhelplessly;butthewordsthatescapedhimwerelostinthegrindingandgnashingofhisteeth。Therehelay——sonearinthebodytothefriendwhobentoverhim;sofarawayinthespirit，thatthetwomighthavebeenindifferentworlds——therehelay，withthemorningsunshineonhisface，inthetortureofhisdream。

Onequestion，andoneonly，roseinthemindofthemanwhowaslookingathim。Whathadthefatalitywhichhadimprisonedhiminthewreckdecreedthatheshouldsee？

HadthetreacheryofSleepopenedthegatesofthegravetothatoneofthetwoArmadaleswhomtheotherhadkeptinignoranceofthetruth？Wasthemurderofthefatherrevealingitselftotheson——there，ontheveryspotwherethecrimehadbeencommitted——inthevisionofadream？

Withthatquestionovershadowingallelseinhismind，thesonofthehomicidekneltonthedeck，andlookedatthesonofthemanwhomhisfather’shandhadslain。

Theconflictbetweenthesleepingbodyandthewakingmindwasstrengtheningeverymoment。Thedreamer’shelplessgroaningfordeliverancegrewlouder;hishandsraisedthemselves，andclutchedattheemptyair。Strugglingwiththeall-masteringdreadthatstillheldhim，MidwinterlaidhishandgentlyonAllan’sforehead。Lightasthetouchwas，thereweremysterioussympathiesinthedreamingmanthatansweredit。Hisgroaningceased，andhishandsdroppedslowly。TherewasaninstantofsuspenseandMidwinterlookedcloser。Hisbreathjustflutteredoverthesleeper’sface。Beforethenextbreathhadrisentohislips，Allansuddenlyspranguponhisknees——sprangup，asifthecallofatrumpethadrungonhisear，awakeinaninstant。

“Youhavebeendreaming。”saidMidwinter，astheotherlookedathimwildly，inthefirstbewildermentofwaking。

Allan’seyesbegantowanderaboutthewreck，atfirstvacantly，thenwithalookofangrysurprise。“Areweherestill？”hesaid，asMidwinterhelpedhimtohisfeet。“WhateverelseIdoonboardthisinfernalship。”headded，afteramoment，“Iwon’tgotosleepagain！“

Ashesaidthosewords，hisfriend’seyessearchedhisfaceinsilentinquiry。Theytookaturntogetheronthedeck。

“Tellmeyourdream。”saidMidwinter，withastrangetoneofsuspicioninhisvoice，andastrangeappearanceofabruptnessinhismanner。

“Ican’ttellityet。”returnedAllan。“WaitalittletillI’mmyownmanagain。”

Theytookanotherturnonthedeck。Midwinterstopped，andspokeoncemore。

“Lookatmeforamoment，Allan。”hesaid。

Therewassomethingofthetroubleleftbythedream，andsomethingofnaturalsurpriseatthestrangerequestjustaddressedtohim，inAllan’sface，asheturneditfullonthespeaker;butnoshadowofill-will，nolurkinglinesofdistrustanywhere。Midwinterturnedasidequickly，andhid，ashebestmight，anirrepressibleoutburstofrelief。

“DoIlookalittleupset？”askedAllan，takinghisarm，andleadinghimonagain。“Don’tmakeyourselfnervousaboutmeifI

do。Myheadfeelswildandgiddy，butIshallsoongetoverit。”

Forthenextfewminutestheywalkedbackwardandforwardinsilence，theonebentondismissingtheterrorofthedreamfromhisthoughts，theotherbentondiscoveringwhattheterrorofthedreammightbe。Relievedofthedreadthathadoppressedit，thesuperstitiousnatureofMidwinterhadleapedtoitsnextconclusionatabound。WhatifthesleeperhadbeenvisitedbyanotherrevelationthantherevelationofthePast？WhatifthedreamhadopenedthoseunturnedpagesinthebookoftheFuturewhichtoldthestoryofhislifetocome？ThebaredoubtthatitmightbesostrengthenedtenfoldMidwinter’slongingtopenetratethemysterywhichAllan’ssilencestillkeptasecretfromhim。

“Isyourheadmorecomposed？”heasked。“Canyoutellmeyourdreamnow？”

Whileheputthequestion，alastmemorablemomentintheAdventureoftheWreckwasathand。

Theyhadreachedthestern，andwerejustturningagainwhenMidwinterspoke。AsAllanopenedhislipstoanswer，helookedoutmechanicallytosea。Insteadofreplying，hesuddenlyrantothetaffrail，andwavedhishatoverhishead，withashoutofexultation。

Midwinterjoinedhim，andsawalargesix-oaredboatpullingstraightforthechanneloftheSound。Afigure，whichtheyboththoughttheyrecognized，roseeagerlyinthestern-sheetsandreturnedthewavingofAllan’shat。Theboatcamenearer，thesteersmancalledtothemcheerfully，andtheyrecognizedthedoctor’svoice。

“ThankGodyou’rebothabovewater！“saidMr。Hawbury，astheymethimonthedeckofthetimber-ship。“Ofallthewindsofheaven，whichwindblewyouhere？”

HelookedatMidwinterashemadetheinquiry，butitwasAllanwhotoldhimthestoryofthenight，andAllanwhoaskedthedoctorforinformationinreturn。TheoneabsorbinginterestinMidwinter’smind——theinterestofpenetratingthemysteryofthedream——kepthimsilentthroughout。Heedlessofallthatwassaidordoneabouthim，hewatchedAllan，andfollowedAllan，likeadog，untilthetimecameforgettingdownintotheboat。Mr。

Hawbury’sprofessionaleyerestedonhimcuriously，notinghisvaryingcolor，andtheincessantrestlessnessofhishands。“I

wouldn’tchangenervoussystemswiththatmanforthelargestfortunethatcouldbeofferedme。”thoughtthedoctorashetooktheboat’stiller，andgavetheoarsmentheirordertopushofffromthewreck。

HavingreservedallexplanationsonhissideuntiltheywereontheirwaybacktoPortSt。Mary，Mr。HawburynextaddressedhimselftothegratificationofAllan’scuriosity。Thecircumstanceswhichhadbroughthimtotherescueofhistwoguestsofthepreviouseveningweresimpleenough。ThelostboathadbeenmetwithatseabysomefishermenofPortErin，onthewesternsideoftheisland，whoatoncerecognizeditasthedoctor’sproperty，andatoncesentamessengertomakeinquiry，atthedoctor’shouse。Theman’sstatementofwhathadhappenedhadnaturallyalarmedMr。HawburyforthesafetyofAllanandhisfriend。Hehadimmediatelysecuredassistance，and，guidedbytheboatman’sadvice，hadmadefirstforthemostdangerousplaceonthecoast——theonlyplace，inthatcalmweather，inwhichanaccidentcouldhavehappenedtoaboatsailedbyexperiencedmen——thechanneloftheSound。Afterthusaccountingforhiswelcomeappearanceonthescene，thedoctorhospitablyinsistedthathisguestsoftheeveningshouldbehisguestsofthemorningaswell。Itwouldstillbetooearlywhentheygotbackforthepeopleatthehoteltoreceivethem，andtheywouldfindbedandbreakfastatMr。Hawbury’shouse。

AtthefirstpauseintheconversationbetweenAllanandthedoctor，Midwinter，whohadneitherjoinedinthetalknorlistenedtothetalk，touchedhisfriendonthearm。“Areyoubetter？”heasked，inawhisper。“ShallyousoonbecomposedenoughtotellmewhatIwanttoknow？”

Allan’seyebrowscontractedimpatiently;thesubjectofthedream，andMidwinter’sobstinacyinreturningtoit，seemedtobealikedistastefultohim。Hehardlyansweredwithhisusualgoodhumor。“IsupposeIshallhavenopeacetillItellyou。”hesaid，“soImayaswellgetitoveratonce。”

“No！“returnedMidwinter，withalookatthedoctorandhisoarsmen。“Notwhereotherpeoplecanhearit——nottillyouandI

arealone。”

“Ifyouwishtoseethelast，gentlemen，ofyourquartersforthenight。”interposedthedoctor，“nowisyourtime！Thecoastwillshutthevesseloutinaminutemore。”

Insilenceontheonesideandontheother，thetwoArmadaleslookedtheirlastatthefatalship。Lonelyandlosttheyhadfoundthewreckinthemysteryofthesummernight;lonelyandlosttheyleftthewreckintheradiantbeautyofthesummermorning。

Anhourlaterthedoctorhadseenhisguestsestablishedintheirbedrooms，andhadleftthemtotaketheirrestuntilthebreakfasthourarrived。

Almostassoonashisbackwasturned，thedoorsofbothroomsopenedsoftly，andAllanandMidwintermetinthepassage。

“Canyousleepafterwhathashappened？”askedAllan。

Midwintershookhishead。“Youwerecomingtomyroom，wereyounot？”hesaid。“Whatfor？”

“Toaskyoutokeepmecompany。Whatwereyoucomingto_my_roomfor？”

“Toaskyoutotellmeyourdream。”

“Damnthedream！Iwanttoforgetallaboutit。”

“And_I_wanttoknowallaboutit。”

Bothpaused;bothrefrainedinstinctivelyfromsayingmore。Forthefirsttimesincethebeginningoftheirfriendshiptheywereonthevergeofadisagreement，andthatonthesubjectofthedream。Allan’sgoodtemperjuststoppedthemonthebrink。

“Youarethemostobstinatefellowalive。”hesaid;“butifyouwillknowallaboutit，youmustknowallaboutit，Isuppose。

Comeintomyroom，andI’lltellyou。”

Heledtheway，andMidwinterfollowed。Thedoorclosedandshutthemintogether。

CHAPTERV。

THESHADOWOFTHEFUTURE。

WHENMr。Hawburyjoinedhisguestsinthebreakfast-room，thestrangecontrastofcharacterbetweenthemwhichhehadnoticedalreadywasimpressedonhismindmorestronglythanever。Oneofthemsatatthewell-spreadtable，hungryandhappy，rangingfromdishtodish，anddeclaringthathehadnevermadesuchabreakfastinhislife。Theothersatapartatthewindow;hiscupthanklesslydesertedbeforeitwasempty，hismeatleftungraciouslyhalf-eatenonhisplate。Thedoctor’smorninggreetingtothetwoaccuratelyexpressedthedifferingimpressionswhichtheyhadproducedonhismind。

HeclappedAllanontheshoulder，andsalutedhimwithajoke。HebowedconstrainedlytoMidwinter，andsaid，“Iamafraidyouhavenotrecoveredthefatiguesofthenight。”

“It’snotthenight，doctor，thathasdampedhisspirits。”saidAllan。“It’ssomethingIhavebeentellinghim。Itisnotmyfault，mind。IfIhadonlyknownbeforehandthathebelievedindreams，Iwouldn’thaveopenedmylips。”

“Dreams？”repeatedthedoctor，lookingatMidwinterdirectly，andaddressinghimunderamistakenimpressionofthemeaningofAllan’swords。“Withyourconstitution，yououghttobewellusedtodreamingbythistime。”

“Thisway，doctor;youhavetakenthewrongturning！“criedAllan。“I’mthedreamer，nothe。Don’tlookastonished;itwasn’tinthiscomfortablehouse;itwasonboardthatconfoundedtimber-ship。Thefactis，Ifellasleepjustbeforeyoutookusoffthewreck;andit’snottobedeniedthatIhadaveryuglydream。Well，whenwegotbackhere——“

“WhydoyoutroubleMr。Hawburyaboutamatterthatcannotpossiblyinteresthim？”askedMidwinter，speakingforthefirsttime，andspeakingveryimpatiently。

“Ibegyourpardon。”returnedthedoctor，rathersharply;“sofarasIhaveheard，thematterdoesinterestme。”

“That’sright，doctor！“saidAllan。“Beinterested，Ibegandpray;Iwantyoutoclearhisheadofthenonsensehehasgotinitnow。Whatdoyouthink？Hewillhaveitthatmydreamisawarningtometoavoidcertainpeople;andheactuallypersistsinsayingthatoneofthosepeopleis——himself！Didyoueverhearthelikeofit？Itookgreatpains;Iexplainedthewholethingtohim。Isaid，warningbehanged;it’sallindigestion！Youdon’tknowwhatIateanddrankatthedoctor’ssupper-table;I

do。Doyouthinkhewouldlistentome？Nothe。Youtryhimnext;

you’reaprofessionalman，andhemustlistentoyou。Beagoodfellow，doctor，andgivemeacertificateofindigestion;I’llshowyoumytonguewithpleasure。”

“Thesightofyourfaceisquiteenough。”saidMr。Hawbury。“I

certify，onthespot，thatyouneverhadsuchathingasanindigestioninyourlife。Let’shearaboutthedream，andseewhatwecanmakeofit，ifyouhavenoobjection，thatistosay。”

AllanpointedatMidwinterwithhisfork。

“Applytomyfriend，there。”hesaid;“hehasgotamuchbetteraccountofitthanIcangiveyou。Ifyou’llbelieveme，hetookitalldowninwritingfrommyownlips;andhemademesignitattheend，asifitwasmy’lastdyingspeechandconfession’

beforeIwenttothegallows。Outwithit，oldboy——Isawyouputitinyourpocket-book——outwithit！“

“Areyoureallyinearnest？”askedMidwinter，producinghispocketbookwithareluctancewhichwasalmostoffensiveunderthecircumstances，foritimplieddistrustofthedoctorinthedoctor’sownhouse。

Mr。Hawbury’scolorrose。“Praydon’tshowittome，ifyoufeeltheleastunwillingness。”hesaid，withtheelaboratepolitenessofanoffendedman。

“Stuffandnonsense！“criedAllan。“Throwitoverhere！“

Insteadofcomplyingwiththatcharacteristicrequest，Midwintertookthepaperfromthepocket-book，and，leavinghisplace，approachedMr。Hawbury。“Ibegyourpardon。”hesaid，asheofferedthedoctorthemanuscriptwithhisownhand。Hiseyesdroppedtotheground，andhisfacedarkened，whilehemadetheapology。“Asecret，sullenfellow。”thoughtthedoctor，thankinghimwithformalcivility;“hisfriendisworthtenthousandofhim。”Midwinterwentbacktothewindow，andsatdownagaininsilence，withtheoldimpenetrableresignationwhichhadoncepuzzledMr。Brock。

“Readthat，doctor。”saidAllan，asMr。Hawburyopenedthewrittenpaper。“It’snottoldinmyroundaboutway;butthere’snothingaddedtoit，andnothingtakenaway。It’sexactlywhatI

dreamed，andexactlywhatIshouldhavewrittenmyself，ifIhadthoughtthethingworthputtingdownonpaper，andifIhadhadtheknackofwriting——which。”concludedAllan，composedlystirringhiscoffee，“Ihaven’t，exceptit’sletters;andI

rattle_them_offinnotime。”

Mr。Hawburyspreadthemanuscriptbeforehimonthebreakfast-table，andreadtheselines:

“ALLANARMADALE’SDREAM。

“EarlyonthemorningofJunethefirst，eighteenhundredandfifty-one，Ifoundmyself(throughcircumstanceswhichitisnotimportanttomentioninthisplace)leftalonewithafriendofmine——ayoungmanaboutmyownage——onboardtheFrenchtimber-shipnamed_LaGracedeDieu，_whichshipthenlaywreckedinthechanneloftheSoundbetweenthemain-landoftheIsleofManandtheisletcalledtheCalf。Havingnotbeeninbedthepreviousnight，andfeelingovercomebyfatigue，Ifellasleeponthedeckofthevessel。Iwasinmyusualgoodhealthatthetime，andthemorningwasfarenoughadvancedforthesuntohaverisen。Underthesecircumstances，andatthatperiodoftheday，Ipassedfromsleepingtodreaming。AsclearlyasIcanrecollectit，afterthelapseofafewhours，thiswasthesuccessionofeventspresentedtomebythedream:

“1。ThefirsteventofwhichIwasconsciouswastheappearanceofmyfather。Hetookmesilentlybythehand;andwefoundourselvesinthecabinofaship。

“2。Waterroseslowlyoverusinthecabin;andIandmyfathersankthroughthewatertogether。

“3。Anintervalofoblivionfollowed;andthenthesensecametomeofbeingleftaloneinthedarkness。

“4。Iwaited。

“5。Thedarknessopened，andshowedmethevision——asinapicture——ofabroad，lonelypool，surroundedbyopenground。

AbovethefarthermarginofthepoolIsawthecloudlesswesternsky，redwiththelightofsunset。

“6。OnthenearmarginofthepooltherestoodtheShadowofaWoman。

“7。Itwastheshadowonly。NoindicationwasvisibletomebywhichIcouldidentifyit，orcompareitwithanylivingcreature。Thelongrobeshowedmethatitwastheshadowofawoman，andshowedmenothingmore。

“8。Thedarknessclosedagain——remainedwithmeforaninterval——andopenedforthesecondtime。

“9。Ifoundmyselfinaroom，standingbefore。alongwindow。TheonlyobjectoffurnitureorofornamentthatIsaw(orthatIcannowrememberhavingseen)wasalittlestatueplacednearme。Thewindowopenedonalawnandflower-garden;andtherainwaspatteringheavilyagainsttheglass。

“10。Iwasnotaloneintheroom。StandingoppositetomeatthewindowwastheShadowofaMan。

“11。Isawnomoreofit;IknewnomoreofitthanIsawandknewoftheshadowofthewoman。Buttheshadowofthemanmoved。

Itstretchedoutitsarmtowardthestatue;andthestatuefellinfragmentsonthefloor。

“12。Withaconfusedsensationinme，whichwaspartlyangerandpartlydistress，Istoopedtolookatthefragments。WhenIroseagain，theShadowhadvanished，andIsawnomore。

“13。Thedarknessopenedforthethirdtime，andshowedmetheShadowoftheWomanandtheShadowoftheMantogether。

“14。Nosurroundingscene(ornonethatIcannowcalltomind)

wasvisibletome。

“15。TheMan-Shadowwasthenearest;theWoman-Shadowstoodback。

Fromwhereshestood，therecameasoundasofthepouringofaliquidsoftly。Isawhertouchtheshadowofthemanwithonehand，andwiththeothergivehimaglass。Hetooktheglass，andgaveittome。InthemomentwhenIputittomylips，adeadlyfaintnessmasteredmefromheadtofoot。WhenIcametomysensesagain，theShadowshadvanished，andthethirdvisionwasatanend。

“16。Thedarknessclosedovermeagain;andtheintervalofoblivionfollowed。

“17。Iwasconsciousofnothingmore，tillIfeltthemorningsunshineonmyface，andheardmyfriendtellmethatIhadawakenedfromadream。”……

Afterreadingthenarrativeattentivelytothelastline(underwhichappearedAllan’ssignature)，thedoctorlookedacrossthebreakfast-tableatMidwinter，andtappedhisfingersonthemanuscriptwithasatiricalsmile。

“Manymen，manyopinions。”hesaid。“Idon’tagreewitheitherofyouaboutthisdream。Yourtheory。”headded，lookingatAllan，withasmile，“wehavedisposedofalready:thesupperthat_you_

can’tdigestisasupperwhichhasyettobediscovered。Mytheorywewillcometopresently;yourfriend’stheoryclaimsattentionfirst。”HeturnedagaintoMidwinter，withhisanticipatedtriumphoveramanwhomhedislikedalittletooplainlyvisibleinhisfaceandmanner。“IfIunderstandrightly。”hewenton，“youbelievethatthisdreamisawarning！

supernaturallyaddressedtoMr。Armadale，ofdangerouseventsthatarethreateninghim，andofdangerouspeopleconnectedwiththoseeventswhomhewoulddowiselytoavoid。MayIinquirewhetheryouhavearrivedatthisconclusionasanhabitualbelieverindreams，orashavingreasonsofyourownforattachingespecialimportancetothisonedreaminparticular？”

“Youhavestatedwhatmyconvictionisquiteaccurately。”

returnedMidwinter，chafingunderthedoctor’slooksandtones。

“ExcusemeifIaskyoutobesatisfiedwiththatadmission，andtoletmekeepmyreasonstomyself。”

“That’sexactlywhathesaidtome。”interposedAllan。“Idon’tbelievehehasgotanyreasonsatall。”

“Gently！gently！“saidMr。Hawbury。“Wecandiscussthesubjectwithoutintrudingourselvesintoanybody’ssecrets。Letuscometomyownmethodofdealingwiththedreamnext。Mr。MidwinterwillprobablynotbesurprisedtohearthatIlookatthismatterfromanessentiallypracticalpointofview。”

“Ishallnotbeatallsurprised。”retortedMidwinter。“Theviewofamedicalman，whenhehasaprobleminhumanitytosolve，seldomrangesbeyondthepointofhisdissecting-knife。”

Thedoctorwasalittlenettledonhisside。“Ourlimitsarenotquitesonarrowasthat。”hesaid;“butIwillinglygrantyouthattherearesomearticlesofyourfaithinwhichwedoctorsdon’tbelieve。Forexample，wedon’tbelievethatareasonablemanisjustifiedinattachingasupernaturalinterpretationtoanyphenomenonwhichcomeswithintherangeofhissenses，untilhehascertainlyascertainedthatthereisnosuchthingasanaturalexplanationofittobefoundinthefirstinstance。”

“Come;that’sfairenough，I’msure。”exclaimedAllan。“Hehityouhardwiththe’dissecting-knife，’doctor;andnowyouhavehithimbackagainwithyour’naturalexplanation。’Let’shaveit。”

“Byallmeans。”saidMr。Hawbury。“Hereitis。Thereisnothingatallextraordinaryinmytheoryofdreams:itisthetheoryacceptedbythegreatmassofmyprofession。Adreamisthereproduction，inthesleepingstateofthebrain，ofimagesandimpressionsproducedonitinthewakingstate;andthisreproductionismoreorlessinvolved，imperfect，orcontradictory，astheactionofcertainfacultiesinthedreameriscontrolledmoreorlesscompletelybytheinfluenceofsleep。

Withoutinquiringfurtherintothislatterpartofthesubject——averycuriousandinterestingpartofit——letustakethetheory，roughlyandgenerally，asIhavejuststatedit，andapplyitatoncetothedreamnowunderconsideration。”Hetookupthewrittenpaperfromthetable，anddroppedtheformaltone(asofalectureraddressinganaudience)intowhichhehadinsensiblyfallen。“Iseeoneeventalreadyinthisdream。”heresumed，“whichIknowtobethereproductionofawakingimpressionproducedonMr。Armadaleinmyownpresence。Ifhewillonlyhelpmebyexertinghismemory，Idon’tdespairoftracingbackthewholesuccessionofeventssetdownheretosomethingthathehassaidorthought，orseenordone，inthefour-and-twentyhours，orless，whichprecededhisfallingasleeponthedeckofthetimber-ship。”

“I’llexertmymemorywiththegreatestpleasure。”saidAllan。

“Whereshallwestartfrom？”

“Startbytellingmewhatyoudidyesterday，beforeImetyouandyourfriendontheroadtothisplace。”repliedMr。Hawbury。“Wewillsay，yougotupandhadyourbreakfast。Whatnext？”

“Wetookacarriagenext。”saidAllan，“anddrovefromCastletowntoDouglastoseemyoldfriend，Mr。Brock，offbythesteamertoLiverpool。WecamebacktoCastletown。andseparatedatthehoteldoor。

Midwinterwentintothehouse，andIwentontomyyachtintheharbor——By-the-bye，doctor;rememberyouhavepromisedtogocruisingwithusbeforeweleavetheIsleofMan。”

“Manythanks;butsupposewekeeptothematterinhand。Whatnext？”

Allanhesitated。Inbothsensesofthewordhismindwasatseaalready。

“Whatdidyoudoonboardtheyacht？”

“Oh，Iknow！Iputthecabintorights——thoroughlytorights。I

giveyoumywordofhonor，Iturnedeveryblessedthingtopsy-turvy。Andmyfriendtherecameoffinashore-boatandhelpedme——Talkingofboats，Ihaveneveraskedyouyetwhetheryourboatcametoanyharmlastnight。Ifthere’sanydamagedone，Iinsistonbeingallowedtorepairit。”

ThedoctorabandonedallfurtherattemptsatthecultivationofAllan’smemoryindespair。

“Idoubtifweshallbeabletoreachourobjectconvenientlyinthisway。”hesaid。“Itwillbebettertotaketheeventsofthedreamintheirregularorder，andtoaskthequestionsthatnaturallysuggestthemselvesaswegoon。Herearethefirsttwoeventstobeginwith。Youdreamthatyourfatherappearstoyou——thatyouandhefindyourselvesinthecabinofaship——thatthewaterrisesoveryou，andthatyousinkinittogether。Wereyoudowninthecabinofthewreck，mayIask？”

“Icouldn’tbedownthere。”repliedAllan，“asthecabinwasfullofwater。Ilookedinandsawit，andshutthedooragain。”

“Verygood。”saidMr。Hawbury。“Herearethewakingimpressionsclearenough，sofar。Youhavehadthecabininyourmind;andyouhavehadthewaterinyourmind;andthesoundofthechannelcurrent(asIwellknowwithoutasking)wasthelastsoundinyourearswhenyouwenttosleep。Theideaofdrowningcomestoonaturallyoutofsuchimpressionsasthesetoneeddwellingon。

Isthereanythingelsebeforewegoon？Yes;thereisonemorecircumstancelefttoaccountfor。”

“Themostimportantcircumstanceofall。”remarkedMidwinter，joiningintheconversation，withoutstirringfromhisplaceatthewindow。

“YoumeantheappearanceofMr。Armadale’sfather？Iwasjustcomingtothat。”answeredMr。Hawbury。“Isyourfatheralive？”headded，addressinghimselftoAllanoncemore。

“MyfatherdiedbeforeIwasborn。”

Thedoctorstarted。“Thiscomplicatesitalittle。”hesaid。“Howdidyouknowthatthefigureappearingtoyouinthedreamwasthefigureofyourfather？”

Allanhesitatedagain。Midwinterdrewhischairalittleawayfromthewindow，andlookedatthedoctorattentivelyforthefirsttime。

“Wasyourfatherinyourthoughtsbeforeyouwenttosleep？”

pursuedMr。Hawbury。“Wasthereanydescriptionofhim——anyportraitofhimathome——inyourmind？”

“Ofcoursetherewas！“criedAllan，suddenlyseizingthelostrecollection。“Midwinter！youremembertheminiatureyoufoundonthefloorofthecabinwhenwewereputtingtheyachttorights？

YousaidIdidn’tseemtovalueit;andItoldyouIdid，becauseitwasaportraitofmyfather——“

“Andwasthefaceinthedreamlikethefaceintheminiature？”

askedMr。Hawbury。

“Exactlylike！Isay，doctor，thisisbeginningtogetinteresting！“

“Whatdoyousaynow？”askedMr。Hawbury，turningtowardthewindowagain。

Midwinterhurriedlylefthischair，andplacedhimselfatthetablewithAllan。JustashehadoncealreadytakenrefugefromthetyrannyofhisownsuperstitioninthecomfortablecommonsenseofMr。Brock，so，withthesameheadlongeagerness，withthesamestraightforwardsincerityofpurpose，henowtookrefugeinthedoctor’stheoryofdreams。“Isaywhatmyfriendsays。”heanswered，flushingwithasuddenenthusiasm;“thisisbeginningtogetinteresting。Goon;praygoon。”

Thedoctorlookedathisstrangeguestmoreindulgentlythanhehadlookedyet。“YouaretheonlymysticIhavemetwith。”hesaid，“whoiswillingtogivefairevidencefairplay。Idon’tdespairofconvertingyoubeforeourinquirycomestoanend。Letusgetontothenextsetofevents。”heresumed，afterreferringforamomenttothemanuscript。“Theintervalofoblivionwhichisdescribedassucceedingthefirstoftheappearancesinthedreammaybeeasilydisposedof。Itmeans，inplainEnglish，themomentarycessationofthebrain’sintellectualaction，whileadeeperwaveofsleepflowsoverit，justasthesenseofbeingaloneinthedarkness，whichfollows，indicatestherenewalofthataction，previoustothereproductionofanothersetofimpressions。Letusseewhattheyare。Alonelypool，surroundedbyanopencountry;asunsetskyonthefurthersideofthepool;

andtheshadowofawomanonthenearside。Verygood;nowforit，Mr。Armadale！Howdidthatpoolgetintoyourhead？TheopencountryyousawonyourwayfromCastletowntothisplaceButwehavenopoolsorlakeshereabouts;andyoucanhaveseennonerecentlyelsewhere，foryoucamehereafteracruiseatsea。Mustwefallbackonapicture，orabook，oraconversationwithyourfriend？”

AllanlookedatMidwinter。“Idon’tremembertalkingaboutpoolsorlakes。”hesaid。“Doyou？”

Insteadofansweringthequestion，Midwintersuddenlyappealedtothedoctor。

“HaveyougotthelastnumberoftheManxnewspaper？”heasked。

Thedoctorproduceditfromthesideboard。Midwinterturnedtothepagecontainingthoseextractsfromtherecentlypublished“TravelsinAustralia。”whichhadrousedAllan’s，interestonthepreviousevening，andthereadingofwhichhadendedbysendinghisfriendtosleep。There——inthepassagedescribingthesufferingsofthetravelersfromthirst，andthesubsequentdiscoverywhichsavedtheirlives——there，appearingattheclimaxofthenarrative，wasthebroadpoolofwaterwhichhadfiguredinAllan’sdream！

“Don’tputawaythepaper。”saidthedoctor，whenMidwinterhadshownittohim，withthenecessaryexplanation。“Beforeweareattheendoftheinquiry，itisquitepossiblewemaywantthatextractagain。Wehavegotatthepool。Howaboutthesunset？

Nothingofthatsortisreferredtointhenewspaperextract。

Searchyourmemoryagain，Mr。Armadale;wewantyourwakingimpressionofasunset，ifyouplease。”

Oncemore，Allanwasatalossforananswer;and，oncemore，Midwinter’sreadymemoryhelpedhimthroughthedifficulty。

“IthinkIcantraceourwaybacktothisimpression，asItracedourwaybacktotheother。”hesaid，addressingthedoctor。

“Afterwegothereyesterdayafternoon，myfriendandItookalongwalkoverthehills——“

“That’sit！“interposedAllan。“Iremember。Thesunwassettingaswecamebacktothehotelforsupper，anditwassuchasplendidredsky，webothstoppedtolookatit。AndthenwetalkedaboutMr。Brock，andwonderedhowfarhehadgotonhisjourneyhome。Mymemorymaybeaslowoneatstarting，doctor;

butwhenit’soncesetgoing，stopitifyoucan！Ihaven’thalfdoneyet。”

“Waitoneminute，inmercytoMr。Midwinter’smemoryandmine。”

saidthedoctor。“Wehavetracedbacktoyourwakingimpressionsthevisionoftheopencountry，thepool，andthesunset。ButtheShadowoftheWomanhasnotbeenaccountedforyet。Canyoufindustheoriginalofthismysteriousfigureinthedreamlandscape？”

Allanrelapsedintohisformerperplexity，andMidwinterwaitedforwhatwastocome，withhiseyesfixedinbreathlessinterestonthedoctor’sface。Forthefirsttimetherewasunbrokensilenceintheroom。Mr。HawburylookedinterrogativelyfromAllantoAllan’sfriend。Neitherofthemansweredhim。Betweentheshadowandtheshadow’ssubstancetherewasagreatgulfofmystery，impenetrablealiketoallthreeofthem。

“Patience。”saidthedoctor，composedly。“Letusleavethefigurebythepoolforthepresentandtryifwecan’tpickherupagainaswegoon。Allowmetoobserve，Mr。Midwinter，thatitisnotveryeasytoidentifyashadow;butwewon’tdespair。Thisimpalpableladyofthelakemaytakesomeconsistencywhenwenextmeetwithher。”

Midwintermadenoreply。Fromthatmomenthisinterestintheinquirybegantoflag。

“Whatisthenextsceneinthedream？”pursuedMr。Hawbury，referringtothemanuscript。“Mr。Armadalefindshimselfinaroom。Heisstandingbeforealongwindowopeningonalawnandflower-garden，andtherainispatteringagainsttheglass。Theonlythingheseesintheroomisalittlestatue;andtheonlycompanyhehasistheShadowofaManstandingoppositetohim。

TheShadowstretchesoutitsarm，andthestatuefallsinfragmentsonthefloor;andthedreamer，inangeranddistressatthecatastrophe(observe，gentlemen，thatherethesleeper’sreasoningfacultywakesupalittle，andthedreampassesrationally，foramoment，fromcausetoeffect)，stoopstolookatthebrokenpieces。Whenhelooksupagain，thescenehasvanished。Thatistosay，intheebbandflowofsleep，itistheturnoftheflownow，andthebrainrestsalittle。What’sthematter，Mr。Armadale？Hasthatrestivememoryofyoursrunawaywithyouagain？”

“Yes。”saidAllan。“I’moffatfullgallop。I’verunthebrokenstatuetoearth;it’snothingmorenorlessthanachinashepherdessIknockedoffthemantel-pieceinthehotelcoffee-room，whenIrangthebellforsupperlastnight。Isay，howwellwegeton;don’twe？It’slikeguessingariddle。Now，then，Midwinter！yourturnnext。”

“No！“saidthedoctor。“Myturn，ifyouplease。Iclaimthelongwindow，thegarden，andthelawn，asmyproperty。Youwillfindthelongwindow，Mr。Armadale，inthenextroom。Ifyoulookout，you’llseethegardenandlawninfrontofit;and，ifyou’llexertthatwonderfulmemoryofyours，youwillrecollectthatyouweregoodenoughtotakespecialandcomplimentarynoticeofmysmartFrenchwindowandmyneatgarden，whenIdroveyouandyourfriendtoPortSt。Maryyesterday。”

“Quiteright。”rejoinedAllan;“soIdid。Butwhatabouttherainthatfellinthedream？Ihaven’tseenadropofrainforthelastweek。”

Mr。Hawburyhesitated。TheManxnewspaperwhichhadbeenleftonthetablecaughthiseye。“Ifwecanthinkofnothingelse。”hesaid，“letustryifwecan’tfindtheideaoftherainwherewefoundtheideaofthepool。”Helookedthroughtheextractcarefully。“Ihavegotit！“heexclaimed。“HereisraindescribedashavingfallenonthesethirstyAustraliantravelers，beforetheydiscoveredthepool。Beholdtheshower，Mr。Armadale，whichgotintoyourmindwhenyoureadtheextracttoyourfriendlastnight！Andbeholdthedream，Mr。Midwinter，mixingupseparatewakingimpressionsjustasusual！“

“Canyoufindthewakingimpressionwhichaccountsforthehumanfigureatthewindow？”askedMidwinter;“orarewetopassovertheShadowoftheManaswehavepassedovertheShadowoftheWomanalready？”

Heputthequestionwithscrupulouscourtesyofmanner，butwithatoneofsarcasminhisvoicewhichcaughtthedoctor’sear，andsetupthedoctor’scontroversialbristlesontheinstant。