deceived　us　by　a　false　reference。　On　my　expressing　the　surprise
  which　such　an　extraordinary　statement　caused　me；　and　requesting
  that　it　might　be　instantly　substantiated；　I　was　still　further
  astonished　by　being　told　to　apply　for　all　particulars　to　no　less
  a　person　than　Mr。　Armadale。　I　have　vainly　requested　some　further
  explanation　from　Mrs。　Milroy；　she　persists　in　maintaining
  silence；　and　in　referring　me　to　yourself。
  〃Under　these　extraordinary　circumstances；　I　am　compelled；　in
  justice　to　all　parties；　to　ask　you　certain　questions　which　I　will
  endeavor　to　put　as　plainly　as　possible；　and　which　I　am　quite
  ready　to　believe　（from　my　previous　experience　of　you）　that　you
  will　answer　frankly　on　your　side。
  〃I　beg　to　inquire；　in　the　first　place；　whether　you　admit　or　deny
  Mrs。　Milroy's　assertion　that　you　have　made　yourself　acquainted
  with　particulars　relating　either　to　Miss　Gwilt　or　to　Miss　Gwilt's
  reference；　of　which　I　am　entirely　ignorant？　In　the　second　place；
  if　you　admit　the　truth　of　Mrs。　Milroy's　statement；　I　request　to
  know　how　you　became　acquainted　with　those　particulars？　Thirdly；
  and　lastly；　I　beg　to　ask　you　what　the　particulars　are？
  〃If　any　special　justification　for　putting　these　questions　be
  neededwhich；　purely　as　a　matter　of　courtesy　toward　yourself；　I
  am　willing　to　admitI　beg　to　remind　you　that　the　most　precious
  charge　in　my　house；　the　charge　of　my　daughter；　is　confided　to
  Miss　Gwilt；　and　that　Mrs。　Milroy's　statement　places　you；　to　all
  appearance；　in　the　position　of　being　competent　to　tell　me　whether
  that　charge　is　properly　bestowed　or　not。
  〃I　have　only　to　add　that；　as　nothing　has　thus　far　occurred　to
  justify　me　in　entertaining　the　slightest　suspicion　either　of　my
  governess　or　her　reference；　I　shall　wait　before　I　make　any　appeal
  to　Miss　Gwilt　until　I　have　received　your　answerwhich　I　shall
  expect　by　return　of　post。　Believe　me；　dear　sir；　faithfully　yours；
  〃DAVID　MILROY。〃
  This　transparently　straightforward　letter　at　once　dissipated　the
  confusion　which　had　thus　far　existed　in　Allan's　mind。　He　saw　the
  snare　in　which　he　had　been　caught　（though　he　was　still
  necessarily　at　a　loss　to　understand　why　it　had　been　set　for　him）
  as　he　had　not　seen　it　yet。　Mrs。　Milroy　had　clearly　placed　him
  between　two　alternativesthe　alternative　of　putting　himself　in
  the　wrong；　by　declining　to　answer　her　husband's　questions；　or　the
  alternative　of　meanly　sheltering　his　responsibility　behind　the
  responsibility　of　a　woman；　by　acknowledging　to　the　major's　own
  face　that　the　major's　wife　had　deceived　him。
  In　this　difficulty　Allan　acted　as　usual；　without　hesitation。　His
  pledge　to　Mrs。　Milroy　to　consider　their　correspondence　private
  still　bound　him；　disgracefully　as　she　had　abused　it。　And　his
  resolution　was　as　immovable　as　ever　to　let　no　earthly
  consideration　tempt　him　into　betraying　Miss　Gwilt。　〃I　may　have
  behaved　like　a　fool；〃　he　thought；　〃but　I　won't　break　my　word；　and
  I　won't　be　the　means　of　turning　that　miserable　woman　adrift　in
  the　world　again。〃
  He　wrote　to　the　major　as　artlessly　and　briefly　as　he　had　written
  to　the　major's　wife。　He　declared　his　unwillingness　to　cause　a
  friend　and　neighbor　any　disappointment；　if　he　could　possibly　help
  it。　On　this　occasion　he　had　no　other　choice。　The　questions　the
  major　asked　him　were　questions　which　he　could　not　consent　to
  answer。　He　was　not　very　clever　at　explaining　himself；　and　he
  hoped　he　might　be　excused　for　putting　it　in　that　way；　and　saying
  no　more。
  Monday's　post　brought　with　it　Major　Milroy's　rejoinder；　and
  closed　the　correspondence。
  〃The　Cottage；　Thorpe　Ambrose；　Sunday。
  〃SIRYour　refusal　to　answer　my　questions；　unaccompanied　as　it　is
  by　even　the　shadow　of　an　excuse　for　such　a　proceeding；　can　be
  interpreted　but　in　one　way。　Besides　being　an　implied
  acknowledgment　of　the　correctness　of　Mrs。　Milroy's　statement；　it
  is　also　an　implied　reflection　on　my　governess's　character。　As　an
  act　of　justice　toward　a　lady　who　lives　under　the　protection　of　my
  roof；　and　who　has　given　me　no　reason　whatever　to　distrust　her；　I
  shall　now　show　our　correspondence　to　Miss　Gwilt；　and　I　shall
  repeat　to　her　the　conversation　which　I　had　with　Mrs。　Milroy　on
  the　subject；　in　Mrs。　Milroy's　presence。
  〃One　word　more　respecting　the　future　relations　between　us；　and　I
  have　done。　My　ideas　on　certain　subjects　are；　I　dare　say；　the
  ideas　of　an　old…fashioned　man。　In　my　time；　we　had　a　code　of　honor
  by　which　we　regulated　our　actions。　According　to　that　code；　if　a
  man　made　private　inquiries　into　a　lady's　affairs；　without　being
  either　her　husband；　her　father；　or　her　brother；　he　subjected
  himself　to　the　responsibility　of　justifying　his　conduct　in　the
  estimation　of　others；　and；　if　he　evaded　that　responsibility；　he
  abdicated　the　position　of　a　gentleman。　It　is　quite　possible　that
  this　antiquated　way　of　thinking　exists　no　longer；　but　it　is　too
  late　for　me；　at　my　time　of　life；　to　adopt　more　modern　views。　I　am
  scrupulously　anxious；　seeing　that　we　live　in　a　country　and　a　time
  in　which　the　only　court　of　honor　is　a　police…court；　to　express
  myself　with　the　utmost　moderation　of　language　upon　this　the　last
  occasion　that　I　shall　have　to　communicate　with　you。　Allow　me；
  therefore；　merely　to　remark　that　our　ideas　of　the　conduct　which
  is　becoming　in　a　gentleman　differ　seriously；　and　permit　me　on
  this　account　to　request　that　you　will　consider　yourself　for　the
  future　as　a　stranger　to　my　family　and　to　myself。
  〃Your　obedient　servant；
  〃DAVID　MILROY。〃
  The　Monday　morning　on　which　his　client　received　the　major's
  letter　was　the　blackest　Monday　that　had　yet　been　marked　in
  Pedgift's　calendar。　When　Allan's　first　angry　sense　of　the　tone　of
  contempt　in　which　his　friend　and　neighbor　pronounced　sentence　on
  him　had　subsided；　it　left　him　sunk　in　a　state　of　depression　from
  which　no　efforts　made　by　his　traveling　companion　could　rouse　him
  for　the　rest　of　the　day。　Reverting　naturally；　now　that　his
  sentence　of　banishment　had　been　pronounced；　to　his　early
  intercourse　with　the　cottage；　his　memory　went　back　to　Neelie；
  more　regretfully　and　more　penitently　than　it　had　gone　back　to　her
  yet。〃　If　_she_　had　shut　the　door　on　me；　instead　of　her　father；〃
  was　the　bitter　reflection　with　which　Allan　now　reviewed　the　past；
  〃I　shouldn't　have　had　a　word　to　say　against　it；　I　should　have
  felt　it　served　me　right。〃
  The　next　day　brought　another　lettera　welcome　letter　this　time；
  from　Mr。　Brock。　Allan　had　written　to　Somersetshire　on　the　subject
  of　refitting　the　yacht　some　days　since。　The　letter　had　found　the
  rector　engaged；　as　he　innocently　supposed；　in　protecting　his　old
  pupil　against　the　woman　whom　he　had　watched　in　London；　and　whom
  he　now　believed　to　have　followed　him　back　to　his　own　home。　Acting
  under　the　directions　sent　to　her；　Mrs。　Oldershaw's　house…maid　had
  completed　the　mystification　of　Mr。　Brock。　She　had　tranquilized
  all　further　anxiety　on　the　rector's　part　by　giving　him　a　written
  undertaking　（in　the　character　of　Miss　Gwilt）；　engaging　never　to
  approach　Mr。　Armadale；　either　personally　or　by　letter！　Firmly
  persuaded　that　he　had　won　the　victory　at　last；　poor　Mr。　Brock
  answered　Allan's　note　in　the　highest　spirits；　expressing　some
  natural　surprise　at　his　leaving　Thorpe　Ambrose；　but　readily
  promising　that　the　yacht　should　be　refitted；　and　offering　the
  hospitality　of　the　rectory　in　the　heartiest　manner。
  This　letter　did　wonders　in　raising　Allan's　spirits。　It　gave　him　a
  new　interest　to　look　to；　entirely　disassociated　from　his　past
  life　in　Norfolk。　He　began　to　count　the　days　that　were　still　to
  pass　before　the　return　of　his　absent　friend。　It　was　then　Tuesday。
  If　Midwinter　came　back　from　his　walking　trip；　as　he　had　engaged
  to　come　back；　in　a　fortnight；　Saturday　would　find　him　at　Thorpe
  Ambrose。　A　note　sent　to　meet　the　traveler　might　bring　him　to
  London　the　same　night；　and；　if　all　went　well；　before　another　week
  was　over　they　might　be　afloat　together　in　the　yacht。
  The　next　day　passed；　to　Allan's　relief；　without　bringing　any
  letters。　The　spirits　of　Pedgift　rose　sympathetically　with　the
  spirits　of　his　client。　Toward　dinner　time　he　reverted　to　the
  _mens　sana　in　corpore　sano_　of　the　ancients；　and　issued　his
  orders　to　the　head…waiter　more　royally　than　ever。
  Thursday　came；　and　brought　the　fatal　postman　with　more　news　from
  Norfolk。　A　letter…writer　now　stepped　on　the　scene　who　had　not
  appeared　there　yet；　and　the　total　overthrow　of　all　Allan's　plans
  for　a　visit　to　Somersetshire　was　accomplished　on　the　spot。
  Pedgift　Junior　happened　that　morning　to　be　the　first　at　the
  breakfast　table。　When　Allan　came　in；　he　relapsed　into　his
  professional　manner；　and　offered　a　letter　to　his　patron　with　a
  bow　performed　in　dreary　silence。
  〃For　me？〃　inquired　Allan；　shrinking　instinctively　from　a　new
  correspondent。
  〃For　you；　sirfrom　my　father；〃　replied　Pedgift；　〃inclosed　in　one
  to　myself。　Perhaps　you　will　allow　me　to　suggest；　by　way　of
  preparing　you　forfor　something　a　little　unpleasantthat　we
  shall　want　a　particularly　good　dinner　to…day；　and　（if　they're　not
  performing　any　modern　German　music　to…night）　I　think　we　should　do
  well　to　finish　the　evening　melodiously　at　the　Opera。〃
  〃Something　wrong　at　Thorpe　Ambrose？〃　asked　Allen。
  〃Yes；　Mr。　Armadale；　something　wrong　at　Thorpe　Ambrose。〃