Armadale's question was,
or did he not?"

"Yes, mamma. He said Mr. Armadale began by mentioning that he was very
much interested in Miss Gwilt, and he then went on to ask whether papa
could tell him anything about her family misfortunes--"

"What!" cried Mrs. Milroy. The word burst from her almost in a scream,
and the white enamel on her face cracked in all directions. "Mr.
Armadale said _that_?" she went on, leaning out further and further over
the side of the bed.

Neelie started up, and tried to put her mother back on the pillow.

"Mamma!" she exclaimed, "are you in pain? Are you ill? You frighten me!"

"Nothing, nothing, nothing," said Mrs. Milroy. She was too violently
agitated to make any other than the commonest excuse. "My nerves are bad
this morning; don't notice it. I'll try the other side of the pillow.
Go on! go on! I'm listening, though I'm not looking at you." She turned
her face to the wall, and clinched her trembling hands convulsively
beneath the bedclothes. "I've got her!" she whispered to herself, under
her breath. "I've got her at last!"

"I'm afraid I've been talking too much," said Neelie. "I'm afraid I've
been stopping here too long. Shall I go downstairs, mamma, and come back
later in the day?"

"Go on," repeated Mrs. Milroy, mechanically. "What did your father say
next? Anything more about Mr. Armadale?"

"Nothing more, except how papa answered him," replied Neelie. "Papa
repeated his own words when he told me about it. He said, 'In the
absence of any confidence volunteered by the lady herself, Mr. Armadale,
all I know or wish to know--and you must excuse me for saying, all
any one else need know or wish to know--is that Miss Gwilt gave me a
perfectly satisfactory reference before she entered my house.' Severe,
mamma, wasn't it? I don't pity him in the least; he richly deserved
it. The next thing was papa's caution to _me_. He told me to check Mr.
Armadale's curiosity if he applied to me next. As if he was likely to
apply to me! And as if I should listen to him if he did! That's all,
mamma. You won't suppose, will you, that I have told you this because I
want to hinder Mr. Armadale from marrying Miss Gwilt? Let him marry her
if he pleases; I don't care!" said Neelie, in a voice that faltered
a little, and with a face which was hardly composed enough to be in
perfect harmony with a declaration of indifference. "All I want is to
be relieved from the misery of having Miss Gwilt for my gov