ittle party as to have the effect of almost instantly
silencing the other two. The fever of Midwinter's false spirits flamed
out into sheer delirium as the performance of the puppets came to an
end. His paroxysms of laughter followed each other with such convulsive
violence that Miss Milroy started back from him in alarm, and even the
patient major turned on him with a look which said plainly, Leave the
room! Allan, wisely impulsive for once in his life, seized Midwinter by
the arm, and dragged him out by main force into the garden, and thence
into the park beyond.

"Good heavens! what has come to you!" he exclaimed, shrinking back from
the tortured face before him, as he stopped and looked close at it for
the first time.

For the moment, Midwinter was incapable of answering. The hysterical
paroxysm was passing from one extreme to the other. He leaned against a
tree, sobbing and gasping for breath, and stretched out his hand in mute
entreaty to Allan to give him time.

"You had better not have nursed me through my fever," he said, faintly,
as soon as he could speak. "I'm mad and miserable, Allan; I have never
recovered it. Go back and ask them to forgive me; I am ashamed to go
and ask them myself. I can't tell how it happened; I can only ask your
pardon and theirs." He turned aside his head quickly so as to conceal
his face. "Don't stop here," he said; "don't look at me; I shall soon
get over it." Allan still hesitated, and begged hard to be allowed to
take him back to the house. It was useless. "You break my heart with
your kindness," he burst out, passionately. "For God's sake, leave me by
my self!"

Allan went back to the cottage, and pleaded there for indulgence to
Midwinter, with an earnestness and simplicity which raised him immensely
in the major's estimation, but which totally failed to produce the same
favorable impression on Miss Milroy. Little as she herself suspected it,
she was fond enough of Allan already to be jealous of Allan's friend.

"How excessively absurd!" she thought, pettishly. "As if either papa or
I considered such a person of the slightest consequence!"

"You will kindly suspend your opinion, won't you, Major Milroy?" said
Allan, in his hearty way, at parting.

"With the greatest pleasure!" replied the major, cordially shaking
hands.

"And you, too, Miss Milroy?" added Allan.

Miss Milroy made a mercilessly formal bow. "_My_ opinion, Mr. Armadale,
is not of the slightest consequence