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dangers to which his mother's system of education inevitably
exposed him。 He had a thoroughly English love of the sea and of
all that belongs to it； and as he grew in years； there was no
luring him away from the water…side； and no keeping him out of
the boat…builder's yard。 In course of time his mother caught him
actually working there； to her infinite annoyance and surprise；
as a volunteer。 He acknowledged that his whole future ambition
was to have a yard of his own； and that his one present object
was to learn to build a boat for himself。 Wisely foreseeing that
such a pursuit as this for his leisure hours was exactly what was
wanted to reconcile the lad to a position of isolation from
companions of his own rank and age； Mr。 Brock prevailed on Mrs。
Armadale； with no small difficulty； to let her son have his way。
At the period of that second event in the clergyman's life with
his pupil which is now to be related； young Armadale had
practiced long enough in the builder's yard to have reached the
summit of his wishes； by laying with his own hands the keel of
his own boat。
Late on a certain summer day； not long after Allan had completed
his sixteenth year； Mr。 Brock left his pupil hard at work in the
yard； and went to spend the evening with Mrs。 Armadale； taking
the _Times_ newspaper with him in his hand。
The years that had passed since they had first met had long since
regulated the lives of the clergyman and his neighbor。 The first
advances which Mr。 Brock's growing admiration for the widow had
led him to make in the early days of their intercourse had been
met on her side by an appeal to his forbearance which had closed
his lips for the future。 She had satisfied him； at once and
forever； th at the one place in her heart which he could hope to
occupy was the place of a friend。 He loved her well enough to
take what she would give him： friends they became； and friends
they remained from that time forth。 No jealous dread of another
man's succeeding where he had failed imbittered the clergyman's
placid relations with the woman whom he loved。 Of the few
resident gentlemen in the neighborhood； none were ever admitted
by Mrs。 Armadale to more than the merest acquaintance with her。
Contentedly self…buried in her country retreat； she was proof
against every social attraction that would have tempted other
women in her position and at her age。 Mr。 Brock and his
newspaper； appearing with monotonous regularity at her tea…table
three times a week； told her all she knew or cared to know of the
great outer world which circled round the narrow and changeless
limits of her daily life。
On the evening in question Mr。 Brock took the arm…chair in which
he always sat； accepted the one cup of tea which he always drank；
and opened the newspaper which he always read aloud to Mrs。
Armadale； who invariably listened to him reclining on the same
sofa； with the same sort of needle…work everlastingly in her
hand。
〃Bless my soul！〃 cried the rector； with his voice in a new
octave； and his eyes fixed in astonishment on the first page of
the newspaper。
No such introduction to the evening readings as this had ever
happened before in all Mrs。 Armadale's experience as a listener。
She looked up from the sofa in a flutter of curiosity； and
besought her reverend friend to favor her with an explanation。
〃I can hardly believe my own eyes；〃 said Mr。 Brock。 〃Here is an
advertisement； Mrs。 Armadale； addressed to your son。〃
Without further preface； he read the advertisement as follows：
IF this should meet the eye of ALLAN ARMADALE； he is desired to
communicate； either personally or by letter； with Messrs。 Hammick
and Ridge （Lincoln's Inn Fields； London）； on business of
importance which seriously concerns him。 Any one capable of
informing Messrs。 E。 and R。 where the person herein advertised
can be found would confer a favor by doing the same。 To prevent
mistakes； it is further notified that the missing Allan Armadale
is a youth aged fifteen years； and that this advertisement is
inserted at the instance of his family and friends。
〃Another family； and other friends；〃 said Mrs。 Armadale。 〃The
person whose name appears in that advertisement is not my son。〃
The tone in which she spoke surprised Mr。 Brock。 The change in
her face； when he looked up； shocked him。 Her delicate complexion
had faded away to a dull white； her eyes were averted from her
visitor with a strange mixture of confusion and alarm； she looked
an older woman than she was； by ten good years at least。
〃The name is so very uncommon；〃 said Mr。 Brock； imagining he had
offended her； and trying to excuse himself。 〃It really seemed
impossible there could be two persons〃
〃There _are_ two；〃 interposed Mrs。 Armadale。 〃Allan； as you know；
is sixteen years old。 If you look back at the advertisement； you
will find the missing person described as being only fifteen。
Although he bears the same surname and the same Christian name；
he is； I thank God； in no way whatever related to my son。 As long
as I live； it will be the object of my hopes and prayers that
Allan may never see him； may never even hear of him。 My kind
friend； I see I surprise you： will you bear with me if I leave
these strange circumstances unexplained？ There is past misfortune
and misery in my early life too painful for me to speak of； even
to _you。_ Will you help me to bear the remembrance of it； by
never referring to this again？ Will you do even morewill you
promise not to speak of it to Allan； and not to let that
newspaper fall in his way？〃
Mr。 Brock gave the pledge required of him； and considerately left
her to herself。
The rector had been too long and too truly attached to Mrs。
Armadale to be capable of regarding her with any unworthy
distrust。 But it would be idle to deny that he felt disappointed
by her want of confidence in him； and that he looked
inquisitively at the advertisement more than once on his way back
to his own house。
It was clear enough； now； that Mrs。 Armadale's motives for
burying her son as well as herself in the seclusion of a remote
country village was not so much to keep him under her own eye as
to keep him from discovery by his namesake。 Why did she dread the
idea of their ever meeting？ Was it a dread for herself； or a
dread for her son？ Mr。 Brock's loyal belief in his friend
rejected any solution of the difficulty which pointed at some
past misconduct of Mrs。 Armadale's。 That night he destroyed the
advertisement with his own hand； that night he resolved that the
subject should never be suffered to enter his mind again。 There
was another Allan Armadale about the world； a stranger to his
pupil's blood； and a vagabond advertised in the public
newspapers。 So much accident had revealed to him。 More； for Mrs。
Armadale's sake； he had no wish to discoverand more he would
never seek to know。
This was the second in the series of events which dated from the
rector's connection with Mrs。 Armadale and her son。 Mr。 Brock's
memory； traveling on nearer and nearer to present circumstances；
reached the third stage of its journey through the by…gone time；
and stopped at the year eighteen hundred and fifty；