I　had　an　opportunity　of　searching　for　him　unobserved。　I　stepped
  back　from　the　bulwark；　not　knowing　whether　he　was　away　in　the
  first　boat；　or　whether　he　was　still　on　boardI　stepped　back；　and
  saw　him　mount　the　cabin　stairs　empty…handed；　with　the　water
  dripping　from　him。　After　looking　eagerly　toward　the　boat　（without
  noticing　me）；　he　saw　there　was　time　to　spare　before　the　crew　were
  taken。　'Once　more！'　he　said　to　himselfand　disappeared　again；　to
  make　a　last　effort　at　recovering　the　jewel　box。　The　devil　at　my
  elbow　whispered；　'Don't　shoot　him　like　a　man：　drown　him　like　a
  dog！'　He　was　under　water　when　I　bolted　the　scuttle。　But　his　head
  rose　to　the　surface　before　I　could　close　the　cabin　door。　I　looked
  at　him；　and　he　looked　at　meand　I　locked　the　door　in　his　face。
  The　next　minute；　I　was　back　among　the　last　men　left　on　deck。　The
  minute　after；　it　was　too　late　to　repent。　The　storm　was
  threatening　us　with　destruction；　and　the　boat's　crew　were　pulling
  for　their　lives　from　the　ship。
  〃My　son！　I　have　pursued　you　from　my　grave　with　a　confession　which
  my　love　might　have　spared　you。　Read　on；　and　you　will　know　why。
  〃I　will　say　nothing　of　my　sufferings；　I　will　plead　for　no　mercy
  to　my　memory。　There　is　a　strange　sinking　at　my　heart；　a　strange
  trembling　in　my　hand；　while　I　write　these　lines；　which　warns　me
  to　hasten　to　the　end。　I　left　the　island　without　daring　to　look
  for　the　last　time　at　the　woman　whom　I　had　lost　so　miserably；　whom
  I　had　injured　so　vilely。　When　I　left；　the　whole　weight　of　the
  suspicion　roused　by　the　manner　of　Ingleby's　death　rested　on　the
  crew　of　the　French　vessel。　No　motive　for　the　supposed　murder
  could　be　brought　home　to　any　of　them；　but　they　were　known　to　be；
  for　the　most　part；　outlawed　ruffians　capable　of　any　crime；　and
  they　were　suspected　and　examined　accordingly。　It　was　not　till
  afterward　that　I　heard　by　accident　of　the　suspicion　shifting
  round　at　last　to　me。　The　widow　alone　recognized　the　vague
  description　given　of　the　strange　man　who　had　made　one　of　the
  yacht's　crew；　and　who　had　disappeared　the　day　afterward。　The
  widow　alone　knew；　from　that　time　forth；　why　her　husband　had　been
  murdered；　and　who　had　done　the　deed。　When　she　made　that
  discovery；　a　false　report　of　my　death　had　been　previously
  circulated　in　the　island。　Perhaps　I　was　indebted　to　the　report
  for　my　immunity　from　all　legal　proceedings；　perhaps　（no　eye　but
  Ingleby's　having　seen　me　lock　the　cabin　door）　there　was　not
  evidence　enough　to　justify　an　inquiry；　perhaps　the　widow　shrank
  from　the　disclosures　which　must　have　followed　a　public　charge
  against　me；　based　on　her　own　bare　suspicion　of　the　truth。　However
  it　might　be；　the　crime　which　I　had　committed　unseen　has　remained
  a　crime　unpunished　from　that　time　to　this。
  〃I　left　Madeira　for　the　West　Indies　in　disguise。　The　first　news
  that　met　me　when　the　ship　touched　at　Barbadoes　was　the　news　of　my
  mother's　death。　I　had　no　heart　to　return　to　the　old　scenes。　The
  prospect　of　living　at　home　in　solitude；　with　the　torment　of　my
  own　guilty　remembrances　gnawing　at　me　day　and　night；　was　more
  than　I　had　the　courage　to　confront。　Without　landing；　or
  discovering　myself　to　any　one　on　shore；　I　went　on　as　far　as　the
  ship　would　take　meto　the　island　of　Trinidad。
  〃At　that　place　I　first　saw　your　mother。　It　was　my　duty　to　tell
  her　the　truthand　I　treacherously　kept　my　secret。　It　was　my　duty
  to　spare　her　the　hopeless　sacrifice　of　her　freedom　and　her
  happiness　to　such　an　existence　as　mineand　I　did　her　the　injury
  of　marrying　her。　If　she　is　alive　when　you　read　this；　grant　her
  the　mercy　of　still　concealing　the　truth。　The　one　atonement　I　can
  make　to　her　is　to　keep　her　unsuspicious　to　the　last　of　the　man
  she　has　married。　Pity　her；　as　I　have　pitied　her。　Let　this　letter
  be　a　sacred　confidence　between　father　and　son。
  〃The　time　when　you　were　born　was　the　time　when　my　health　began　to
  give　way。　Some　months　afterward；　in　the　first　days　of　my
  recovery；　you　were　brought　to　me；　and　I　was　told　that　you　had
  been　christened　during　my　illness。　Your　mother　had　done　as　other
  loving　mothers　doshe　had　christened　her　first…born　by　his
  father's　name。　You；　too；　were　Allan　Armadale。　Even　in　that　early
  timeeven　while　I　was　happily　ignorant　of　what　I　have　discovered
  sincemy　mind　misgave　me　when　I　looked　at　you；　and　thought　of
  that　fatal　name。
  〃As　soon　as　I　could　be　moved；　my　presence　was　required　at　my
  estates　in　Barbadoes。　It　crossed　my　mindwild　as　the　idea　may
  appear　to　youto　renounce　the　condition　which　compelled　my　son
  as　well　as　myself　to　take　the　Armadale　name；　or　lose　the
  succession　to　the　Armadale　property。　But；　even　in　those　days；　the
  rumor　of　a　contemplated　emancipation　of　the　slavesthe
  emancipation　which　is　now　close　at　handwas　spreading　widely　in
  the　colony。　No　man　could　tell　how　the　value　of　West　Indian
  property　might　be　affected　if　that　threatened　change　ever　took
  place。　No　man　could　tellif　I　gave　you　back　my　own　paternal
  name；　and　left　you　without　other　provision　in　the　future　than　my
  own　paternal　estatehow　you　might　one　day　miss　the　broad
  Armadale　acres；　or　to　what　future　penury　I　might　be　blindly
  condemning　your　mother　and　yourself。　Mark　how　the　fatalities
  gathered　one　on　the　other！　Mark　how　your　Christian　name　came　to
  you；　how　your　surname　held　to　you；　in　spite　of　me！
  〃My　health　had　improved　in　my　old　homebut　it　was　for　a　time
  only。　I　sank　again；　and　the　doctors　ordered　me　to　Europe。
  Avoiding　England　（why；　you　may　guess）；　I　took　my　passage；　with
  you　and　your　mother；　for　France。　From　France　we　passed　into
  Italy。　We　lived　here；　we　lived　there。　It　was　useless。　Death　had
  got　met　and　Death　followed　me；　go　where　I　might。　I　bore　it；　for　I
  had　an　alleviation　to　turn　to　which　I　had　not　deserved。　You　may
  shrink　in　horror　from　the　very　memory　of　me　now。　In　those　days；
  you　comforted　me。　The　only　warmth　I　still　felt　at　my　heart　was
  the　warmth　you　brought　to　it。　My　last　glimpses　of　happiness　in
  this　world　were　the　glimpses　given　me　by　my　infant　son。
  〃We　removed　from　Italy；　and　went　next　to　Lausannethe　place　from
  which　I　am　now　writing　to　you。　The　post　of　this　morning　has
  brought　me　news；　later　and　fuller　than　any　I　had　received　thus
  far；　of　the　widow　of　the　murdered　man。　The　letter　lies　before　me
  while　I　write。　It　comes　from　a　friend　of　my　early　days；　who　has
  seen　her；　and　spoken　to　herwho　has　been　the　first　to　inform　her
  that　the　report　of　my　death　in　Madeira　was　false。　He　writes；　at　a
  loss　to　account　for　the　violent　agitation　which　she　showed　on
  hearing　that　I　was　still　alive；　that　I　was　married；　and　that　I
  had　an　infant　son。　He　asks　me　if　I　can　explain　it。　He　speaks　in
  terms　of　sympathy　for　hera　young　and　beautiful　woman；　buried　in
  the　retirement　of　a　fishing…village　on　the　Devonshire　coast；　her
  father　dead；　her　family　estranged　from　her；　in　merciless
  disapproval　of　her　marriage。　He　writes　words　which　might　have　cut
  me　to　the　heart；　but　for　a　closing　passage　in　his　letter；　which
  seized　my　whole　attention　the　instant　I　came　to　it；　and　which　has
  forced　from　me　the　narrative　that　these　pages　contain。
  〃I　now　know　what　never　even　entered　my　mind　as　a　suspicion　till
  the　letter　reached　me。　I　now　know　that　the　widow　of　the　man　whose
  death　lies　at　my　door　has　borne　a　posthumous　child。　That　child　is
  a　boya　year　older　than　my　own　son。　Secure　in　her　belief　in　my
  death；　his　mother　has　done　what　my　son's　mother　did：　she　has
  christened　her　child　by　his　father's　name。　Again；　in　the　second
  generation；　there　are　two　Allan　Armadales　as　there　were　in　the
  first。　After　working　its　deadly　mischief　with　the　fathers；　the
  fatal　resemblance　of　names　has　descended　to　work　its　deadly
  mischief　with　the　sons。
  〃Guiltless　minds　may　see　nothing　thus　far　but　the　result　of　a
  series　of　events　which　could　lead　no　other　way。　Iwith　that
  man's　life　to　answer　forI；　going　down　into　my　grave；　with　my
  crime　unpunished　and　unatoned；　see　what　no　guiltless　minds　can
  discern。　I　see　danger　in　the　future；　begotten　of　the　danger　in
  the　pasttreachery　that　is　the　offspring　of　_his_　treachery；　and
  crime　that　is　the　child　of　_my_　crime。　Is　the　dread　that　now
  shakes　me　to　the　soul　a　phantom　raised　by　the　superstition　of　a
  dying　man？　I　look　into　the　Book　which　all　Christendom　venerates；
  and　the　Book　tells　me　that　the　sin　of　the　father　shall　be　visited
  on　the　child。　I　look　out　into　the　world；　and　I　see　the　living
  witnesses　round　me　to　that　terrible　truth。　I　see　the　vices　which
  have　contaminated　the　father　descending；　and　contaminating　the
  child；　I　see　the　shame　which　has　disgraced　the　father's　name
  descending；　and　disgracing　the　child's。　I　look　in　on　myself；　and
  I　see　my　crime　ripening　again　for　the　future　in　the　self…same
  circumstance　which　first　sowed　the　seeds　of　it　in　the　past；　and
  descending；　in　inherited　contamination　of　evil；　from　me　to　my
  son。〃
  At　those　lines　the　writing　ended。　There　the　stroke　had　struck
  him；　and　the　pen　had　dropped　from　his　hand。
  He　knew　the　place；　he　remembered　the　words。　At　the　instant　when
  the　reader's　voice　stopped；　he　looked　eagerly　at　the　doctor。　〃I
  have　got　what　comes　next　in　my　mind；〃　he　said；　with　slower　and
  slower　articulation。　〃Help　me　to　speak　it。〃
  The　doctor　administered　a　stimulant；　and　signed　to　Mr。　Neal　to
  give　him　time。　After