e captain of the brig made his
report to the British consul, and left the objects discovered in that
gentleman's charge. Inquiry at Messina showed that the ill-fated vessel
had arrived there from Naples. At the latter port it was ascertained
that the _Dorothea_ had been hired from the owner's agent by an English
gentleman, Mr. Armadale, of Thorpe Ambrose, Norfolk. Whether Mr.
Armadale had any friends on board with him has not been clearly
discovered. But there is unhappily no doubt that the ill-fated gentleman
himself sailed in the yacht from Naples, and that he was also on board
of the vessel when she left Messina.'

"Such is the story of the wreck, as the newspaper tells it in the
plainest and fewest words. My head is in a whirl; my confusion is so
great that I think of fifty different things in trying to think of one.
I must wait--a day more or less is of no consequence now--I must wait
till I can face my new position, without feeling bewildered by it."

"November 23d.--Eight in the morning.--I rose an hour ago, and saw
my way clearly to the first step that I must take under present
circumstances.

"It is of the utmost importance to me to know what is doing at Thorpe
Ambrose; and it would be the height of rashness, while I am quite in the
dark in this matter, to venture there myself. The only other alternative
is to write to somebody on the spot for news; and the only person I can
write to is--Bashwood.

"I have just finished the letter. It is headed 'private and
confidential,' and signed 'Lydia Armadale.' There is nothing in it to
compromise me, if the old fool is mortally offended by my treatment of
him, and if he spitefully shows my letter to other people. But I don't
believe he will do this. A man at his age forgives a woman anything,
if the woman only encourages him. I have requested him, as a personal
favor, to keep our correspondence for the present strictly private. I
have hinted that my married life with my deceased husband has not been
a happy one; and that I feel the injudiciousness of having married a
_young_ man. In the postscript I go further still, and venture boldly on
these comforting words: 'I can explain, dear Mr. Bashwood, what may have
seemed fake and deceitful in my conduct toward you when you give me a
personal opportunity.' If he was on the right side of sixty, I should
feel doubtful of results. But he is on the wrong side of sixty, and I
believe he will give me my personal opportunity.