nd Miss Milroy to me. Every drop of the
little blood there is in the feeble old creature's body seemed to fly up
into his face. He made quite an overpowering effort; he really looked as
if he would drop down dead of fright at his own boldness; but he forced
out the question for all that, stammering, and stuttering, and kneading
desperately with both hands at the brim of his hideous great hat. 'I beg
your pardon, Miss Gwi-Gwi-Gwilt! You are not really go-go-going to marry
Mr. Armadale, are you? Jealous--if ever I saw it in a man's face yet, I
saw it in his--actually jealous of Armadale at his age! If I had been
in the humor for it, I should have burst out laughing in his face. As it
was, I was angry, and lost all patience with him. I told him he was an
old fool, and ordered him to go on quietly with his usual business until
I sent him word that he was wanted again. He submitted as usual; but
there was an indescribable something in his watery old eyes, when he
took leave of me, which I have never noticed in them before. Love has
the credit of working all sorts of strange transformations. Can it be
really possible that Love has made Mr. Bashwood man enough to be angry
with me?

"Wednesday.--My experience of Miss Milroy's habits suggested a suspicion
to me last night which I thought it desirable to clear up this morning.

"It was always her way, when I was at the cottage, to take a walk early
in the morning before breakfast. Considering that I used often to choose
that very time for _my_ private meetings with Armadale, it struck me as
likely that my former pupil might be taking a leaf out of my book, and
that I might make some desirable discoveries if I turned my steps in the
direction of the major's garden at the right hour. I deprived myself
of my Drops, to make sure of waking; passed a miserable night in
consequence; and was ready enough to get up at six o'clock, and walk the
distance from my lodgings to the cottage in the fresh morning air.

"I had not been five minutes on the park side of the garden inclosure
before I saw her come out.

"She seemed to have had a bad night too; her eyes were heavy and red,
and her lips and cheeks looked swollen as if she had been crying. There
was something on her mind, evidently; something, as it soon appeared, to
take her out of the garden into the park. She walked (if one can call
it walking; with such legs as hers!) straight to the summer house, and
opened the door, and crossed t