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slower articulation。 〃Help me to speak it。〃
The doctor administered a stimulant； and signed to Mr。 Neal to
give him time。 After a little delay； the flame of the sinking
spirit leaped up in his eyes once more。 Resolutely struggling
with his failing speech； he summoned the Scotchman to take the
pen； and pronounced the closing sentences of the narrative； as
his memory gave them back to him； one by one； in these words：
〃Despise my dying conviction if you will； but grant me； I
solemnly implore you； one last request。 My son！ the only hope I
have left for you hangs on a great doubtthe doubt whether we
are； or are not； the masters of our own destinies。 It may be that
mortal free…will can conquer mortal fate； and that going； as we
all do； inevitably to death； we go inevitably to nothing that is
before death。 If this be so； indeed； respectthough you respect
nothing elsethe warning which I give you from my grave。 Never；
to your dying day； let any living soul approach you who is
associated； directly or indirectly； with the crime which your
father has committed。 Avoid the widow of the man I killedif the
widow still lives。 Avoid the maid whose wicked hand smoothed the
way to the marriageif the maid is still in her service。 And
more than all； avoid the man who bears the same name as your own。
Offend your best benefactor； if that benefactor's influence has
connected you one with the other。 Desert the woman who loves you；
if that woman is a link between you and him。 Hide yourself from
him under an assumed name。 Put the mountains and the seas between
you； be ungrateful； be unforgiving； be all that is most repellent
to your own gentler nature； rather than live under the same roof；
and breathe the same air； with that man。 Never let the two Allan
Armadales meet in this world： never； never； never！
〃There lies the way by which you may escapeif any way there be。
Take it； if you prize your own innocence and your own happiness；
through all your life to come！
〃I have done。 If I could have trusted any weaker influence than
the influence of this confession to incline you to my will； I
would have spared you the disclosure which these pages contain。
You are lying on my breast； sleeping the innocent sleep of a
child； while a stranger's hand writes these words for you as they
fall from my lips。 Think what the strength of my conviction must
be； when I can find the courage； on my death…bed； to darken all
your young life at its outset with the shadow of your father's
crime。 Think； and be warned。 Think； and forgive me if you can。〃
There it ended。 Those were the father's last words to the son。
Inexorably faithful to his forced duty； Mr。 Neal laid aside the
pen； and read over aloud the lines he had just written。 〃Is there
more to add？〃 he asked； with his pitilessly steady voice。 There
was no more to add。
Mr。 Neal folded the manuscript； inclosed it in a sheet of paper；
and sealed it with Mr。 Armadale's own seal。 〃The address？〃 he
said； with his merciless business formality。 〃To Allan Armadale；
junior；〃 he wrote； as the words were dictated from the bed。 〃Care
of Godfrey Hammick； Esq。； Offices of Messrs。 Hammick and Ridge；
Lincoln's Inn Fields； London。〃 Having written the address； he
waited； and considered for a moment。 〃Is your executor to open
this？〃 he asked。
〃No！ he is to give it to my son when my son is of an age to
understand it。〃
〃In that case；〃 pursued Mr。 Neal； with all his wits in
remorseless working order； 〃I will add a dated note to the
address； repeating your own words as you have just spoken them；
and explaining the circumstances under which my handwriting
appears on the document。〃 He wrote the note in the briefest and
plainest terms； read it over aloud as he had read over what went
before； signed his name and address at the end； and made the
doctor sign next； as witness of the proceedings； and as medical
evidence of the condition in which Mr。 Armadale then lay。 This
done； he placed the letter in a second inclosure； sealed it as
before； and directed it to Mr。 Hammick； with the superscription
of 〃private〃 added to the address。 〃Do you insist on my posting
this？〃 he asked； rising with the letter in his hand。
〃Give him time to think；〃 said the doctor。 〃For the child's sake；
give him time to think！ A minute may change him。〃
〃I will give him five minutes；〃 answered Mr。 Neal； placing his
watch on the table； implacably just to the very last。
They waited； both looking attentively at Mr。 Armadale。 The signs
of change which had appeared in him already were multiplying
fast。 The movement which continued mental agitation had
communicated to the muscles of his face was beginning； under the
same dangerous influence； to spread downward。 His once helpless
hands lay still no longer； they struggled pitiably on the
bedclothes。 At sight of that warning token； the doctor turned
with a gesture of alarm； and beckoned Mr。 Neal to come nearer。
〃Put the question at once；〃 he said； 〃if you let the five minutes
pass； you may be too late。〃
Mr。 Neal approached the bed。 He； too； noticed the movement of the
hands。 〃Is that a bad sign？〃 he asked。
The doctor bent his head gravely。 〃Put your question at once；〃 he
repeated； 〃or you may be too late。〃
Mr。 Neal held the letter before the eyes of the dying man 〃Do you
know what this is？〃
〃My letter。〃
〃Do you insist on my posting it？〃
He mastered his failing speech for the last time； and gave the
answer： 〃Yes！〃
Mr。 Neal moved to the door； with the letter in his hand。 The
German followed him a few steps； opened his lips to plead for a
longer delay； met the Scotchman's inexorable eye； and drew back
again in silence。 The door closed and parted them； without a word
having passed on either side。
The doctor went back to the bed and whispered to the sinking man：
〃Let me call him back； there is time to stop him yet！〃 It was
useless。 No answer came； nothing showed that he heeded； or even
heard。 His eyes wandered from the child； rested for a moment on
his own struggling hand； and looked up entreatingly in the
compassionate face that bent over him。 The doctor lifted the
hand； paused； followed the father's longing eyes back to the
child； and； interpreting his last wish； moved the hand gently
toward the boy's head。 The hand touched it； and trembled
violently。 In another instant the trembling seized on the arm；
and spread over the whole upper part of the body。 The face turned
from pale to red； from red to purple； from purple to pale again。
Then the toiling hands lay still； and the shifting color changed
no more。
The window of the next room was open； when the doctor entered it
from the death chamber； with the child in
his arms。 He looked out as he passed by； and saw Mr。 Neal in the
street below； slowly returning to the inn。
〃Where is the letter？〃 he asked。
Three words sufficed for the Scotchman's answer。
〃In the post。〃
THE END OF THE PROLOGUE。
THE STORY。
_BOOK THE FIRST。_
CHAPTER I。
THE MYSTERY OF OZIAS MIDWINTER。
ON a warm May night； in the year eighteen hundred and fifty…one；
the Reverend Decimus Brockat that time a visitor to the Isle of
Manretired to his bedroom at Castletown； with a serious
personal responsibility in close pursuit of him； and with no
distinct idea of the means by which he might relieve himself from
the pressure of his present circumstances。
The clergyman had reached that mature period of human life at
which a sensible man learns to decline （as often as his temper
will let him） all useless conflict with the tyranny of his own
troubles。 Abandoning any further effort to reach a decision in
the emergency that now beset him； Mr。 Brock sat down placidly in
his shirt sleeves on the side of his bed； and applied his mind to
consider next whether the emergency itself was as serious as he
had hitherto been inclined to think it。 Following this new way
out of his perplexities； Mr。 Brock found himself unexpectedly
traveling to the end in view by the least inspiriting of all
human journeysa journey through the past years of his own life。
One by one the events of those yearsall connected with the same
little group of characters； and all more or less answerable for
the anxiety which was now intruding itself between the clergyman
and his night's restrose； in progressive series； on Mr。 Brock's
memory。 The first of the series took him back； through a period
of fourteen years； to his own rectory on the Somersetshire shores
of the Bristol Channel； and closeted him at a private interview
with a lady who had paid him a visit in the character of a total
stranger to the parson and the place。
The lady's complexion was fair； the lady's figure was well
preserved； she was still a young woman； and she looked even
younger than her age。 There was a shade of melancholy in her
expression； and an undertone of suffering in her voiceenough；
in each case； to indicate that she had known trouble； but not
enough to obtrude that trouble on the notice of others。 She
brought with her a fine； fair…haired boy of eight years old； whom
she presented as her son； and who was sent out of the way； at the
beginning of the interview； to amuse himself in the rectory
gard