armadale-第105章

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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　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　t