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〃When？〃
〃Saturday。 I went in with papa's lunch to the workshop； and he
said； 'I have just had a visit from Mr。 Armadale； and I want to
give you a caution while I think of it。' I didn't say anything；
mamma； I only waited。 Papa went on； and told me that Mr。 Armadale
had been speaking to him on the subject of Miss Gwilt； and that
he had been asking a question about her which nobody in his
position had a right to ask。 Papa said he had been obliged；
good…humoredly； to warn Mr。 Armadale to be a little more
delicate； and a little more careful next time。 I didn't feel much
interested； mamma； it didn't matter to _me_ what Mr。 Armadale
said or did。 Why should I care about it？〃
〃Never mind yourself；〃 interposed Mrs。 Milroy； sharply。 〃Go on
with what your father said。 What was he doing when he was talking
about Miss Gwilt？ How did he look？〃
〃Much as usual； mamma。 He was walking up and down the workshop；
and I took his arm and walked up and down with him。〃
〃I don't care what _you_ were doing；〃 said Mrs。 Milroy； more and
more irritably。 〃Did your father tell you what Mr。 Armadale's
question was； or did he not？〃
〃Yes； mamma。 He said Mr。 Armadale began by mentioning that he was
very much interested in Miss Gwilt； and he then went on to ask
whether papa could tell him anything about her family
misfortunes〃
〃What！〃 cried Mrs。 Milroy。 The word burst from her almost in a
scream； and the white enamel on her face cracked in all
directions。 〃Mr。 Armadale said _that？_〃 she went on； leaning out
further and further over the side of the bed。
Neelie started up； and tried to put her mother back on the
pillow。
〃Mamma！〃 she exclaimed； 〃are you in pain？ Are you ill？ You
frighten me！〃
〃Nothing； nothing； nothing；〃 said Mrs。 Milroy。 She was too
violently agitated to make any other than the commonest excuse。
〃My nerves are bad this morning； don't notice it。 I'll try the
other side of the pillow。 Go on！ go on！。 I'm listening； though
I'm not looking at you。〃 She turned her face to the wall； and
clinched her trembling hands convulsively beneath the bedclothes。
〃I've got her！〃 she whispered to herself； under her breath。 〃I've
got her at last！〃
〃I'm afraid I've been talking too much；〃 said Neelie。 〃I'm afraid
I've been stopping here too long。 Shall I go downstairs； mamma；
and come back later in the day？〃
〃Go on；〃 repeated Mrs。 Milroy； mechanically。 〃What did your
father say next？ Anything more about Mr。 Armadale？〃
〃Nothing more； except how papa answered him；〃 replied Neelie。
〃Papa repeated his own words when he told me about it。 He said；
'In the absence of any confidence volunteered by the lady
herself； Mr。 Armadale； all I know or wish to knowand you must
excuse me for saying； all any one else need know or wish to
knowis that Miss Gwilt gave me a perfectly satisfactory
reference before she entered my house。' Severe； mamma； wasn't it？
I don't pity him in the least； he richly deserved it。 The next
thing was papa's caution to _me。_ He told me to check Mr。
Armadale's curiosity if he applied to me next。 As if he was
likely to apply to me！ And as if I should listen to him if he
did！ That's all； mamma。 You won't suppose； will you； that I have
told you this because I want to hinder Mr。 Armadale from marrying
Miss Gwilt？ Let him marry her if he pleases； I don't care！〃 said
Neelie； in a voice that faltered a little； and with a face which
was hardly composed enough to be in perfect harmony with a
declaration of indifference。 〃All I want is to be relieved from
the misery of having Miss Gwilt for my governess。 I'd rather go
to school。 I should like to go to school。 My mind's quite changed
about all that； only I haven't the heart to tell papa。 I don't
know what's come to me； I don't seem to have heart enough for
anything now； and when papa takes me on his knee in the evening；
and says； 'Let's have a talk； Neelie；' he makes me cry。 Would you
mind breaking it to him； mamma； that I've changed my mind； and I
want to go to school？〃 The tears rose thickly in her eyes； and
she failed to see that her mother never even turned on the pillow
to look round at her。
〃Yes； yes；〃 said Mrs。 Milroy； vacantly。 〃You're a good girl； you
shall go to school。〃
The cruel brevity of the reply； and the tone in which it was
spoken； told Neelie plainly that her mother's attention had been
wandering far away from her； and that it was useless and needless
to prolong the interview。 She turned aside quietly； without a
word of remonstrance。 It was nothing new in her experience to
find herself shut out from her mother's sympathies。 She looked at
her eyes in the glass； and； pouring
out some cold water； bathed her face。 〃Miss Gwilt shan't see
I've been crying！〃 thought Neelie； as she went back to the
bedside to take her leave。 〃I've tired you out；〃 mamma；〃 she
said； gently。 〃Let me go now； and let me come back a little later
when you have had some rest。〃
〃Yes；〃 repeated her mother； as mechanically as ever； 〃a little
later when I have had some rest。〃
Neelie left the room。 The minute after the door had closed on
her； Mrs。 Milroy rang the bell for her nurse。 In the face of the
narrative she had just heard； in the face of every reasonable
estimate of probabilities； she held to her own jealous
conclusions as firmly as ever。 〃Mr。 Armadale may believe her； and
my daughter may believe her；〃 thought the furious woman。 〃But I
know the major； and she can't deceive _me！_〃
The nurse came in。 〃Prop me up；〃 said Mrs。 Milroy。 〃And give me
my desk。 I want to write。〃
〃You're excited；〃 replied the nurse。 〃You're not fit to write。〃
〃Give me the desk；〃 reiterated Mrs。 Milroy。
〃Anything more？〃 asked Rachel； repeating her invariable formula
as she placed the desk on the bed。
〃Yes。 Come back in half an hour。 I shall want you to take a
letter to the great house。〃
The nurse's sardonic composure deserted her for once。 〃Mercy on
us！〃 she exclaimed； with an accent of genuine surprise。 〃What
next？ You don't mean to say you're going to write？〃
〃I am going to write to Mr。 Armadale；〃 interposed Mrs。 Milroy；
〃and you are going to take the letter to him； and wait for an
answer； and； mind this； not a living soul but our two selves must
know of it in the house。〃
〃Why are you writing to Mr。 Armadale？〃 asked Rachel。 〃And why is
nobody to know of it but our two selves？〃
〃Wait；〃 rejoined Mrs。 Milroy； 〃and you will see。〃
The nurse's curiosity； being a woman's curiosity； declined to
wait。
〃I'll help you with my eyes open；〃 she said； 〃but I won't help
you blindfold。〃
〃Oh； if I only had the use of my limbs！〃 groaned Mrs。 Milroy。
〃You wretch； if I could only do without you！〃
〃You have the use of your head；〃 retorted the impenetrable nurse。
〃And you ought to know better than to trust me by halves； at this
time of day。〃
It was brutally put； but it was truedoubly true； after the
opening of Miss Gwilt's letter。 Mrs。 Milroy gave way。
〃What do you want to know？〃 she asked。 〃Tell me； and leave me。〃
〃I want to know what you are writing to Mr。 Armadale about？〃
〃About Miss Gwilt。〃
〃What has Mr。 Armadale to do with you and Miss Gwilt？〃
Mrs。 Milroy held up the letter that had been