yourself.

"The first intimation of anything unpleasant reached me on Monday last.
It was widely rumored in the town that something had gone wrong at Major
Milroy's with the new governess, and that Mr. Armadale was mixed up in
it. I paid no heed to this, believing it to be one of the many trumpery
pieces of scandal perpetually set going here, and as necessary as
the air they breathe to the comfort of the inhabitants of this highly
respectable place.

"Tuesday, however, put the matter in a new light. The most interesting
particulars were circulated on the highest authority. On Wednesday,
the gentry in the neighborhood took the matter up, and universally
sanctioned the view adopted by the town. To-day the public feeling has
reached its climax, and I find myself under the necessity of making you
acquainted with what has happened.

"To begin at the beginning. It is asserted that a correspondence took
place last week between Major Milroy and yourself; in which you cast a
very serious suspicion on Miss Gwilt's respectability, without defining
your accusations and without (on being applied to) producing your
proofs. Upon this, the major appears to have felt it his duty (while
assuring his governess of his own firm belief in her respectability) to
inform her of what had happened, in order that she might have no future
reason to complain of his having had any concealments from her in a
matter affecting her character. Very magnanimous on the major's part;
but you will see directly that Miss Gwilt was more magnanimous still.
After expressing her thanks in a most becoming manner, she requested
permission to withdraw herself from Major Milroy's service.

"Various reports are in circulation as to the governess's reason for
taking this step.

"The authorized version (as sanctioned by the resident gentry)
represents Miss Gwilt to have said that she could not condescend--in
justice to herself, and in justice to her highly respectable
reference--to defend her reputation against undefined imputations cast
on it by a comparative stranger. At the same time it was impossible for
her to pursue such a course of conduct as this, unless she possessed a
freedom of action which was quite incompatible with her continuing to
occupy the dependent position of a governess. For that reason she felt
it incumbent on her to leave her situation. But, while doing this,
she was equally determined not to lead to any misinterpretation of her
motives by