attractive　feature　in　his　clean…shaven；　weary　old　face　was　a　neat
  set　of　teethteeth　（as　honest　as　his　wig）　which　said　plainly　to
  all　inquiring　eyes；　〃We　pass　our　nights　on　his　looking…glass；　and
  our　days　in　his　mouth。〃
  All　the　little　blood　in　the　man's　body　faintly　reddened　his
  fleshless　cheeks　as　Midwinter　advanced　to　meet　him；　and　asked　the
  way　to　Thorpe　Ambrose。　His　weak；　watery　eyes　looked　hither　and
  thither　in　a　bewilderment　painful　to　see。　If　he　had　met　with　a
  lion　instead　of　a　man；　and　if　the　few　words　addressed　to　him　had
  been　words　expressing　a　threat　instead　of　a　question；　he　could
  hardly　have　looked　more　confused　and　alarmed　than　he　looked　now。
  For　the　first　time　in　his　life；　Midwinter　saw　his　own　shy
  uneasiness　in　the　presence　of　strangers　reflected；　with　tenfold
  intensity　of　nervous　suffering；　in　the　face　of　another　manand
  that　man　old　enough　to　be　his　father。
  〃Which　do　you　please　to　mean；　sirthe　town　or　the　house？　I　beg
  your　pardon　for　asking；　but　they　both　go　by　the　same　name　in
  these　parts。〃
  He　spoke　with　a　timid　gentleness　of　tone；　an　ingratiatory　smile；
  and　an　anxious　courtesy　of　manner；　all　distressingly　suggestive
  of　his　being　accustomed　to　receive　rough　answers　in　exchange　for
  his　own　politeness　from　the　persons　whom　he　habitually　addressed。
  〃I　was　not　aware　that　both　the　house　and　the　town　went　by　the
  same　name；〃　said　Midwinter；　〃I　meant　the　house。〃　He　instinctively
  conquered　his　own　shyness　as　he　answered　in　those　words；　speaking
  with　a　cordiality　of　manner　which　was　very　rare　with　him　in　his
  intercourse　with　strangers。
  The　man　of　miserable　respectability　seemed　to　feel　the　warm
  return　of　his　own　politeness　gratefully；　he　brightened　and　took　a
  little　courage。　His　lean　forefinger　pointed　eagerly　to　the　right
  road。　〃That　way；　sir；〃　he　said；　〃and　when　you　come　to　two　roads
  next；　please　take　the　left　one　of　the　two。　I　am　sorry　I　have
  business　the　other　way；　I　mean　in　the　town。　I　should　have　been
  happy　to　go　with　you　and　show　you。　Fine　summer　weather；　sir；　for
  walking？　You　can't　miss　your　way　if　you　keep　to　the　left。　Oh；
  don't　mention　it！　I'm　afraid　I　have　detained　you；　sir。　I　wish　you
  a　pleasant　walk　back；　andgood…morning。〃
  By　the　time　he　had　made　an　end　of　speaking　（under　an　impression
  apparently　that　the　more　he　talked　the　more　polite　he　would　be）
  he　had　lost　his　courage　again。　He　darted　away　down　his　own　road；
  as　if　Midwinter's　attempt　to　thank　him　involved　a　series　of
  trials　too　terrible　to　confront。　In　two　minutes　more；　his　black
  retreating　figure　had　lessened　in　the　distance　till　it　looked
  again；　what　it　had　once　looked　already；　a　moving　blot　on　the
  brilliant　white　surface　of　the　sun…brightened　road。
  The　man　ran　strangely　in　Midwinter's　thoughts　while　he　took　his
  way　back　to　the　house。　He　was　at　a　loss　to　account　for　it。　It
  never　occurred　to　him　that　he　might　have　been　insensibly　reminded
  of　himself；　when　he　saw　the　plain　traces　of　past　misfortune　and
  present　nervous　suffering　in　the　poor　wretch's　face。　He　blindly
  resented　his　own　perverse　interest　in　this　chance　foot　passenger
  on　the　high…road；　as　he　had　resented　all　else　that　had　happened
  to　him　since　the　beginning　of　the　day。　〃Have　I　made　another
  unlucky　discovery？〃　he　asked　himself；　impatiently。　〃Shall　I　see
  this　man　again；　I　wonder？　Who　can　he　be？〃
  Time　was　to　answer　both　those　questions　before　many　days　more　had
  passed　over　the　inquirer's　head。
  Allan　had　not　returned　when　Midwinter　reached　the　house。　Nothing
  had　happened　but　the　arrival　of　a　message　of　apology　from　the
  cottage。　〃Major　Milroy's　compliments；　and　he　was　sorry　that　Mrs。
  Milroy's　illness　would　prevent　his　receiving　Mr。　Armadale　that
  day。〃　It　was　plain　that　Mrs。　Milroy's　occasional　fits　of
  suffering　（or　of　ill　temper）　created　no　mere　transitory
  disturbance　of　the　tranquillity　of　the　household。　Drawing　this
  natural　inference；　after　what　he　had　himself　heard　at　the　cottage
  nearly　three　hours　since；　Midwinter　withdrew　into　the　library　to
  wait　patiently　among　the　books　until　his　friend　came　back。
  It　was　past　six　o'clock　when　the　well…known　hearty　voice　was
  heard　again　in　the　hall。　Allan　burst　into　the　library；　in　a　state
  of　irrepressible　excitement；　and　pushed
  Midwinter　back　unceremoniously　into　the　chair　from　which　he　was
  just　rising；　before　he　could　utter　a　word
  〃Here's　a　riddle　for　you；　old　boy！〃　cried　Allan。　〃Why　am　I　like
  the　resident　manager　of　the　Augean　stable；　before　Hercules　was
  called　in　to　sweep　the　litter　out？　Because　I　have　had　my　place　to
  keep　up；　and　I've　gone　and　made　an　infernal　mess　of　it！　Why　don't
  you　laugh？　By　George；　he　doesn't　see　the　point！　Let's　try　again。
  Why　am　I　like　the　resident　manager〃
  〃For　God's　sake；　Allan；　be　serious　for　a　moment！〃　interposed
  Midwinter。　〃You　don't　know　how　anxious　I　am　to　hear　if　you　have
  recovered　the　good　opinion　of　your　neighbors。〃
  〃That's　just　what　the　riddle　was　intended　to　tell　you！〃　rejoined
  Allan。　〃But　if　you　will　have　it　in　so　many　words；　my　own
  impression　is　that　you　would　have　done　better　not　to　disturb　me
  under　that　tree　in　the　park。　I've　been　calculating　it　to　a
  nicety；　and　I　beg　to　inform　you　that　I　have　sunk　exactly　three
  degrees　lower　in　the　estimation　of　the　resident　gentry　since　I
  had　the　pleasure　of　seeing　you　last。〃
  〃You　_will_　have　your　joke　out；〃　said　Midwinter；　bitterly。　〃Well；
  if　I　can't　laugh；　I　can　wait。〃
  〃My　dear　fellow；　I'm　not　joking；　I　really　mean　what　I　say。　You
  shall　hear　what　happened；　you　shall　have　a　report　in　full　of　my
  first　visit。　It　will　do；　I　can　promise　you；　as　a　sample　for　all
  the　rest。　Mind　this；　in　the　first　place；　I've　gone　wrong　with　the
  best　possible　intentions。　When　I　started　for　these　visits；　I　own
  I　was　angry　with　that　old　brute　of　a　lawyer；　and　I　certainly　had
  a　notion　of　carrying　things　with　a　high　hand。　But　it　wore　off
  somehow　on　the　road；　and　the　first　family　I　called　on；　I　went　in；
  as　I　tell　you；　with　the　best　possible　intentions。　Oh；　dear；　dear！
  there　was　the　same　spick…and…span　reception…room　for　me　to　wait
  in；　with　the　neat　conservatory　beyond；　which　I　saw　again　and
  again　and　again　at　every　other　house　I　went　to　afterward。　There
  was　the　same　choice　selection　of　books　for　me　to　look　ata
  religious　book；　a　book　about　the　Duke　of　Wellington；　a　book　about
  sporting；　and　a　book　about　nothing　in　particular；　beautifully
  illustrated　with　pictures。　Down　came　papa　with　his　nice　white
  hair；　and　mamma　with　her　nice　lace　cap；　down　came　young　mister
  with　the　pink　face　and　straw…colored　whiskers；　and　young　miss
  with　the　plump　cheeks　and　the　large　petticoats。　Don't　suppose
  there　was　the　least　unfriendliness　on　my　side；　I　always　began
  with　them　in　the　same　wayI　insisted　on　shaking　hands　all　round。
  That　staggered　them　to　begin　with。　When　I　came　to　the　sore
  subject　nextthe　subject　of　the　public　receptionI　give　you　my
  word　of　honor　I　took　the　greatest　possible　pains　with　my
  apologies。　It　hadn't　the　slightest　effect；　they　let　my　apologies
  in　at　one　ear　and　out　at　the　other；　and　then　waited　to　hear　more。
  Some　men　would　have　been　disheartened：　I　tried　another　way　with
  them；　I　addressed　myself　to　the　master　of　the　house；　and　put　it
  pleasantly　next。　'The　fact　is；'　I　said；　'I　wanted　to　escape　the
  speechifyingmy　getting　up；　you　know；　and　telling　you　to　your
  face　you're　the　best　of　men；　and　I　beg　to　propose　your　health；
  and　your　getting　up　and　telling　me　to　my　face　I'm　the　best　of
  men；　and　you　beg　to　thank　me；　and　so　on；　man　after　man；　praising
  each　other　and　pestering　each　other　all　round　the　table。'　That's
  how　I　put　it；　in　an　easy；　light…handed；　convincing　sort　of　way。
  Do　you　think　any　of　them　took　it　in　the　same　friendly　spirit？　Not
  one！　It's　my　belief　they　had　got　their　speeches　ready　for　the
  reception；　with　the　flags　and　the　flowers；　and　that　they're
  secretly　angry　with　me　for　stopping　their　open　mouths　just　as
  they　were　ready　to　begin。　Anyway；　whenever　we　came　to　the　matter
  of　the　speechifying　（whether　they　touched　it　first　or　I）；　down　I
  fell　in　their　estimation　the　first　of　those　three　steps　I　told
  you　of　just　now。　Don't　suppose　I　made　no　efforts　to　get　up　again！
  I　made　desperate　efforts。　I　found　they　were　all　anxious　to　know
  what　sort　of　life　I　had　led　before　I　came　in　for　the　Thorpe
  Ambrose　property；　and　I　did　my　best　to　satisfy　them。　And　what
  came　of　that；　do　you　think？　Hang　me；　if　I　didn't　disappoint　them
  for　the　second　time！　When　they　found　out　that　I　had　actually
  never　been　to　Eton　or　Harrow；　or　Oxford　or　Cambridge；　they　were
  quite　dumb　with　astonishment。　I　fancy　they　thought　me　a　sort　of
  outlaw。　At　any　rate；　they　all　froze　up　again；　and　down　I　fell　the
  second　step　in　their　estimation。　Never　mind！　I　wasn't　to　be
  beaten；　I　had　promised　you　to　do　my　best；　and　I　did　it。　I　tried
  cheerful　small…talk　about　the　neighborhood　next。　The　women　said
  nothing　in　particular；　the　men；　to　my　unutterable　astonishment；
  all　began　to　condole　with　me。　I　shouldn't　be　able　to　find　a　pack
  of　hounds；　they　said；　within　twenty　miles　of　my　house；　and　they
  thought　it　only　right　to　prepare　me　for　the　disgracefully
  careless　manner　in　which　the　Thorpe　Ambrose　covers　had　been
  preserved。　I　let　them　go　on　condoling　with　me；　and　then　what　do
  you　think　I　did？　I　put　my