Thedoctor’sadviceremainedcounterpoised，inMillborne’smind，bytheaforesaidmoodofseriousnessandsenseofprinciple，approximatingoftentoreligioussentiment，whichhadbeenevolvingitselfinhisbreastformonths，andevenyears。
Thefeeling，however，hadnoimmediateeffectuponMr。Millborne’sactions。Hesoongotoverhistriflingillness，andwasvexedwithhimselfforhaving，inamomentofimpulse，confidedsuchacaseofconsciencetoanybody。
Buttheforcewhichhadpromptedit，thoughlatent，remainedwithhimandultimatelygrewstronger。Theupshotwasthataboutfourmonthsafterthedateofhisillnessanddisclosure，MillbornefoundhimselfonamildspringmorningatPaddingtonStation，inatrainthatwasstartingforthewest。Hismanyintermittentthoughtsonhisbrokenpromisefromtimetotime，inthosehourswhenlonelinessbroughthimfacetofacewithhisownpersonality，hadatlastresultedinthiscourse。
Thedecisivestimulushadbeengivenwhen，adayortwoearlier，onlookingintoaPost-OfficeDirectory，helearntthatthewomanhehadnotmetfortwentyyearswasstilllivingonatExonburyunderthenameshehadassumedwhen，ayearortwoafterherdisappearancefromhernativetownandhis，shehadreturnedfromabroadasayoungwidowwithachild，andtakenupherresidenceattheformercity。
Herconditionwasapparentlybutlittlechanged，andherdaughterseemedtobewithher，theirnamesstandingintheDirectoryas’Mrs。