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higher mental capacity and a clearer mental view； he might have
found the letter no easy one to write。 As it was； he calculated
no consequences； and felt no difficulty。 His instinct warned him
to withdraw at once from the position in which he now stood
toward the major's wife； and he wrote what his instinct counseled
him to write under those circumstances； as rapidly as the pen
could travel over the paper：
〃Dunn's Hotel； Covent Garden； Tuesday。
〃DEAR MADAMPray excuse my not returning to Thorpe Ambrose
today； as I said I would。 Unforeseen circumstances oblige me to
stop in London。 I am sorry to say I have not succeeded in seeing
Mrs。 Mandeville； for which reason I cannot perform your errand；
and I beg； therefore； with many apologies； to return the letter
of introduction。 I hope you will allow me to conclude by saying
that I am very much obliged to you for your kindness； and that I
will not venture to trespass on it any further。
〃I remain； dear madam； yours truly；
〃ALLAN ARMADALE。〃
In those artless words； still entirely unsuspicious of the
character of the woman he had to deal with； Allan put the weapon
she wanted into Mrs。 Milroy's hands。
The letter and its inclosure once sealed up and addressed； he was
free to think of himself and his future。 As he sat idly drawing
lines with his pen on the blotting…paper； the tears came into his
eyes for the first timetears in which the woman who had
deceived him had no share。 His heart had gone back to his dead
mother。 〃If she had been alive；〃 he thought； 〃I might have
trusted _her；_ and she would have comforted me。〃 It was useless
to dwell on it； he dashed away the tears； and turned his
thoughts； with the heart…sick resignation that we all know； to
living and present things。
He wrote a line to Mr。 Bashwood； briefly informing the deputy
steward that his absence from Thorpe Ambrose was likely to be
prolonged for some little time； and that any further instructions
which might be necessary； under those circumstances； would reach
him through Mr。 Pedgift the elder。 This done； and the letters
sent to the post； his thoughts were forced back once more on
himself。 Again the blank future waited before him to be filled
up； and again his heart shrank from it to the refuge of the past。
This time other images than the image of his mother filled his
mind。 The one all…absorbing interest of his earlier days stirred
living and eager in him again。 He thought of the sea； he thought
of his yacht lying idle in the fishing h arbor at his
west…country home。 The old longing got possession of him to hear
the wash of the waves；； to see the filling of the sails； to feel
the vessel that his own hands had helped to build bounding under
him once more。 He rose in his impetuous way to call for the
time…table； and to start for Somersetshire by the first train；
when the dread of the questions which Mr。 Brock might ask； the
suspicion of the change which Mr。 Brock might see in him； drew
him back to his chair。 〃I'll write；〃 he thought； 〃to have the
yacht rigged and refitted； and I'll wait to go to Somersetshire
myself till Midwinter can go with me。〃 He sighed as his memory
reverted to his absent friend。 Never had he fell the void made in
his life by Midwinter's departure so painfully as he felt it now；
in the dreariest of all social solitudesthe solitude of a
stranger in London； left by himself at a hotel。
Before long； Pedgift Junior looked in； with an apology for his
intrusion。 Allan felt too lonely and too friendless not to
welcome his companion's re…appearance gratefully。 〃I'm not going
back to Thorpe Ambrose；〃 he said； 〃I'm going to stay a little
while in London。 I hope you will be able to stay with me？〃 To do
him justice； Pedgift was touched by the solitary position in
which the owner of the great Thorpe Ambrose estate now appeared
before him。 He had never； in his relations with Allan； so
entirely forgotten his business interests as he forgot them now。
〃You are quite right； sir； to stop here； London's the place to
divert your mind；〃 said Pedgift； cheerfully。 〃All business is
more or less elastic in its nature； Mr。 Armadale； I'll spin _my_
business out； and keep you company with the greatest pleasure。 We
are both of us on the right side of thirty； sir； let's enjoy
ourselves。 What do you say to dining early； and going to the
play； and trying the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park to…morrow
morning； after breakfast？ If we only live like fighting…cocks；
and go in perpetually for public amusements； we shall arrive in
no time at the _mens sana in corpore sano_ of the ancients。 Don't
be alarmed at the quotation； sir。 I dabble a little in Latin
after business hours； and enlarge my sympathies by occasional
perusal of the Pagan writers； assisted by a crib。 William； dinner
at five； and； as it's particularly important to…day； I'll see the
cook myself。〃
The evening passed； the next day passed； Thursday morning came；
and brought with it a letter for Allan。 The direction was in Mrs。
Milroy's handwriting； and the form of address adopted in the
letter warned Allan； the moment he opened it； that something had
gone wrong。
＇〃Private。〃＇
〃The Cottage； Thorpe Ambrose； Wednesday。
〃SIRI have just received your mysterious letter。 It has more
than surprised； it has really alarmed me。 After having made the
friendliest advances to you on my side； I find myself suddenly
shut out from your confidence in the most unintelligible； and； I
must add； the most discourteous manner。 It is quite impossible
that I can allow the matter to rest where you have left it。 The
only conclusion I can draw from your letter is that my confidence
must have been abused in some way； and that you know a great deal
more than you are willing to tell me。 Speaking in the interest of
my daughter's welfare； I request that you will inform me what the
circumstances are which have prevented your seeing Mrs。
Mandeville； and which have led to the withdrawal of the
assistance that you unconditionally promised me in your letter of
Monday last。
〃In my state of health； I cannot involve myself in a lengthened
correspondence。 I must endeavor to anticipate any objections you
may make； and I must say all that I have to say in my present
letter。 In the event （which I am most unwilling to consider
possible） of your declining to accede to the request that I have
just addressed to you； I beg to say that I shall consider it my
duty to my daughter to have this very unpleasant matter cleared
up。 If I don't hear from you to my full satisfaction by return of
post； I shall be obliged to tell my husband that circumstances
have happened which justify us in immediately testing the
respectability of Miss Gwilt's reference。 And when he asks me for
my authority； I will refer him to you。
〃Your obedient servant； ANNE MILROY。〃
In those terms the major's wife threw off the mask； and left her
victim to survey at his leisure the trap in which she had caught
him。 Allan's belief in Mrs。 Milroy's good faith had been so
implicitly sincere that her letter simply bewildered him。 He saw
vaguely that he had been deceived in some way； and that Mrs。
Milroy's neighborly interest in him was not what it had looked on
the surface； and he saw no more。 The threat of appealing to the
majoron which； with a woman's ignorance of the natures of men；
Mrs。 Milroy had relied for producing its effectwas the only
part of the letter to which Allan reverted with any satisfaction：
it relieved instead of alarming him。 〃If there _is_ to be a
quarrel；〃 he thought； 〃it will be a comfort； at any rate； to have
it out with a man。〃
Firm in his resolution to shield the unhappy woman whose secret
he wrongly believed himself to have surprised； Allan sat down to
write his apologies to the major's wife。 After setting up three
polite declarations； in close marching order； he retired from the
field。 〃He was extremely sorry to have offended Mrs。 Milroy。 He
was innocent of all intention to offend Mrs。 Milroy。 And he
begged to remain Mrs。 Milroy's truly。〃 Never had Allan's habitual
brevity as a letter…writer done him better service than it did
him now。 With a little more skillfulness in the use of his pen；
he might have given his enemy even a stronger hold on him than
the hold she had got already。
The interval day passed； and with the next morning's post Mrs。
Milroy's threat came realized in the shape of a letter from her
husband。 The major wrote less formally than his wife had written；
but his questions were mercilessly to the point：
＇〃Private。〃＇
〃The Cottage； Thorpe Ambrose； Friday； July 11； 1851。
〃DEAR SIRWhen you did me the favor of calling here a few days
since； you asked a question relating to my governess； Miss Gwilt；
which I thought rather a strange one at the time； and which
caused； as you may remember； a momentary embarrassment between
us。
〃This morning the subject of Miss Gwilt has been brought to my
notice again in a manner which has caused me the utmost
astonishment。 In plain words； Mrs。 Milroy has informed me that
Miss Gwilt has exposed herself to the suspicion of having
deceived us by a false reference。 On my expressing the surprise
which such an extraordinary