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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 to cause a
friend and ne