〃Nothing　distresses　me；　but　being　sent　away　from　_you！_〃
  He　waited。　She　saw　that　he　was　thinking；　and　waited　too。
  〃If　I　let　you　stay　a　little？〃
  〃Yes！　yes！〃
  〃Will　you　go　when　I　tell　you？〃
  〃I　will。〃
  〃On　your　oath？〃
  The　fetters　that　bound　his　tongue　seemed　to　be　loosened　for　a
  moment　in　the　great　outburst　of　anxiety　which　forced　that
  question　to　his　lips。　He　spoke　those　startling　words　as　he　had
  spoken　no　words　yet。
  〃On　my　oath！〃　she　repeated；　and；　dropping　on　her　knees　at　the
  bedside；　passionately　kissed　his　hand。　The　two　strangers　in　the
  room　turned　their　heads　away　by　common　consent。　In　the　silence
  that　followed；　the　one　sound　stirring　was　the　small　sound　of　the
  child's　toy；　as　he　moved　it　hither　and　thither　on　the　bed。
  The　doctor　was　the　first　who　broke　the　spell　of　stillness　which
  had　fallen　on　all　the　persons　present。　He　approached　the　patient；
  and　examined　him　anxiously。　Mrs。　Armadale　rose　from　her　knees；
  and；　first　waiting　for　her　husband's　permission；　carried　the
  sheets　of　manuscript　which　she　had　taken　out　of　the　desk　to　the
  table　at　which　Mr。　Neal　was　waiting。　Flushed　and　eager；　more
  beautiful　than　ever　in　the　vehement　agitation　which　still
  possessed　her；　she　stooped　over　him　as　she　put　the　letter　into
  his　hands；　and；　seizing　on　the　means　to　her　end　with　a　woman's
  headlong　self…abandonment　to　her　own　impulses；　whispered　to　him；
  〃Read　it　out　from　the　beginning。　I　must　and　will　hear　it！〃　Her
  eyes　flashed　their　burning　light　into　his；　her　breath　beat　on　his
  cheek。　Before　he　could　answer；　before　he　could　think；　she　was
  back　with　her　husband。　In　an　instant　she　had　spoken；　and　in　that
  instant　her　beauty　had　bent　the　Scotchman　to　her　will。　Frowning
  in　reluctant　acknowledgment　of　his　own　inability　to　resist　her；
  he　turned　over　the　leaves　of　the　letter；　looked　at　the　blank
  place　where　the　pen　had　dropped　from　the　writer's　hand　and　had
  left　a　blot　on　the　paper；　turned　back　again　to　the　beginning；　and
  said　the　words；　in　the　wife's　interest；　which　the　wife　herself
  had　put　into　his　lips。
  〃Perhaps；　sir；　you　may　wish　to　make　some　corrections；〃　he　began；
  with　all　his　attention　apparently　fixed　on　the　letter；　and　with
  every　outward　appearance　of　letting　his　sour　temper　again　get　the
  better　of　him。　〃Shall　I　read　over　to　you　what　you　have　already
  written？〃
  Mrs。　Armadale；　sitting　at　the　bed　head　on　one　side；　and　the
  doctor；　with　his　fingers　on　the　patient's　pulse；　sitting　on　the
  other；　waited　with　widely　different　anxieties　for　the　answer　to
  Mr。　Neal's　question。　Mr。　Armadale's　eyes　turned　searchingly　from
  his　child　to　his　wife。
  〃You　_will_　hear　it？〃　he　said。　Her　breath　came　and　went　quickly；
  her　hand　stole　up　and　took　his；　she　bowed　her　head　in　silence。
  Her　husband　paused；　taking　secret　counsel　with　his　thoughts；　and
  keeping　his　eyes　fixed　on　his　wife。　At　last　he　decided；　and　gave
  the　answer。　〃Read　it；〃　he　said；　〃and　stop　when　I　tell　you。〃
  It　was　close　on　one　o'clock；　and　the　bell　was　ringing　which
  summoned　the　visitors　to　their　early　dinner　at　the　inn。　The　quick
  beat　of　footsteps；　and　the　gathering　hum　of　voices　outside；
  penetrated　gayly　into　the　room；　as　Mr。　Neal　spread　the　manuscript
  before　him　on　the　table；　and　read　the　opening　sentences　in　these
  words：
  〃I　address　this　letter　to　my　son；　when　my　son　is　of　an　age　to
  understand　it。　Having　lost　all　hope　of　living　to　see　my　boy　grow
  up　to　manhood；　I　have　no　choice　but　to　write　here　what　I　would
  fain　have　said　to　him　at　a　future　time　with　my　own　lips。
  〃I　have　three　objects　in　writing。　First；　to　reveal　the
  circumstances　which　attended　the　marriage　of　an　English　lady　of
  my　acquaintance；　in　the　island　of　Madeira。　Secondly；　to　throw　the
  true　light　on　the　death　of　her　husband　a　short　time　afterward；　on
  board　the　French
  timber　ship　_La　Grace　de　Dieu。_　Thirdly；　to　warn　my　son　of　a
  danger　that　lies　in　wait　for　hima　danger　that　will　rise　from
  his　father's　grave　when　the　earth　has　closed　over　his　father's
  ashes。
  〃The　story　of　the　English　lady's　marriage　begins　with　my
  inheriting　the　great　Armadale　property；　and　my　taking　the　fatal
  Armadale　name。
  〃I　am　the　only　surviving　son　of　the　late　Mathew　Wrentmore；　of
  Barbadoes。　I　was　born　on　our　family　estate　in　that　island；　and　I
  lost　my　father　when　I　was　still　a　child。　My　mother　was　blindly
  fond　of　me；　she　denied　me　nothing；　she　let　me　live　as　I　pleased。
  My　boyhood　and　youth　were　passed　in　idleness　and　self…indulgence；
  among　peopleslaves　and　half…castes　mostlyto　whom　my　will　was
  law。　I　doubt　if　there　is　a　gentleman　of　my　birth　and　station　in
  all　England　as　ignorant　as　I　am　at　this　moment。　I　doubt　if　there
  was　ever　a　young　man　in　this　world　whose　passions　were　left　so
  entirely　without　control　of　any　kind　as　mine　were　in　those　early
  days。
  〃My　mother　had　a　woman's　romantic　objection　to　my　father's　homely
  Christian　name。　I　was　christened　Allan；　after　the　name　of　a
  wealthy　cousin　of　my　father'sthe　late　Allan　Armadalewho
  possessed　estates　in　our　neighborhood；　the　largest　and　most
  productive　in　the　island；　and　who　consented　to　be　my　godfather　by
  proxy。　Mr。　Armadale　had　never　seen　his　West　Indian　property。　He
  lived　in　England；　and；　after　sending　me　the　customary　godfather's
  present；　he　held　no　further　communication　with　my　parents　for
  years　afterward。　I　was　just　twenty…one　before　we　heard　again　from
  Mr。　Armadale。　On　that　occasion　my　mother　received　a　letter　from
  him　asking　if　I　was　still　alive；　and　offering　no　less　（if　I　was）
  than　to　make　me　the　heir　to　his　West　Indian　property。
  〃This　piece　of　good　fortune　fell　to　me　entirely　through　the
  misconduct　of　Mr。　Armadale's　son；　an　only　child。　The　young　man
  had　disgraced　himself　beyond　all　redemption；　had　left　his　home　an
  outlaw；　and　had　been　thereupon　renounced　by　his　father　at　once
  and　forever。　Having　no　other　near　male　relative　to　succeed　him；
  Mr。　Armadale　thought　of　his　cousin's　son　and　his　own　godson；　and
  he　offered　the　West　Indian　estate　to　me；　and　my　heirs　after　me；
  on　one　conditionthat　I　and　my　heirs　should　take　his　name。　The
  proposal　was　gratefully　accepted；　and　the　proper　legal　measures
  were　adopted　for　changing　my　name　in　the　colony　and　in　the　mother
  country。　By　the　next　mail　information　reached　Mr。　Armadale　that
  his　condition　had　been　complied　with。　The　return　mail　brought
  news　from　the　lawyers。　The　will　had　been　altered　in　my　favor；　and
  in　a　week　afterward　the　death　of　my　benefactor　had　made　me　the
  largest　proprietor　and　the　richest　man　in　Barbadoes。
  〃This　was　the　first　event　in　the　chain。　The　second　event　followed
  it　six　weeks　afterward。
  〃At　that　time　there　happened　to　be　a　vacancy　in　the　clerk's
  office　on　the　estate；　and　there　came　to　fill　it　a　young　man　about
  my　own　age　who　had　recently　arrived　in　the　island。　He　announced
  himself　by　the　name　of　Fergus　Ingleby。　My　impulses　governed　me　in
  everything；　I　knew　no　law　but　the　law　of　my　own　caprice；　and　I
  took　a　fancy　to　the　stranger　the　moment　I　set　eyes　on　him。　He　had
  the　manners　of　a　gentleman；　and　he　possessed　the　most　attractive
  social　qualities　which；　in　my　small　experience；　I　had　ever　met
  with。　When　I　heard　that　the　written　references　to　character　which
  he　had　brought　with　him　were　pronounced　to　be　unsatisfactory；　I
  interfered；　and　insisted　that　he　should　have　the　place。　My　will
  was　law；　and　he　had　it。
  〃My　mother　disliked　and　distrusted　Ingleby　from　the　first。　When
  she　found　the　intimacy　between　us　rapidly　ripening；　when　she
  found　me　admitting　this　inferior　to　the　closest　companionship　and
  confidence　（I　had　lived　with　my　inferiors　all　my　life；　and　I
  liked　it）；　she　made　effort　after　effort　to　part　us；　and　failed　in
  one　and　all。　Driven　to　her　last　resources；　she　resolved　to　try
  the　one　chance　leftthe　chance　of　persuading　me　to　take　a　voyage
  which　I　had　often　thought　ofa　voyage　to　England。
  〃Before　she　spoke　to　me　on　the　subject；　she　resolved　to　interest
  me　in　the　idea　of　seeing　England；　as　I　had　never　been　interested
  yet。　She　wrote　to　an　old　friend　and　an　old　admirer　of　hers；　the
  late　Stephen　Blanchard；　of　Thorpe　Ambrose；　in　Norfolka
  gentleman　of　landed　estate；　and　a　widower　with　a　grown…up　family。
  After…discoveries　informed　me　that　she　must　have　alluded　to　their
  former　attachment　（which　was　checked；　I　believe；　by　the　parents
  on　either　side）；　and　that；　in　asking　Mr。　Blanchard's　welcome　for
  her　son　when　he　came　to　England；　she　made　inquiries　about　his
  daughter；　which　hinted　at　the　chance　of　a　marriage　uniting　the
  two　families；　if　the　young　lady　and　I　met　and　liked　one　another。
  We　were　equally　matched　in　every　respect；　and　my　mother's
  recollection　of　her　girlish　attachment　to　Mr。　Blanchard　made　the
  prospect　of　my　marrying　her　old　admirer's　daughter　the　brightest
  and　happiest　prospect　that　her　eyes　could　see。　Of　all　this　I　knew
  nothing　until　Mr。　Blanchard's　answer　arrived　at　Barbadoes。　Then
  my　mother　showed　me　the　letter；　and　put　the　temptation　which　was
  to　separate　me　from　Fergus　Ingleby　openly　in　my　way。
  〃Mr。　Blanchard's　letter　was　dated　from　the　Island　of　Madeira。　He
  was　out　of　health；　and　he　had　been　ordered　there　by　the　doctors
  to　try　the　climate。　His　daughter　was　with　him。　After　heartily
  reciprocating　all　my　mother's　hopes　and　wishes；　he　proposed　（if　I
  intended　leav