contained　the　three　words〃a　young　lady。〃
  〃A　bachelor　of　studious　habits　walking　about　my　grounds；〃　said
  Allan；　〃is　not　an　interesting　object；　a　young　lady　is。　I　have　not
  the　least　doubt　Miss　Milroy　is　a　charming　girl。　Ozias　Midwinter
  of　the　serious　countenance！　think　of　her　pretty　muslin　dress
  flitting　about　among　your　trees　and　committing　trespasses　on　your
  property；　think　of　her　adorable　feet　trotting　into　your
  fruit…garden；　and　her　delicious　fresh　lips　kissing　your　ripe
  peaches；　think　of　her　dimpled　hands　among　your　early　violets；　and
  her　little　cream…colored　nose　buried　in　your　blush…roses。　What
  does　the　studious　bachelor　offer　me　in　exchange　for　the　loss　of
  all　this？　He　offers　me　a　rheumatic　brown　object　in　gaiters　and　a
  wig。　No！　no！　Justice　is　good；　my　dear　friend；　but；　believe　me；
  Miss　Milroy　is　better。〃
  〃Can　you　be　serious　about　any　mortal　thing；　Allan？〃
  〃I'll　try　to　be；　if　you　like。　I　know　I　ought　to　take　the　lawyer；
  but　what　can　I　do　if　the　major's　daughter　keeps　running　in　my
  head？〃
  Midwinter　returned　resolutely　to　the　just　and　sensible　view　of
  the　matter；　and　pressed　it　on　his　friend's　attention　with　all　the
  persuasion　of　which　he　was　master。　After　listening　with　exemplary
  patience　until　he　had　done；　Allan　swept　a　supplementary
  accumulation　of　litter　off　the　cabin　table；　and　produced　from　his
  waistcoat　pocket　a　half…crown　coin。
  〃I've　got　an　entirely　new　idea；〃　he　said。　〃Let's　leave　it　to
  chance。〃
  The　absurdity　of　the　proposalas　coming　from　a　landlordwas
  irresistible。　Midwinter's　gravity　deserted　him。
  〃I'll　spin；〃　continued　Allan；　〃and　you　shall　call。　We　must　give
  precedence　to　the　army；　of　course；　so　we'll　say　Heads；　the　major；
  Tails；　the　lawyer。　One　spin　to　decide。　Now；　then；　look　out！〃
  He　spun　the　half…crown　on　the　cabin　table。
  〃Tails！〃　cried　Midwinter；　humoring　what　he　believed　to　be　one　of
  Allan's　boyish　jokes。
  The　coin　fell　on　the　table　with　the　Head　uppermost。
  〃You　don't　mean　to　say　you　are　really　in　earnest！〃　said
  Midwinter；　as　the　other　opened　his　writing…case　and　dipped　his
  pen　in　the　ink。
  〃Oh；　but　I　am；　though！〃　replied　Allan。　〃Chance　is　on　my　side；　and
  Miss　Milroy's；　and　you're　outvoted；　two　to　one。　It's　no　use
  arguing。　The　major　has　fallen　uppermost；　and　the　major　shall　have
  the　cottage。　I　won't　leave　it　to　the　lawyers；　they'll　only　be
  worrying　me　with　more　letters。　I'll　write　myself。〃
  He　wrote　his　answers　to　the　two　proposals；　literally　in　two
  minutes。　One　to　the　house　agent：　〃Dear　sir；　I　accept　Major
  Milroy's　offer；　let　him　come　in　when　he　pleases。　Yours　truly；
  Allan　Armadale。〃　And　one　to　the　lawyer：　〃Dear　sir；　I　regret　that
  circumstances　prevent　me　from　accepting　your　proposal。　Yours
  truly；〃　etc。　〃People　make　a　fuss　about　letter…writing；〃　Allan
  remarked；　when　he　had　done。　〃_I_　find　it　easy　enough。〃
  He　wrote　the　addresses　on　his　two　notes；　and　stamped　them　for　the
  post；　whistling　gayly。　While　he　had　been　writing；　he　had　not
  noticed　how　his　friend　was　occupied。　When　he　had　done；　it　struck
  him　that　a　sudden　silence　had　fallen　on　the　cabin；　and；　looking
  up；　he　observed　that　Midwinter's　whole　attention　was　strangely
  concentrated　on　the　half　crown　as　it　lay　head　uppermost　on　the
  table。　Allan　suspended　his　whistling　in　astonishment。
  〃What　on　earth　are　you　doing？〃　he　asked。
  〃I　was　only　wondering；〃　replied　Midwinter。
  〃What　about？〃　persisted　Allan。
  〃I　was　wondering；〃　said　the　other；　handing　him　back　the
  half…crown；　〃whether　there　is　such　a　thing　as　chance。〃
  Half　an　hour　later　the　two　notes　were　posted；　and　Allan；　whose
  close　superintendence　of　the　repairs　of　the　yacht　had　hitherto
  allowed　him　but　little　leisure　time　on　shore；　had　proposed　to
  while　away　the　idle　hours　by　taking　a　walk　in　Castletown。　Even
  Midwinter's　nervous　anxiety　to　deserve　Mr。　Brock's　confidence　in
  him　could　detect　nothing　objectionable　in　this　harmless　proposal；
  and　the　young　men　set　forth　together　to　see　what　they　could　make
  of　the　metropolis　of　the　Isle　of　Man。
  It　is　doubtful　if　there　is　a　place　on　the　habitable　globe　which；
  regarded　as　a　sight…seeing　investment　offering　itself　to　the
  spare　attention　of　strangers；　yields　so　small　a　percentage　of
  interest　in　return　as　Castletown。　Beginning　with　the　waterside；
  there　was　an　inner　harbor　to　see；　with　a　drawbridge　to　let
  vessels　through；　an　outer　harbor；　ending　in　a　dwarf　lighthouse；　a
  view　of　a　flat　coast　to　the　right；　and　a　view　of　a　flat　coast　to
  the　left。　In　the　central　solitudes　of　the　city；　there　was　a　squat
  gray　building　called　〃the　castle〃；　also　a　memorial　pillar
  dedicated　to　one　Governor　Smelt；　with　a　flat　top　for　a　statue；
  and　no　statue　standing　on　it；　also　a　barrack；　holding　the
  half…company　of　soldiers　allotted　to　the　island；　and　exhibiting
  one　spirit…broken　sentry　at　its　lonely　door。　The　prevalent　color
  of　the　town　was　faint　gray。　The　few　shops　open　were　parted　at
  frequent　intervals　by　other　shops　closed　and　deserted　in　despair。
  The　weary　lounging　of　boatmen　on　shore　was　trebly　weary　here；　the
  youth　of　the　district　smoked　together　in　speechless　depression
  under　the　lee　of　a　dead　wall；　the　ragged　children　said
  mechanically：　〃Give　us　a　penny；〃　and　before　the　charitable　hand
  could　search　the　merciful　pocket；　lapsed　away　again　in
  misanthropic　doubt　of　the　human　nature　they　addressed。　The
  silence　of　the　grave　overflowed　the　churchyard；　and　filled　this
  miserable　town。　But　one　edifice；　prosperous　to　look　at；　rose
  consolatory　in　the　desolation　of　these　dreadful　streets。
  Frequented　by　the　students　of　the　neighboring　〃College　of　King
  William；〃　this　building　was　naturally　dedicated　to　the　uses　of　a
  pastry…cook's　shop。　Here；　at　least　（viewed　through　the　friendly
  medium　of　the　window）；　there　was　something　going　on　for　a
  stranger　to　see；　for　here；　on　high　stools；　the　pupils　of　the
  college　sat；　with　swinging　legs　and　slowly　moving　jaws；　and；
  hushed　in　the　horrid　stillness　of　Castletown；　gorged　their　pastry
  gravely；　in　an　atmosphere　of　awful　silence。
  〃Hang　me　if　I　can　look　any　longer　at　the　boys　and　the　tarts！〃
  said　Allan；　dragging　his　friend　away　from　the　pastry…cook's　shop。
  〃Let's　try　if　we　can't　find　something　else　to　amuse　us　in　the
  next　street。〃
  The　first　amusing　object　which　the　next　street　presented　was　a
  carver…and…gilder's　shop；　expiring　feebly　in　the　last　stage　of
  commercial　decay。　The　counter　inside　displayed　nothing　to　view
  but　the　recumbent　head　of　a　boy；　peacefully　asleep　in　the
  unbroken　solitude　of　the　place。　In　the　window　were　exhibited　to
  the　passing　stranger　three　forlorn　little　fly…spotted　frames；　a
  small　posting…bill；　dusty　with　long…continued　neglect；　announcing
  that　the　premises　were　to　let；　and　one　colored　print；　the　last　of
  a　series　illustrating　the　horrors　of　drunkenness；　on　the　fiercest
  temperance　principles。　The　compositionrepresenting　an　empty
  bottle　of　gin；　an　immensely　spacious　garret；　a　perpendicular
  Scripture　reader；　and　a　horizontal　expiring　familyappealed　to
  public　favor；　under　the　entirely　unobjectionable　title　of　〃The
  Hand　of　Death。〃　Allan's　resolution　to　extract　amusement　from
  Castletown　by　main　force　had　resisted　a　great　deal；　but　it　failed
  him　at　this　stage　of　the　investigations。　He　suggested　trying　an
  excursion　to　some　other　place。　Midwinter　readily　agreeing；　they
  went　back　to　the　hotel　to　make　inquiries。
  Thanks　to　the　mixed　influence　of　Allan's　ready　gift　of
  familiarity；　and　total　want　of　method　in　putting　his　questions；　a
  perfect　deluge　of　information　flowed　in　on　the　two　strangers；
  relating　to　every　subje　ct　but　the　subject　which　had　actually
  brought　them　to　the　hotel。　They　made　various　interesting
  discoveries　in　connection　with　the　laws　and　constitution　of　the
  Isle　of　Man；　and　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　natives。　To
  Allan's　delight；　the　Manxmen　spoke　of　England　as　of　a　well…known
  adjacent　island；　situated　at　a　certain　distance　from　the　central
  empire　of　the　Isle　of　Man。　It　was　further　revealed　to　the　two
  Englishmen　that　this　happy　little　nation　rejoiced　in　laws　of　its
  own；　publicly　proclaimed　once　a　year　by　the　governor　and　the　two
  head　judges；　grouped　together　on　the　top　of　an　ancient　mound；　in
  fancy　costumes　appropriate　to　the　occasion。　Possessing　this
  enviable　institution；　the　island　added　to　it　the　inestimable
  blessing　of　a　local　parliament；　called　the　House　of　Keys；　an
  assembly　far　in　advance　of　the　other　parliament　belonging　to　the
  neighboring　island；　in　this　respectthat　the　members　dispensed
  with　the　people；　and　solemnly　elected　each　other。　With　these　and
  many　more　local　particulars；　extracted　from　all　sorts　and
  conditions　of　men　in　and　about　the　hotel；　Allan　whiled　away　the
  weary　time　in　his　own　essentially　desultory　manner；　until　the
  gossip　died　out　of　itself；　and　Midwinter　（who　had　been　speaking
  apart　with　the　landlord）　quietly　recalled　him　to　the　matter　in
  hand。　The　finest　coast　scenery　in　the　island　was　said　to　be　to
  the　westward　and　the　southward；　and　there　was　a　fishing　town　in
  those　regions　called　Port　St。　Mary；　with　a　hotel　at　which
  travelers　could　sleep。　If　Allan's　impressions　of　Castletown　still
  inclined　him　to　try　an　excursion　to　some　other　place；　he　had　only
  to　say　so；　and　a　carriage　would　be　produced　immediately。　Allan
  jumped　at　the　proposal；　an