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England？'
〃A solitary fly； the last of his race whom the winter had spared；
was buzzing feebly about the doctor's face。 He caught it before
he answered me； and held it out across the table in his closed
hand。
〃 'If this fly's name was Armadale；' he said； 'and if you had got
him as I have got him now； what would _you_ do？'
〃His eyes； fixed on my face up to this time； turned
significantly； as he ended this question； to my widow's dress。 I；
too； looked at it when he looked。 A thrill of the old deadly
hatred and the old deadly determination ran through me again。
〃 'I should kill him；' I said。
〃The doctor started to his feet （with the fly still in his hand）；
and looked at mea little too theatricallywith an expression
of the utmost horror。
〃 'Kill him！' repeated the doctor； in a paroxysm of virtuous
alarm。 'Violencemurderous violencein My Sanitarium！ You take
my breath away！'
〃I caught his eye while he was expressing himself in this
elaborately indignant manner； scrutinizing me with a searching
curiosity which was； to say the least of it； a little at variance
with the vehemence of his language and the warmth of his tone。 He
laughed uneasily when our eyes met； and recovered his smoothly
confidential manner in the instant that elapsed before he spoke
again。
〃 'I beg a thousand pardons；' he said。 'I ought to have known
better than to take a lady too literally at her word。 Permit me
to remind you； however； that the circumstances are too serious
for anything in the nature oflet us say； an exaggeration or a
joke。 You shall hear what I propose； without further preface。' He
paused； and resumed his figurative use of the fly imprisoned in
his hand。 'Here is Mr。 Armadale。 I can let him out； or keep him
in； just as I pleaseand he knows it。 I say to him；' continued
the doctor； facetiously addressing the fly； 'Give me proper
security； Mr。 Armadale； that no proceedings of any sort shall be
taken against either this lady or myself； and I will let you out
of the hollow of my hand。 Refuseand； be the risk what it may； I
will keep you in。〃 Can you doubt； my dear madam； what Mr。
Armadale's answer is； sooner or later； certain to be？ Can you
doubt；' said the doctor； suiting the action to the word； and
letting the fly go； 'that it will end to the entire satisfaction
of all parties； in this way？'
〃 'I won't say at present；' I answered； 'whether I doubt or not。
Let me make sure that I understand you first。 You propose； if I
am not mistaken； to shut the doors of this place on Mr。 Armadale；
and not to let him out again until he has agreed to the terms
which it is our interest to impose on him？ May I ask； in that
case； how you mean to make him walk into the trap that you have
set for him here？'
〃 'I propose；' said the doctor； with his hand on the railway
guide； 'ascertaining first at what time during every evening of
this month the tidal trains from Dover and Folkestone reach the
London Bridge terminus。 And I propose； next； posting a person
whom Mr。 Armadale knows； and whom you and I can trust； to wait
the arrival of the trains； and to meet our man at the moment when
he steps out of the railway carriage。'
〃 'Have you thought；' I inquired； 'of who the person is to be？'
〃 'I have thought；' said the doctor； taking up Armadale's letter
'of the person to whom this letter is addressed。'
〃The answer startled me。 Was it possible that he and Bashwood
knew one another？ I put the questio n immediately。
〃 'Until to…day I never so much as heard of the gentleman's
name；' said the doctor。 'I have simply pursued the inductive
process of reasoning； for which we are indebted to the immortal
Bacon。 How does this very important letter come into your
possession？ I can't insult you by supposing it to have been
stolen。 Consequently； it has come to you with the leave and
license of the person to whom it is addressed。 Consequently； that
person is in your confidence。 Consequently； he is the first
person I think of。 You see the process？ Very good。 Permit me a
question or two； on the subject of Mr。 Bashwood； before we go on
any further。'
〃The doctor's questions went as straight to the point as usual。
My answers informed him that Mr。 Bashwood stood toward Armadale
in the relation of steward； that he had received the letter at
Thorpe Ambrose that morning； and had brought it straight to me by
the first train； that he had not shown it； or spoken of it before
leaving； to Major Milroy or to any one else； that I had not
obtained this service at his hands by trusting him with my
secret； that I had communicated with him in the character of
Armadale's widow； that he had suppressed the letter； under those
circumstances； solely in obedience to a general caution I had
given him to keep his own counsel； if anything strange happened
at Thorpe Ambrose； until he had first consulted me； and； lastly；
that the reason why he had done as I told him in this matter； was
that in this matter； and in all others； Mr。 Bashwood was blindly
devoted to my interests。
〃At that point in the interrogatory； the doctor's eyes began to
look at me distrustfully behind the doctor's spectacles。
〃 'What is the secret of this blind devotion of Mr。 Bashwood's to
your interests？' he asked。
〃I hesitated for a momentin pity to Bashwood； not in pity to
myself。 'If you must know；' I answered； 'Mr。 Bashwood is in love
with me。'
〃 'Ay！ ay！' exclaimed the doctor； with an air of relief。 'I begin
to understand now。 Is he a young man？'
〃 'He is an old man。'
〃The doctor laid himself back in his chair； and chuckled softly。
'Better and better！' he said。 'Here is the very man we want。 Who
so fit as Mr。 Armadale's steward to meet Mr。 Armadale on his
return to London？ And who so capable of influencing Mr。 Bashwood
in the proper way as the charming object of Mr。 Bashwood's
admiration？'
〃There could be no doubt that Bashwood was the man to serve the
doctor's purpose； and that my influence was to be trusted to make
him serve it。 The difficulty was not here： the difficulty was in
the unanswered question that I had put to the doctor a minute
since。 I put it to him again。
〃 'Suppose Mr。 Armadale's steward meets his employer at the
terminus；' I said。 'May I ask once more how Mr。 Armadale is to be
persuaded to come here？'
〃'Don't think me ungallant；' rejoined the doctor in his gentlest
manner； 'if I ask； on my side； how are men persuaded to do
nine…tenths of the foolish acts of their lives？ They are
persuaded by your charming sex。 The weak side of every man is the
woman's side of him。 We have only to discover the woman's side of
Mr。 Armadaleto tickle him on it gentlyand to lead him our way
with a silken string。 I observe here；' pursued the doctor；
opening Armadale's letter； 'a reference to a certain young lady；
which looks promising。 Where is the note that Mr。 Armadale speaks
of as addressed to Miss Milroy？'
〃Instead of answering him； I started； in a sudden burst of
excitement； to my feet。 The instant he mentioned Miss Milroy's
name all that I had heard from Bashwood of her illness； and of
the cause of it； rushed back into my memory。 I saw the means of
decoying Armadale into the Sanitarium