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Pimlico； and the last of the morning's newspapers which he
disposed of was the newspaper he left at Mrs。 Oldershaw's door。
CHAPTER III。
THE CLAIMS OF SOCIETY。
MORE than an hour after Allan had set forth on his exploring
expedition through his own grounds； Midwinter rose； and enjoyed；
in his turn； a full view by daylight of the magnificence of the
new house。
Refreshed by his long night's rest； he descended the great
staircase as cheerfully as Allan himself One after another； he；
too； looked into the spacious rooms on the ground floor in
breathless astonishment at the beauty and the luxury which
surrounded him。 〃The house where I lived in service when I was a
boy； was a fine one；〃 he thought； gayly； 〃but it was nothing to
this！ I wonder if Allan is as surprised and delighted as I am？〃
The beauty of the summer morning drew him out through the open
hall door； as it had drawn his friend out before him。 He ran
briskly down the steps； humming the burden of one of the old
vagabond tunes which he had danced to long since in the old
vagabond time。 Even the memories of his wretched childhood took
their color； on that happy morning。 from the bright medium
through which he looked back at them。 〃If I was not out of
practice；〃 he thought to himself； as he leaned on the fence and
looked over at the park； 〃I could try some of my old tumbling
tricks on that delicious grass。〃 He turned； noticed two of the
servants talking together near the shrubbery； and asked for news
of the master of the house。
The men pointed with a smile in the direction of the gardens； Mr。
Armadale had gone that way more than an hour since； and had met
（as had been reported） with Miss Milroy in the grounds。 Midwinter
followed the path through the shrubbery； but； on reaching the
flower garden； stopped； considered a little； and retraced his
steps。 〃If Allan has met with the young lady；〃 he said to
himself； 〃Allan doesn't want me。〃 He laughed as he drew that
inevitable inference； and turned considerately to explore the
beauties of Thorpe Ambrose on the other side of the house。
Passing the angle of the front wall of the building； he descended
some steps； advanced along a paved walk； turned another angle；
and found himself in a strip of garden ground at the back of the
house。
Behind him was a row of small rooms situated on the level of the
servants' offices。 In front of him； on the further side of the
little garden； rose a wall； screened by a laurel hedge； and
having a door at one end of it； leading past the stables to a
gate that opened on the high…road。 Perceiving that he had only
discovered thus far the shorter way to the house； used by the
servants and trades…people； Midwinter turned back again； and
looked in at the window of one of the rooms on the basement story
as he passed it。 Were these the servants' offices？ No； the
offices were apparently in some other part of the ground…floor；
the window he had looked in at was the window of a lumber…room。
The next two rooms in the row were both empty。 The fourth window；
when he approached it； presented a little variety。 It served also
as a door； and it stood open to the garden at that moment。
Attracted by the book…shelves which he noticed on one of the
walls； Midwinter stepped into the room。
The books； few in number； did not detain him long； a glance at
their backs was enough without taking them down。 The Waverley
Novels； Tales by Miss Edgeworth； and by Miss Edgeworth's many
followers； the Poems of Mrs。 Hemans； with a few odd volumes of
the illustrated gift…books of the period； composed the bulk of
the little library。 Midwinter turned to leave the room； when an
object on one side of the window； which he had not previously
noticed； caught his attention and stopped him。 It was a statuette
standing on a bracketa reduced copy of the famous Niobe of the
Florence Museum。 He glanced from the statuette to the window；
with a sudden doubt which set his heart throbbing fast。 It was a
French window。 He looked out with a suspicion which he had not
felt yet。 The view before him was the view of a lawn and garden。
For a moment his mind struggled blindly to escape the conclusion
which had seized it； and struggled in vain。 Here； close round him
and close before himhere； forcing him mercilessly back from the
happy present to the horrible past； was the room that Allan had
seen in the Second Vision of the Dream。
He waited； thinking and looking round him while he thought。 There
was wonderfully li ttle disturbance in his face and manner； he
looked steadily from one to the other of the few objects in the
room； as if the discovery of it had saddened rather than
surprised him。 Matting of some foreign sort covered the floor。
Two cane chairs and a plain table comprised the whole of the
furniture。 The walls were plainly papered； and barebroken to
the eye in one place by a door leading into the interior of the
house； in another； by a small stove； in a third； by the
book…shelves which Midwinter had already noticed。 He returned to
the books； and this time he took some of them down from the
shelves。
The first that he opened contained lines in a woman's
handwriting； traced in ink that had faded with time。 He read the
inscription〃Jane Armadale； from her beloved father。 Thorpe
Ambrose； October； 1828。〃 In the second； third； and fourth volumes
that he opened； the same inscription re…appeared。 His previous
knowledge of dates and persons helped him to draw the true
inference from what he saw。 The books must have belonged to
Allan's mother； and she must have inscribed them with her name；
in the interval of time between her return to Thorpe Ambrose from
Madeira and the birth of her son。 Midwinter passed on to a volume
on another shelfone of a series containing the writings of Mrs。
Hemans。 In this case； the blank leaf at the beginning of the book
was filled on both sides with a copy of verses； the writing being
still in Mrs。 Armadale's hand。 The verses were headed 〃Farewell
to Thorpe Ambrose；〃 and were dated 〃March； 1829〃two months only
after Allan had been born。
Entirely without merit in itself； the only interest of the little
poem was in the domestic story that it told。
The very room in which Midwinter then stood was describedwith
the view on the garden； the window made to open on it； the
bookshelves； the Niobe； and other more perishable ornaments which
Time had destroyed。 Here； at variance with her brothers；
shrinking from her friends； the widow of the murdered man had； on
her own acknowledgment； secluded herself； without other comfort
than the love and forgiveness of her father； until her child was
born。 The father's mercy and the father's recent death filled
many verses； happily too vague in their commonplace expression of
penitence and despair to give any hint of the marriage story in
Madeira to any reader who looked at them ignorant of the truth。 A
passing reference to the writer's estrangement from her surviving
relatives； and to her approaching departure from Thorpe Ambrose；
followed。 Last came the assertion of the mother's resolution to
separate herself from all her old associations； to leave behind
her every possession； even