第11章

Withthisformidableannouncement，theoldladyopenedaprodigiousleatherbag，fromwhichsheneverpartednightorday，andtookoutanear-trumpetoftheold-fashionedkind——somethingbetweenakey-bugleandaFrenchhorn。“Idon’tcaretousethethinggenerally。”explainedMrs。Pentecost，“becauseI’mafraidofitsmakingmedeaferthanever。ButIcan’tandwon’tmissthemusic。Idoteonmusic。Ifyou’llholdtheotherend，Sammy，I’llstickitinmyear。

Neelie，mydear，tellhimtobegin。”

YoungPedgiftwastroubledwithnonervoushesitation。Hebeganatonce，notwithsongsofthelightandmodernkind，suchasmighthavebeenexpectedfromanamateurofhisageandcharacter，butwithdeclamatoryandpatrioticburstsofpoetry，settotheboldandblatantmusicwhichthepeopleofEnglandloveddearlyattheearlierpartofthepresentcentury，andwhich，whenevertheycangetit，theylovedearlystill。“TheDeathofMarmion。”“TheBattleoftheBaltic。”“TheBayofBiscay。”“Nelson。”undervariousvocalaspects，asexhibitedbythelateBraham——thesewerethesongsinwhichtheroaringconcertinaandstridenttenorofGustusJuniorexultedtogether。

“Tellmewhenyou’retired，ladiesandgentlemen。”saidtheminstrelsolicitor。“There’snoconceitabout_me。_Willyouhavealittlesentimentbywayofvariety？ShallIwindupwith’TheMistletoeBough’and’PoorMaryAnne’？”

Havingfavoredhisaudiencewiththosetwocheerfulmelodies，youngPedgiftrespectfullyrequestedtherestofthecompanytofollowhisvocalexampleinturn，offering，ineverycase，toplay“arunningaccompaniment“impromptu，ifthesingerwouldonlybesoobligingastofavorhimwiththekey-note。

“Goon，somebody！“criedMrs。Pentecost，eagerly。“Itellyouagain，Idoteonmusic。Wehaven’thadhalfenoughyet，havewe，Sammy？”

TheReverendSamuelmadenoreply。Theunhappymanhadreasonsofhisown——notexactlyinhisbosom，butalittlelower——forremainingsilent，inthemidstofthegeneralhilarityandthegeneralapplause。Alasforhumanity！Evenmaternalloveisalloyedwithmortalfallibility。Owingmuchalreadytohisexcellentmother，theReverendSamuelwasnowadditionallyindebtedtoherforasmartindigestion。

Nobody，however，noticedasyetthesignsandtokensofinternalrevolutioninthecurate’sface。Everybodywasoccupiedinentreatingeverybodyelsetosing。MissMilroyappealedtothefounderofthefeast。“Dosingsomething，Mr。Armadale。”shesaid;“Ishouldsoliketohearyou！“

“Ifyouoncebegin，sir。”addedthecheerfulPedgift，“you’llfinditgetuncommonlyeasyasyougoon。Musicisasciencewhichrequirestobetakenbythethroatatstarting。”

“Withallmyheart。”saidAllan，inhisgood-humoredway。“Iknowlotsoftunes，buttheworstofitis，thewordsescapeme。I

wonderifIcanrememberoneofMoore’sMelodies？MypoormotherusedtobefondofteachingmeMoore’sMelodieswhenIwasaboy。”

“Whosemelodies？”askedMrs。Pentecost。“Moore’s？Aha！IknowTomMooreheart。”

“Perhapsinthatcaseyouwillhegoodenoughtohelpme，ma’am，ifmymemorybreaksdown。”rejoinedAllan。“I’lltaketheeasiestmelodyinthewholecollection，ifyou’llallowme。Everybodyknowsit——’Eveleen’sBower。’“

“I’mfamiliar，inageneralsortofway，withthenationalmelodiesofEngland，Scotland，andIreland。”saidPedgiftJunior。

“I’llaccompanyyou，sir，withthegreatestpleasure。Thisisthesortofthing，Ithink。”Heseatedhimselfcross-leggedontheroofofthecabin，andburstintoacomplicatedmusicalimprovisationwonderfultohear——amixtureofinstrumentalflourishesandgroans;ajigcorrectedbyadirge，andadirgeenlivenedbyajig。“That’sthesortofthing。”saidyoungPedgift，withhissmileofsupremeconfidence。“Fireaway，sir！“

Mrs。Pentecostelevatedhertrumpet，andAllanelevatedhisvoice。“Oh，weepforthehourwhentoEveleen’sBower——“Hestopped;theaccompanimentstopped;theaudiencewaited。“It’samostextraordinarything。”saidAllan;“IthoughtIhadthenextlineonthetipofmytongue，anditseemstohaveescapedme。

I’llbeginagain，ifyouhavenoobjection。’Oh，weepforthehourwhentoEveleen’sBower——’“

“’Thelordofthevalleywithfalsevowscame，’“saidMrs。

Pentecost。

“Thankyou，ma’am。”saidAllan。“NowIshallgetonsmoothly。

’Oh，weepforthehourwhentoEveleen’sBower，thelordofthevalleywithfalsevowscame。Themoonwasshiningbright——’“

“No！“saidMrs。Pentecost。

“Ibegyourpardon，ma’am。”remonstratedAllan。“’Themoonwas。

shiningbright——’“

“Themoonwasn’tdoinganythingofthekind。”saidMrs。

Pentecost。

PedgiftJunior，foreseeingadispute，persevered_sottovoce_

withtheaccompaniment，intheinterestsofharmony。

“Moore’sownwords，ma’am。”saidAllan，“inmymother’scopyoftheMelodies。”

“Yourmother’scopywaswrong。”retortedMrs。Pentecost。“Didn’tItellyoujustnowthatIknewTomMoorebyheart？”

PedgiftJunior’speace-makingconcertinastillflourishedandgroanedintheminorkey。

“Well，what_did_themoondo？”askedAllan，indespair。

“Whatthemoon_ought_tohavedone，sir，orTomMoorewouldn’thavewrittenitso。”rejoinedMrs。Pentecost。“’Themoonhidherlightfromtheheaventhatnight，andweptbehindhercloudso’erthemaiden’sshame！’Iwishthatyoungmanwouldleaveoffplaying。”addedMrs。Pentecost，ventingherrisingirritationonGustusJunior。“I’vehadenoughofhim——heticklesmyears。”

“Proud，I’msure，ma’am。”saidtheunblushingPedgift。“Thewholescienceofmusicconsistsinticklingtheears。”

“Weseemtobedriftingintoasortofargument。”remarkedMajorMilroy，placidly。“Wouldn’titbebetterifMr。Armadalewentonwithhissong？”

“Dogoon，Mr。Armadale！“addedthemajor’sdaughter。“Dogoon，Mr。Pedgift！“

“Oneofthemdoesn’tknowthewords，andtheotherdoesn’tknowthemusic。”saidMrs。Pentecost。“Letthemgooniftheycan！“

“Sorrytodisappointyou，ma’am。”saidPedgiftJunior;“I’mreadytogoonmyselftoanyextent。Now，Mr。Armadale！“

Allanopenedhislipstotakeuptheunfinishedmelodywherehehadlastleftit。Beforehecouldutteranote，thecuratesuddenlyrose，withaghastlyface，andahandpressedconvulsivelyoverthemiddleregionofhiswaistcoat。

“What’sthematter？”criedthewholeboatingpartyinchorus。

“Iamexceedinglyunwell。”saidtheReverendSamuelPentecost。

Theboatwasinstantlyinastateofconfusion。“Eveleen’sBower“

expiredonAllan’slips，andeventheirrepressibleconcertinaofPedgiftwassilencedatlast。Thealarmprovedtobequiteneedless。Mrs。Pentecost’ssonpossessedamother，andthatmotherhadabag。Intwosecondstheartofmedicineoccupiedtheplaceleftvacantintheattentionofthecompanybytheartofmusic。

“Rubitgently，Sammy。”saidMrs。Pentecost。“I’llgetoutthebottlesandgiveyouadose。It’shispoorstomach，major。Holdmytrumpet，somebody——andstoptheboat。Youtakethatbottle，Neelie，mydear;andyoutakethisone，Mr。Armadale;andgivethemtomeasIwantthem。Ah，poordear，Iknowwhat’sthematterwithhim！Wantofpower_here，_major——cold，acid，andflabby。Gingertowarmhim;sodatocorrecthim;salvolatiletoholdhimup。There，Sammy！drinkitbeforeitsettles;andthengoandliedown，mydear，inthatdog-kennelofaplacetheycallthecabin。Nomoremusic！“addedMrs。Pentecost，shakingherforefingerattheproprietoroftheconcertina——“unlessit’sahymn，andthatIdon’tobjectto。”

Nobodyappearingtobeinafitframeofmindforsingingahymn，theall-accomplishedPedgiftdrewuponhisstoresoflocalknowledge，andproducedanewidea。Thecourseoftheboatwasimmediatelychangedunderhisdirection。Inafewminutesmore，thecompanyfoundthemselvesinalittleislandcreek，withalonelycottageatthefarendofit，andaperfectforestofreedsclosingtheviewallroundthem。“Whatdoyousay，ladiesandgentlemen，tosteppingonshoreandseeingwhatareed-cutter’scottagelookslike？”suggestedyoungPedgift。

“Wesayyes，tobesure。”answeredAllan。“IthinkourspiritshavebeenalittledashedbyMr。Pentecost’sillnessandMrs。

Pentecost’sbag。”headded，inawhispertoMissMilroy。“A

changeofthissortistheverythingwewanttosetusallgoingagain。”

HeandyoungPedgifthandedMissMilroyoutoftheboat。Themajorfollowed。Mrs。PentecostsatimmovableastheEgyptianSphinx，withherbagonherknees，mountingguardover“Sammy“inthecabin。

“Wemustkeepthefungoing，sir。”saidAllan，ashehelpedthemajoroverthesideoftheboat。“Wehaven’thalfdoneyetwiththeenjoymentoftheday。”

HisvoicesecondedhisheartybeliefinhisownpredictiontosuchgoodpurposethatevenMrs。Pentecostheardhim，andominouslyshookherhead。

“Ah！“sighedthecurate’smother，“ifyouwereasoldasIam，younggentleman，youwouldn’tfeelquitesosureoftheenjoymentoftheday！“

So，inrebukeoftherashnessofyouth，spokethecautionofage。

Thenegativeviewisnotoriouslythesafeview，alltheworldover，andthePentecostphilosophyis，asanecessaryconsequence，generallyintheright。

CHAPTERIX。

FATEORCHANCE？

ITwascloseonsixo’clockwhenAllanandhisfriendslefttheboat，andtheeveninginfluencewascreepingalready，initsmysteryanditsstillness，overthewaterysolitudeoftheBroads。

Theshoreinthesewildregionswasnotliketheshoreelsewhere。

Firmasitlooked，thegardengroundinfrontofthereed-cutter’scottagewasfloatingground，thatroseandfellandoozedintopuddlesunderthepressureofthefoot。Theboatmenwhoguidedthevisitorswarnedthemtokeeptothepath，andpointedthroughgapsinthereedsandpollardstograssyplaces，onwhichstrangerswouldhavewalkedconfidently，wherethecrustofearthwasnotstrongenoughtobeartheweightofachildovertheunfathomeddepthsofslimeandwaterbeneath。Thesolitarycottage，builtofplankspitchedblack，stoodongroundthathadbeensteadiedandstrengthenedbyrestingitonpiles。Alittlewoodentowerroseatoneendoftheroof，andservedasalookoutpostinthefowlingseason。Fromthiselevationtheeyerangedfarandwideoverawildernessofwindingwaterandlonesomemarsh。Ifthereed-cutterhadlosthisboat，hewouldhavebeenascompletelyisolatedfromallcommunicationwithtownorvillageasifhisplaceofabodehadbeenalight-vesselinsteadofacottage。Neitherhenorhisfamilycomplainedoftheirsolitude，orlookedinanywaytherougherortheworseforit。

Hiswifereceivedthevisitorshospitably，inasnuglittleroom，witharafteredceiling，andwindowswhichlookedlikewindowsinacabinonboardship。Hiswife’sfathertoldstoriesofthefamousdayswhenthesmugglerscameupfromtheseaatnight，rowingthroughthenet-workofriverswithmuffledoarstilltheygainedthelonelyBroads，andsanktheirspiritcasksinthewater，farfromthecoast-guard’sreach。Hiswildlittlechildrenplayedathide-and-seekwiththevisitors;andthevisitorsrangedinandoutofthecottage，androundandroundthemorseloffirmearthonwhichitstood，surprisedanddelightedbythenoveltyofalltheysaw。Theonepersonwhonoticedtheadvanceoftheevening——theonepersonwhothoughtoftheflyingtimeandthestationaryPentecostsintheboat——wasyoungPedgift。ThatexperiencedpilotoftheBroadslookedaskanceathiswatch，anddrewAllanasideatthefirstopportunity。

“Idon’twishtohurryyou，Mr。Armadale。”saidPedgiftJunior;

“butthetimeisgettingon，andthere’saladyinthecase。“

“Alady？”repeatedAllan。

“Yes，sir。”rejoinedyoungPedgift。“AladyfromLondon;

connected(ifyou’llallowmetojogyourmemory)withapony-chaiseandwhiteharness。”

“Goodheavens，thegoverness！“criedAllan。“Why，wehaveforgottenallabouther！“

“Don’tbealarmed，sir;there’splentyoftime，ifweonlygetintotheboatagain。Thisishowitstands，Mr。Armadale。Wesettled，ifyouremember，tohavethegypsytea-makingatthenext’Broad’tothis——HurleMere？”

“Certainly。”saidAllan。“HurleMereistheplacewheremyfriendMidwinterhaspromisedtocomeandmeetus。”

“HurleMereiswherethegovernesswillbe，sir，ifyourcoachmanfollowsmydirections。”pursuedyoungPedgift。“Wehavegotnearlyanhour’spuntingtodo，alongthetwistsandturnsofthenarrowwaters(whichtheycallTheSoundshere)betweenthisandHurleMere;andaccordingtomycalculationswemustgetonboardagaininfiveminutes，ifwearetobeintimetomeetthegovernessandtomeetyourfriend。”

“Wemustn’tmissmyfriendonanyaccount。”saidAllan;“orthegoverness，either，ofcourse。I’lltellthemajor。”

MajorMilroywasatthatmomentpreparingtomountthewoodenwatch-towerofthecottagetoseetheview。TheeverusefulPedgiftvolunteeredtogoupwithhim，andrattleoffallthenecessarylocalexplanationsinhalfthetimewhichthereed-cutterwouldoccupyindescribinghisownneighborhoodtoastranger。

Allanremainedstandinginfrontofthecottage，morequietandmorethoughtfulthanusual。HisinterviewwithyoungPedgifthadbroughthisabsentfriendtohismemoryforthefirsttimesincethepicnicpartyhadstarted。HewassurprisedthatMidwinter，somuchinhisthoughtsonallotheroccasions，shouldhavebeensolongoutofhisthoughtsnow。Somethingtroubledhim，likeasenseofself-reproach，ashismindrevertedtothefaithfulfriendathome，toilinghardoverthesteward’sbooks，inhisinterestsandforhissake。“Dearoldfellow。”thoughtAllan，“I

shallbesogladtoseehimattheMere;theday’spleasurewon’tbecompletetillhejoinsus！“

“ShouldIberightorwrong，Mr。Armadale，ifIguessedthatyouwerethinkingofsomebody？”askedavoice，softly，behindhim。

Allanturned，andfoundthemajor誷daughterathisside。MissMilroy(notunmindfulofacertaintenderinterviewwhichhadtakenplacebehindacarriage)hadnoticedheradmirerstandingthoughtfullybyhimself，andhaddeterminedongivinghimanotheropportunity，whileherfatherandyoungPedgiftwereatthetopofthewatch-tower。

“Youknoweverything。”saidAllan，smiling。“I_was_thinkingofsomebody。”

MissMilroystoleaglanceathim——aglanceofgentleencouragement。TherecouldbebutonehumancreatureinMr。

Armadale’smindafterwhathadpassedbetweenthemthatmorning！

Itwouldbeonlyanactofmercytotakehimbackagainatoncetotheinterruptedconversationofafewhourssinceonthesubjectofnames。

“Ihavebeanthinkingofsomebody，too。”shesaid，half-inviting，half-repellingthecomingavowal。“IfItellyouthefirstletterofmySomebody’sname，willyoutellmethefirstletterofyours？”

“Iwilltellyouanythingyoulike。”rejoinedAllan，withtheutmostenthusiasm。

Shestillshrankcoquettishlyfromtheverysubjectthatshewantedtoapproach。“Tellmeyourletterfirst。”shesaid，inlowtones，lookingawayfromhim。

Allanlaughed。“M。”hesaid，“ismyfirstletter。”

Shestartedalittle。StrangethatheshouldbethinkingofherbyhersurnameinsteadofherChristianname;butitmatteredlittleaslongashe_was_thinkingofher。

“Whatisyourletter？”askedAllan。

Sheblushedandsmiled。“A——ifyouwillhaveit！“sheanswered，inareluctantlittlewhisper。Shestoleanotherlookathim，andluxuriouslyprotractedherenjoymentofthecomingavowaloncemore。“Howmanysyllablesisthenamein？”sheasked，drawingpatternsshylyonthegroundwiththeendoftheparasol。

Nomanwiththeslightestknowledgeofthesexwouldhavebeenrashenough，inAllan’sposition，totellherthetruth。Allan，whoknewnothingwhateverofwoman’snatures，andwhotoldthetruthrightandleftinallmortalemergencies，answeredasifhehadbeenunderexaminationinacourtofjustice。

“It’sanameinthreesyllables。”hesaid。

MissMilroy’sdowncasteyesflashedupathimlikelightning。

“Three！“sherepeatedintheblankestastonishment。

Allanwastooinveteratelystraightforwardtotakethewarningevennow。“I’mnotstrongatmyspelling，Iknow。”hesaid，withhislightheartedlaugh。“ButIdon’tthinkI’mwrong，incallingMidwinteranameinthreesyllables。Iwasthinkingofmyfriend;butnevermindmythoughts。TellmewhoAis——tellmewhom_you_werethinkingof？”

“Ofthefirstletterofthealphabet，Mr。Armadale，andIbegpositivelytoinformyouofnothingmore！“

Withthatannihilatinganswerthemajor’sdaughterputupherparasolandwalkedbackbyherselftotheboat。

Allanstoodpetrifiedwithamazement。IfMissMilroyhadactuallyboxedhisears(andthereisnodenyingthatshehadprivatelylongedtodevoteherhandtothatpurpose)，hecouldhardlyhavefeltmorebewilderedthanhefeltnow。“WhatonearthhaveI

done？”heaskedhimself，helplessly，asthemajorandyoungPedgiftjoinedhim，andthethreewalkeddowntogethertothewater-side。“Iwonderwhatshe’llsaytomenext？”

Shesaidabsolutelynothing;sheneversomuchaslookedatAllanwhenhetookhisplaceintheboat。Thereshesat，withhereyesandhercomplexionbothmuchbrighterthanusual，takingthedeepestinterestinthecurate’sprogresstowardrecovery;inthestateofMrs。Pentecost’sspirits;inPedgiftJunior(forwhomsheostentatiouslymaderoomenoughtolethimsitbesideher);

inthesceneryandthereed-cutter’scottage;ineverybodyandeverythingbutAllan——whomshewouldhavemarriedwiththegreatestpleasurefiveminutessince。“I’llneverforgivehim。”

thoughtthemajor’sdaughter。“Tobethinkingofthatill-bredwretchwhenIwasthinkingof_him;_andtomakemeallbutconfessitbeforeIfoundhimout！ThankHeaven，Mr。Pedgiftisintheboat！“

InthisframeofmindMissNeelieappliedherselfforthwithtothefascinationofPedgiftandthediscomfitureofAllan。“Oh，Mr。Pedgift，howextremelycleverandkindofyoutothinkofshowingusthatsweetcottage！Lonely，Mr。Armadale？Idon’tthinkit’slonelyatall;Ishouldlikeofallthingstolivethere。Whatwouldthispicnichavebeenwithoutyou，Mr。Pedgift;

youcan’tthinkhowIhaveenjoyeditsincewegotintotheboat。

Cool，Mr。Armadale？Whatcanyoupossiblymeanbysayingit’scool;it’sthewarmesteveningwe’vehadthissummer。Andthemusic，Mr。Pedgift;howniceitwasofyoutobringyourconcertina！IwonderifIcouldaccompanyyouonthepiano？I

wouldsoliketotry。Oh，yes，Mr。Armadale，nodoubtyoumeanttodosomethingmusical，too，andIdaresayyousingverywellwhenyouknowthewords;but，totellyouthetruth，Ialwaysdid，andalwaysshall，hateMoore’sMelodies！“

Thus，withmercilessdexterityofmanipulation，didMissMilroyworkthatsharpestfemaleweaponofoffense，thetongue;andthusshewouldhaveuseditforsometimelonger，ifAllanhadonlyshownthenecessaryjealousy，orifPedgifthadonlyaffordedthenecessaryencouragement。Butadversefortunehaddecreedthatsheshouldselectforhervictimstwomenessentiallyunassailableunderexistingcircumstances。Allanwastooinnocentofallknowledgeoffemalesubtletiesandsusceptibilitiestounderstandanything，exceptthatthecharmingNeeliewasunreasonablyoutoftemperwithhimwithouttheslightestcause。ThewaryPedgift，asbecameoneofthequick-wittedyouthofthepresentgeneration，submittedtofemaleinfluence，withhiseyefixedimmovablyallthetimeonhisowninterests。Manyayoungmanofthepastgeneration，whowasnofool，hassacrificedeverythingforlove。

Notoneyoungmanintenthousandofthepresentgeneration，_except_thefools，hassacrificedahalf-penny。ThedaughtersofEvestillinherittheirmother’smeritsandcommittheirmother’sfaults。ButthesonsofAdam，intheselatterdays，aremenwhowouldhavehandedthefamousapplebackwithabow，anda“Thanks，no;itmightgetmeintoascrape。”WhenAllan——surprisedanddisappointed——movedawayoutofMissMilroy’sreachtotheforwardpartoftheboat，PedgiftJuniorroseandfollowedhim。“You’reaverynicegirl。”thoughtthisshrewdlysensibleyoungman;“butaclient’saclient;andIamsorrytoinformyou，miss，itwon’tdo。”HesethimselfatoncetorouseAllan’sspiritsbydivertinghisattentiontoanewsubject。TherewastobearegattathatautumnononeoftheBroads，andhisclient’sopinionasayachtsmanmightbevaluabletothecommittee。“Somethingnew，Ishouldthink，toyou，sir，inasailingmatchonfreshwater？”hesaid，inhismostingratiatorymanner。AndAllan，instantlyinterested，answered，“Quitenew。Dotellmeaboutit！“

Asfortherestofthepartyattheotherendoftheboat，theywereinafairwaytoconfirmMrs。Pentecost’sdoubtswhetherthehilarityofthepicnicwouldlastthedayout。PoorNeelie’snaturalfeelingofirritationunderthedisappointmentwhichAllan’sawkwardnesshadinflictedonherwasnowexasperatedintosilentandsettledresentmentbyherownkeensenseofhumiliationanddefeat。Themajorhadrelapsedintohishabituallydreamy，absentmanner;hismindwasturningmonotonouslywiththewheelsofhisclock。Thecuratestillsecludedhisindigestionfrompublicviewintheinnermostrecessesofthecabin;andthecurate’smother，withaseconddosereadyatamoment’snotice，satonguardatthedoor。WomenofMrs。Pentecost’sageandcharactergenerallyenjoytheirownbadspirits。“This。”sighedtheoldlady，waggingherheadwithasmileofsoursatisfaction“iswhatyoucalladay’spleasure，isit？Ah，whatfoolsweallweretoleaveourcomfortablehomes！“

MeanwhiletheboatfloatedsmoothlyalongthewindingsofthewaterylabyrinthwhichlaybetweenthetwoBroads。Theviewoneithersidewasnowlimitedtonothingbutinterminablerowsofreeds。Notasoundwasheard，farornear;notsomuchasaglimpseofcultivatedorinhabitedlandappearedanywhere。“A

trifledrearyhereabouts，Mr。Armadale。”saidtheever-cheerfulPedgift。“Butwearejustoutofitnow。Lookahead，sir！HereweareatHurleMere。”

Thereedsopenedbackontherighthandandtheleft，andtheboatglidedsuddenlyintothewidecircleofapool。Roundthenearerhalfofthecircle，theeternalreedsstillfringedthemarginofthewater。Roundthefurtherhalf，thelandappearedagain，hererollingbackfromthepoolindesolatesand-hills，thererisingaboveitinasweepofgrassyshore。Atonepointthegroundwasoccupiedbyaplantation，andatanotherbytheout-buildingsofalonelyoldredbrickhouse，withastripofby-roadnear，thatskirtedthegardenwallandendedatthepool。

Thesunwassinkingintheclearheaven，andthewater，wherethesun’sreflectionfailedtotingeit，wasbeginningtolookblackandcold。Thesolitudethathadbeensoothing，thesilencethathadfeltlikeanenchantment，ontheotherBroad，intheday’svigorousprime，wasasolitudethatsaddenedhere——asilencethatstruckcold，inthestillnessandmelancholyoftheday’sdecline。

ThecourseoftheboatwasdirectedacrosstheMeretoacreekinthegrassyshore。Oneortwoofthelittleflat-bottomedpuntspeculiartotheBroadslayinthecreek;andthereedcutterstowhomthepuntsbelonged，surprisedattheappearanceofstrangers，cameout，staringsilently，frombehindanangleoftheoldgardenwall。Notanothersignoflifewasvisibleanywhere。Nopony-chaisehadbeenseenbythereedcutters;nostranger，eithermanorwoman，hadapproachedtheshoresofHurleMerethatday。

YoungPedgifttookanotherlookathiswatch，andaddressedhimselftoMissMilroy。“Youmay，ormaynot，seethegovernesswhenyougetbacktoThorpeAmbrose。”hesaid;“but，asthetimestandsnow，youwon’tseeherhere。Youknowbest，Mr。Armadale。”

headded，turningtoAllan，“whetheryourfriendistobedependedontokeephisappointment？”

“Iamcertainheistobedependedon。”repliedAllan，lookingabouthim——inunconcealeddisappointmentatMidwinter’sabsence。

“Verygood。”pursuedPedgiftJunior。“Ifwelightthefireforourgypsytea-makingontheopengroundthere，yourfriendmayfindusout，sir，bythesmoke。That’stheIndiandodgeforpickingupalostmanontheprairie，MissMilroyandit’sprettynearlywildenough(isn’tit？)tobeaprairiehere！“

Therearesometemptations——principallythoseofthesmallerkind——whichitisnotinthedefensivecapacityoffemalehumannaturetoresist。Thetemptationtodirectthewholeforceofherinfluence，astheoneyoungladyoftheparty，towardtheinstantoverthrowofAllan’sarrangementformeetinghisfriend，wastoomuchforthemajor’sdaughter。SheturnedonthesmilingPedgiftwithalookwhichoughttohaveoverwhelmedhim。Butwhoeveroverwhelmedasolicitor？

“Ithinkit’sthemostlonely，dreary，hideousplaceIeversawinmylife！“saidMissNeelie。“Ifyouinsistonmakingteahere，Mr。Pedgift，don’tmakeanyforme。No！Ishallstopintheboat;

and，thoughIamabsolutelydyingwiththirst，IshalltouchnothingtillwegetbackagaintotheotherBroad！“

Themajoropenedhislipstoremonstrate。Tohisdaughter’sinfinitedelight，Mrs。Pentecostrosefromherseatbeforehecouldsayaword，and，aftersurveyingthewholelandwardprospect，andseeingnothingintheshapeofavehicleanywhere，askedindignantlywhethertheyweregoingallthewaybackagaintotheplacewheretheyhadleftthecarriagesinthemiddleoftheday。Onascertainingthatthiswas，infact，thearrangementproposed，andthat，fromthenatureofthecountry，thecarriagescouldnothavebeenorderedroundtoHurleMerewithout，inthefirstinstance，sendingthemthewholeofthewaybacktoThorpeAmbrose，Mrs。Pentecost(speakinginherson’sinterests)

instantlydeclaredthatnoearthlypowershouldinducehertobeoutonthewaterafterdark。“Callmeaboat！“criedtheoldlady，ingreatagitation。“Whereverthere’swater，there’sanightmist，andwhereverthere’sanightmist，mysonSamuelcatchescold。Don’ttalkto_me_aboutyourmoonlightandyourtea-making——you’reallmad！Hi！youtwomenthere！“criedMrs。

Pentecost，hailingthesilentreedcuttersonshore。“Sixpenceapieceforyou，ifyou’lltakemeandmysonbackinyourboat！“

BeforeyoungPedgiftcouldinterfere，Allanhimselfsettledthedifficultythistime，withperfectpatienceandgoodtemper。

“Ican’tthink，Mrs。Pentecost，ofyourgoingbackinanyboatbuttheboatyouhavecomeoutin。”hesaid。“Thereisnottheleastneed(asyouandMissMilroydon’tliketheplace)foranybodytogoonshoreherebutme。I_must_goonshore。MyfriendMidwinterneverbrokehispromisetomeyet;andIcan’tconsenttoleaveHurleMereaslongasthereisachanceofhiskeepinghisappointment。Butthere’snottheleastreasonintheworldwhyIshouldstandinthewayonthataccount。YouhavethemajorandMr。Pedgifttotakecareofyou;andyoucangetbacktothecarriagesbeforedark，ifyougoatonce。Iwillwaithere，andgivemyfriendhalfanhourmore，andthenIcanfollowyouinoneofthereed-cutters’boats。”

“That’sthemostsensiblething，Mr。Armadale，you’vesaidto-day。”remarkedMrs。Pentecost，seatingherselfagaininaviolenthurry“Tellthemtobequick！“criedtheoldlady，shakingherfistattheboatmen。“Tellthemtobequick！“

Allangavethenecessarydirections，andsteppedonshore。ThewaryPedgift(stickingfasttohisclient)triedtofollow。

“Wecan’tleaveyouherealone，sir。”hesaid，protestingeagerlyinawhisper。“Letthemajortakecareoftheladies，andletmekeepyoucompanyattheMere。”

“No，no！“saidAllan，pressinghimback。“They’reallinlowspiritsonboard。Ifyouwanttobeofservicetome，stoplikeagoodfellowwhereyouare，anddoyourbesttokeepthethinggoing。”

Hewavedhishand，andthemenpushedtheboatofffromtheshore。Theothersallwavedtheirhandsinreturnexceptthemajor’sdaughter，whosatapartfromtherest，withherfacehiddenunderherparasol。ThetearsstoodthickinNeelie’seyes。

HerlastangryfeelingagainstAllandiedout，andherheartwentbacktohimpenitentlythemomenthelefttheboat。“Howgoodheistousall！“shethought，“andwhatawretchIam！“Shegotupwitheverygenerousimpulseinhernatureurginghertomakeatonementtohim。Shegotup，recklessofappearancesandlookedafterhimwitheagereyesandflushedchecks，ashestoodaloneontheshore。“Don’tbelong，Mr。Armadale！“shesaid，withadesperatedisregardofwhattherestofthecompanythoughtofher。

Theboatwasalreadyfaroutinthewater，andwithallNeelie’sresolutionthewordswerespokeninafaintlittlevoice，whichfailedtoreachAllan’sears。Theonesoundheheard，astheboatgainedtheoppositeextremityoftheMere，anddisappearedslowlyamongthereeds，wasthesoundoftheconcertina。TheindefatigablePedgiftwaskeepingthingsgoing——evidentlyundertheauspicesofMrs。Pentecost——byperformingasacredmelody。

Leftbyhimself，Allanlitacigar，andtookaturnbackwardandforwardontheshore。“Shemighthavesaidawordtomeatparting！“hethought。“I’vedoneeverythingforthebest;I’veasgoodastoldherhowfondofherIam，andthisisthewayshetreatsme！“Hestopped，andstoodlookingabsentlyatthesinkingsun，andthefast-darkeningwatersoftheMere。Someinscrutableinfluenceinthesceneforceditswaystealthilyintohismind，anddivertedhisthoughtsfromMissMilroytohisabsentfriend。

Hestarted，andlookedabouthim。

Thereed-cuttershadgonebacktotheirretreatbehindtheangleofthewall，notalivingcreaturewasvisible，notasoundroseanywherealongthedrearyshore。EvenAllan’sspiritsbegantogetdepressed。ItwasnearlyanhourafterthetimewhenMidwinterhadpromisedtobeatHurleMere。Hehadhimselfarrangedtowalktothepool(withastable-boyfromThorpeAmbroseashisguide)，bylanesandfootpathswhichshortenedthedistancebytheroad。Theboyknewthecountrywell，andMidwinterwashabituallypunctualatallhisappointments。HadanythinggonewrongatThorpeAmbrose？Hadsomeaccidenthappenedontheway？Determinedtoremainnolongerdoubtingandidlingbyhimself，AllanmadeuphismindtowalkinlandfromtheMere，onthechanceofmeetinghisfriend。Hewentroundatoncetotheangleinthewall，andaskedoneofthereedcutterstoshowhimthefootpathtoThorpeAmbrose。

Themanledhimawayfromtheroad，andpointedtoabarelyperceptiblebreakintheoutertreesoftheplantation。Afterpausingforonemoreuselesslookaroundhim，AllanturnedhisbackontheMereandmadeforthetrees。

Forafewpaces，thepathranstraightthroughtheplantation。

Thenceittookasuddenturn;andthewaterandtheopencountrybecamebothlosttoview。Allansteadilyfollowedthegrassytrackbeforehim，seeingnothingandhearingnothing，untilhecametoanotherwindingofthepath。Turninginthenewdirection，hesawdimlyahumanfiguresittingaloneatthefootofoneofthetrees。Twostepsnearerwereenoughtomakethefigurefamiliartohim。“Midwinter！“heexclaimed，inastonishment。“ThisisnottheplacewhereIwastomeetyou！

Whatareyouwaitingforhere？”

Midwinterrose，withoutanswering。Theeveningdimnessamongthetrees，whichobscuredhisface，madehissilencedoublyperplexing。

Allanwentoneagerlyquestioninghim。“Didyoucomeherebyyourself？”heasked。“Ithoughttheboywastoguideyou？”

ThistimeMidwinteranswered。“Whenwegotasfarasthesetrees。”hesaid，“Isenttheboyback。HetoldmeIwasclosetotheplace，andcouldn’tmissit。”

“Whatmadeyoustopherewhenheleftyou？”reiteratedAllan。

“Whydidn’tyouwalkon？”

“Don’tdespiseme。”answeredtheother。“Ihadn’tthecourage！“

“Notthecourage？”repeatedAllan。Hepausedamoment。“Oh，I

know！“heresumed，puttinghishandgaylyonMidwinter’sshoulder。“You’restillshyoftheMilroys。Whatnonsense，whenI

toldyoumyselfthatyourpeacewasmadeatthecottage！“

“Iwasn’tthinking，Allan，ofyourfriendsatthecottage。Thetruthis，I’mhardlymyselfto-day。Iamillandunnerved;

triflesstartleme。”Hestopped，andshrankaway，undertheanxiousscrutinyofAllan’seyes。“Ifyou_will_haveit。”heburstout，abruptly，“thehorrorofthatnightonboardtheWreckhasgotmeagain;there’sadreadfuloppressiononmyhead;

there’sadreadfulsinkingatmyheart。Iamafraidofsomethinghappeningtous，ifwedon’tpartbeforethedayisout。Ican’tbreakmypromisetoyou;forGod’ssake，releasemefromit，andletmegoback！“

Remonstrance，toanyonewhoknewMidwinter，wasplainlyuselessatthatmoment。Allanhumoredhim。“Comeoutofthisdark，airlessplace。”hesaid，“andwewilltalkaboutit。Thewaterandtheopenskyarewithinastone’sthrowofus。Ihateawoodintheevening;itevengives_me_thehorrors。Youhavebeenworkingtoohardoverthesteward’sbooks。Comeandbreathefreelyintheblessedopenair。”

Midwinterstopped，consideredforamoment，andsuddenlysubmitted。

“You’reright。”hesaid，“andI’mwrong，asusual。I’mwastingtimeanddistressingyoutonopurpose。Whatfollytoaskyoutoletmegoback！Supposeyouhadsaidyes？”

“Well？”askedAllan。

“Well。”repeatedMidwinter，“somethingwouldhavehappenedatthefirststeptostopme，that’sall。Comeon。”

TheywalkedtogetherinsilenceonthewaytotheMere。

AtthelastturninthepathAllan’scigarwentout。Whilehestoppedtolightitagain，Midwinterwalkedonbeforehim，andwasthefirsttocomeinsightoftheopenground。

Allanhadjustkindledthematch，when，tohissurprise，hisfriendcamebacktohimroundtheturninthepath。Therewaslightenoughtoshowobjectsmoreclearlyinthispartoftheplantation。Thematch，asMidwinterfacedhim，droppedontheinstantfromAllan’shand。

“GoodGod！“hecried，startingback，“youlookasyoulookedonboardtheWreck！“

Midwinterhelduphisbandforsilence。HespokewithhiswildeyesrivetedonAllan’sface，withhiswhitelipscloseatAllan’sear。

“YourememberhowI_looked，_“heanswered，inawhisper。“DoyourememberwhatI_said_whenyouandthedoctorweretalkingoftheDream？”

“IhaveforgottentheDream。”saidAllan。

Ashemadethatanswer，Midwintertookhishand，andledhimroundthelastturninthepath。

“Doyourememberitnow？”heasked，andpointedtotheMere。

Thesunwassinkinginthecloudlesswestwardheaven。ThewatersoftheMerelaybeneath，tingedredbythedyinglight。Theopencountrystretchedaway，darkeningdrearilyalreadyontherighthandandtheleft。Andonthenearmarginofthepool，whereallhadbeensolitudebefore，therenowstood，frontingthesunset，thefigureofawoman。

ThetwoArmadalesstoodtogetherinsilence，andlookedatthelonelyfigureandthedrearyview。

Midwinterwasthefirsttospeak。

“Yourowneyeshaveseenit。”hesaid。“Nowlookatourownwords。”

HeopenedthenarrativeoftheDream，andhelditunderAllan’seyes。HisfingerpointedtothelineswhichrecordedthefirstVision;hisvoice，sinkinglowerandlower，repeatedthewords:

“Thesensecametomeofbeingleftaloneinthedarkness。

“Iwaited。

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

AbovethefurthermarginofthepoolIsawthecloudlesswesternsky，redwiththelightofsunset。

“OnthenearmarginofthepooltherestoodtheShadowofaWoman。”

Heceased，andletthehandwhichheldthemanuscriptdroptohisside。Theotherhandpointedtothelonelyfigure，standingwithitsbackturnedonthem，frontingthesettingsun。

“There。”hesaid，“standsthelivingWoman，intheShadow’splace！Therespeaksthefirstofthedreamwarningstoyouandtome！Letthefuturetimefindusstilltogether，andthesecondfigurethatstandsintheShadow’splacewillbeMine。”

EvenAllanwassilencedbytheterriblecertaintyofconvictionwithwhichhespoke。

Inthepausethatfollowed，thefigureatthepoolmoved，andwalkedslowlyawayroundthemarginoftheshore。Allansteppedoutbeyondthelastofthetrees，andgainedawiderviewoftheopenground。Thefirstobjectthatmethiseyeswasthepony-chaisefromThorpeAmbrose。

HeturnedbacktoMidwinterwithalaughofrelief。“Whatnonsensehaveyoubeentalking！“hesaid。“AndwhatnonsensehaveIbeenlisteningto！It’sthegovernessatlast。”

Midwintermadenoreply。Allantookhimbythearm，andtriedtoleadhimon。Hereleasedhimselfsuddenly，andseizedAllanwithbothhands，holdinghimbackfromthefigureatthepool，ashehadheldhimbackfromthecabindooronthedeckofthetimbership。Onceagaintheeffortwasinvain。OnceagainAllanbrokeawayaseasilyashehadbrokenawayinthepasttime。

“Oneofusmustspeaktoher。”hesaid。“Andifyouwon’t，I

will。”

HehadonlyadvancedafewstepstowardtheMere，whenheheard，orthoughtheheard，avoicefaintlycallingafterhim，onceandonceonly，thewordFarewell。Hestopped，withafeelingofuneasysurprise，andlookedround。

“Wasthatyou，Midwinter？”heasked。

Therewasnoanswer。Afterhesitatingamomentmore，Allanreturnedtotheplantation。Midwinterwasgone。

Helookedbackatthepool，doubtfulinthenewemergencywhattodonext。Thelonelyfigurehadaltereditscourseintheinterval;ithadturned，andwasadvancingtowardthetrees。

Allanhadbeenevidentlyeitherheardorseen。Itwasimpossibletoleaveawomanunbefriended，inthathelplesspositionandinthatsolitaryplace。ForthesecondtimeAllanwentoutfromthetreestomeether。

Ashecamewithinsightofherface，hestoppedinungovernableastonishment。Thesuddenrevelationofherbeauty，asshesmiledandlookedathiminquiringly，suspendedthemovementinhislimbsandthewordsonhislips。Avaguedoubtbesethimwhetheritwasthegoverness，afterall。

Herousedhimself，and，advancingafewpaces，mentionedhisname。“MayIask。”headded，“ifIhavethepleasure——？”

Theladymethimeasilyandgracefullyhalf-way。“MajorMilroy’sgoverness。”shesaid。“MissGwilt。”

CHAPTERX

THEHOUSE-MAID’SFACE。

ALLwasquietatThorpeAmbrose。Thehallwassolitary，theroomsweredark。Theservants，waitingforthesupperhourinthegardenatthebackofthehouse，lookedupattheclearheavenandtherisingmoon，andagreedthattherewaslittleprospectofthereturnofthepicnicpartyuntillaterinthenight。Thegeneralopinion，ledbythehighauthorityofthecook，predictedthattheymightallsitdowntosupperwithouttheleastfearofbeingdisturbedbythebell。Havingarrivedatthisconclusion，theservantsassembledroundthetable，andexactlyatthemomentwhentheysatdownthebellrang。

Thefootman，wondering，wentupstairstoopenthedoor，andfoundtohisastonishmentMidwinterwaitingaloneonthethreshold，andlooking(intheservant’sopinion)miserablyill。

Heaskedforalight，and，sayinghewantednothingelse，withdrewatoncetohisroom。Thefootmanwentbacktohisfellow-servants，andreportedthatsomethinghadcertainlyhappenedtohismaster’sfriend。

Onenteringhisroom，Midwinterclosedthedoor，andhurriedlyfilledabagwiththenecessariesfortraveling。Thisdone，hetookfromalockeddrawer，andplacedinthebreastpocketofhiscoat，somelittlepresentswhichAllanhadgivenhim——acigarcase，apurse，andasetofstudsinplaingold。Havingpossessedhimselfofthesememorials，hesnatchedupthebagandlaidhishandonthedoor。There，forthefirsttime，hepaused。There，theheadlonghasteofallhisactionsthusfarsuddenlyceased，andtheharddespairinhisfacebegantosoften:hewaited，withthedoorinhishand。

Uptothatmomenthehadbeenconsciousofbutonemotivethatanimatedhim，butonepurposethathewasresolutetoachieve。

“ForAllan’ssake！“hehadsaidtohimself，whenhelookedbacktowardthefatallandscapeandsawhisfriendleavinghimtomeetthewomanatthepool。“ForAllan’ssake！“hehadsaidagain，whenhecrossedtheopencountrybeyondthewood，andsawafar，inthegraytwilight，thelonglineofembankmentandthedistantglimmeroftherailwaylampsbeckoninghimawayalreadytotheironroad。

Itwasonlywhenhenowpausedbeforeheclosedthedoorbehindhim——itwasonlywhenhisownimpetuousrapidityofactioncameforthefirsttimetoacheck，thatthenoblernatureofthemanroseinprotestagainstthesuperstitiousdespairwhichwashurryinghimfromallthathehelddear。HisconvictionoftheterriblenecessityofleavingAllanforAllan’sgoodhadnotbeenshakenforaninstantsincehehadseenthefirstVisionoftheDreamrealizedontheshoresoftheMere。Butnow，forthefirsttime，hisownheartroseagainsthiminunanswerablerebuke。“Go，ifyoumustandwill！butrememberthetimewhenyouwereill，andhesatbyyourbedside;friendless，andheopenedhishearttoyou——andwrite，ifyoufeartospeak;writeandaskhimtoforgiveyou，beforeyouleavehimforever！“

Thehalf-openeddoorclosedagainsoftly。Midwintersatdownatthewriting-tableandtookupthepen。

Hetriedagainandagain，andyetagain，towritethefarewellwords;hetried，tillthefloorallroundhimwaslitteredwithtornsheetsofpaper。Turnfromthemwhichwayhewould，theoldtimesstillcamebackandfacedhimreproachfully。Thespaciousbed-chamberinwhichhesat，narrowed，inspiteofhim，tothesickusher誷garretatthewest-countryinn。Thekindhandthathadoncepattedhimontheshouldertouchedhimagain;thekindvoicethathadcheeredhimspokeunchangeablyintheoldfriendlytones。Heflunghisarmsonthetableanddroppedhisheadonthemintearlessdespair。Thepartingwordsthathistonguewaspowerlesstoutterhispenwaspowerlesstowrite。Mercilesslyinearnest，hissuperstitionpointedtohimtogowhilethetimewashisown。Mercilesslyinearnest，hisloveforAllanheldhimbacktillthefarewellpleaforpardonandpitywaswritten。

Herosewithasuddenresolution，andrangfortheservant，“WhenMr。Armadalereturns。”hesaid，“askhimtoexcusemycomingdownstairs，andsaythatIamtryingtogettosleep。”Helockedthedoorandputoutthelight，andsatdownaloneinthedarkness。“Thenightwillkeepusapart。”hesaid;“andtimemayhelpmetowrite。Imaygointheearlymorning;Imaygowhile——“Thethoughtdiedinhimuncompleted;andthesharpagonyofthestruggleforcedtohislipsthefirstcryofsufferingthathadescapedhimyet。

Hewaitedinthedarkness。

Asthetimestoleon，hissensesremainedmechanicallyawake，buthismindbegantosinkslowlyundertheheavystrainthathadnowbeenlaidonitforsomehourspast。Adullvacancypossessedhim;hemadenoattempttokindlethelightandwriteoncemore。

Heneverstarted;henevermovedtotheopenwindow，whenthefirstsoundofapproachingwheelsbrokeinonthesilenceofthenight。Heheardthecarriagesdrawupatthedoor;heheardthehorseschampingtheirbits;heheardthevoicesofAllanandyoungPedgiftonthesteps;andstillhesatquietinthedarkness，andstillnointerestwasarousedinhimbythesoundsthatreachedhisearfromoutside。

Thevoicesremainedaudibleafterthecarriageshadbeendrivenaway;thetwoyoungmenwereevidentlylingeringonthestepsbeforetheytookleaveofeachother。EverywordtheysaidreachedMidwinterthroughtheopenwindow。Theironesubjectofconversationwasthenewgoverness。Allan’svoicewasloudinherpraise。HehadneverpassedsuchanhourofdelightinhislifeasthehourhehadspentwithMissGwiltintheboat，onthewayfromHurleMeretothepicnicpartywaitingattheotherBroad。

Agreeing，onhisside，withallthathisclientsaidinpraiseofthecharmingstranger，youngPedgiftappearedtotreatthesubject，whenitfellintohishands，fromadifferentpointofview。MissGwilt’sattractionshadnotsoentirelyabsorbedhisattentionastopreventhimfromnoticingtheimpressionwhichthenewgovernesshadproducedonheremployerandherpupil。

“There’sascrewloosesomewhere，sir，inMajorMilroy’sfamily。”

saidthevoiceofyoungPedgift。“DidyounoticehowthemajorandhisdaughterlookedwhenMissGwiltmadeherexcusesforbeinglateattheMere？Youdon’tremember？DoyourememberwhatMissGwiltsaid？”

“SomethingaboutMrs。Milroy，wasn’tit？”Allanrejoined。

YoungPedgift’svoicedroppedmysteriouslyanotelower。

“MissGwiltreachedthecottagethisafternoon，sir，atthetimewhenItoldyoushewouldreachit，andshewouldhavejoinedusatthetimeItoldyoushewouldcome，butforMrs。Milroy。Mrs。

Milroysentforherupstairsassoonassheenteredthehouse，andkeptherupstairsagoodhalf-hourandmore。ThatwasMissGwilt’sexcuse，Mr。Armadale，forbeinglateattheMere。”

“Well，andwhatthen？”

“Youseemtoforget，sir，whatthewholeneighborhoodhasheardaboutMrs。Milroyeversincethemajorfirstsettledamongus。Wehaveallbeentold，onthedoctor’sownauthority，thatsheistoogreatasufferertoseestrangers。Isn’titalittleoddthatsheshouldhavesuddenlyturnedoutwellenoughtoseeMissGwilt(inherhusband’sabsence)themomentMissGwiltenteredthehouse？”

“Notabitofit！Ofcourseshewasanxioustomakeacquaintancewithherdaughter’sgoverness。”

“Likelyenough，Mr。Armadale。ButthemajorandMissNeeliedon’tseeitinthatlight，atanyrate。IhadmyeyeonthembothwhenthegovernesstoldthemthatMrs。Milroyhadsentforher。IfeverIsawagirllookthoroughlyfrightened，MissMilroywasthatgirl;and(ifImaybeallowed，inthestrictestconfidence，tolibelagallantsoldier)Ishouldsaythatthemajorhimselfwasmuchinthesamecondition。Takemywordforit，sir，there’ssomethingwrongupstairsinthatprettycottageofyours;andMissGwiltismixedupinitalready！“

Therewasaminuteofsilence。WhenthevoiceswerenextheardbyMidwinter，theywerefurtherawayfromthehouse——AllanwasprobablyaccompanyingyoungPedgiftafewstepsonhiswayback。

Afterawhile，Allan’svoicewasaudibleoncemoreundertheportico，makinginquiriesafterhisfriend;answeredbytheservant’svoicegivingMidwinter’smessage。Thisbriefinterruptionover，thesilencewasnotbrokenagaintillthetimecameforshuttingupthehouse。Theservants’footstepspassingtoandfro，theclangofclosingdoors，thebarkingofadisturbeddoginthestable-yard——thesesoundswarnedMidwinteritwasgettinglate。Herosemechanicallytokindlealight。Buthisheadwasgiddy，hishandtrembled;helaidasidethematch-box，andreturnedtohischair。TheconversationbetweenAllanandyoungPedgifthadceasedtooccupyhisattentiontheinstantheceasedtohearit;andnowagain，thesensethattheprecioustimewasfailinghimbecamealostsenseassoonasthehousenoiseswhichhadawakenedithadpassedaway。Hisenergiesofbodyandmindwerebothalikewornout;hewaitedwithastolidresignationforthetroublethatwastocometohimwiththecomingday。

Anintervalpassed，andthesilencewasoncemoredisturbedbyvoicesoutside;thevoicesofamanandawomanthistime。Thefirstfewwordsexchangedbetweenthemindicatedplainlyenoughameetingoftheclandestinekind;andrevealedthemanasoneoftheservantsatThorpeAmbrose，andthewomanasoneoftheservantsatthecottage。

Hereagain，afterthefirstgreetingswereover，thesubjectofthenewgovernessbecametheall-absorbingsubjectofconversation。

Themajor’sservantwasbrimfulofforebodings(inspiredsolelybyMissGwilt’sgoodlooks)whichshepouredoutirrepressiblyonher“sweetheart。”tryashemighttodiverthertoothertopics。

Soonerorlater，lethimmarkherwords，therewouldbeanawful“upset“atthecottage。Hermaster，itmightbementionedinconfidence，ledadreadfullifewithhermistress。Themajorwasthebestofmen;hehadn’tathoughtinhisheartbeyondhisdaughterandhiseverlastingclock。Butonlyletanice-lookingwomancomeneartheplace，andMrs。Milroywasjealousofher——ragingjealous，likeawomanpossessed，onthatmiserablesick-bedofhers。IfMissGwilt(whowascertainlygood-looking，inspiteofherhideoushair)didn’tblowthefireintoaflamebeforemanydaysmorewereovertheirheads，themistresswasthemistressnolonger，butsomebodyelse。Whateverhappened，thefault，thistime，wouldlieatthedoorofthemajor’smother。Theoldladyandthemistresshadhadadreadfulquarreltwoyearssince;andtheoldladyhadgoneawayinafury，tellingherson，beforealltheservants，that，ifhehadasparkofspiritinhim，hewouldneversubmittohiswife’stemperashedid。Itwouldbetoomuch，perhaps，toaccusethemajor’smotherofpurposelypickingoutahandsomegovernesstospitethemajor’swife。Butitmightbesafelysaidthattheoldladywasthelastpersonintheworldtohumorthemistress’sjealousy，bydecliningtoengageacapableandrespectablegovernessforhergranddaughterbecausethatgovernesshappenedtobeblessedwithgoodlooks。Howitwasalltoend(exceptthatitwascertaintoendbadly)nohumancreaturecouldsay。Thingswerelookingasblackalreadyasthingswellcould。MissNeeliewascrying，aftertheday’spleasure(whichwasonebadsign);themistresshadfoundfaultwithnobody(whichwasanother);themasterhadwishedhergood-nightthroughthedoor(whichwasathird);andthegovernesshadlockedherselfupinherroom(whichwastheworstsignofall，foritlookedasifshedistrustedtheservants)。Thusthestreamofthewoman’sgossipranon，andthusitreachedMidwinter’searsthroughthewindow，tilltheclockinthestable-yardstruck，andstoppedthetalking。Whenthelastvibrationsofthebellhaddiedaway，thevoiceswerenotaudibleagain，andthesilencewasbrokennomore。

Anotherintervalpassed，andMidwintermadeanewefforttorousehimself。Thistimehekindledthelightwithouthesitation，andtookthepeninhand。

Hewroteatthefirsttrialwithasuddenfacilityofexpression，which，surprisinghimashewenton，endedinrousinginhimsomevaguesuspicionofhimself。Heleftthetable，andbathedhisheadandfaceinwater，andcamebacktoreadwhathehadwritten。Thelanguagewasbarelyintelligible;sentenceswereleftunfinished;wordsweremisplacedonefortheother。everylinerecordedtheprotestofthewearybrainagainstthemercilesswillthathadforceditintoaction。Midwintertoreupthesheetofpaperashehadtornuptheothersheetsbeforeit，and，sinkingunderthestruggleatlast，laidhiswearyheadonthepillow。Almostontheinstant，exhaustionovercamehim，andbeforehecouldputthelightouthefellasleep。

Hewasrousedbyanoiseatthedoor。Thesunlightwaspouringintotheroom，thecandlehadburneddownintothesocket，andtheservantwaswaitingoutsidewithaletterwhichhadcomeforhimbythemorning’spost。

“Iventuredtodisturbyou，sir。”saidtheman，whenMidwinteropenedthedoor，“becausetheletterismarked’Immediate，’andI

didn’tknowbutitmightbeofsomeconsequence。”

Midwinterthankedhim，andlookedattheletter。It_was_ofsomeconsequence——thehandwritingwasMr。Brock’s。

Hepausedtocollecthisfaculties。Thetornsheetsofpaperonthefloorrecalledtohiminamomentthepositioninwhichhestood。Helockedthedooragain，inthefearthatAllanmightriseearlierthanusualandcomeintomakeinquiries。

Then——feelingstrangelylittleinterestinanythingthattherectorcouldwritetohimnow——heopenedMr。Brock’sletter，andreadtheselines:

“Tuesday。

“MYDEARMIDWINTER——Itissometimesbesttotellbadnewsplainly，infewwords。Letmetellmineatonce，inonesentence。

Myprecautionshaveallbeendefeated:thewomanhasescapedme。

“Thismisfortune——foritisnothingless——happenedyesterday(Monday)。Betweenelevenandtwelveintheforenoonofthatday，thebusinesswhichoriginallybroughtmetoLondonobligedmetogotoDoctors’Commons，andtoleavemyservantRoberttowatchthehouseoppositeourlodginguntilmyreturn。Aboutanhourandahalfaftermydepartureheobservedanemptycabdrawnupatthedoorofthehouse。Boxesandbagsmadetheirappearancefirst;theywerefollowedbythewomanherself，inthedressI

hadfirstseenherin。Havingpreviouslysecuredacab，RoberttracedhertotheterminusoftheNorth-WesternRailway，sawherpassthroughtheticketoffice，keptherinviewtillshereachedtheplatform，andthere，inthecrowdandconfusioncausedbythestartingofalargemixedtrain，losther。Imustdohimthejusticetosaythatheatoncetooktherightcourseinthisemergency。Insteadofwastingtimeinsearchingforherontheplatform，helookedalongthelineofcarriages;andhepositivelydeclaresthathefailedtoseeherinanyoneofthem。

Headmits，atthesametime，thathissearch(conductedbetweentwoo’clock，whenhelostsightofher，andtenminutespast，whenthetrainstarted)was，intheconfusionofthemoment，necessarilyanimperfectone。Butthislattercircumstance，inmyopinion，matterslittle。Iasfirmlydisbelieveinthewoman’sactualdeparturebythattrainasifIhadsearchedeveryoneofthecarriagesmyself;andyou，Ihavenodoubt，willentirelyagreewithme。

“Younowknowhowthedisasterhappened。Letusnotwastetimeandwordsinlamentingit。Theevilisdone，andyouandI

togethermustfindthewaytoremedyit。

“WhatIhaveaccomplishedalready，onmyside，maybetoldintwowords。AnyhesitationImighthavepreviouslyfeltattrustingthisdelicatebusinessinstrangers’handswasatanendthemomentIheardRobert’snews。Iwentbackatoncetothecity，andplacedthewholematterconfidentiallybeforemylawyers。Theconferencewasalongone，andwhenIlefttheofficeitwaspasttheposthour，orIshouldhavewrittentoyouonMondayinsteadofwritingtoday。Myinterviewwiththelawyerswasnotveryencouraging。Theywarnmeplainlythatseriousdifficultiesstandinthewayofourrecoveringthelosttrace。Buttheyhavepromisedtodotheirbest，andwehavedecidedonthecoursetobetaken，exceptingonepointonwhichwetotallydiffer。Imusttellyouwhatthisdifferenceis;for，whilebusinesskeepsmeawayfromThorpeAmbrose，youaretheonlypersonwhomIcantrusttoputmyconvictionstothetest。

“Thelawyersareofopinion，then，thatthewomanhasbeenawarefromthefirstthatIwaswatchingher;thatthereis，consequently，nopresenthopeofherbeingrashenoughtoappearpersonallyatThorpeAmbrose;thatanymischiefshemayhaveitincontemplationtodowillbedoneinthefirstinstancebydeputy;andthattheonlywisecourseforAllan’sfriendsandguardianstotakeistowaitpassivelytilleventsenlightenthem。Myownideaisdiametricallyopposedtothis。Afterwhathashappenedattherailway，IcannotdenythatthewomanmusthavediscoveredthatIwaswatchingher。Butshehasnoreasontosupposethatshehasnotsucceededindeceivingme;andIfirmlybelievesheisboldenoughtotakeusbysurprise，andtowinorforceherwayintoAllan’sconfidencebeforewearepreparedtopreventher。

“Youandyouonly(whileIamdetainedinLondon)candecidewhetherIamrightorwrong——andyoucandoitinthisway。

AscertainatoncewhetheranywomanwhoisastrangerintheneighborhoodhasappearedsinceMondaylastatornearThorpeAmbrose。Ifanysuchpersonhasbeenobserved(andnobodyescapesobservationinthecountry)，takethefirstopportunityyoucangetofseeingher，andaskyourselfifherfacedoesordoesnotanswercertainplainquestionswhichIamnowabouttowritedownforyou。Youmaydependonmyaccuracy。Isawthewomanunveiledonmorethanoneoccasion，andthelasttimethroughanexcellentglass。

“1。Isherhairlightbrown，and(apparently)notveryplentiful？

2。Isherforeheadhigh，narrow，andslopingbackwardfromthebrow？3。Arehereyebrowsveryfaintlymarked，andarehereyessmall，andnearerdarkthanlight——eithergrayorhazel(Ihavenotseenhercloseenoughtohecertainwhich)？4。Ishernoseaquiline？5Areherlipsthin，andistheupperliplong？6。Doeshercomplexionlooklikeanoriginallyfaircomplexion，whichhasdeterioratedintoadull，sicklypaleness？7(andlastly)。Hasshearetreatingchin，andisthereontheleftsideofitamarkofsomekind——amoleorascar，Ican’tsaywhich？

“Iaddnothingaboutherexpression，foryoumayseeherundercircumstanceswhichmaypartiallyalteritasseenbyme。Testherbyherfeatures，whichnocircumstancescanchange。Ifthereisastrangerintheneighborhood，andifherfaceanswersmysevenquestions，_youhavefoundthewoman！_Goinstantly，inthatcase，tothenearestlawyer，andpledgemynameandcreditforwhateverexpensesmaybeincurredinkeepingherunderinspectionnightandday。Havingdonethis，takethespeediestmeansofcommunicatingwithme;andwhethermybusinessisfinishedornot，IwillstartforNorfolkbythefirsttrain。

“Alwaysyourfriend，DECIMUSBROCK。”

Hardenedbythefatalistconvictionthatnowpossessedhim，Midwinterreadtherector’sconfessionofdefeat，fromthefirstlinetothelast，withouttheslightestbetrayaleitherofinterestorsurprise。Theonepartoftheletteratwhichhelookedbackwastheclosingpartofit。“IowemuchtoMr。

Brock’skindness。”hethought;“andIshallneverseeMr。Brockagain。Itisuselessandhopeless;butheasksmetodoit，anditshallbedone。Amoment’slookatherwillbeenough——amoment’slookatherwithhisletterinmyhand——andalinetotellhimthatthewomanishere！“

Againhestoodhesitatingatthehalf-openeddoor;againthecruelnecessityofwritinghisfarewelltoAllanstoppedhim，andstaredhimintheface。

Helookedasidedoubtinglyattherector’sletter。“Iwillwritethetwotogether。”hesaid。“Onemayhelptheother。”Hisfaceflusheddeepasthewordsescapedhim。Hewasconsciousofdoingwhathehadnotdoneyet——ofvoluntarilyputtingofftheevilhour;ofmakingMr。Brockthepretextforgainingthelastrespiteleft，therespiteoftime。

TheonlysoundthatreachedhimthroughtheopendoorwasthesoundofAllanstirringnoisilyinthenextroom。Hesteppedatonceintotheemptycorridor，andmeetingnooneonthestairs，madehiswayoutofthehouse。ThedreadthathisresolutiontoleaveAllanmightfailhimifhesawAllanagainwasasvividlypresenttohismindinthemorningasithadbeenallthroughthenight。Hedrewadeepbreathofreliefashedescendedthehousesteps——reliefathavingescapedthefriendlygreetingofthemorning，fromtheonehumancreaturewhomheloved！

HeenteredtheshrubberywithMr。Brock’sletterinhishand，andtookthenearestwaythatledtothemajor’scottage。Nottheslightestrecollectionwasinhismindofthetalkwhichhadfounditswaytohisearsduringthenight。Hisonereasonfordeterminingtoseethewomanwasthereasonwhichtherectorhadputinhismind。TheoneremembrancethatnowguidedhimtotheplaceinwhichshelivedwastheremembranceofAllan’sexclamationwhenhefirstidentifiedthegovernesswiththefigureatthepool。

Arrivedatthegateofthecottage，hestopped。Thethoughtstruckhimthathemightdefeathisownobjectifhelookedattherector’squestionsinthewoman’spresence。Hersuspicionswouldbeprobablyroused，inthefirstinstance，byhisaskingtoseeher(ashehaddeterminedtoask，withorwithoutanexcuse)，andtheappearanceoftheletterinhishandmightconfirmthem。

Shemightdefeathimbyinstantlyleavingtheroom。Determinedtofixthedescriptioninhismindfirst，andthentoconfronther，heopenedtheletter;and，turningawayslowlybythesideofthehouse，readthesevenquestionswhichhefeltabsolutelyassuredbeforehandthewoman’sfacewouldanswer。

Inthemorningquietoftheparkslightnoisestraveledfar。A

slightnoisedisturbedMidwinterovertheletter。

Helookedupandfoundhimselfonthebrinkofabroadgrassytrench，havingtheparkononesideandthehighlaurelhedgeofaninclosureontheother。Theinclosureevidentlysurroundedthebackgardenofthecottage，andthetrenchwasintendedtoprotectitfrombeingdamagedbythecattlegrazinginthepark。

Listeningcarefullyastheslightsoundwhichhaddisturbedhimgrewfainter，herecognizedinittherustlingofwomen’sdresses。Afewpacesahead，thetrenchwascrossedbyabridge(closedbyawicketgate)whichconnectedthegardenwiththepark。Hepassedthroughthegate，crossedthebridge，and，openingadoorattheotherend，foundhimselfinasummer-housethicklycoveredwithcreepers，andcommandingafullviewofthegardenfromendtoend。

Helooked，andsawthefiguresoftwoladieswalkingslowlyawayfromhimtowardthecottage。Theshorterofthetwofailedtooccupyhisattentionforaninstant;heneverstoppedtothinkwhethershewasorwasnotthemajor’sdaughter。Hiseyeswererivetedontheotherfigure——thefigurethatmovedoverthegardenwalkwiththelong，lightlyfallingdressandtheeasy，seductivegrace。There，presentedexactlyasbehadseenheroncealready——there，withherbackagainturnedonhim，wastheWomanatthepool！

Therewasachancethattheymighttakeanotherturninthegarden——aturnbacktowardthesummer-house。OnthatchanceMidwinterwaited。Noconsciousnessoftheintrusionthathewascommittinghadstoppedhimatthedoorofthesummer-house，andnoconsciousnessofittroubledhimevennow。Everyfinersensibilityinhisnature，sinkingunderthecruellacerationofthepastnight，hadceasedtofeel。Thedoggedresolutiontodowhathehadcometodowastheoneanimatinginfluenceleftaliveinhim。Heacted，heevenlooked，asthemoststolidmanlivingmighthaveactedandlookedinhisplace。Hewasself-possessedenough，intheintervalofexpectationbeforegovernessandpupilreachedtheendofthewalk，toopenMr。Brock’sletter，andtofortifyhismemorybyalastlookattheparagraphwhichdescribedherface。

Hewasstillabsorbedoverthedescriptionwhenheheardthesmoothrustleofthedressestravelingtowardhimagain。Standingintheshadowofthesummer-house，hewaitedwhileshelessenedthedistancebetweenthem。Withherwrittenportraitvividlyimpressedonhismind，andwiththeclearlightofthemorningtohelphim，hiseyesquestionedherasshecameon;andtheseweretheanswersthatherfacegavehimback。