itherto, was decorated
with water-color drawings--with a portrait of Mrs. Armadale supported
on one side by a view of the old house in Somersetshire, and on the
other by a picture of the yacht. Among the books which bore in faded
ink Mrs. Armadale's inscriptions, "From my father," were other books
inscribed in the same handwriting, in brighter ink, "To my son." Hanging
to the wall, ranged on the chimney-piece, scattered over the table, were
a host of little objects, some associated with Allan's past life,
others necessary to his daily pleasures and pursuits, and all plainly
testifying that the room which he habitually occupied at Thorpe Ambrose
was the very room which had once recalled to Midwinter the second vision
of the dream. Here, strangely unmoved by the scene around him, so lately
the object of his superstitious distrust, Allan's friend now waited
composedly for Allan's return; and here, more strangely still, he looked
on a change in the household arrangements, due in the first instance
entirely to himself. His own lips had revealed the discovery which he
had made on the first morning in the new house; his own voluntary act
had induced the son to establish himself in the mother's room.

Under what motives had he spoken the words? Under no motives which were
not the natural growth of the new interests and the new hopes that now
animated him.

The entire change wrought in his convictions by the memorable event that
had brought him face to face with Miss Gwilt was a change which it was
not in his nature to hide from Allan's knowledge. He had spoken openly,
and had spoken as it was in his character to speak. The merit of
conquering his superstition was a merit which he shrank from claiming,
until he had first unsparingly exposed that superstition in its worst
and weakest aspects to view.

It was only after he had unreservedly acknowledged the impulse under
which he had left Allan at the Mere, that he had taken credit to himself
for the new point of view from which he could now look at the Dream.
Then, and not till then, he had spoken of the fulfillment of the first
Vision as the doctor at the Isle of Man might have spoken of it. He had
asked, as the doctor might have asked, Where was the wonder of their
seeing a pool at sunset, when they had a whole network of pools within
a few hours' drive of them? and what was there extraordinary in
discovering a woman at the Mere, when there were roads that led to it,
and vill