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the woman who was the one survivor of the tragedy in Madeira must
be also inevitably the woman whom he had seen standing in the
Shadow's place at the pool。 Firm in that persuasion； he had
himself compared the object of his distrust and of the rector's
distrust with the description written by the rector himselfa
description； carefully minute； by a man entirely trustworthyand
his own eyes had informed him that the woman whom he had seen at
the Mere； and the woman whom Mr。 Brock had identified in London；
were not one； but Two。 In the place of the Dream Shadow； there
had stood； on the evidence of the rector's letter； not the
instrument of the Fatalitybut a stranger！
No such doubts as might have troubled a less superstitious man；
were started in _his_ mind by the discovery that had now opened
on him。
It never occurred to him to ask himself whether a stranger might
not be the appointed instrument of the Fatality； now when the
letter had persuaded him that a stranger had been revealed as the
figure in the dream landscape。 No such idea entered or could
enter his mind。 The one woman whom _his_ superstition dreaded was
the woman who had entwined herself with the lives of the two
Armadales in the first generation； and with the fortunes of the
two Armadales in the secondwho was at once the marked object of
his father's death…bed warning； and the first cause of the family
calamities which had opened Allan's way to the Thorpe Ambrose
estatethe woman； in a word； whom he would have known
instinctively； but for Mr。 Brock's letter； to be the woman whom
he had now actually seen。
Looking at events as they had just happened； under the influence
of the misapprehension into which the rector had innocently
misled him； his mind saw and seized its new conclusion
instantaneously； acting precisely as it had acted in the past
time of his interview with Mr。 Brock at the Isle of Man。
Exactly as he had once declared it to be an all…sufficient
refutation of the idea of the Fatality； that he had never met
with the timber…ship in any of his voyages at sea； so he now
seized on the similarly derived conclusion； that the whole claim
of the Dream to a supernatural origin stood self…refuted by the
disclosure of a stranger in the Shadow's place。 Once started from
this pointonce encouraged to let his love for Allan influence
him undividedly again； his mind hurried along the whole resulting
chain of thought at lightning speed。 If the Dream was proved to
be no longer a warning from the other world； it followed
inevitably that accident and not fate had led the way to the
night on the Wreck； and that all the events which had happened
since Allan and he had parted from Mr。 Brock were events in
themselves harmless； which his superstition had distorted from
their proper shape。 In less than a moment his mobile imagination
had taken him back to the morning at Castletown when he had
revealed to the rector the secret of his name； when he had
declared to the rector； with his father's letter before his eyes；
the better faith that was in him。 Now once more he felt his heart
holding firmly by the bond of brotherhood between Allan and
himself； now once more he could say with the eager sincerity of
the old time； 〃If the thought of leaving him breaks my heart； the
thought of leaving him is wrong！〃 As that nobler conviction
possessed itself again of his mindquieting the tumult； clearing
the confusion within himthe house at Thorpe Ambrose； with Allan
on the steps； waiting； looking for him； opened on his eyes
through the trees。 A sense of illimitable relief lifted his eager
spirit high above the cares； and doubts； and fears that had
oppressed it so long； and showed him once more the better and
brighter future of his early dreams。 His eyes filled with tears；
and he pressed the rector's letter； in his wild； passionate way；
to his lips； as he looked at Allan through the vista of the
trees。 〃But for this morsel of paper；〃 he thought； 〃my life might
have been one long sorrow to me； and my father's crime might have
parted us forever！〃
Such was the result of the stratagem which had shown the
housemaid's face to Mr。 Brock as the face of Miss Gwilt。 And
soby shaking Midwinter's trust in his own superstition； in the
one case in which that superstition pointed to the truthdid
Mother Oldershaw's cunning triumph over difficulties and dangers
which had never been contemplated by Mother Oldershaw herself。
CHAPTER XI。
MISS GWILT AMONG THE QUICKSANDS。
1。 _From the Rev。 Decimus Brock to Ozias Midwinter。_
〃Thursday。
〃MY DEAR MIDWINTERNo words can tell what a relief it was to me
to get your letter this morning； and what a happiness I honestly
feel in having been thus far proved to be in the wrong。 The
precautions you have taken in case the woman should still confirm
my apprehensions by venturing herself at Thorpe Ambrose seem to
me to be all that can be desired。 You are no doubt sure to hear
of her from one or other of the people in the lawyer's office；
whom you have asked to inform you of the appearance of a stranger
in the town。
〃I am the more pleased at finding how entirely I can trust you in
this matter； for I am likely to be obliged to leave Allan's
interests longer than I supposed solely in your hands。 My visit
to Thorpe Ambrose must； I regret to say； be deferred for two
months。 The only one of my brother…clergymen in London who is
able to take my duty for me cannot make it convenient to remove
with his family to Somersetshire before that time。 I have no
alternative but to finish my business here； and be back at my
rectory on Saturday next。 If anything happens； you will； of
course； instantly communicate with me； and； in that case； be the
inconvenience what it may； I must leave home for Thorpe Ambrose。
If； on the other hand； all goes more smoothly than my own
obstinate apprehensions will allow me to suppose； then Allan （to
whom I have written） must not expect to see me till this day two
months。
〃No result has； up to this time； rewarded our exertions to
recover the trace lost at the railway。 I will keep my letter
open； however； until post time； in case the next few hours bring
any news。
〃Always truly yours；
DECIMUS BROCK。
〃P。 S。I have just heard from the lawyers。 They have found out
the name the woman passed by in London。 If this discovery （not a
very important one； I am afraid） suggests any new course of
proceeding to you； pray act on it at once。 The name isMiss
Gwilt。〃
2。 _From Miss Gwilt to Mrs。 Oldershaw。_
The Cottage； Thorpe Ambrose； Saturday； June 28。
〃IF you will promise not to be alarmed； Mamma Oldershaw； I will
begin this letter in a very odd way； by copying a page of a
letter written by somebody else。 You have an excellent memory；
and you may not have forgotten that I received a note from Major
Milroy's mother （after she had engaged me as governess） on Monday
last。 It was dated and signed； and here it is； as far as the
first page： 'June 23d； 1851。 Dear MadamPray excuse my troubling
you； before you go to Thorpe Ambrose； with a word more about the
habits observed in my son's household。 When I had the pleasure of
seeing you at two o'clock to…d