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beginning of the interview； to amuse himself in the rectory
garden。 Her card had preceded her entrance into the study； and
had announced her under the name of 〃Mrs。 Armadale。〃 Mr。 Brock
began to feel interested in her before she had opened her lips；
and when the son had been dismissed； he awaited with some anxiety
to hear what the mother had to say to him。
Mrs。 Armadale began by informing the rector that she was a widow。
Her husband had perished by shipwreck a short time after their
union； on the voyage from Madeira to Lisbon。 She had been brought
to England； after her affliction； under her father's protection；
and her childa posthumous sonhad been born on the family
estate in Norfolk。 Her father's death； shortly afterward； had
deprived her of her only surviving parent； and had exposed her to
neglect and misconstruction on the part of her remaining
relatives （two brothers）； which had estranged her from them； she
feared； for the rest of her days。 For some time past she had
lived in the neighboring county of Devonshire； devoting herself
to the education of her boy； who had now reached an age at which
he required other than his mother's teaching。 Leaving out of the
question her own unwillingness to part with him； in her solitary
position； she was especially anxious that he should not be thrown
among strangers by being sent to school。 Her darling project was
to bring him up privately at home； and to keep him； as he
advanced in years； from all contact with the temptations and the
dangers of the world。
With these objects in view； her longer sojourn in her own
locality （where the services of the resident clergyman； in the
capacity of tutor； were not obtainable） must come to an end。 She
had made inquiries； had heard of a house that would suit her in
Mr。 Brock's neighborhood； and had also been told that Mr。 Brock
himself had formerly been in the habit of taking pupils。
Possessed of this information； she had ventured to present
herself； with references that vouched for her respectability； but
without a formal introduction； and she had now to ask whether （in
the event of her residing in the neighborhood） any terms that
could be offered would induce Mr。 Brock to open his doors once
more to a pupil； and to allow that pupil to be her son。
If Mrs。 Armadale had been a woman of no personal attractions； or
if Mr。 Brock had been provided with an intrenchment to fight
behind in the shape of a wife； it is probable that the widow's
journey might have been taken in vain。 As things really were； the
rector examined the references which were offered to him； and
asked time for consideration。 When the time had expired； he did
what Mrs。 Armadale wished him to dohe offered his back to the
burden； and let the mother load him with the responsibility of
the son。
This was the first event of the series； the date of it being the
year eighteen hundred and thirty…seven。 Mr。 Brock's memory；
traveling forward toward the present from that point； picked up
the second event in its turn； and stopped next at the year
eighteen hundred and forty…five。
…
The fishing…village on the Somersetshire coast was still the
scene； and the characters were once againMrs。 Armadale and her
son。
Through the eight years that had passed； Mr。 Brock's
responsibility had rested on him lightly enough。 The boy had
given his mother and his tutor but little trouble。 He was
certainly slow over his books； but more from a constitutional
inability to fix his attention on his tasks than from want of
capacity to understand them。 His temperament； it could not be
denied； was heedless to the last degree： he acted recklessly on
his first impulses； and rushed blindfold at all his conclusions。
On the other hand； it was to be said in his favor that his
disposition was open as the day； a more generous； affectionate；
sweet…tempered lad it would have been hard to find anywhere。 A
certain quaint originality of character； and a natural
healthiness in all his tastes； carried him free of most of the
dangers to which his mother's system of education inevitably
exposed him。 He had a thoroughly English love of the sea and of
all that belongs to it； and as he grew in years； there was no
luring him away from the water…side； and no keeping him out of
the boat…builder's yard。 In course of time his mother caught him
actually working there； to her infinite annoyance and surprise；
as a volunteer。 He acknowledged that his whole future ambition
was to have a yard of his own； and that his one present object
was to learn to build a boat for himself。 Wisely foreseeing that
such a pursuit as this for his leisure hours was exactly what was
wanted to reconcile the lad to a position of isolation from
companions of his own rank and age； Mr。 Brock prevailed on Mrs。
Armadale； with no small difficulty； to let her son have his way。
At the period of that second event in the clergyman's life with
his pupil which is now to be related； young Armadale had
practiced long enough in the builder's yard to have reached the
summit of his wishes； by laying with his own hands the keel of
his own boat。
Late on a certain summer day； not long after Allan had completed
his sixteenth year； Mr。 Brock left his pupil hard at work in the
yard； and went to spend the evening with Mrs。 Armadale； taking
the _Times_ newspaper with him in his hand。
The years that had passed since they had first met had long since
regulated the lives of the clergyman and his neighbor。 The first
advances which Mr。 Brock's growing admiration for the widow had
led him to make in the early days of their intercourse had been
met on her side by an appeal to his forbearance which had closed
his lips for the future。 She had satisfied him； at once and
forever； th at the one place in her heart which he could hope to
occupy was the place of a friend。 He loved her well enough to
take what she would give him： friends they became； and friends
they remained from that time forth。 No jealous dread of another
man's succeeding where he had failed imbittered the clergyman's
placid relations with the woman whom he loved。 Of the few
resident gentlemen in the neighborhood； none were ever admitted
by Mrs。 Armadale to more than the merest acquaintance with her。
Contentedly self…buried in her country retreat； she was proof
against every social attraction that would have tempted other
women in her position and at her age。 Mr。 Brock and his
newspaper； appearing with monotonous regularity at her tea…table
three times a week； told her all she knew or cared to know of the
great outer world which circled round the narrow and changeless
limits of her daily life。
On the evening in question Mr。 Brock took the arm…chair in which
he always sat； accepted the one cup of tea which he always drank；
and opened the newspaper which he always read aloud to Mrs。
Armadale； who invariably listened to him reclining on the same
sofa； with the same sort of needle…work everlastingly in her
hand。
〃Bless my soul！〃 cried the rector； with his voice in a new
octave； and his eyes fixed in astonishment on the first page of
the newspaper。
No such introduction to the evening readings as this had ever
happened before in all Mrs。 Armadale's experience as a listener。
She looked up from the sofa in a flutter of curiosity； and
besought her reverend friend to favor her with an explanation。
〃I can hardly believe my own eyes；〃 said Mr。 Brock。 〃Here is an
advertisement； Mrs。 Armadale； addressed to your son。〃
Without further preface； he read the advertisement as follows：
IF this should meet the eye of ALLAN ARMADALE； he is desired to
communicate； either personally or by letter； with Messrs。 Hammick
and Ridge （Lincoln's Inn Fields； London）； on business of
importance which seriously concerns him。 Any one capable of
informing Messrs。 E。 and R。 where the person herein advertised
can be found would confer a favor by doing the same。 To prevent
mistakes； it is further notified that the missing Allan Armadale
is a youth aged fifteen years； and that this advertisement is
inserted at the instance of his family and friends。
〃Another family； and other friends；〃 said Mrs。 Armadale。 〃The
person whose name appears in that advertisement is not my son。〃
The tone in which she spoke surprised Mr。 Brock。 The change in
her face； when he looked up； shocked him。 Her delicate complexion
had faded away to a dull white； her eyes were averted from her
visitor with a strange mixture of confusion and alarm； she looked
an older woman than she was； by ten good years at least。
〃The name is so very uncommon；〃 said Mr。 Brock； imagining he had
offended her； and trying to excuse himself。 〃It really seemed
impossible there could be two persons〃
〃There _are_ two；〃 interposed Mrs。 Armadale。 〃Allan； as you know；
is sixteen years old。 If you look back at the advertisement； you
will find the missing person described as being only fifteen。
Although he bears the same surname and the same Christian name；
he is； I thank God； in no way whatever related to my son。 As long
as I live； it will be the object of my hopes and prayers that
Allan may never see him； may never even hear of him。 My kind