Armadale〃
  〃What；　are　you　Mr。　Bashwood？〃
  〃Yes；　if　you　please；　sir。〃
  〃I　beg　your　pardon　for　speaking　to　you　so　roughly；〃　said　Allan；
  〃but　the　fact　is；　you　rather　startled　me。　My　name　is　Armadale
  （put　on　your　hat；　pray）；　and　this　is　my　friend；　Mr。　Midwinter；
  who　wants　your　help　in　the　steward's　office。〃
  〃We　hardly　stand　in　need　of　an　introduction；〃　said　Midwinter。　〃I
  met　Mr。　Bashwood　out　walking　a　few　days　since；　and　he　was　kind
  enough　to　direct　me　when　I　had　lost　my　way。〃
  〃Put　on　your　hat；〃　reiterated　Allan；　as　Mr。　Bashwood；　still
  bareheaded；　stood　bowing　speechlessly；　now　to　one　of　the　young
  men；　and　now　to　the　other。　〃My　good　sir；　put　on　your　hat；　and　let
  me　show　you　the　way　back　to　the　house。　Excuse　me　for　noticing
  it；〃　added　Allan；　as　the　man；　in　sheer　nervous　helplessness；　let
  his　hat　fall；　instead　of　putting　it　back　on　his　head；　〃but　you
  seem　a　little　out　of　sorts；　a　glass　of　good　wine　will　do　you　no
  harm　before　you　and　my　friend　come　to　business。　Whereabouts　did
  you　meet　with　Mr。　Bashwood；　Midwinter；　when　you　lost　your　way？〃
  〃I　am　too　ignorant　of　the　neighborhood　to　know。　I　must　refer　you
  to　Mr。　Bashwood。〃
  〃Come；　tell　us　where　it　was；〃　said　Allan；　trying；　a　little　too
  abruptly；　to　set　the　man　at　his　ease；　as　they　all　three　walked
  back　to　the　house。
  The　measure　of　Mr。　Bashwood's　constitutional　timidity　seemed　to
  be　filled　to　the　brim　by　the　loudness　of　Allan's　voice　and　the
  bluntness　of　Allan's　request。　He　ran　over　in　the　same　feeble　flow
  of　words　with　which　he　had　deluged　Midwinter　on　the　occasion　when
  they　first　met。
  〃It　was　on　the　road；　sir；〃　he　began；　addressing　himself
  alternately　to　Allan；　whom　he　called；　〃sir；〃　and　to　Midwinter；
  whom　he　called　by　his　name；　〃I　mean；　if　you　please；　on　the　road
  to　Little　Gill　Beck。　A　singular　name；　Mr。　Midwinter；　and　a
  singular　place；　I　don't　mean　the　village；　I　mean　the
  neighborhoodI　mean　the　'Broads'　beyond　the　neighborhood。
  Perhaps　you　may　have　heard　of　the　Norfolk　Broads；　sir？　What　they
  call　lakes　in　other　parts　of　England；　they　call　Broads　here。　The
  Broads　are　quite　numerous；　I　think　they　would　repay　a　visit。　You
  would　have　seen　the　first　of　them；　Mr。　Midwinter；　if　you　had
  walked　on　a　few　miles　from　where　I　had　the　honor　of　meeting　you。
  Remarkably　numerous；　the　Broads；　sirsituated　between　this　and
  the　sea。　About　three　miles　from　the　sea；　Mr。　Midwinterabout
  three　miles。　Mostly　shallow；　sir；　with　rivers　running　between
  them。　Beautiful；　solitary。　Quite　a　watery　country；　Mr。　Midwinter；
  quite　separate；　as　it　were；　in　itself。　Parties　sometimes　visit
  them；　sirpleasure　parties　in　boats。　It's　quite　a　little　network
  of　lakes；　or；　perhapsyes；　perhaps；　more　correctly；　pools。　There
  is　good　sport　in　the　cold　weather。　The　wild　fowl　are　quite
  numerous。　Yes；　the　Broads　would　repay　a　visit；　Mr。　Midwinter。　the
  next　time　you　are　walking　that　way。　The　distance　from　here　to
  Little　Gill　Beck；　and　then　from　Little　Gill　Beck　to　Girdler
  Broad；　which　is　the　first　you　come　to；　is　altogether　not　more〃
  In　sheer　nervous　inability　to　leave　off；　he　would　apparently　have
  gone　on　talking　of　the　Norfolk　Broads　for　the　rest　of　the
  evening；　if　one　of　his　two　listeners　had　not　unceremoniously　cut
  him　short　before　he　could　find　his　way　into　a　new　sentence。
  〃Are　the　Broads　within　an　easy　day's　drive　there　and　back　from
  this　house？〃　asked　Allan；　feeling；　if　they　were；　that　the　place
  for　the　picnic　was　discovered　already。
  〃Oh；　yes；　sir；　a　nice　drivequite　a　nice　easy　drive　from　this
  beautiful　place！〃
  They　were　by　this　time　ascending　the　portico　steps；　Allan　leading
  the　way　up；　and　calling　to　Midwinter　and　Mr。　Bashwood　to　follow
  him　into　the　library；　where　there　was　a　lighted　lamp。
  In　the　interval　which　elapsed　before　the　wine　made　its
  appearance；　Midwinter　looked　at　his　chance　acquaintance　of　the
  high…road　with　strangely　mingled　feelings　of　compassion　and
  distrustof　compassion　that　strengthened　in　spite　of　him；　of
  distrust　that　persisted　in　diminishing；　try　as　he　might　to
  encourage　it　to　grow。　There；　perched　comfortless　on　the　edge　of
  his　chair；　sat　the　poor　broken…down；　nervous　wretch；　in　his　worn
  black　garments；　with　his　watery　eyes；　his　honest　old　outspoken
  wig；　his　miserable　mohair　stock；　and　his　false　teeth　that　were
  incapable　of　deceiving　anybodythere　he　sat；　politely　ill　at
  ease；　now　shrinking　in　the　glare　of　the　lamp；　now　wincing　under
  the　shock　of　Allan's　sturdy　voice；　a　man　with　the　wrinkles　of
  sixty　years　in　his　face；　and　the　manners　of　a　child　in　the
  presence　of　strangers；　an　object　of　pity　surely；　if　ever　there
  was　a　pitiable　object　yet！
  〃Whatever　else　you're　afraid　of；　Mr。　Bashwood；〃　cried
  Allan；　pouring　out　a　glass　of　wine；　〃don't　be　afraid　of　that！
  There　isn't　a　headache　in　a　hogshead　of　it！　Make　yourself
  comfortable；　I'll　leave　you　and　Mr。　Midwinter　to　talk　your
  business　over　by　yourselves。　It's　all　in　Mr。　Midwinter's　hands；
  he　acts　for　me；　and　settles　everything　at　his　own　discretion。〃
  He　said　those　words　with　a　cautious　choice　of　expression　very
  uncharacteristic　of　him；　and；　without　further　explanation；　made
  abruptly　for　the　door。　Midwinter；　sitting　near　it；　noticed　his
  face　as　he　went　out。　Easy　as　the　way　was　into　Allan's　favor；　Mr。
  Bashwood；　beyond　all　kind　of　doubt；　had　in　some　unaccountable
  manner　failed　to　find　it！
  The　two　strangely　assorted　companions　were　left　togetherparted
  widely；　as　it　seemed　on　the　surface；　from　any　possible
  interchange　of　sympathy；　drawn　invisibly　one　to　the　other；
  nevertheless；　by　those　magnetic　similarities　of　temperament　which
  overleap　all　difference　of　age　or　station；　and　defy　all　apparent
  incongruities　of　mind　and　character。　From　the　moment　when　Allan
  left　the　room；　the　hidden　Influence　that　works　in　darkness　began
  slowly　to　draw　the　two　men　together；　across　the　great　social
  desert　which　had　lain　between　them　up　to　this　day。
  Midwinter　was　the　first　to　approach　the　subject　of　the　interview。
  〃May　I　ask；〃　he　began；　〃if　you　have　been　made　acquainted　with　my
  position　here；　and　if　you　know　why　it　is　that　I　require　your
  assistance？〃
  Mr。　Bashwoodstill　hesitating　and　still　timid；　but　manifestly
  relieved　by　Allan's　departuresat　further　back　in　his　chair；　and
  ventured　on　fortifying　himself　with　a　modest　little　sip　of　wine。
  〃Yes；　sir；〃　he　replied；　〃Mr。　Pedgift　informed　me　of　allat　least
  I　think　I　may　say　soof　all　the　circumstances。　I　am　to　instruct；
  or　perhaps；　I　ought　to　say　to　advise〃
  〃No；　Mr。　Bashwood；　the　first　word　was　the　best　word　of　the　two。　I
  am　quite　ignorant　of　the　duties　which　Mr。　Armadale's　kindness　has
  induced　him　to　intrust　to　me。　If　I　understand　right；　there　can　be
  no　question　of　your　capacity　to　instruct　me；　for　you　once　filled
  a　steward's　situation　yourself。　May　I　inquire　where　it　was？〃
  〃At　Sir　John　Mellowship's；　sir；　in　West　Norfolk。　Perhaps　you
  would　likeI　have　got　it　with　meto　see　my　testimonial？　Sir
  John　might　have　dealt　more　kindly　with　me；　but　I　have　no
  complaint　to　make；　it's　all　done　and　over　now！〃　His　watery　eyes
  looked　more　watery　still；　and　the　trembling　in　his　hands　spread
  to　his　lips　as　he　produced　an　old　dingy　letter　from　his
  pocket…book　and　laid　it　open　on　the　table。
  The　testimonial　was　very　briefly　and　very　coldly　expressed；　but
  it　was　conclusive　as　far　as　it　went。　Sir　John　considered　it　only
  right　to　say　that　he　had　no　complaint　to　make　of　any　want　of
  capacity　or　integrity　in　his　steward。　If　Mr。　Bashwood's　domestic
  position　had　been　compatible　with　the　continued　performance　of
  his　duties　on　the　estate；　Sir　John　would　have　been　glad　to　keep
  him。　As　it　was；　embarrassments　caused　by　the　state　of　Mr。
  Bashwood's　personal　affairs　had　rendered　it　undesirable　that　he
  should　continue　in　Sir　John's　service；　and　on　that　ground；　and
  that　only；　his　employer　and　he　had　parted。　Such　was　Sir　John's
  testimony　to　Mr。　Bashwood's　character。　As　Midwinter　read　the　last
  lines；　he　thought　of　another　testimonial；　still　in　his　own
  possessionof　the　written　character　which　they　had　given　him　at
  the　school；　when　they　turned　their　sick　usher　adrift　in　the
  world。　His　superstition　（distrusting　all　new　events　and　all　new
  faces　at　Thorpe　Ambrose）　still　doubted　the　man　before　him　as
  obstinately　as　ever。　But　when　he　now　tried　to　put　those　doubts
  into　words；　his　heart　upbraided　him；　and　he　laid　the　letter　on
  the　table　in　silence。
  The　sudden　pause　in　the　conversation　appeared　to　startle　Mr。
  Bashwood。　He　comforted　himself　with　another　little　sip　of　wine；
  and；　leaving　the　letter　untouched；　burst　irrepressibly　into
  words；　as　if　the　silence　was　quite　unendurable　to　him。
  〃I　am　ready　to　answer　any　question；　sir；〃　he　began。　〃Mr。　Pedgift
  told　me　that　I　must　answer　questions；　because　I　was　applying　for
  a　place　of　trust。　Mr。　Pedgift　said　neither　you　nor　Mr。　Armadale
  was　likely　to　think　the　testimonial　sufficient　of　itself。　Sir
  John　doesn't　sayhe　might　have　put　it　more　kindly；　but　I　don't
  complainSir　John　doesn't　say　what　the　troubles　were　that　lost
  me　my　place。　Perhaps　you　might　wish　to　know〃　He　stopped
  confusedly；　looked　at　the　testimonial；　and　said　no　more。
  〃If　no　interests　but　mine　were　concerned　in　the　matter；〃　rejoined
  Midwinter；　〃the　testimonial　would；　I　assure　you；　be　quite　enough
  to　satisfy　me。　B