od care, for her sake, that she is not agitated and
unsettled by hearing it where she is now.'

"Armadale's petition to me, under these circumstances, entreats (as I am
the innocent cause of the new attack on his character) that I will write
to the major to absolve him of all indiscretion in the matter, and to
say that he could not, in common politeness, do otherwise than accompany
me to London.

"I forgive the impudence of his request, in consideration of the news
that he sends me. It is certainly another circumstance in my favor
that the scandal at Thorpe Ambrose is not to be allowed to reach
Miss Milroy's ears. With her temper (if she did hear it) she might
do something desperate in the way of claiming her lover, and might
compromise me seriously. As for my own course with Armadale, it is easy
enough. I shall quiet him by promising to write to Major Milroy; and I
shall take the liberty, in my own private interests, of not keeping my
word.

"Nothing in the least suspicious has happened to-day. Whoever my enemies
are, they have lost me, and between this and the time when I leave
England they shall not find me again. I have been to the post-office,
and have got the ticket for my luggage, inclosed to me in a letter from
All Saints' Terrace, as I directed. The luggage itself I shall still
leave at the cloak-room, until I see the way before me more clearly than
I see it now."

"August 5th.--Two letters again from the hotel. Midwinter writes to
remind me, in the prettiest possible manner, that he will have
lived long enough in the parish by to-morrow to be able to get our
marriage-license, and that he proposes applying for it in the usual way
at Doctors' Commons. Now, if I am ever to say it, is the time to say No.
I can't say No. There is the plain truth--and there is an end of it!

"Armadale's letter is a letter of farewell. He thanks me for my kindness
in consenting to write to the major, and bids me good-by, till we meet
again at Naples. He has learned from his friend that there are private
reasons which will oblige him to forbid himself the pleasure of being
present at our marriage. Under these circumstances, there is nothing to
keep him in London. He has made all his business arrangements; he goes
to Somersetshire by to-night's train; and, after staying some time with
Mr. Brock, he will sail for the Mediterranean from the Bristol Channel
(in spite of Midwinter's objections) in his own yacht.

"The letter inclo