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answered the rector。
〃_That_ woman；〃 pursued Midwinter； 〃moved gracefully； and had a
beautiful figure。 _That_ woman wore a black veil； a black bonnet；
a black silk gown； and a red Paisley shawl〃 He stopped；
released his hold of Mr。 Brock's arm； and abruptly resumed his
chair。 〃Can it be the same？〃 he said to himself in a whisper。
〃_Is_ there a fatality that follows men in the dark？ And is it
following _us_ in that woman's footsteps？〃
If the conjecture was right； the one event in the past which had
appeared to be entirely disconnected with the events that had
preceded it was； on the contrary； the one missing link which made
the chain complete。 Mr。 Brock's comfortable common sense
instinctively denied that startling conclusion。 He looked at
Midwinter with a compassionate smile。
〃My young friend；〃 he said； kindly； 〃have you cleared your mind
of all superstition as completely as you think？ Is what you have
just said worthy of the bet ter resolution at which you arrived
last night？〃
Midwinter's head drooped on his breast； the color rushed back
over his face； he sighed bitterly。
〃You are beginning to doubt my sincerity；〃 he said。 〃I can't
blame you。〃
〃I believe in your sincerity as firmly as ever；〃 answered Mr。
Brock。 〃I only doubt whether you have fortified the weak places
in your nature as strongly as you yourself suppose。 Many a man
has lost the battle against himself far oftener than you have
lost it yet； and has nevertheless won his victory in the end。 I
don't blame you； I don't distrust you。 I only notice what has
happened； to put you on your guard against yourself。 Come！ come！
Let your own better sense help you； and you will agree with me
that there is really no evidence to justify the suspicion that
the woman whom I met in Somersetshire； and the woman who
attempted suicide in London； are one and the same。 Need an old
man like me remind a young man like you that there are thousands
of women in England with beautiful figuresthousands of women
who are quietly dressed in black silk gowns and red Paisley
shawls？〃
Midwinter caught eagerly at the suggestion； too eagerly； as it
might have occurred to a harder critic on humanity than Mr。
Brock。
〃You are quite right； sir；〃 he said； 〃and I am quite wrong。 Tens
of thousands of women answer the description； as you say。 I have
been wasting time on my own idle fancies； when I ought to have
been carefully gathering up facts。 If this woman ever attempts to
find her way to Allan； I must be prepared to stop her。〃 He began
searching restlessly among the manuscript leaves scattered about
the table； paused over one of the pages； and examined it
attentively。 'This helps me to something positive；〃 he went on；
〃this helps me to a knowledge of her age。 She was twelve at the
time of Mrs。 Armadale's marriage； add a year； and bring her to
thirteen； add Allan's age （twenty…two）； and we make her a woman
of five…and…thirty at the present time。 I know her age； and I
know that she has her own reasons for being silent about her
married life。 This is something gained at the outset； and it may
lead； in time； to something more。〃 He looked up brightly again at
Mr。 Brock。 〃Am I in the right way now； sir？ Am I doing my best to
profit by the caution which you have kindly given me？〃
〃You are vindicating your own better sense；〃 answered the rector；
encouraging him to trample down his own imagination； with an
Englishman's ready distrust of the noblest of the human
faculties。 〃You are paving the way for your own happier life。〃
〃Am I？〃 said the other； thoughtfully。
He searched among the papers once more； and stopped at another of
the scattered pages。
〃The ship！〃 he exclaimed； suddenly； his color changing again； and
his manner altering on the instant。
〃What ship？〃 asked the rector。
〃The ship in which the deed was done；〃 Midwinter answered； with
the first signs of impatience that he had shown yet。 〃The ship in
which my father's murderous hand turned the lock of the cabin
door。〃
〃What of it？〃 said Mr。 Brock。
He appeared not to hear the question； his eyes remained fixed
intently on the page that he was reading。
〃A French vessel； employed in the timber trade；〃 he said； still
speaking to himself〃a French vessel； named _La Grace de Dieu。_
If my father's belief had been the right beliefif the fatality
had been following me； step by step； from my father's grave； in
one or other of my voyages； I should have fallen in with that
ship。〃 He looked up again at Mr。 Brock。 〃I am quite sure about it
now；〃 he said。 〃Those women are two； and not one。〃
Mr。 Brock shook his head。
〃I am glad you have come to that conclusion；〃 he said。 〃But I
wish you had reached it in some other way。〃
Midwinter started passionately to his feet； and； seizing on the
pages of the manuscript with both hands； flung them into the
empty fireplace。
〃For God's sake let me burn it！〃 he exclaimed。 〃As long as there
is a page left； I shall read it。 And； as long as I read it； my
father gets the better of me； in spite of myself！〃
Mr。 Brock pointed to the match…box。 In another moment the
confession was in flames。 When the fire had consumed the last
morsel of paper； Midwinter drew a deep breath of relief。
〃I may say； like Macbeth： 'Why； so； being gone； I am a man
again！' 〃 he broke out with a feverish gayety。 〃You look
fatigued； sir； and no wonder；〃 he added； in a lower tone。 〃I have
kept you too long from your restI will keep you no longer。
Depend on my remembering what you have told me； depend on my
standing between Allan and any enemy； man or woman； who comes
near him。 Thank you； Mr。 Brock； a thousand thousand times； thank
you！ I came into this room the most wretched of living men； I can
leave it now as happy as the birds that are singing outside！〃
As he turned to the door； the rays of the rising sun streamed
through the window； and touched the heap of ashes lying black in
the black fireplace。 The sensitive imagination of Midwinter
kindled instantly at the sight。
〃Look！〃 he said； joyously。 〃The promise of the Future shining
over the ashes of the Past！〃
An inexplicable pity for the man； at the moment of his life when
he needed pity least； stole over the rector's heart when the door
had closed； and he was left by himself again。
〃Poor fellow！ 〃 he said； with an uneasy surprise at his own
compassionate impulse。 〃Poor fellow！〃
CHAPTER III。
DAY AND NIGHT
THE morning hours had passed； the noon had come and gone； and Mr。
Brock had started on the first stage of his journey home。
After parting from the rector in Douglas Harbor； the two young
men had returned to Castletown； and had there separated at the
hotel door； Allan walking down to the waterside to look after his
yacht； and Midwinter entering the house to get the rest that he
needed after a sleepless night。
He darkened his room； he closed his eyes； but no sleep came to
him。 On this first day of the rector's absence； his sensitive
nature extravagantly exaggerated the responsibility which he now
held in trust for Mr。 Brock。 A nervous dread of leaving Allan by
himself； even for a few hours only； kept him waking and doubting；
until it became a relief rather than a hardship to rise from the
bed again； and； following in Allan's footsteps； to take the way
to the waterside which led to the yacht。
The repairs of the little vessel were nearly completed。 It was a
breezy； cheerful day； the land was bright； the water was blue；
the quick waves leaped crisply in the sunshine； the men were
singing at their work。 Descending to the cabin； Midwinter
discovered his friend busily occupied in attempting to set the
place to rights。 Habitually the least systematic of mortals；
Allan now and then awoke to an overwhelming sense of the
advantages of order； and on such occasions a perfect frenzy of
tidiness possessed him。 He was down on his knees； hotly and
wildly at work； when Midwinter looked in on him； and was fast
reducing the neat little world of the cabin to its original
elements of chaos； with a misdirected energy wonderful to see。
〃Here's a mess！〃 said Allan； rising composedly on the horizon of
his own accumulated litter。 〃Do you know； my dear fellow； I begin
to wish I had let well alone！〃
Midwinter smiled； and came to his friend's assistance with the
natural neat…handedness of a sailor。
The first object that he encountered was Allan's dressing…case；
turned upside down； with half the contents scattered on the
floor； and with a duster and a hearth…broom lying among them。
Replacing the various objects which formed the furniture of the
dressing…case one by one； Midwinter lighted unexpectedly on a
miniature portrait； of the old…fashioned oval form； primly framed
in a setting of small diamonds。
〃You don't seem to set much value on this；〃 he said。 〃What is
it？〃
Allan bent over him； and looked at the miniature。 〃It belonged to
my mother；〃 he answered； 〃and I set the greatest value on it。 It
is a portrait of my father。〃
Midwinter put the miniature abruptly； into Allan's hands； and
withdrew to the opposite side of the cabin。
〃You know best where the things ought to be put in your own
dressing…case；〃 he said； keeping his back turned