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the cause of it； rushed back into my memory。 I saw the means of
decoying Armadale into the Sanitarium as plainly as I saw the
doctor on the other side of the table； wondering at the
extraordinary change in me。 What a luxury it was to make Miss
Milroy serve my interests at last！
〃 'Never mind the note；' I said。 'It's burned； for fear of
accidents。 I can tell you all （and more） than the note could have
told you。 Miss Milroy cuts the knot！ Miss Milroy ends the
difficulty！ She is privately engaged to him。 She has heard the
false report of his death； and she has been seriously ill at
Thorpe Ambrose ever since。 When Bashwood meets him at the
station； the very first question he is certain to ask'
〃 'I see！' exclaimed the doctor； anticipating me。 'Mr。 Bashwood
has nothing to do but to help the truth with a touch of fiction。
When he tells his master that the false report has reached Miss
Milroy； he has only to add that the shock has affected her head；
and that she is here under medical care。 Perfect！ perfect！ We
shall have him at the Sanitarium as fast as the fastest cab…horse
in London can bring him to us。 And mind！ no riskno necessity
for trusting other people。 This is not a mad…house； this is not a
licensed establishment； no doctors' certificates are necessary
here！ My dear lady； I congratulate you； I congratulate myself。
Permit me to hand you the railway guide； with my best compliments
to Mr。 Bashwood； and with the page turned down for him； as an
additional attention； at the right place。'
〃Remembering how long I had kept Bashwood waiting for me； I took
the book at once； and wished the doctor good…evening without
further ceremony。 As he politely opened the door for me； he
reverted； without the slightest necessity for doing so； and
without a word from me to lead to it； to the outburst of virtuous
alarm which had escaped him at the earlier part of our interview。
〃 'I do hope；' he said； 'that you will kindly forget and forgive
my extraordinary want of tact and perception whenin short； when
I caught the fly。 I positively blush at my own stupidity in
putting a literal interpretation on a lady's little joke！
Violence in My Sanitarium！' exclaimed the doctor； with his eyes
once more fixed attentively on my face'violence in this
enlightened nineteenth century！ Was there ever anything so
ridiculous？ Do fasten your cloak before you go out； it is so cold
and raw！ Shall I escort you？ Shall I send my servant？ Ah； you
were always independent！ always； if I may say so； a host in
yourself！ May I call to…morrow morning； and hear what you have
settled with Mr。 Bashwood？'
〃I said yes； and got away from him at last。 In a quarter of an
hour more I was back at my lodgings； and was informed by the
servant that 'the elderly gentleman' was still waiting for me。
〃I have not got the heart or the patienceI hardly know
whichto waste many words on what passed between me and
Bashwood。 It was so easy； so degradingly easy； to pull the
strings of the poor old puppet in any way I pleased！ I met none
of the difficulties which I should have been obliged to meet in
the case of a younger man； or of a man less infatuated with
admiration for me。 I left the allusions to Miss Milroy in
Armadale's letter； which had naturally puzzled him； to be
explained at a future time。 I never even troubled myself to
invent a plausible reason for wishing him to meet Armadale at the
terminus； and to entrap him by a stratagem into the doctor's
Sanitarium。 All that I found it necessary to do was to refer to
what I had written to Mr。 Bashwood； on my arrival in London； and
to what I had afterward said to him； when he came to answer my
letter personally at the hotel。
〃 'You know already；' I said； 'that my marriage has not been a
happy one。 Draw your own conclusions from that； and don't press
me to tell you whether the news of Mr。 Armadale's rescue from the
sea is； or is not； the welcome news that it ought to be to his
wife！' That was enough to put his withered old face in a glow；
and to set his withered old hopes growing again。 I had only to
add； 'If you will do what I ask you to do； no matter how
incomprehensible and how mysterious my request may seem to be；
and if you will accept my assurances that you shall run no risk
yourself； and that you shall receive the proper explanations at
the proper time； you will have such a claim on my gratitude and
my regard as no man living has ever had yet！' I had only to say
those words； and to point them by a look and a stolen pressure of
his hand； and I had him at my feet； blindly eager to obey me。 If
he could have se en what I thought of myself； but that doesn't
matter： he saw nothing。
〃Hours have passed since I sent him away （pledged to secrecy；
possessed of his instructions； and provided with his time…table）
to the hotel near the terminus； at which he is to stay till
Armadale appears on the railway platform。 The excitement of the
earlier part of the evening has all worn off； and the dull；
numbed sensation has got me again。 Are my energies wearing out； I
wonder； just at the time when I most want them？ Or is some
foreshadowing of disaster creeping over me which I don't yet
understand？
〃I might be in a humor to sit here for some time longer； thinking
thoughts like these； and letting them find their way into words
at their own will and pleasure； if my Diary would only let me。
But my idle pen has been busy enough to make its way to the end
of the volume。 I have reached the last morsel of space left on
the last page； and whether I like it or not； I must close the
book this time for good and all； when I close it to…night。
〃Good…by； my old friend and companion of many a miserable day！
Having nothing else to be fond of； I half suspect myself of
having been unreasonably fond of _you。_
〃What a fool I am！〃
THE END OF THE FOURTH BOOK。
BOOK THE LAST。
CHAPTER I。
AT THE TERMINUS。
ON the night of the 2d of December； Mr。 Bashwood took up his post
of observation at the terminus of the South…eastern Railway for
the first time。 It was an earlier date； by six days； than the
date which Allan had himself fixed for his return。 But the
doctor； taking counsel of his medical experience； had considered
it just probable that 〃Mr。 Armadale might be perverse enough； at
his enviable age； to recover sooner than his medical advisers
might have anticipated。〃 For caution's sake； therefore； Mr。
Bashwood was instructed to begin watching the arrival of the
tidal trains on the day after he had received his employer's
letter。
From the 2d to the 7th of December； the steward waited punctually
on the platform； saw the trains come in； and satisfied himself；
evening after evening； that the travelers were all strangers to
him。 From the 2d to the 7th of December； Miss Gwilt （to return to
the name under which she is best known in these pages） received
his daily report； sometimes delivered personally； sometimes sent
by letter。 The doctor； to whom the reports were communicated；
received them in his turn with unabated confidence in the
precautions that had been adopted up to the morning of the 8th。
On that date the irritation of continued suspense had produced