ATTHETERMINUS。
ONthenightofthe2dofDecember，Mr。BashwoodtookuphispostofobservationattheterminusoftheSouth-easternRailwayforthefirsttime。Itwasanearlierdate，bysixdays，thanthedatewhichAllanhadhimselffixedforhisreturn。Butthedoctor，takingcounselofhismedicalexperience，hadconsidereditjustprobablethat“Mr。Armadalemightbeperverseenough，athisenviableage，torecoversoonerthanhismedicaladvisersmighthaveanticipated。”Forcaution’ssake，therefore，Mr。
Bashwoodwasinstructedtobeginwatchingthearrivalofthetidaltrainsonthedayafterhehadreceivedhisemployer’sletter。
Fromthe2dtothe7thofDecember，thestewardwaitedpunctuallyontheplatform，sawthetrainscomein，andsatisfiedhimself，eveningafterevening，thatthetravelerswereallstrangerstohim。Fromthe2dtothe7thofDecember，MissGwilttoreturntothenameunderwhichsheisbestknowninthesepagesreceivedhisdailyreport，sometimesdeliveredpersonally，sometimessentbyletter。Thedoctor，towhomthereportswerecommunicated，receivedtheminhisturnwithunabatedconfidenceintheprecautionsthathadbeenadopteduptothemorningofthe8th。
OnthatdatetheirritationofcontinuedsuspensehadproducedachangefortheworseinMissGwilt’svariabletemper，whichwasperceptibletoeveryoneabouther，andwhich，strangelyenough，wasreflectedbyanequallymarkedchangeinthedoctor’smannerwhenhecametopayhisusualvisit。Byacoincidencesoextraordinarythathisenemiesmighthavesuspecteditofnotbeingacoincidenceatall，themorningonwhichMissGwiltlostherpatienceprovedtobealsothemorningonwhichthedoctorlosthisconfidenceforthefirsttime。