."

Allan left the cottage, sorely puzzled to account for Miss Milroy's
sudden coolness toward him. His grand idea of conciliating the whole
neighborhood by becoming a married man underwent some modification as
he closed the garden gate behind him. The virtue called Prudence and the
Squire of Thorpe Ambrose became personally acquainted with each other,
on this occasion, for the first time; and Allan, entering headlong as
usual on the high-road to moral improvement, actually decided on doing
nothing in a hurry!

A man who is entering on a course of reformation ought, if virtue is its
own reward, to be a man engaged in an essentially inspiriting pursuit.
But virtue is not always its own reward; and the way that leads to
reformation is remarkably ill-lighted for so respectable a thoroughfare.
Allan seemed to have caught the infection of his friend's despondency.
As he walked home, he, too, began to doubt--in his widely different way,
and for his widely different reasons--whether the life at Thorpe Ambrose
was promising quite as fairly for the future as it had promised at
first.

VII. THE PLOT THICKENS.

Two messages were waiting for Allan when he returned to the house. One
had been left by Midwinter. "He had gone out for a long walk, and Mr.
Armadale was not to be alarmed if he did not get back till late in the
day." The other message had been left by "a person from Mr. Pedgift's
office," who had called, according to appointment, while the two
gentlemen were away at the major's. "Mr. Bashwood's respects, and he
would have the honor of waiting on Mr. Armadale again in the course of
the evening."

Toward five o'clock, Midwinter returned, pale and silent. Allan hastened
to assure him that his peace was made at the cottage; and then, to
change the subject, mentioned Mr. Bashwood's message. Midwinter's mind
was so preoccupied or so languid that he hardly seemed to remember the
name. Allan was obliged to remind him that Bashwood was the elderly
clerk, whom Mr. Pedgift had sent to be his instructor in the duties
of the steward's office. He listened without making any remark, and
withdrew to his room, to rest till dinner-time.

Left by himself, Allan went into the library, to try if he could while
away the time over a book.

He took many volumes off the shelves, and put a few of them back again;
and there he ended. Miss Milroy contrived in some mysterious manner to
get, in this case, between the reader and the books