accustomed me to see. I quite forgot myself; I actually gave her my arm,
and led her away gently among the trees. (A nice position to find me in,
if any of the scandal-mongers of the town had happened to be walking in
that direction!) 'My dear Miss Milroy,' says I, 'why should Mr. Armadale
think _you_ mixed up in it?'"

"You ought to have told her at once that I thought nothing of the kind!"
exclaimed Allan, indignantly. "Why did you leave her a moment in doubt
about it?"

"Because I am a lawyer, Mr. Armadale," rejoined Pedgift Senior, dryly.
"Even in moments of sentiment, under convenient trees, with a pretty
girl on my arm, I can't entirely divest myself of my professional
caution. Don't look distressed, sir, pray! I set things right in due
course of time. Before I left Miss Milroy, I told her, in the plainest
terms, no such idea had ever entered your head."

"Did she seem relieved?" asked Allan.

"She was able to dispense with the use of my arm, sir," replied old
Pedgift, as dryly as ever, "and to pledge me to inviolable secrecy on
the subject of our interview. She was particularly desirous that _you_
should hear nothing about it. If you are at all anxious on your side to
know why I am now betraying her confidence, I beg to inform you that
her confidence related to no less a person than the lady who favored you
with a call just now--Miss Gwilt."

Allan, who had been once more restlessly pacing the room, stopped, and
returned to his chair.

"Is this serious?" he asked.

"Most serious, sir," returned Pedgift Senior. "I am betraying Miss
Neelie's secret, in Miss Neelie's own interest. Let us go back to that
cautious question I put to her. She found some little difficulty in
answering it, for the reply involved her in a narrative of the parting
interview between her governess and herself. This is the substance of
it. The two were alone when Miss Gwilt took leave of her pupil; and the
words she used (as reported to me by Miss Neelie) were these. She said,
'Your mother has declined to allow me to take leave of her. Do you
decline too?' Miss Neelie's answer was a remarkably sensible one for
a girl of her age. 'We have not been good friends,' she said, 'and I
believe we are equally glad to part with each other. But I have no wish
to decline taking leave of you.' Saying that, she held out her hand.
Miss Gwilt stood looking at her steadily, without taking it, and
addressed her in these words: '_You are not Mrs. Armadal