o the
money, in the first place. I will engage to find it, on condition of
your remembering my assistance with adequate pecuniary gratitude if you
win the Armadale prize. Your promise so to remember me, embodying the
terms in plain figures, shall be drawn out on paper by my own lawyer, so
that we can sign and settle at once when I see you in London.

"Next, as to the reference.

"Here, again, my services are at your disposal, on another condition. It
is this: that you present yourself at Thorpe Ambrose, under the name
to which you have returned ever since that dreadful business of your
marriage; I mean your own maiden name of Gwilt. I have only one motive
in insisting on this; I wish to run no needless risks. My experience,
as confidential adviser of my customers, in various romantic cases of
private embarrassment, has shown me that an assumed name is, nine times
out of ten, a very unnecessary and a very dangerous form of deception.
Nothing could justify your assuming a name but the fear of young
Armadale's detecting you--a fear from which we are fortunately relieved
by his mother's own conduct in keeping your early connection with her a
profound secret from her son and from everybody.

"The next, and last, perplexity to settle relates, my dear, to the
chances for and against your finding your way, in the capacity of
governess, into Major Milroy's house. Once inside the door, with your
knowledge of music and languages, if you can keep your temper, you may
be sure of keeping the place. The only doubt, as things are now, is
whether you can get it.

"In the major's present difficulty about his daughter's education, the
chances are, I think, in favor of his advertising for a governess. Say
he does advertise, what address will he give for applicants to write to?

"If he gives an address in London, good-by to all chances in your favor
at once; for this plain reason, that we shall not be able to pick out
his advertisement from the advertisements of other people who want
governesses, and who will give them addresses in London as well. If, on
the other hand, our luck helps us, and he refers his correspondents to
a shop, post-office, or what not _at Thorpe Ambrose_, there we have our
advertiser as plainly picked out for us as we can wish. In this last
case, I have little or no doubt--with me for your reference--of your
finding your way into the major's family circle. We have one great
advantage over the other women who will