“FairweatherValeprovedtobeanewneighborhood，situatedbelowthehighgroundofHampstead，onthesouthernside。Thedaywasovercast，andtheplacelookedverydreary。Weapproacheditbyanewroadrunningbetweentrees，whichmightoncehavebeentheparkavenueofacountryhouse。Attheendwecameuponawildernessofopenground，withhalf-finishedvillasdottedabout，andahideouslitterofboards，wheelbarrows，andbuildingmaterialsofallsortsscatteredineverydirection。Atonecornerofthissceneofdesolation，stoodagreatovergrowndismalhouse，plasteredwithdrab-coloredstucco，andsurroundedbyanaked，unfinishedgarden，withoutashruboraflowerinit，frightfultobehold。Ontheopenirongatethatledintothisinclosurewasanewbrassplate，with’Sanitarium’inscribedonitingreatblackletters。Thebell，whenthecabmanrangit，pealedthroughtheemptyhouselikeaknell;andthepallid，witheredoldman-servantinblackwhoansweredthedoorlookedasifhehadsteppedupoutofhisgravetoperformthatservice。Heletoutonmeasmellofdampplasterandnewvarnish;andheletinwithmeachillingdraftofthedampNovemberair。Ididn’tnoticeitatthetime，but，writingofitnow，IrememberthatI
shiveredasIcrossedthethreshold。
“Igavemynametotheservantas’Mrs。Armadale，’andwasshownintothewaiting-room。Theveryfireitselfwasdyingofdampinthegrate。Theonlybooksonthetablewerethedoctor’sWorks，insoberdrabcovers;andtheonlyobjectthatornamentedthewallswastheforeignDiplomahandsomelyframedandglazed，ofwhichthedoctorhadpossessedhimselfbypurchase，alongwiththeforeignname。
“Afteramomentortwo，theproprietoroftheSanitariumcamein，andhelduphishandsincheerfulastonishmentatthesightofme。
“’Ihadn’tanideawho“Mrs。Armadale“was！’hesaid。’Mydearlady，have_you_changedyournametoo？Howslyofyounottotellmewhenwemetthismorning！Comeintomyprivatesnuggery——Ican’tthinkofkeepinganoldanddearfriendlikeyouinthepatients’waiting-room。’
“Thedoctor’sprivatesnuggerywasatthebackofthehouse，lookingoutonfieldsandtrees，doomedbutnotyetdestroyedbythebuilder。Horribleobjectsinbrassandleatherandglass，twistedandturnedasiftheyweresentientthingswrithinginagoniesofpain，filleduponeendoftheroom。Agreatbook-casewithglassdoorsextendedoverthewholeoftheoppositewall，andexhibitedonitsshelveslongrowsofglassjars，inwhichshapelessdeadcreaturesofadullwhitecolorfloatedinyellowliquid。Abovethefireplacehungacollectionofphotographicportraitsofmenandwomen，inclosedintwolargeframeshangingsidebysidewithaspacebetweenthem。Theleft-handframeillustratedtheeffectsofnervoussufferingasseenintheface;
theright-handframeexhibitedtheravagesofinsanityfromthesamepointofview;whilethespacebetweenwasoccupiedbyanelegantlyilluminatedscroll，bearinginscribedonitthetime-honoredmotto，’PreventionisbetterthanCure。’
“’HereIam，withmygalvanicapparatus，andmypreservedspecimens，andalltherestofit，’saidthedoctor，placingmeinachairbythefireside。’AndthereismySystemmutelyaddressingyoujustaboveyourhead，underaformofexpositionwhichIventuretodescribeasfranknessitself。Thisisnomad-house，mydearlady。Letothermentreatinsanity，iftheylike——_I_stopit！Nopatientsinthehouseasyet。Butweliveinanagewhennervousderangementparentofinsanityissteadilyontheincrease;andinduetimethesuffererswillcome。IcanwaitasHarveywaited，asJennerwaited。Andnowdoputyourfeetuponthefender，andtellmeaboutyourself。Youaremarried，ofcourse？Andwhataprettyname！Acceptmybestandmostheart-feltcongratulations。Youhavethetwogreatestblessingsthatcanfalltoawoman’slot;thetwocapitalH’s，asIcallthem——HusbandandHome。’
“Iinterruptedthegenialflowofthedoctor’scongratulationsatthefirstopportunity。
“’Iammarried;butthecircumstancesarebynomeansoftheordinarykind，’Isaid，seriously。Mypresentpositionincludesnoneoftheblessingsthatareusuallysupposedtofalltoawoman’slot。Iamalreadyinasituationofveryseriousdifficulty;andbeforelongImaybeinasituationofveryseriousdangeraswell。’
“Thedoctordrewhischairalittlenearertome，andfellatonceintohisoldprofessionalmannerandhisoldconfidentialtone。
“’Ifyouwishtoconsultme，’hesaid，softly，’youknowthatI
havekeptsomedangeroussecretsinmytime，andyoualsoknowthatIpossesstwovaluablequalitiesasanadviser。Iamnoteasilyshocked;andIcanbeimplicitlytrusted。’
“Ihesitatedevennow，attheeleventhhour，sittingalonewithhiminhisownroom。Itwassostrangetometobetrustingtoanybodybutmyself！Andyet，howcouldIhelptrustinganotherpersoninadifficultywhichturnedonamatteroflaw？
“’Justasyouplease，youknow，’addedthedoctor。’Ineverinviteconfidences。Imerelyreceivethem。’
“Therewasnohelpforit;Ihadcometherenottohesitate，buttospeak。Iriskedit，andspoke。
“’ThematteronwhichIwishtoconsultyou，’Isaid，’isnotasyouseemtothinkwithinyourexperienceasaprofessionalman。ButIbelieveyoumaybeofassistancetome，ifItrustmyselftoyourlargerexperienceasamanoftheworld。IwarnyoubeforehandthatIshallcertainlysurprise，andpossiblyalarm，youbeforeIhavedone。’
“WiththatprefaceIenteredonmystory，tellinghimwhatIhadsettledtotellhim，andnomore。
“Imadenosecret，attheoutset，ofmyintentiontopersonateArmadale’swidow;andImentionedwithoutreserveknowingthatthedoctorcouldgototheofficeandexaminethewillforhimselfthehandsomeincomethatwouldbesettledonmeintheeventofmysuccess。SomeofthecircumstancesthatfollowednextinsuccessionIthoughtitdesirabletoalterorconceal。I
showedhimthenewspaperaccountofthelossoftheyacht，butI
saidnothingabouteventsatNaples。Iinformedhimoftheexactsimilarityofthetwonames;leavinghimtoimaginethatitwasaccidental。Itoldhim，asanimportantelementinthematter，thatmyhusbandhadkepthisrealnameaprofoundsecretfromeverybodybutmyself;buttopreventanycommunicationbetweenthemIcarefullyconcealedfromthedoctorwhattheassumednameunderwhichMidwinterhadlivedallhislifereallywas。I
acknowledgedthatIhadleftmyhusbandbehindmeontheContinent;butwhenthedoctorputthequestion，Iallowedhimtoconclude——Icouldn’t，withallmyresolution，tellhimpositively！——thatMidwinterknewofthecontemplatedFraud，andthathewasstayingawaypurposely，soasnottocompromisemebyhispresence。Thisdifficultysmoothedover——or，asIfeelitnow，thisbasenesscommitted——Irevertedtomyself，andcamebackagaintothetruth。OneafteranotherImentionedallthecircumstancesconnectedwithmyprivatemarriage，andwiththemovementsofArmadaleandMidwinter，whichrenderedanydiscoveryofthefalsepersonationthroughtheevidenceofotherpeopleadownrightimpossibility。’Somuch，’Isaid，inconclusion，’fortheobjectinview。Thenextthingistotellyouplainlyofaveryseriousobstaclethatstandsinmyway。’
“Thedoctor，whohadlistenedthusfarwithoutinterruptingme，beggedpermissionheretosayafewwordsonhissidebeforeI
wenton。
“The’fewwords’provedtobeallquestions——clever，searching，suspiciousquestions——whichIwas，however，abletoanswerwithlittleornoreserve，fortheyrelated，inalmosteveryinstance，tothecircumstancesunderwhichIhadbeenmarried，andtothechancesforandagainstmylawfulhusbandifhechosetoasserthisclaimtomeatanyfuturetime。
“Myrepliesinformedthedoctor，inthefirstplace，thatIhadsomanagedmattersatThorpeAmbroseastoproduceageneralimpressionthatArmadaleintendedtomarryme;inthesecondplace，thatmyhusband’searlylifehadnotbeenofakindtoexhibithimfavorablyintheeyesoftheworld;inthethirdplace，thatwehadbeenmarried，withoutanywitnessespresentwhoknewus，atalargeparishchurchinwhichtwoothercoupleshadbeenmarriedthesamemorning，tosaynothingofthedozensondozensofothercouplesconfusingallremembranceofusinthemindsoftheofficiatingpeoplewhohadbeenmarriedsince。
WhenIhadputthedoctorinpossessionofthesefacts——andwhenhehadfurtherascertainedthatMidwinterandIhadgoneabroadamongstrangersimmediatelyafterleavingthechurch;andthatthemenemployedonboardtheyachtinwhichArmadalehadsailedfromSomersetshirebeforemymarriagewerenowawayinshipsvoyagingtotheotherendoftheworld——hisconfidenceinmyprospectsshoweditselfplainlyinhisface。’SofarasIcansee，’hesaid，’yourhusband’sclaimtoyouafteryouhavesteppedintotheplaceofthedeadMr。Armadale’swidowwouldrestonnothingbuthisownbareassertion。And_that_Ithinkyoumaysafelysetatdefiance。Excusemyapparentdistrustofthegentleman。Buttheremightbeamisunderstandingbetweenyouinthefuture，anditishighlydesirabletoascertainbeforehandexactlywhathecouldorcouldnotdounderthosecircumstances。
Andnowthatwehavedonewiththemainobstaclethat_I_seeinthewayofyoursuccess，letusbyallmeanscometotheobstaclethat_you_seenext！’
“Iwaswillingenoughtocometoit。ThetoneinwhichhespokeofMidwinter，thoughImyselfwasresponsibleforit，jarredonmehorribly，androusedforthemomentsomeoftheoldfollyoffeelingwhichIfanciedIhadlaidasleepforever。Irushedatthechanceofchangingthesubject，andmentionedthediscrepancyintheregisterbetweenthehandinwhichMidwinterhadsignedthenameofAllanArmadale，andthehandinwhichArmadaleofThorpeAmbrosehadbeenaccustomedtowritehisname，withaneagernesswhichitquitedivertedthedoctortosee。
“’Is_that_all？’heasked，tomyinfinitesurpriseandrelief，whenIhaddone。’Mydearlady，praysetyourmindatease！IfthelateMr。Armadale’slawyerswantaproofofyourmarriage，theywon’tgotothechurch-registerforit，Icanpromiseyou！’
“’What！’Iexclaimed，inastonishment。’Doyoumeantosaythattheentryintheregisterisnotaproofofmymarriage？’
“’Itisaproof，’saidthedoctor，’thatyouhavebeenmarriedtosomebody。ButitisnoproofthatyouhavebeenmarriedtoMr。
ArmadaleofThorpeAmbrose。JackNokesorTomStylesexcusethehomelinessoftheillustration！mighthavegotthelicense，andgonetothechurchtobemarriedtoyouunderMr。Armadale’sname;andtheregisterhowcoulditdootherwise？mustinthatcasehaveinnocentlyassistedthedeception。IseeIsurpriseyou。Mydearmadam，whenyouopenedthisinterestingbusinessyousurprised_me_——Imayownitnow——bylayingsomuchstressonthecurioussimilaritybetweenthetwonames。Youmighthaveenteredontheverydaringandromanticenterpriseinwhichyouarenowengaged，withoutnecessarilymarryingyourpresenthusband。Anyothermanwouldhavedonejustaswell，providedhewaswillingtotakeMr。Armadale’snameforthepurpose。’
“Ifeltmytempergoingatthis。’Anyothermanwould_not_havedonejustaswell，’Irejoined，instantly。’Butforthesimilarityofthenames，Ishouldneverhavethoughtoftheenterpriseatall。’
“Thedoctoradmittedthathehadspokentoohastily。’Thatpersonalviewofthesubjecthad，Iconfess，escapedme，’hesaid。’However，letusgetbacktothematterinhand。InthecourseofwhatImaytermanadventurousmedicallife，Ihavebeenbroughtmorethanonceintocontactwiththegentlemenofthelaw，andhavehadopportunitiesofobservingtheirproceedingsincasesof，letussay，DomesticJurisprudence。IamquitesureIamcorrectininformingyouthattheproofwhichwillberequiredbyMr。Armadale’srepresentativeswillbetheevidenceofawitnesspresentatthemarriagewhocanspeaktotheidentityofthebrideandbridegroomfromhisownpersonalknowledge。’
“’ButIhavealreadytoldyou，’Isaid，’thattherewasnosuchpersonpresent。’
“’Precisely，’rejoinedthedoctor。’Inthatcase，whatyounowwant，beforeyoucansafelystirastepinthematter，is——ifyouwillpardonmetheexpression——aready-madewitness，possessedofraremoralandpersonalresources，whocanbetrustedtoassumethenecessarycharacter，andtomakethenecessaryDeclarationbeforeamagistrate。Doyouknowofanysuchperson？’askedthedoctor，throwinghimselfbackinhischair，andlookingatmewiththeutmostinnocence。
“’IonlyknowYou，’Isaid。
“Thedoctorlaughedsoftly。’Solikeawoman！’heremarked，withthemostexasperatinggoodhumor。’Themomentsheseesherobject，shedashesatitheadlongthenearestway。Oh，thesex！
thesex！’
“’Nevermindthesex！’Ibrokeout，impatiently。’Iwantaseriousanswer——YesorNo？’
“Thedoctorrose，andwavedhishandwithgreatgravityanddignityallroundtheroom。’Youseethisvastestablishment，’hebegan;’youcanpossiblyestimatetosomeextenttheimmensestakeIhaveinitsprosperityandsuccess。YourexcellentnaturalsensewilltellyouthatthePrincipalofthisSanitariummustbeamanofthemostunblemishedcharacter——’
“’Whywastesomanywords，’Isaid，’whenonewordwilldo？YoumeanNo！’
“ThePrincipaloftheSanitariumsuddenlyrelapsedintothecharacterofmyconfidentialfriend。
“’Mydearlady，’hesaid，’itisn’tYes，anditisn’tNo，atamoment’snotice。Givemetillto-morrowafternoon。BythattimeI
engagetobereadytodooneoftwothings——eithertowithdrawmyselffromthisbusinessatonce，ortogointoitwithyouheartandsoul。Doyouagreetothat？Verygood;wemaydropthesubject，then，tillto-morrow。WherecanIcallonyouwhenI
havedecidedwhattodo？’
“Therewasnoobjectiontomytrustinghimwithmyaddressatthehotel。Ihadtakencaretopresentmyselfthereas’Mrs。
Armadale’;andIhadgivenMidwinteranaddressattheneighboringpost-officetowritetowhenheansweredmyletters。
Wesettledthehouratwhichthedoctorwastocallonme;and，thatmatterarranged，Irosetogo，resistingalloffersofrefreshment，andallproposalstoshowmeoverthehouse。Hissmoothpersistenceinkeepingupappearancesafterwehadthoroughlyunderstoodeachotherdisgustedme。IgotawayfromhimassoonasIcould，andcamebacktomydiaryandmyownroom。
“Weshallseehowitendsto-morrow。MyownideaisthatmyconfidentialfriendwillsayYes。
“November24th——ThedoctorhassaidYes，asIsupposed;butontermswhichIneveranticipated。TheconditiononwhichIhavesecuredhisservicesamountstonothinglessthanthepaymenttohim，onmysteppingintotheplaceofArmadale’swidow，ofhalfmyfirstyear’sincome——inotherwords，sixhundredpounds！
“IprotestedagainstthisextortionatedemandineverywayI
couldthinkof。Alltonopurpose。Thedoctormetmewiththemostengagingfrankness。Nothing，hesaid，buttheaccidentalembarrassmentofhispositionatthepresenttimewouldhaveinducedhimtomixhimselfupinthematteratall。Hewouldhonestlyconfessthathehadexhaustedhisownresources，andtheresourcesofotherpersonswhomhedescribedashis’backers，’inthepurchaseandcompletionoftheSanitarium。Underthosecircumstances，sixhundredpoundsinprospectwasanobjecttohim。Forthatsumhewouldruntheseriousriskofadvisingandassistingme。Notafarthinglesswouldtempthim;andthereheleftit，withhisbestandfriendliestwishes，inmyhands！
“Itendedintheonlywayinwhichitcouldend。Ihadnochoicebuttoaccepttheterms，andtoletthedoctorsettlethingsonthespotashepleased。Thearrangementoncemadebetweenus，I
mustdohimthejusticetosaythatheshowednodispositiontoletthegrassgrowunderhisfeet。Hecalledbrisklyforpen，inkandpaper，andsuggestedopeningthecampaignatThorpeAmbrosebyto-night’spost。
“WeagreedonaformofletterwhichIwrote，andwhichhecopiedonthespot。Ienteredintonoparticularsatstarting。IsimplyassertedthatIwasthewidowofthedeceasedMr。Armadale;thatIhadbeenprivatelymarriedtohim;thatIhadreturnedtoEnglandonhissailingintheyachtfromNaples;andthatI
beggedtoincloseacopyofmymarriagecertificate，asamatterofformwithwhichIpresumeditwascustomarytocomply。Theletterwasaddressedto’TheRepresentativesofthelateAllanArmadale，Esq。，ThorpeAmbrose，Norfolk。’Andthedoctorhimselfcarrieditaway，andputitinthepost。
“IamnotsoexcitedandsoimpatientforresultsasIexpectedtobe，nowthatthefirststepistaken。ThethoughtofMidwinterhauntsmelikeaghost。Ihavebeenwritingtohimagain——asbefore，tokeepupappearances。Itwillbemylastletter，I
think。Mycouragefeelsshaken，myspiritsgetdepressed，whenmythoughtsgobacktoTurin。IamnomorecapableoffacingtheconsiderationofMidwinteratthismomentthanIwasintheby-gonetime，Thedayofreckoningwithhim，oncedistantanddoubtful，isadaythatmaycometomenow，Iknownothowsoon。
AndhereIam，trustingmyselfblindlytothechapterofAccidentsstill！
“November25th——Attwoo’clockto-daythedoctorcalledagainbyappointment。Hehasbeentohislawyersofcoursewithouttakingthemintoourconfidencetoputthecasesimplyofprovingmymarriage。Theresultconfirmswhathehasalreadytoldme。Thepivotonwhichthewholematterwillturn，ifmyclaimisdisputed，willbethequestionofidentity;anditmaybenecessaryforthewitnesstomakehisDeclarationinthemagistrate’spresencebeforetheweekisout。
“Inthispositionofaffairs，thedoctorthinksitimportantthatweshouldbewithineasyreachofeachother，andproposestofindaquietlodgingformeinhisneighborhood。Iamquitewillingtogoanywhere;for，amongtheotherstrangefanciesthathavegotpossessionofme，IhaveanideathatIshallfeelmorecompletelylosttoMidwinterifImoveoutoftheneighborhoodinwhichhislettersareaddressedtome。IwasawakeandthinkingofhimagainlastnightThismorningIhavefinallydecidedtowritetohimnomore。
“Afterstayinghalfanhour，thedoctorleftme，havingfirstinquiredwhetherIwouldliketoaccompanyhimtoHampsteadtolookforlodgings。IinformedhimthatIhadsomebusinessofmyownwhichwouldkeepmeinLondon。Heinquiredwhatthebusinesswas。’Youwillsee，’Isaid，’to-morrowornextday。’
“Ihadamoment’snervoustremblingwhenIwasbymyselfagain。
MybusinessinLondon，besidesbeingaseriousbusinessinawoman’seyes，tookmymindbacktoMidwinterinspiteofme。Theprospectofremovingtomynewlodginghadremindedmeofthenecessityofdressinginmynewcharacter。Thetimehadcomenowforgetting_mywidow’sweeds。_
“Myfirstproceeding，afterputtingmybonneton，wastoprovidemyselfwithmoney。IgotwhatIwantedtofitmeoutforthecharacterofArmadale’swidowbynothinglessthanthesaleofArmadale’sownpresenttomeonmymarriage——therubyring！ItprovedtobeamorevaluablejewelthanIhadsupposed。Iamlikelytobesparedallmoneyanxietiesforsometimetocome。
“Onleavingthejeweler’s，IwenttothegreatmourningshopinRegentStreet。Infour-and-twentyhoursifIcangivethemnomoretheyhaveengagedtodressmeinmywidow’scostumefromheadtofoot。IhadanotherfeverishmomentwhenIlefttheshop;
and，bywayoffurtherexcitementonthisagitatingday，Ifoundasurpriseinstoreformeonmyreturntothehotel。Anelderlygentlemanwasannouncedtobewaitingtoseeme。Iopenedmysitting-roomdoor，andtherewasoldBashwood！
“Hehadgotmyletterthatmorning，andhadstartedforLondonbythenexttraintoansweritinperson。Ihadexpectedagreatdealfromhim，butIhadcertainlynotexpected_that。_Itflatteredme。Forthemoment，Ideclareitflatteredme！
“Ipassoverthewretchedoldcreature’srapturesandreproaches，andgroansandtears，andwearylongprosingsaboutthelonelymonthshehadpassedatThorpeAmbrose，broodingovermydesertionofhim。Hewasquiteeloquentattimes;butIdon’twanthiseloquencehere。ItisneedlesstosaythatIputmyselfrightwithhim，andconsultedhisfeelingsbeforeIaskedhimforhisnews。Whatablessingawoman’svanityissometimes！Ialmostforgotmyrisksandresponsibilitiesinmyanxietiestobecharming。ForaminuteortwoIfeltawarmlittleflutteroftriumph。Anditwasatriumph——evenwithanoldman！InaquarterofanhourIhadhimsmirkingandsmiling，hangingonmylightestwordsinanecstasy，andansweringallthequestionsIputtohimlikeagoodlittlechild。
“HereishisaccountofaffairsatThorpeAmbrose，asIgentlyextracteditfromhimbitbybit:
“Inthefirstplace，thenewsofArmadale’sdeathhasreachedMissMilroy。Ithassocompletelyoverwhelmedherthatherfatherhasbeencompelledtoremoveherfromtheschool。Sheisbackatthecottage，andthedoctorisindailyattendance。DoIpityher？Yes！Ipityherexactlyasmuchassheoncepitiedme！
“Inthenextplace，thestateofaffairsatthegreathouse，whichIexpectedtofindsomedifficultyincomprehending，turnsouttobequiteintelligible，andcertainlynotdiscouragingsofar。Onlyyesterday，thelawyersonbothsidescametoanunderstanding。Mr。DarchthefamilysolicitoroftheBlanchards，andArmadale’sbitterenemyinpasttimesrepresentstheinterestsofMissBlanchard，whointheabsenceofanymaleheirisnextheirtotheestate，andwhohas，itappears，beeninLondonforsometimepast。Mr。Smart，ofNorwichoriginallyemployedtooverlookBashwood，representsthedeceasedArmadale。
Andthisiswhatthetwolawyershavesettledbetweenthem。
“Mr。Darch，actingforMissBlanchard，hasclaimedthepossessionoftheestate，andtherightofreceivingtherentsattheChristmasaudit，inhername。Mr。Smart，onhisside，hasadmittedthatthereisgreatweightinthefamilysolicitor’sapplication。Hecannotseehisway，asthingsarenow，tocontestingthequestionofArmadale’sdeath，andhewillconsenttooffernoresistancetotheapplication，ifMr。Darchwillconsent，onhisside，toassumetheresponsibilityoftakingpossessioninMissBlanchard’sname。ThisMr。Darchhasalreadydone;andtheestateisnowvirtuallyinMissBlanchard’spossession。
“OneresultofthiscourseofproceedingwillbeasBashwoodthinkstoputMr。Darchinthepositionofthepersonwhoreallydecidesonmyclaimtothewidow’splaceandthewidow’smoney。
Theincomebeingchargedontheestate，itmustcomeoutofMissBlanchard’spocket;andthequestionofpayingitwouldappear，therefore，tobeaquestionforMissBlanchard’slawyer。
To-morrowwillprobablydecidewhetherthisviewistherightone，formylettertoArmadale’srepresentativeswillhavebeendeliveredatthegreathousethismorning。
“SomuchforwhatoldBashwoodhadtotellme。Havingrecoveredmyinfluenceoverhim，andpossessedmyselfofallhisinformationsofar，thenextthingtoconsiderwastherightusetoturnhimtointhefuture。Hewasentirelyatmydisposal，forhisplaceatthesteward’sofficehasbeenalreadytakenbyMissBlanchard’smanofbusiness，andhepleadedhardtobeallowedtostayandservemyinterestsinLondon。Therewouldnothavebeentheleastdangerinlettinghimstay，forIhad，asamatterofcourse，lefthimundisturbedinhisconvictionthatIreallyamthewidowofArmadaleofThorpeAmbrose。Butwiththedoctor’sresourcesatmycommand，IwantednoassistanceofanysortinLondon;anditoccurredtomethatImightmakeBashwoodmoreusefulbysendinghimbacktoNorfolktowatcheventsthereinmyinterests。
“Helookedsorelydisappointedhavinghadaneyeevidentlytopayinghiscourttomeinmywidowedcondition！whenItoldhimoftheconclusionatwhichIhadarrived。Butafewwordsofpersuasion，andamodesthintthathemightcherishhopesinthefutureifheservedmeobedientlyinthepresent，didwondersinreconcilinghimtothenecessityofmeetingmywishes。Heaskedhelplesslyfor’instructions’whenitwastimeforhimtoleavemeandtravelbackbytheeveningtrain。Icouldgivehimnone，forIhadnoideaasyetofwhatthelegalpeoplemightormightnotdo。’Butsupposesomethinghappens，’hepersisted，’thatI
don’tunderstand，whatamItodo，sofarawayfromyou？’Icouldonlygivehimoneanswer。’Donothing，’Isaid。’Whateveritis，holdyourtongueaboutit，andwrite，orcomeuptoLondonimmediatelytoconsultme。’Withthosepartingdirections，andwithanunderstandingthatweweretocorrespondregularly，Ilethimkissmyhand，andsenthimofftothetrain。
“NowthatIamaloneagain，andabletothinkcalmlyoftheinterviewbetweenmeandmyelderlyadmirer，IfindmyselfrecallingacertainchangeinoldBashwood’smannerwhichpuzzledmeatthetime，andwhichpuzzlesmestill。
“Eveninhisfirstmomentsofagitationatseeingme，IthoughtthathiseyesrestedonmyfacewithanewkindofinterestwhileIwasspeakingtohim。Besidesthis，hedroppedawordortwoafterward，intellingmeofhislonelylifeatThorpeAmbrose，whichseemedtoimplythathehadbeensustainedinhissolitudebyafeelingofconfidenceabouthisfuturerelationswithmewhenwenextmetIfhehadbeenayoungerandaboldermanandifanysuchdiscoveryhadbeenpossible，Ishouldalmosthavesuspectedhimofhavingfoundoutsomethingaboutmypastlifewhichhadmadehimprivatelyconfidentofcontrollingme，ifI
showedanydispositiontodeceiveanddeserthimagain。ButsuchanideaasthisinconnectionwitholdBashwoodissimplyabsurd。
PerhapsIamoverexcitedbythesuspenseandanxietyofmypresentposition？Perhapsthemerestfanciesandsuspicionsareleadingmeastray？Letthisbeasitmay，Ihave，atanyrate，moreserioussubjectsthanthesubjectofoldBashwoodtooccupymenow。Tomorrow’spostmaytellmewhatArmadale’srepresentativesthinkoftheclaimofArmadale’swidow。
“November26th——Theanswerhasarrivedthismorning，intheformasBashwoodsupposedofaletterfromMr。Darch。Thecrabbedoldlawyeracknowledgesmyletterinthreelines。Beforehetakesanysteps，orexpressesanyopiniononthesubject，hewantsevidenceofidentityaswellastheevidenceofthecertificate;
andheventurestosuggestthatitmaybedesirable，beforewegoanyfurther，toreferhimtomylegaladvisers。
“Twoo’clock——Thedoctorcalledshortlyaftertwelvetosaythathehadfoundalodgingformewithintwentyminutes’walkoftheSanitarium。Inreturnforhisnews，IshowedhimMr。Darch’sletter。Hetookitawayatoncetohislawyers，andcamebackwiththenecessaryinformationformyguidance。IhaveansweredMr。Darchbysendinghimtheaddressofmylegaladvisers——otherwise，thedoctor’slawyers——withoutmakinganycommentonthedesirethathehasexpressedforadditionalevidenceofthemarriage。Thisisallthatcanbedoneto-day。
To-morrowwillbringwithiteventsofgreaterinterest，forto-morrowthedoctoristomakehisDeclarationbeforethemagistrate，andto-morrowIamtomovetomynewlodginginmywidow’sweeds。
“November27th——FairweatherValeVillas——TheDeclarationhasbeenmade，withallthenecessaryformalities。AndIhavetakenpossession，inmywidow’scostume，ofmynewrooms。
“Ioughttobeexcitedbytheopeningofthisnewactinthedrama，andbytheventuresomepartthatIamplayinginitmyself。Strangetosay，Iamquietanddepressed。ThethoughtofMidwinterhasfollowedmetomynewabode，andispressingonmeheavilyatthismoment。Ihavenofearofanyaccidenthappening，intheintervalthatmuststillpassbeforeIsteppubliclyintotheplaceofArmadale’swidow。Butwhenthattimecomes，andwhenMidwinterfindsmeassoonerorlaterfindmehemust！figuringinmyfalsecharacter，andsettledinthepositionthatIhaveusurped——_then，_Iaskmyself，Whatwillhappen？Theanswerstillcomesasitfirstcametomethismorning，whenIputonmywidow’sdress。Now，asthen，thepresentimentisfixedinmymindthathewillkillme。Ifitwasnottoolatetodrawback——
Absurd！Ishallshutupmyjournal。
“November28th——ThelawyershaveheardfromMr。Darch，andhavesenthimtheDeclarationbyreturnofpost。
“Whenthedoctorbroughtmethisnews，Iaskedhimwhetherhislawyerswereawareofmypresentaddress;and，findingthathehadnotyetmentionedittothem，Ibeggedthathewouldcontinuetokeepitasecretforthefuture。Thedoctorlaughed。’AreyouafraidofMr。Darch’sstealingamarchonus，andcomingtoattackyoupersonally？’heasked。Iacceptedtheimputation，astheeasiestwayofmakinghimcomplywithmyrequest。’Yes，’I
said，’IamafraidofMr。Darch。’
“Myspiritshaverisensincethedoctorleftme。Thereisapleasantsensationofsecurityinfeelingthatnostrangersareinpossessionofmyaddress。Iameasyenoughinmymindto-daytonoticehowwonderfullywellIlookinmywidow’sweeds，andtomakemyselfagreeabletothepeopleofthehouse。
“Midwinterdisturbedmealittleagainlastnight;butIhavegotovertheghastlydelusionwhichpossessedmeyesterday。
IknowbetternowthantodreadviolencefromhimwhenhediscoverswhatIhavedone。Andthereisstilllessfearofhisstoopingtoasserthisclaimtoawomanwhohaspracticedonhimsuchadeceptionasmine。TheoneserioustrialthatIshallbeputtowhenthedayofreckoningcomeswillbethetrialofpreservingmyfalsecharacterinhispresence。Ishallbesafeinhisloathingandcontemptforme，afterthat。OnthedaywhenI
havedeniedhimtohisface，Ishallhaveseenthelastofhimforever。
“ShallIbeabletodenyhimtohisface？ShallIbeabletolookathimandspeaktohimasifhehadneverbeenmoretomethanafriend？HowdoIknowtillthetimecomes？WasthereeversuchaninfatuatedfoolasIam，tobewritingofhimatall，whenwritingonlyencouragesmetothinkofhim？Iwillmakeanewresolution。Fromthistimeforth，hisnameshallappearnomoreinthesepages。
“Monday，December1st——Thelastmonthoftheworn-outoldyear1851！IfIallowedmyselftolookback，whatamiserableyearI
shouldseeaddedtoalltheothermiserableyearsthataregone！
ButIhavemademyresolutiontolookforwardonly，andImeantokeepit。
“Ihavenothingtorecordofthelasttwodays，exceptthatonthetwenty-ninthIrememberedBashwood，andwrotetotellhimofmynewaddress。ThismorningthelawyersheardagainfromMr。
Darch。HeacknowledgesthereceiptoftheDeclaration，butpostponesstatingthedecisionatwhichhehasarriveduntilhehascommunicatedwiththetrusteesunderthelateMr。Blanchard’swill，andhasreceivedhisfinalinstructionsfromhisclient，MissBlanchard。Thedoctor’slawyersdeclarethatthislastletterisameredeviceforgainingtime——withwhatobjecttheyare，ofcourse，notinapositiontoguess。Thedoctorhimselfsays，facetiously，itistheusuallawyer’sobjectofmakingalongbill。MyownideaisthatMr。Darchhashissuspicionsofsomethingwrong，andthathispurposeintryingtogaintime——
*******
“Ten，atnight——IhadwrittenasfarasthatlastunfinishedsentencetowardfourintheafternoonwhenIwasstartledbyhearingacabdriveuptothedoor。Iwenttothewindow，andgottherejustintimetoseeoldBashwoodgettingoutwithanactivityofwhichIshouldneverhavesupposedhimcapable。SolittledidIanticipatethetremendousdiscoverythatwasgoingtoburstonmeinanotherminute，thatIturnedtotheglass，andwonderedwhatthesusceptibleoldgentlemanwouldsaytomeinmywidow’scap。
“Theinstantheenteredtheroom，Isawthatsomeseriousdisasterhadhappened。Hiseyeswerewild，hiswigwasawry。Heapproachedmewithastrangemixtureofeagernessanddismay。
’I’vedoneasyoutoldme，’hewhispered，breathlessly。’I’veheldmytongueaboutit，andcomestraightto_you！_’HecaughtmebythehandbeforeIcouldspeak，withaboldnessquitenewinmyexperienceofhim。’OhhowcanIbreakittoyou！’heburstout。’I’mbesidemyselfwhenIthinkofit！’
“’Whenyou_can_speak，’Isaid，puttinghimintoachair，’speakout。IseeinyourfacethatyoubringmenewsIdon’tlookforfromThorpeAmbrose。’
“Heputhishandintothebreast-pocketofhiscoat，anddrewoutaletter。Helookedattheletter，andlookedatme。
’New——new——newsyoudon’tlookfor，’hestammered;’butnotfromThorpeAmbrose！’
“’NotfromThorpeAmbrose！’
“’No。Fromthesea！’
“Thefirstdawningofthetruthbrokeonmeatthosewords。I
couldn’tspeak——Icouldonlyholdoutmyhandtohimfortheletter。
“Hestillshrankfromgivingittome。’Idaren’t！Idaren’t！’hesaidtohimself，vacantly。’Theshockofitmightbethedeathofher。’
“Isnatchedtheletterfromhim。Oneglanceatthewritingontheaddresswasenough。Myhandsfellonmylap，withtheletterfastheldinthem。Isatpetrified，withoutmoving，withoutspeaking，withouthearingawordofwhatBashwoodwassayingtome，andslowlyrealizedtheterribletruth。ThemanwhosewidowIhadclaimedtobewasalivingmantoconfrontme！InvainIhadmixedthedrinkatNaples——invainIhadbetrayedhimintoManuel’shands。TwiceIhadsetthedeadlysnareforhim，andtwiceArmadalehadescapedme！“Icametomysenseofoutwardthingsagain，andfoundBashwoodonhiskneesatmyfeet，crying。
“’Youlookangry，’hemurmured，helplessly。’Areyouangrywith_me？_Oh，ifyouonlyknewwhathopesIhadwhenwelastsaweachother，andhowcruellythatletterhasdashedthemalltotheground！’
“Iputthemiserableoldcreaturebackfromme，butverygently。
’Hush！’Isaid。’Don’tdistressmenow。Iwantcomposure;Iwanttoreadtheletter。’
“Hewentawaysubmissivelytotheotherendoftheroom。Assoonasmyeyewasoffhim，Iheardhimsaytohimself，withimpotentmalignity，’Iftheseahadbeenofmymind，theseawouldhavedrownedhim！’
“OnebyoneIslowlyopenedthefoldsoftheletter;feeling，whileIdidso，thestrangestincapabilityoffixingmyattentionontheverylinesthatIwasburningtoread。ButwhydwellanylongeronsensationswhichIcan’tdescribe？ItwillbemoretothepurposeifIplacetheletteritself，forfuturereference，onthispageofmyjournal。
’Fiume，Illyria，November21，1851。
“MR。BASHWOOD——TheaddressIdatefromwillsurpriseyou;andyouwillbemoresurprisedstillwhenyouhearhowitisthatIcometowritetoyoufromaportontheAdriaticSea。
“Ihavebeenthevictimofarascallyattemptatrobberyandmurder。Therobberyhassucceeded;anditisonlythroughthemercyofGodthatthemurderdidnotsucceedtoo。
“IhiredayachtrathermorethanamonthagoatNaples;andsailedIamgladtothinknowwithoutanyfriendwithme，forMessina。FromMessinaIwentforacruiseintheAdriatic。Twodaysoutwewerecaughtinastorm。Stormsgetupinahurry，andgodowninahurry，inthoseparts。Thevesselbehavednobly:I
declareIfeelthetearsinmyeyesnow，whenIthinkofheratthebottomofthesea！Towardsunsetitbegantomoderate;andbymidnight，exceptforalong，smoothswell，theseawasasquietasneedbe。Iwentbelow，alittletiredhavinghelpedinworkingtheyachtwhilethegalelasted，andfellasleepinfiveminutes。Abouttwohoursafter，Iwaswokebysomethingfallingintomycabinthroughachinkoftheventilatorintheupperpartofthedoor。Ijumpedup，andfoundabitofpaperwithakeywrappedinit，andwithwritingontheinnerside，inahandwhichitwasnotveryeasytoread。
“UptothistimeIhadnothadtheghostofasuspicionthatI
wasaloneatseawithagangofmurderousvagabondsexceptingoneonlywhowouldstickatnothing。Ihadgotonverywellwithmysailing-mastertheworstscoundrelofthelot，andbetterstillwithhisEnglishmate。Thesailors，beingallforeigners，I
hadverylittletosayto。Theydidtheirwork，andnoquarrelsandnothingunpleasanthappened。Ifanybodyhadtoldme，beforeI
wenttobedonthenightafterthestorm，thatthesailing-masterandthecrewandthematewhohadbeennobetterthantherestofthematstartingwereallinaconspiracytorobmeofthemoneyIhadonboard，andthentodrownmeinmyownvesselafterward，Ishouldhavelaughedinhisface。Justrememberthat;
andthenfancyforyourselfforI’msureIcan’ttellyouwhatImusthavethoughtwhenIopenedthepaperroundthekey，andreadwhatInowcopyfromthemate’swriting，asfollows:
“’SIR——Stayinyourbedtillyouhearaboatshoveofffromthestarboardside，oryouareadeadman。Yourmoneyisstolen;andinfiveminutes’timetheyachtwillbescuttled，andthecabinhatchwillbenaileddownonyou。Deadmentellnotales;andthesailing-master’snotionistoleaveproofsafloatthatthevesselhasfounderedwithallonboard。Itwashisdoing，tobeginwith，andwewereallinit。Ican’tfinditinmyheartnottogiveyouachanceforyourlife。It’sabadchance，butIcandonomore。IshouldbemurderedmyselfifIdidn’tseemtogowiththerest。Thekeyofyourcabindooristhrownbacktoyou，insidethis。Don’tbealarmedwhenyouhearthehammerabove。Ishalldoit，andIshallhaveshortnailsinmyhandaswellaslong，andusetheshortonesonly。Waittillyouheartheboatwithallofusshoveoff，andthenpryupthecabinhatchwithyourback。Thevesselwillfloataquarterofanhouraftertheholesareboredinher。Slipintotheseaontheportside，andkeepthevesselbetweenyouandtheboat。Youwillfindplentyoflooselumber，wrenchedawayonpurpose，driftingabouttoholdonby。It’safinenightandasmoothsea，andthere’sachancethatashipmaypickyouupwhilethere’slifeleftinyou。Icandonomore——Yourstruly，J。M。’
“AsIcametothoselastwords，Iheardthehammeringdownofthehatchovermyhead。Idon’tsupposeI’mmoreofacowardthanmostpeople，buttherewasamomentwhenthesweatpoureddownmelikerain。Igottobemyownmanagainbeforethehammeringwasdone，andfoundmyselfthinkingofsomebodyverydeartomeinEngland。Isaidtomyself:’I’llhaveatryformylife，forhersake，thoughthechancesaredeadagainstme。’
“IputaletterfromthatpersonIhavementionedintooneofthestopperedbottlesofmydressing-case，alongwiththemate’swarning，incaseIlivedtoseehimagain。Ihungthis，andaflaskofwhisky，inaslingroundmyneck;and，afterfirstdressingmyselfinmyconfusion，thoughtbetterofit，andstripped，again，forswimming，tomyshirtanddrawers。BythetimeIhaddonethatthehammeringwasoverandtherewassuchasilencethatIcouldhearthewaterbubblingintothescuttledvesselamidships。Thenextnoisewasthenoiseoftheboatandthevillainsinheralwaysexceptingmyfriend，themate
shovingofffromthestarboardside。Iwaitedforthesplashoftheoarsinthewater，andthengotmybackunderthehatch。Thematehadkepthispromise。Iliftediteasily——creptacrossthedeck，undercoverofthebulwarks，onallfours——andslippedintotheseaontheportside。Lotsofthingswerefloatingabout。I
tookthefirstthingIcameto——ahen-coop——andswamawaywithitaboutacoupleofhundredyards，keepingtheyachtbetweenmeandtheboat。Havinggotthatdistance，Iwasseizedwithashiveringfit，andIstoppedfearingthecrampnexttotakeapullatmyflask。WhenIhadclosedtheflaskagain，Iturnedforamomenttolookback，andsawtheyachtintheactofsinking。Inaminutemoretherewasnothingbetweenmeandtheboatbutthepiecesofwreckthathadbeenpurposelythrownouttofloat。Themoonwasshining;and，iftheyhadhadaglassintheboat，I
believetheymighthaveseenmyhead，thoughIcarefullykeptthehen-coopbetweenmeandthem。
“Asitwas，theylaidontheiroars;andIheardloudvoicesamongthemdisputing。Afterwhatseemedanagetome，I
discoveredwhatthedisputewasabout。Theboat’sheadwassuddenlyturnedmyway。Someclevererscoundrelthantherestthesailing-master，Idaresayhadevidentlypersuadedthemtorowbackovertheplacewheretheyachthadgonedown，andmakequitesurethatIhadgonedownwithher。
“Theyweremorethanhalf-wayacrossthedistancethatseparatedus，andIhadgivenmyselfupforlost，whenIheardacryfromoneofthem，andsawtheboat’sprogresssuddenlychecked。Inaminuteortwomoretheboat’sheadwasturnedagain;andtheyrowedstraightawayfrommelikemenrowingfortheirlives。
“Ilookedononesidetowardtheland，andsawnothing。Ilookedontheothertowardthesea，anddiscoveredwhattheboat’screwhaddiscoveredbeforeme——asailinthedistance，growingsteadilybrighterandbiggerinthemoonlightthelongerIlookedatit。Inaquarterofanhourmorethevesselwaswithinhailofme，andthecrewhadgotmeonboard。
“Theywereallforeigners，andtheyquitedeafenedmebytheirjabber。Itriedsigns，butbeforeIcouldmakethemunderstandmeIwasseizedwithanothershiveringfit，andwascarriedbelow。
Thevesselheldonhercourse，Ihavenodoubt，butIwasinnoconditiontoknowanythingaboutit。BeforemorningIwasinafever;andfromthattimeIcanremembernothingclearlytillI
cametomysensesatthisplace，andfoundmyselfunderthecareofaHungarianmerchant，theconsigneeastheycallitofthecoastingvesselthathadpickedmeup。HespeaksEnglishaswellorbetterthanIdo;andhehastreatedmewithakindnesswhichIcanfindnowordstopraise。WhenhewasayoungmanhewasinEnglandhimself，learningbusiness，andhesayshehasremembrancesofourcountrywhichmakehisheartwarmtowardanEnglishman。Hehasfittedmeoutwithclothes，andhaslentmethemoneytotravelwith，assoonasthedoctorallowsmetostartforhome。SupposingIdon’tgetarelapse，Ishallbefittotravelinaweek’stimefromthis。IfIcancatchthemailatTrieste，andstandthefatigue，IshallbebackagainatThorpeAmbroseinaweekortendaysatmostafteryougetmyletter。
Youwillagreewithmethatitisaterriblylongletter。ButI
can’thelpthat。Iseemtohavelostmyoldknackatputtingthingsshort，andfinishingonthefirstpage。However，Iamneartheendnow;forIhavenothinglefttomentionbutthereasonwhyIwriteaboutwhathashappenedtome，insteadofwaitingtillIgethome，andtellingitallbywordofmouth。
“Ifancymyheadisstillmuddledbymyillness。Atanyrate，itonlystruckmethismorningthatthereisbarelyachanceofsomevesselhavingpassedtheplacewheretheyachtfoundered，andhavingpickedupthefurniture，andotherthingswrenchedoutofherandlefttofloat。Somefalsereportofmybeingdrownedmay，inthatcase，havereachedEngland。IfthishashappenedwhichI
hopetoGodmaybeanunfoundedfearonmypart，godirectlytoMajorMilroyatthecottage。Showhimthisletter——Ihavewrittenitquiteasmuchforhiseyeasforyours——andthengivehimtheinclosednote，andaskhimifhedoesn’tthinkthecircumstancesjustifymeinhopinghewillsendittoMissMilroy。Ican’texplainwhyIdon’twritedirectlytothemajor，ortoMissMilroy，insteadoftoyou。IcanonlysaythereareconsiderationsIamboundinhonortorespect，whichobligemetoactinthisroundaboutway。
“Idon’taskyoutoanswerthis，forIshallbeonmywayhome，I
hope，longbeforeyourlettercouldreachmeinthisout-of-the-wayplace。Whateveryoudo，don’tloseamomentingoingtoMajorMilroy。Go，onsecondthoughts，whetherthelossoftheyachtisknowninEnglandornot。
“Yourstruly，ALLANARMADALE。”
“IlookedupwhenIhadcometotheendoftheletter，andsaw，forthefirsttime，thatBashwoodhadlefthischairandhadplacedhimselfoppositetome。Hewasintentlystudyingmyface，withtheinquiringexpressionofamanwhowastryingtoreadmythoughts。Hiseyesfellguiltilywhentheymetmine，andheshrankawaytohischair。Believing，ashedid，thatIwasreallymarriedtoArmadale，washetryingtodiscoverwhetherthenewsofArmadale’srescuefromtheseawasgoodnewsorbadnewsinmyestimation？Itwasnotimethenforenteringintoexplanationswithhim。Thefirstthingtobedonewastocommunicateinstantlywiththedoctor。IcalledBashwoodbacktomeandgavehimmyhand。
“’Youhavedonemeaservice，’Isaid，’whichmakesuscloserfriendsthanever。Ishallsaymoreaboutthis，andaboutothermattersofsomeinteresttobothofus，laterintheday。IwantyounowtolendmeMr。Armadale’sletterwhichIpromisetobringbackandtowaitheretillIreturn。Willyoudothatforme，Mr。Bashwood？’
“HewoulddoanythingIaskedhim，hesaid。Iwentintothebedroomandputonmybonnetandshawl。
“’LetmebequitesureofthefactsbeforeIleaveyou，’I
resumed，whenIwasreadytogoout。’Youhavenotshownthislettertoanybodybutme？’
“’Notalivingsoulhasseenitbutourtwoselves。’
“’WhathaveyoudonewiththenoteinclosedtoMissMilroy？’
“Heproduceditfromhispocket。Iranitoverrapidly——sawthattherewasnothinginitoftheslightestimportance——andputitinthefireonthespot。Thatdone，IleftBashwoodinthesitting-room，andwenttotheSanitarium，withArmadale’sletterinmyhand。
“Thedoctorhadgoneout，andtheservantwasunabletosaypositivelyatwhattimehewouldbeback。Iwentintohisstudy，andwrotealinepreparinghimforthenewsIhadbroughtwithme，whichIsealedup，withArmadale’sletter，inanenvelope，toawaithisreturn。HavingtoldtheservantIwouldcallagaininanhour，Ilefttheplace。
“ItwasuselesstogobacktomylodgingsandspeaktoBashwood，untilIknewfirstwhatthedoctormeanttodo。Iwalkedabouttheneighborhood，upanddownnewstreetsandcrescentsandsquares，withakindofdull，numbedfeelinginme，whichprevented，notonlyallvoluntaryexerciseofthought，butallsensationofbodilyfatigue。Irememberedthesamefeelingoverpoweringme，yearsago，onthemorningwhenthepeopleoftheprisoncametotakemeintocourttobetriedformylife。Allthatfrightfulscenecamebackagaintomymindinthestrangestmanner，asifithadbeenasceneinwhichsomeotherpersonhadfigured。OnceortwiceIwondered，inaheavy，senselessway，whytheyhadnothangedme！
“WhenIwentbacktotheSanitarium，Iwasinformedthatthedoctorhadreturnedhalfanhoursince，andthathewasinhisownroomanxiouslywaitingtoseeme。
“Iwentintothestudy，andfoundhimsittingclosebythefirewithhisheaddownandhishandsonhisknees。Onthetablenearhim，besideArmadale’sletterandmynote，Isaw，inthelittlecircleoflightthrownbythereading-lamp，anopenrailwayguide。Washemeditatingflight？Itwasimpossibletotellfromhisface，whenhelookedupatme，whathewasmeditating，orhowtheshockhadstruckhimwhenhefirstdiscoveredthatArmadalewasalivingman。
“’Takeaseatnearthefire，’hesaid。’It’sveryrawandcoldto-day。’
“Itookachairinsilence。Insilence，onhisside，thedoctorsatrubbinghiskneesbeforethefire。
“’Haveyounothingtosaytome？’Iasked。
“Herose，andsuddenlyremovedtheshadefromthereading-lamp，sothatthelightfellonmyface。
“’Youarenotlookingwell，’hesaid。’What’sthematter？’
“’Myheadfeelsdull，andmyeyesareheavyandhot，’Ireplied。
’Theweather，Isuppose。’
“Itwasstrangehowwebothgotfurtherandfurtherfromtheonevitallyimportantsubjectwhichwehadbothcometogethertodiscuss！
“’Ithinkacupofteawoulddoyougood，’remarkedthedoctor。
“Iacceptedhissuggestion;andheorderedthetea。Whileitwascoming，hewalkedupanddowntheroom，andIsatbythefire，andnotawordpassedbetweenusoneitherside。
“Thetearevivedme;andthedoctornoticedachangeforthebetterinmyface。Hesatdownoppositetomeatthetable，andspokeoutatlast。
“’IfIhadtenthousandpoundsatthismoment，’hebegan，’I
wouldgivethewholeofitnevertohavecompromisedmyselfinyourdesperatespeculationonMr。Armadale’sdeath！’
“Hesaidthosewordswithanabruptness，almostwithaviolence，whichwasstrangelyuncharacteristicofhisordinarymanner。Washefrightenedhimself，orwashetryingtofrightenme？I
determinedtomakehimexplainhimselfattheoutset，sofarasI
wasconcerned。’Waitamoment，doctor，’Isaid。’Doyouholdmeresponsibleforwhathashappened？’
“’Certainlynot，’hereplied，stiffly。’Neitheryounoranybodycouldhaveforeseenwhathashappened。WhenIsayIwouldgivetenthousandpoundstobeoutofthisbusiness，Iamblamingnobodybutmyself。AndwhenItellyounextthatI，forone，won’tallowMr。Armadale’sresurrectionfromtheseatobetheruinofmewithoutafightforit，Itellyou，mydearmadam，oneoftheplainesttruthsIevertoldtomanorwomaninthewholecourseofmylife。Don’tsupposeIaminvidiouslyseparatingmyinterestsfromyoursinthecommondangerthatnowthreatensusboth。Isimplyindicatethedifferenceintheriskthatwehaverespectivelyrun。_You_havenotsunkthewholeofyourresourcesinestablishingaSanitarium;and_you_havenotmadeafalsedeclarationbeforeamagistrate，whichispunishableasperjurybythelaw。’
“Iinterruptedhimagain。Hisselfishnessdidmemoregoodthanhistea:itrousedmytempereffectually。’Supposeweletyourriskandmyriskalone，andcometothepoint，’Isaid。’Whatdoyoumeanbymakingafightforit？Iseearailwayguideonyourtable。Doesmakingafightforitmean——runningaway？’
“’Runningaway？’repeatedthedoctor。’YouappeartoforgetthateveryfarthingIhaveintheworldisembarkedinthisestablishment。’
“’Youstophere，then？’Isaid。
“’Unquestionably！’
“’AndwhatdoyoumeantodowhenMr。ArmadalecomestoEngland？’
“Asolitaryfly，thelastofhisracewhomthewinterhadspared，wasbuzzingfeeblyaboutthedoctor’sface。Hecaughtitbeforeheansweredme，andhelditoutacrossthetableinhisclosedhand。
“’Ifthisfly’snamewasArmadale，’hesaid，’andifyouhadgothimasIhavegothimnow，whatwould_you_do？’
“Hiseyes，fixedonmyfaceuptothistime，turnedsignificantly，asheendedthisquestion，tomywidow’sdress。I，too，lookedatitwhenhelooked。Athrilloftheolddeadlyhatredandtheolddeadlydeterminationranthroughmeagain。
“’Ishouldkillhim，’Isaid。
“Thedoctorstartedtohisfeetwiththeflystillinhishand，andlookedatme——alittletootheatrically——withanexpressionoftheutmosthorror。
“’Killhim！’repeatedthedoctor，inaparoxysmofvirtuousalarm。’Violence——murderousviolence——inMySanitarium！Youtakemybreathaway！’
“Icaughthiseyewhilehewasexpressinghimselfinthiselaboratelyindignantmanner，scrutinizingmewithasearchingcuriositywhichwas，tosaytheleastofit，alittleatvariancewiththevehemenceofhislanguageandthewarmthofhistone。Helaugheduneasilywhenoureyesmet，andrecoveredhissmoothlyconfidentialmannerintheinstantthatelapsedbeforehespokeagain。
“’Ibegathousandpardons，’hesaid。’Ioughttohaveknownbetterthantotakealadytooliterallyatherword。Permitmetoremindyou，however，thatthecircumstancesaretooseriousforanythinginthenatureof——letussay，anexaggerationorajoke。YoushallhearwhatIpropose，withoutfurtherpreface。’Hepaused，andresumedhisfigurativeuseoftheflyimprisonedinhishand。’HereisMr。Armadale。Icanlethimout，orkeephimin，justasIplease——andheknowsit。Isaytohim，’continuedthedoctor，facetiouslyaddressingthefly，’Givemepropersecurity，Mr。Armadale，thatnoproceedingsofanysortshallbetakenagainsteitherthisladyormyself，andIwillletyououtofthehollowofmyhand。Refuse——and，betheriskwhatitmay，I
willkeepyouin。”Canyoudoubt，mydearmadam，whatMr。
Armadale’sansweris，soonerorlater，certaintobe？Canyoudoubt，’saidthedoctor，suitingtheactiontotheword，andlettingtheflygo，’thatitwillendtotheentiresatisfactionofallparties，inthisway？’
“’Iwon’tsayatpresent，’Ianswered，’whetherIdoubtornot。
LetmemakesurethatIunderstandyoufirst。Youpropose，ifI
amnotmistaken，toshutthedoorsofthisplaceonMr。Armadale，andnottolethimoutagainuntilhehasagreedtothetermswhichitisourinteresttoimposeonhim？MayIask，inthatcase，howyoumeantomakehimwalkintothetrapthatyouhavesetforhimhere？’
“’Ipropose，’saidthedoctor，withhishandontherailwayguide，’ascertainingfirstatwhattimeduringeveryeveningofthismonththetidaltrainsfromDoverandFolkestonereachtheLondonBridgeterminus。AndIpropose，next，postingapersonwhomMr。Armadaleknows，andwhomyouandIcantrust，towaitthearrivalofthetrains，andtomeetourmanatthemomentwhenhestepsoutoftherailwaycarriage。’
“’Haveyouthought，’Iinquired，’ofwhothepersonistobe？’
“’Ihavethought，’saidthedoctor，takingupArmadale’sletter’ofthepersontowhomthisletterisaddressed。’
“Theanswerstartledme。WasitpossiblethatheandBashwoodknewoneanother？Iputthequestionimmediately。
“’Untilto-dayIneversomuchasheardofthegentleman’sname，’saidthedoctor。’Ihavesimplypursuedtheinductiveprocessofreasoning，forwhichweareindebtedtotheimmortalBacon。Howdoesthisveryimportantlettercomeintoyourpossession？Ican’tinsultyoubysupposingittohavebeenstolen。Consequently，ithascometoyouwiththeleaveandlicenseofthepersontowhomitisaddressed。Consequently，thatpersonisinyourconfidence。Consequently，heisthefirstpersonIthinkof。Youseetheprocess？Verygood。Permitmeaquestionortwo，onthesubjectofMr。Bashwood，beforewegoonanyfurther。’
“Thedoctor’squestionswentasstraighttothepointasusual。
MyanswersinformedhimthatMr。BashwoodstoodtowardArmadaleintherelationofsteward;thathehadreceivedtheletteratThorpeAmbrosethatmorning，andhadbroughtitstraighttomebythefirsttrain;thathehadnotshownit，orspokenofitbeforeleaving，toMajorMilroyortoanyoneelse;thatIhadnotobtainedthisserviceathishandsbytrustinghimwithmysecret;thatIhadcommunicatedwithhiminthecharacterofArmadale’swidow;thathehadsuppressedtheletter，underthosecircumstances，solelyinobediencetoageneralcautionIhadgivenhimtokeephisowncounsel，ifanythingstrangehappenedatThorpeAmbrose，untilhehadfirstconsultedme;and，lastly，thatthereasonwhyhehaddoneasItoldhiminthismatter，wasthatinthismatter，andinallothers，Mr。Bashwoodwasblindlydevotedtomyinterests。
“Atthatpointintheinterrogatory，thedoctor’seyesbegantolookatmedistrustfullybehindthedoctor’sspectacles。
“’WhatisthesecretofthisblinddevotionofMr。Bashwood’stoyourinterests？’heasked。
“Ihesitatedforamoment——inpitytoBashwood，notinpitytomyself。’Ifyoumustknow，’Ianswered，’Mr。Bashwoodisinlovewithme。’
“’Ay！ay！’exclaimedthedoctor，withanairofrelief。’Ibegintounderstandnow。Isheayoungman？’
“’Heisanoldman。’
“Thedoctorlaidhimselfbackinhischair，andchuckledsoftly。
’Betterandbetter！’hesaid。’Hereistheverymanwewant。WhosofitasMr。Armadale’sstewardtomeetMr。ArmadaleonhisreturntoLondon？AndwhosocapableofinfluencingMr。BashwoodintheproperwayasthecharmingobjectofMr。Bashwood’sadmiration？’
“TherecouldbenodoubtthatBashwoodwasthemantoservethedoctor’spurpose，andthatmyinfluencewastobetrustedtomakehimserveit。Thedifficultywasnothere:thedifficultywasintheunansweredquestionthatIhadputtothedoctoraminutesince。Iputittohimagain。
“’SupposeMr。Armadale’sstewardmeetshisemployerattheterminus，’Isaid。’MayIaskoncemorehowMr。Armadaleistobepersuadedtocomehere？’
“’Don’tthinkmeungallant，’rejoinedthedoctorinhisgentlestmanner，’ifIask，onmyside，howaremenpersuadedtodonine-tenthsofthefoolishactsoftheirlives？Theyarepersuadedbyyourcharmingsex。Theweaksideofeverymanisthewoman’ssideofhim。Wehaveonlytodiscoverthewoman’ssideofMr。Armadale——toticklehimonitgently——andtoleadhimourwaywithasilkenstring。Iobservehere，’pursuedthedoctor，openingArmadale’sletter，’areferencetoacertainyounglady，whichlookspromising。WhereisthenotethatMr。ArmadalespeaksofasaddressedtoMissMilroy？’
“Insteadofansweringhim，Istarted，inasuddenburstofexcitement，tomyfeet。TheinstanthementionedMissMilroy’snameallthatIhadheardfromBashwoodofherillness，andofthecauseofit，rushedbackintomymemory。IsawthemeansofdecoyingArmadaleintotheSanitariumasplainlyasIsawthedoctorontheothersideofthetable，wonderingattheextraordinarychangeinme。WhataluxuryitwastomakeMissMilroyservemyinterestsatlast！
“’Nevermindthenote，’Isaid。’It’sburned，forfearofaccidents。Icantellyouallandmorethanthenotecouldhavetoldyou。MissMilroycutstheknot！MissMilroyendsthedifficulty！Sheisprivatelyengagedtohim。Shehasheardthefalsereportofhisdeath;andshehasbeenseriouslyillatThorpeAmbroseeversince。WhenBashwoodmeetshimatthestation，theveryfirstquestionheiscertaintoask——’
“’Isee！’exclaimedthedoctor，anticipatingme。’Mr。Bashwoodhasnothingtodobuttohelpthetruthwithatouchoffiction。
WhenhetellshismasterthatthefalsereporthasreachedMissMilroy，hehasonlytoaddthattheshockhasaffectedherhead，andthatsheishereundermedicalcare。Perfect！perfect！WeshallhavehimattheSanitariumasfastasthefastestcab-horseinLondoncanbringhimtous。Andmind！norisk——nonecessityfortrustingotherpeople。Thisisnotamad-house;thisisnotalicensedestablishment;nodoctors’certificatesarenecessaryhere！Mydearlady，Icongratulateyou;Icongratulatemyself。
Permitmetohandyoutherailwayguide，withmybestcomplimentstoMr。Bashwood，andwiththepageturneddownforhim，asanadditionalattention，attherightplace。’
“RememberinghowlongIhadkeptBashwoodwaitingforme，Itookthebookatonce，andwishedthedoctorgood-eveningwithoutfurtherceremony。Ashepolitelyopenedthedoorforme，hereverted，withouttheslightestnecessityfordoingso，andwithoutawordfrommetoleadtoit，totheoutburstofvirtuousalarmwhichhadescapedhimattheearlierpartofourinterview。
“’Idohope，’hesaid，’thatyouwillkindlyforgetandforgivemyextraordinarywantoftactandperceptionwhen——inshort，whenIcaughtthefly。Ipositivelyblushatmyownstupidityinputtingaliteralinterpretationonalady’slittlejoke！
ViolenceinMySanitarium！’exclaimedthedoctor，withhiseyesoncemorefixedattentivelyonmyface——’violenceinthisenlightenednineteenthcentury！Wasthereeveranythingsoridiculous？Dofastenyourcloakbeforeyougoout，itissocoldandraw！ShallIescortyou？ShallIsendmyservant？Ah，youwerealwaysindependent！always，ifImaysayso，ahostinyourself！MayIcallto-morrowmorning，andhearwhatyouhavesettledwithMr。Bashwood？’
“Isaidyes，andgotawayfromhimatlast。InaquarterofanhourmoreIwasbackatmylodgings，andwasinformedbytheservantthat’theelderlygentleman’wasstillwaitingforme。
“Ihavenotgottheheartorthepatience——Ihardlyknowwhich——towastemanywordsonwhatpassedbetweenmeandBashwood。Itwassoeasy，sodegradinglyeasy，topullthestringsofthepooroldpuppetinanywayIpleased！ImetnoneofthedifficultieswhichIshouldhavebeenobligedtomeetinthecaseofayoungerman，orofamanlessinfatuatedwithadmirationforme。IlefttheallusionstoMissMilroyinArmadale’sletter，whichhadnaturallypuzzledhim，tobeexplainedatafuturetime。InevereventroubledmyselftoinventaplausiblereasonforwishinghimtomeetArmadaleattheterminus，andtoentraphimbyastratagemintothedoctor’sSanitarium。AllthatIfounditnecessarytodowastorefertowhatIhadwrittentoMr。Bashwood，onmyarrivalinLondon，andtowhatIhadafterwardsaidtohim，whenhecametoanswermyletterpersonallyatthehotel。
“’Youknowalready，’Isaid，’thatmymarriagehasnotbeenahappyone。Drawyourownconclusionsfromthat;anddon’tpressmetotellyouwhetherthenewsofMr。Armadale’srescuefromtheseais，orisnot，thewelcomenewsthatitoughttobetohiswife！’Thatwasenoughtoputhiswitheredoldfaceinaglow，andtosethiswitheredoldhopesgrowingagain。Ihadonlytoadd，’IfyouwilldowhatIaskyoutodo，nomatterhowincomprehensibleandhowmysteriousmyrequestmayseemtobe;
andifyouwillacceptmyassurancesthatyoushallrunnoriskyourself，andthatyoushallreceivetheproperexplanationsatthepropertime，youwillhavesuchaclaimonmygratitudeandmyregardasnomanlivinghaseverhadyet！’Ihadonlytosaythosewords，andtopointthembyalookandastolenpressureofhishand，andIhadhimatmyfeet，blindlyeagertoobeyme。IfhecouldhaveseenwhatIthoughtofmyself;butthatdoesn’tmatter:hesawnothing。
“HourshavepassedsinceIsenthimawaypledgedtosecrecy，possessedofhisinstructions，andprovidedwithhistime-table
tothehotelneartheterminus，atwhichheistostaytillArmadaleappearsontherailwayplatform。Theexcitementoftheearlierpartoftheeveninghasallwornoff;andthedull，numbedsensationhasgotmeagain。Aremyenergieswearingout，I
wonder，justatthetimewhenImostwantthem？OrissomeforeshadowingofdisastercreepingovermewhichIdon’tyetunderstand？
“Imightbeinahumortosithereforsometimelonger，thinkingthoughtslikethese，andlettingthemfindtheirwayintowordsattheirownwillandpleasure，ifmyDiarywouldonlyletme。
Butmyidlepenhasbeenbusyenoughtomakeitswaytotheendofthevolume。Ihavereachedthelastmorselofspaceleftonthelastpage;andwhetherIlikeitornot，Imustclosethebookthistimeforgoodandall，whenIcloseitto-night。
“Good-by，myoldfriendandcompanionofmanyamiserableday！
Havingnothingelsetobefondof，Ihalfsuspectmyselfofhavingbeenunreasonablyfondof_you。_
“WhatafoolIam！“
THEENDOFTHEFOURTHBOOK。
BOOKTHELAST。