s, of whom he had
asked the way to Thorpe Ambrose where the three roads met.

"Who are you?" repeated Allan.

"I humbly beg your pardon, sir," faltered the stranger, stepping back
again, confusedly. "The servants told me I should find Mr. Armadale--"

"What, are you Mr. Bashwood?"

"Yes, if you please, sir."

"I beg your pardon for speaking to you so roughly," said Allan; "but the
fact is, you rather startled me. My name is Armadale (put on your hat,
pray), and this is my friend, Mr. Midwinter, who wants your help in the
steward's office."

"We hardly stand in need of an introduction," said Midwinter. "I met Mr.
Bashwood out walking a few days since, and he was kind enough to direct
me when I had lost my way."

"Put on your hat," reiterated Allan, as Mr. Bashwood, still bareheaded,
stood bowing speechlessly, now to one of the young men, and now to the
other. "My good sir, put on your hat, and let me show you the way back
to the house. Excuse me for noticing it," added Allan, as the man, in
sheer nervous helplessness, let his hat fall, instead of putting it back
on his head; "but you seem a little out of sorts; a glass of good
wine will do you no harm before you and my friend come to business.
Whereabouts did you meet with Mr. Bashwood, Midwinter, when you lost
your way?"

"I am too ignorant of the neighborhood to know. I must refer you to Mr.
Bashwood."

"Come, tell us where it was," said Allan, trying, a little too abruptly,
to set the man at his ease, as they all three walked back to the house.

The measure of Mr. Bashwood's constitutional timidity seemed to be
filled to the brim by the loudness of Allan's voice and the bluntness of
Allan's request. He ran over in the same feeble flow of words with which
he had deluged Midwinter on the occasion when they first met.

"It was on the road, sir," he began, addressing himself alternately to
Allan, whom he called, "sir," and to Midwinter, whom he called by
his name, "I mean, if you please, on the road to Little Gill Beck. A
singular name, Mr. Midwinter, and a singular place; I don't mean
the village; I mean the neighborhood--I mean the 'Broads' beyond the
neighborhood. Perhaps you may have heard of the Norfolk Broads, sir?
What they call lakes in other parts of England, they call Broads here.
The Broads are quite numerous; I think they would repay a visit. You
would have seen the first of them, Mr. Midwinter, if you had walked on
a few miles from where I had t