in　less　than　an　hour。〃　He　nodded　cordially　to　Allan；　bowed
  formally　to　Midwinter；　and　quitted　the　room。
  As　soon　as　the　doctor's　back　was　turned；　Allan　left　his　place　at
  the　table；　and　appealed　to　his　friend；　with　that　irresistible
  heartiness　of　manner　which　had　always　found　its　way　to
  Midwinter's　sympathies；　from　the　first　day　when　they　met　at　the
  Somersetshire　inn。
  〃Now　the　sparring…match　between　you　and　the　doctor　is　over；〃　said
  Allan；　〃I　have　got　two　words　to　say　on　my　side。　Will　you　do
  something　for　my　sake　which　you　won't　do　for　your　own？〃
  Midwinter's　face　brightened　instantly。　〃I　will　do　anything　you
  ask　me；〃　he　said。
  〃Very　well。　Will　you　let　the　subject　of　the　dream　drop　out　of　our
  talk　altogether　from　this　time　forth？〃
  〃Yes；　if　you　wish　it。〃
  〃Will　you　go　a　step　further？　Will　you　leave　off　thinking　about
  the　dream？〃
  〃It's　hard　to　leave　off　thinking　about　it；　Allan。　But　I　will
  try。〃
  〃That's　a　good　fellow！　Now　give　me　that　trumpery　bit　of　paper；
  and　let's　tear　it　up；　and　have　done　with　it。〃
  He　tried　to　snatch　the　manuscript　out　of　his　friend's　hand；　but
  Midwinter　was　too　quick　for　him；　and　kept　it　beyond　his　reach。
  〃Come！　come！〃　pleaded　Allan。　〃I've　set　my　heart　on　lighting　my
  cigar　with　it。〃
  Midwinter　hesitated　painfully。　It　was　hard　to　resist　Allan；　but
  he　did　resist　him。　〃I'll　wait　a　little；〃　he　said；　〃before　you
  light　your　cigar　with　it。〃
  〃How　long？　Till　to…morrow？〃
  〃Longer。〃
  〃Till　we　leave　the　Isle　of　Man？〃
  〃Longer。〃
  〃Hang　itgive　me　a　plain　answer　to　a　plain　question！　How　long
  _will_　you　wait？〃
  Midwinter　carefully　restored　the　paper　to　its　place　in　his
  pocketbook。
  〃I'll　wait；〃　he　said；　〃till　we　get　to　Thorpe　Ambrose。〃
  THE　END　OF　THE　FIRST　BOOK。
  …
  BOOK　THE　SECOND
  CHAPTER　I。
  LURKING　MISCHIEF。
  1。　_From　Ozias　Midwinter　to　Mr。　Brock。_
  〃Thorpe　Ambrose；　June　15；　1851。
  〃DEAR　MR。　BROCKOnly　an　hour　since　we　reached　this　house；　just
  as　the　servants　were　locking　up　for　the　night。　Allan　has　gone　to
  bed；　worn　out　by　our　long　day's　journey；　and　has　left　me　in　the
  room　they　call　the　library；　to　tell　you　the　story　of　our　journey
  to　Norfolk。　Being　better　seasoned　than　he　is　to　fatigues　of　all
  kinds；　my　eyes　are　quite　wakeful　enough　for　writing　a　letter；
  though　the　clock　on　the　chimney…piece　points　to　midnight；　and　we
  have　been　traveling　since　ten　in　the　morning。
  〃The　last　news　you　had　of　us　was　news　sent　by　Allan　from　the　Isle
  of　Man。　If　I　am　not　mistaken；　he　wrote　to　tell　you　of　the　night
  we　passed　on　board　the　wrecked　ship。　Forgive　me；　dear　Mr。　Brock；
  if　I　say　nothing　on　that　subject　until　time　has　helped　me　to
  think　of　it　with　a　quieter　mind。　The　hard　fight　against　myself
  must　all　be　fought　over　again；　but　I　will　win　it　yet；　please　God；
  I　will；　indeed。
  〃There　is　no　need　to　trouble　you　with　any　account　of　our
  journeyings　about　the　northern　and　western　districts　of　the
  island；　or　of　the　short　cruises　we　took　when　the　repairs　of　the
  yacht　were　at　last　complete。　It　will　be　better　if　I　get　on　at
  once　to　the　morning　of　yesterday；　the　fourteenth。　We　had　come　in
  with　the　night…tide　to　Douglas　Harbor；　and；　as　soon　as　the
  post…office　was　open；　Allan；　by　my　advice；　sent　on　shore　for
  letters。　The　messenger　returned　with　one　letter　only；　and　the
  writer　of　it　proved　to　be　the　former　mistress　of　Thorpe
  AmbroseMrs。　Blanchard。
  〃You　ought　to　be　informed；　I　think；　of　the　contents　of　this
  letter；　for　it　has　seriously　influenced　Allan's　plans。　He　loses
  everything；　sooner　or　later；　as　you　know；　and　he　has　lost　the
  letter　already。　So　I　must　give　you　the　substance　of　what　Mrs。
  Blanchard　wrote　to　him；　as　plainly　as　I　can。
  〃The　first　page　announced　the　departure　of　the　ladies　from　Thorpe
  Ambrose。　They　left　on　the　day　before　yesterday；　the　thirteenth；
  having；　after　much　hesitation；　finally　decided　on　going　abroad；
  to　visit　some　old　friends　settled　in　Italy；　in　the　neighborhood
  of　Florence。　It　appears　to　be　quite　possible　that　Mrs。　Blanchard
  and　her　niece　may　settle　there；　too；　if　they　can　find　a　suitable
  house　and　grounds　to　let。　They　both　like　the　Italian　country　and
  the　Italian　people；　and　they　are　well　enough　off　to　please
  themselves。　The　elder　lady　has　her　jointure；　and　the　younger　is
  in　possession　of　all　her　father's　fortune。
  〃The　next　page　of　the　letter　was；　in　Allan's　opinion；　far　from　a
  pleasant　page　to　read。
  〃After　referring；　in　the　most　grateful　terms；　to　the　kindness
  which　had　left　her　niece　and　herself　free　to　leave　their　old　home
  at　their　own　time；　Mrs。　Blanchard　added　that　Allan's　considerate
  conduct　had　produced　such　a　strongly　favorable　impression　among
  the　friends　and　dependents　of　the　family　that　they　were　desirous
  of　giving　him　a　public　reception　on　his　arrival　among　them。　A
  preliminary　meeting　of　the　tenants　on　the　estate　and　the
  principal　persons　in　the　neighboring　town　had　already　been　held
  to　discuss　the　arrangements；　and　a　letter　might　be　expected
  shortly　from　the　clergyman　inquiring　when　it　would　suit　Mr。
  Armadale's　convenience　to　take　possession　personally　and　publicly
  of　his　estates　in　Norfolk。
  〃You　will　now　be　able　to　guess　the　cause　of　our　sudden　departure
  from　the　Isle　of　Man。　The　first　and　foremost　idea　in　your　old
  pupil's　mind；　as　soon　as　he　had　read　Mrs。　Blanchard's　account　of
  the　proceedings　at　the　meeting；　was　the　idea　of　escaping　the
  public　reception；　and　the　one　certain　way　he　could　see　of
  avoiding　it　was　to　start　for　Thorpe　Ambrose　before　the
  clergyman's　letter　could　reach　him。
  〃I　tried　hard　to　make　him　think　a　little　before　he　acted　an　his
  first　impulse　in　this　matter；　but　he　only　went　on　packing　his
  portmanteau　in　his　own　impenetrably　good…humored　way。　In　ten
  minutes　his　luggage　was　ready；　and　in　five　minutes　more　he　had
  given　the　crew　their　directions　for　taking　the　yacht　back　to
  Somersetshire。　The　steamer　to　Liverpool　was　alongside　of　us　in
  the　harbor；　and　I　had　really　no　choice　but　to　go　on　board　with
  him　or　to　let　him　go　by　himself。　I　spare　you　the　account　of　our
  stormy　voyage；　of　our　detention　at　Liverpool；　and　of　the　trains
  we　missed　on　our　journey　across　the　country。　You　know　that　we
  have　got　here　safely；　and　that　is　enough。　What　the　servants　think
  of　the　new　squire's　sudden　appearance　among　them；　without　a　word
  of　warning；　is　of　no　great　consequence。　What　　the　committee　for
  arranging　the　publi　c　reception　may　think　of　it　when　the　news
  flies　abroad　to…morrow　is；　I　am　afraid；　a　more　serious　matter。
  〃Having　already　mentioned　the　servants；　I　may　proceed　to　tell　you
  that　the　latter　part　of　Mrs。　Blanchard誷　letter　was　entirely
  devoted　to　instructing　Allan　on　the　subject　of　the　domestic
  establishment　which　she　has　left　behind　her。　It　seems　that　all
  the　servants；　indoors　and　out　（with　three　exceptions）；　are
  waiting　here；　on　the　chance　that　Allan　will　continue　them　in
  their　places。　Two　of　these　exceptions　are　readily　accounted　for：
  Mrs。　Blanchard's　maid　and　Miss　Blanchard's　maid　go　abroad　with
  their　mistresses。　The　third　exceptional　case　is　the　case　of　the
  upper　housemaid；　and　here　there　is　a　little　hitch。　In　plain
  words；　the　housemaid　has　been　sent　away　at　a　moment's　notice；　for
  what　Mrs。　Blanchard　rather　mysteriously　describes　as　'levity　of
  conduct　with　a　stranger。'
  〃I　am　afraid　you　will　laugh　at　me；　but　I　must　confess　the　truth。
  I　have　been　made　so　distrustful　（after　what　happened　to　us　in　the
  Isle　of　Man）　of　even　the　most　trifling　misadventures　which
  connect　themselves　in　any　way　with　Allan's　introduction　to　his
  new　life　and　prospects；　that　I　have　already　questioned　one　of　the
  men…servants　here　about　this　apparently　unimportant　matter　of　the
  housemaid's　going　away　in　disgrace。
  〃All　I　can　learn　is　that　a　strange　man　had　been　noticed　hanging
  suspiciously　about　the　grounds；　that　the　housemaid　was　so　ugly　a
  woman　as　to　render　it　next　to　a　certainty　that　he　had　some
  underhand　purpose　to　serve　in　making　himself　agreeable　to　her；
  and　that　he　has　not　as　yet　been　seen　again　in　the　neighborhood
  since　the　day　of　her　dismissal。　So　much　for　the　one　servant　who
  has　been　turned　out　at　Thorpe　Ambrose。　I　can　only　hope　there　is
  no　trouble　for　Allan　brewing　in　that　quarter。　As　for　the　other
  servants　who　remain；　Mrs。　Blanchard　describes　them；　both　men　and
  women；　as　perfectly　trustworthy；　and　they　will　all；　no　doubt；
  continue　to　occupy　their　present　places。
  〃Having　now　done　with　Mrs。　Blanchard's　letter；　my　next　duty　is　to
  beg　you；　in　Allan's　name　and　with　Allan's　love；　to　come　here　and
  stay　with　him　at　the　earliest　moment　when　you　can　leave
  Somersetshire。　Although　I　cannot　presume　to　think　that　my　own
  wishes　will　have　any　special　influence　in　determining　you　to
  accept　this　invitation；　I　must　nevertheless　acknowledge　that　I
  have　a　reason　of　my　own　for　earnestly　desiring　to　see　you　here。
  Allan　has　innocently　caused　me　a　new　anxiety　about　my　future
  relations　with　him；　and　I　sorely　need　your　advice　to　show　me　the
  right　way　of　setting　that　anxiety　at　rest。
  〃The　difficulty　which　now　perplexes　me　relates　to　the　steward's
  place　at　Thorpe　Ambrose。　Before　to…day　I　only　knew　that　Allan　had
  hit　on　some　plan　of　his　own　for　dealing　with　this　matter；　rather
  strangely　involving；　among　other　resu