ter still if
I saw him to-morrow, and took him back into my good graces by giving
him something to do for me. Suppose I tell him to look after the
two Pedgifts, and to discover whether there is any chance of their
attempting to renew their connection with Armadale? No such thing is at
all likely; but if I gave old Bashwood this commission, it would flatter
his sense of his own importance to me, and would at the same time serve
the excellent purpose of keeping him out of my way."

"Thursday morning, nine o'clock.--I have just got back from the park.

"For once I have proved a true prophet. There they were together, at
the same early hour, in the same secluded situation among the trees; and
there was miss in full possession of the report of my visit to the great
house, and taking her tone accordingly.

"After saying one or two things about me, which I promise him not to
forget, Armadale took the way to convince her of his constancy which I
felt beforehand he would be driven to take. He repeated his proposal
of marriage, with excellent effect this time. Tears and kisses and
protestations followed; and my late pupil opened her heart at last, in
the most innocent manner. Home, she confessed, was getting so miserable
to her now that it was only less miserable than going to school. Her
mother's temper was becoming more violent and unmanageable every day.
The nurse, who was the only person with any influence over her, had gone
away in disgust. Her father was becoming more and more immersed in his
clock, and was made more and more resolute to send her away from home by
the distressing scenes which now took place with her mother almost day
by day. I waited through these domestic disclosures on the chance of
hearing any plans they might have for the future discussed between them;
and my patience, after no small exercise of it, was rewarded at last.

"The first suggestion (as was only natural where such a fool as Armadale
was concerned) came from the girl.

"She started an idea which I own I had not anticipated. She proposed
that Armadale should write to her father; and, cleverer still, she
prevented all fear of his blundering by telling him what he was to say.
He was to express himself as deeply distressed at his estrangement from
the major, and to request permission to call at the cottage, and say a
few words in his own justification. That was all. The letter was not
to be sent that day, for the applicants for the vacant pl