higher　mental　capacity　and　a　clearer　mental　view；　he　might　have
  found　the　letter　no　easy　one　to　write。　As　it　was；　he　calculated
  no　consequences；　and　felt　no　difficulty。　His　instinct　warned　him
  to　withdraw　at　once　from　the　position　in　which　he　now　stood
  toward　the　major's　wife；　and　he　wrote　what　his　instinct　counseled
  him　to　write　under　those　circumstances；　as　rapidly　as　the　pen
  could　travel　over　the　paper：
  〃Dunn's　Hotel；　Covent　Garden；　Tuesday。
  〃DEAR　MADAMPray　excuse　my　not　returning　to　Thorpe　Ambrose
  today；　as　I　said　I　would。　Unforeseen　circumstances　oblige　me　to
  stop　in　London。　I　am　sorry　to　say　I　have　not　succeeded　in　seeing
  Mrs。　Mandeville；　for　which　reason　I　cannot　perform　your　errand；
  and　I　beg；　therefore；　with　many　apologies；　to　return　the　letter
  of　introduction。　I　hope　you　will　allow　me　to　conclude　by　saying
  that　I　am　very　much　obliged　to　you　for　your　kindness；　and　that　I
  will　not　venture　to　trespass　on　it　any　further。
  〃I　remain；　dear　madam；　yours　truly；
  〃ALLAN　ARMADALE。〃
  In　those　artless　words；　still　entirely　unsuspicious　of　the
  character　of　the　woman　he　had　to　deal　with；　Allan　put　the　weapon
  she　wanted　into　Mrs。　Milroy's　hands。
  The　letter　and　its　inclosure　once　sealed　up　and　addressed；　he　was
  free　to　think　of　himself　and　his　future。　As　he　sat　idly　drawing
  lines　with　his　pen　on　the　blotting…paper；　the　tears　came　into　his
  eyes　for　the　first　timetears　in　which　the　woman　who　had
  deceived　him　had　no　share。　His　heart　had　gone　back　to　his　dead
  mother。　〃If　she　had　been　alive；〃　he　thought；　〃I　might　have
  trusted　_her；_　and　she　would　have　comforted　me。〃　It　was　useless
  to　dwell　on　it；　he　dashed　away　the　tears；　and　turned　his
  thoughts；　with　the　heart…sick　resignation　that　we　all　know；　to
  living　and　present　things。
  He　wrote　a　line　to　Mr。　Bashwood；　briefly　informing　the　deputy
  steward　that　his　absence　from　Thorpe　Ambrose　was　likely　to　be
  prolonged　for　some　little　time；　and　that　any　further　instructions
  which　might　be　necessary；　under　those　circumstances；　would　reach
  him　through　Mr。　Pedgift　the　elder。　This　done；　and　the　letters
  sent　to　the　post；　his　thoughts　were　forced　back　once　more　on
  himself。　Again　the　blank　future　waited　before　him　to　be　filled
  up；　and　again　his　heart　shrank　from　it　to　the　refuge　of　the　past。
  This　time　other　images　than　the　image　of　his　mother　filled　his
  mind。　The　one　all…absorbing　interest　of　his　earlier　days　stirred
  living　and　eager　in　him　again。　He　thought　of　the　sea；　he　thought
  of　his　yacht　lying　idle　in　the　fishing　h　arbor　at　his
  west…country　home。　The　old　longing　got　possession　of　him　to　hear
  the　wash　of　the　waves；；　to　see　the　filling　of　the　sails；　to　feel
  the　vessel　that　his　own　hands　had　helped　to　build　bounding　under
  him　once　more。　He　rose　in　his　impetuous　way　to　call　for　the
  time…table；　and　to　start　for　Somersetshire　by　the　first　train；
  when　the　dread　of　the　questions　which　Mr。　Brock　might　ask；　the
  suspicion　of　the　change　which　Mr。　Brock　might　see　in　him；　drew
  him　back　to　his　chair。　〃I'll　write；〃　he　thought；　〃to　have　the
  yacht　rigged　and　refitted；　and　I'll　wait　to　go　to　Somersetshire
  myself　till　Midwinter　can　go　with　me。〃　He　sighed　as　his　memory
  reverted　to　his　absent　friend。　Never　had　he　fell　the　void　made　in
  his　life　by　Midwinter's　departure　so　painfully　as　he　felt　it　now；
  in　the　dreariest　of　all　social　solitudesthe　solitude　of　a
  stranger　in　London；　left　by　himself　at　a　hotel。
  Before　long；　Pedgift　Junior　looked　in；　with　an　apology　for　his
  intrusion。　Allan　felt　too　lonely　and　too　friendless　not　to
  welcome　his　companion's　re…appearance　gratefully。　〃I'm　not　going
  back　to　Thorpe　Ambrose；〃　he　said；　〃I'm　going　to　stay　a　little
  while　in　London。　I　hope　you　will　be　able　to　stay　with　me？〃　To　do
  him　justice；　Pedgift　was　touched　by　the　solitary　position　in
  which　the　owner　of　the　great　Thorpe　Ambrose　estate　now　appeared
  before　him。　He　had　never；　in　his　relations　with　Allan；　so
  entirely　forgotten　his　business　interests　as　he　forgot　them　now。
  〃You　are　quite　right；　sir；　to　stop　here；　London's　the　place　to
  divert　your　mind；〃　said　Pedgift；　cheerfully。　〃All　business　is
  more　or　less　elastic　in　its　nature；　Mr。　Armadale；　I'll　spin　_my_
  business　out；　and　keep　you　company　with　the　greatest　pleasure。　We
  are　both　of　us　on　the　right　side　of　thirty；　sir；　let's　enjoy
  ourselves。　What　do　you　say　to　dining　early；　and　going　to　the
  play；　and　trying　the　Great　Exhibition　in　Hyde　Park　to…morrow
  morning；　after　breakfast？　If　we　only　live　like　fighting…cocks；
  and　go　in　perpetually　for　public　amusements；　we　shall　arrive　in
  no　time　at　the　_mens　sana　in　corpore　sano_　of　the　ancients。　Don't
  be　alarmed　at　the　quotation；　sir。　I　dabble　a　little　in　Latin
  after　business　hours；　and　enlarge　my　sympathies　by　occasional
  perusal　of　the　Pagan　writers；　assisted　by　a　crib。　William；　dinner
  at　five；　and；　as　it's　particularly　important　to…day；　I'll　see　the
  cook　myself。〃
  The　evening　passed；　the　next　day　passed；　Thursday　morning　came；
  and　brought　with　it　a　letter　for　Allan。　The　direction　was　in　Mrs。
  Milroy's　handwriting；　and　the　form　of　address　adopted　in　the
  letter　warned　Allan；　the　moment　he　opened　it；　that　something　had
  gone　wrong。
  ＇〃Private。〃＇
  〃The　Cottage；　Thorpe　Ambrose；　Wednesday。
  〃SIRI　have　just　received　your　mysterious　letter。　It　has　more
  than　surprised；　it　has　really　alarmed　me。　After　having　made　the
  friendliest　advances　to　you　on　my　side；　I　find　myself　suddenly
  shut　out　from　your　confidence　in　the　most　unintelligible；　and；　I
  must　add；　the　most　discourteous　manner。　It　is　quite　impossible
  that　I　can　allow　the　matter　to　rest　where　you　have　left　it。　The
  only　conclusion　I　can　draw　from　your　letter　is　that　my　confidence
  must　have　been　abused　in　some　way；　and　that　you　know　a　great　deal
  more　than　you　are　willing　to　tell　me。　Speaking　in　the　interest　of
  my　daughter's　welfare；　I　request　that　you　will　inform　me　what　the
  circumstances　are　which　have　prevented　your　seeing　Mrs。
  Mandeville；　and　which　have　led　to　the　withdrawal　of　the
  assistance　that　you　unconditionally　promised　me　in　your　letter　of
  Monday　last。
  〃In　my　state　of　health；　I　cannot　involve　myself　in　a　lengthened
  correspondence。　I　must　endeavor　to　anticipate　any　objections　you
  may　make；　and　I　must　say　all　that　I　have　to　say　in　my　present
  letter。　In　the　event　（which　I　am　most　unwilling　to　consider
  possible）　of　your　declining　to　accede　to　the　request　that　I　have
  just　addressed　to　you；　I　beg　to　say　that　I　shall　consider　it　my
  duty　to　my　daughter　to　have　this　very　unpleasant　matter　cleared
  up。　If　I　don't　hear　from　you　to　my　full　satisfaction　by　return　of
  post；　I　shall　be　obliged　to　tell　my　husband　that　circumstances
  have　happened　which　justify　us　in　immediately　testing　the
  respectability　of　Miss　Gwilt's　reference。　And　when　he　asks　me　for
  my　authority；　I　will　refer　him　to　you。
  〃Your　obedient　servant；　ANNE　MILROY。〃
  In　those　terms　the　major's　wife　threw　off　the　mask；　and　left　her
  victim　to　survey　at　his　leisure　the　trap　in　which　she　had　caught
  him。　Allan's　belief　in　Mrs。　Milroy's　good　faith　had　been　so
  implicitly　sincere　that　her　letter　simply　bewildered　him。　He　saw
  vaguely　that　he　had　been　deceived　in　some　way；　and　that　Mrs。
  Milroy's　neighborly　interest　in　him　was　not　what　it　had　looked　on
  the　surface；　and　he　saw　no　more。　The　threat　of　appealing　to　the
  majoron　which；　with　a　woman's　ignorance　of　the　natures　of　men；
  Mrs。　Milroy　had　relied　for　producing　its　effectwas　the　only
  part　of　the　letter　to　which　Allan　reverted　with　any　satisfaction：
  it　relieved　instead　of　alarming　him。　〃If　there　_is_　to　be　a
  quarrel；〃　he　thought；　〃it　will　be　a　comfort；　at　any　rate；　to　have
  it　out　with　a　man。〃
  Firm　in　his　resolution　to　shield　the　unhappy　woman　whose　secret
  he　wrongly　believed　himself　to　have　surprised；　Allan　sat　down　to
  write　his　apologies　to　the　major's　wife。　After　setting　up　three
  polite　declarations；　in　close　marching　order；　he　retired　from　the
  field。　〃He　was　extremely　sorry　to　have　offended　Mrs。　Milroy。　He
  was　innocent　of　all　intention　to　offend　Mrs。　Milroy。　And　he
  begged　to　remain　Mrs。　Milroy's　truly。〃　Never　had　Allan's　habitual
  brevity　as　a　letter…writer　done　him　better　service　than　it　did
  him　now。　With　a　little　more　skillfulness　in　the　use　of　his　pen；
  he　might　have　given　his　enemy　even　a　stronger　hold　on　him　than
  the　hold　she　had　got　already。
  The　interval　day　passed；　and　with　the　next　morning's　post　Mrs。
  Milroy's　threat　came　realized　in　the　shape　of　a　letter　from　her
  husband。　The　major　wrote　less　formally　than　his　wife　had　written；
  but　his　questions　were　mercilessly　to　the　point：
  ＇〃Private。〃＇
  〃The　Cottage；　Thorpe　Ambrose；　Friday；　July　11；　1851。
  〃DEAR　SIRWhen　you　did　me　the　favor　of　calling　here　a　few　days
  since；　you　asked　a　question　relating　to　my　governess；　Miss　Gwilt；
  which　I　thought　rather　a　strange　one　at　the　time；　and　which
  caused；　as　you　may　remember；　a　momentary　embarrassment　between
  us。
  〃This　morning　the　subject　of　Miss　Gwilt　has　been　brought　to　my
  notice　again　in　a　manner　which　has　caused　me　the　utmost
  astonishment。　In　plain　words；　Mrs。　Milroy　has　informed　me　that
  Miss　Gwilt　has　exposed　herself　to　the　suspicion　of　having
  deceived　us　by　a　false　reference。　On　my　expressing　the　surprise
  which　such　an　extraordinary