〃What　circumstances　can　possibly　indispose　you　to　give　your　law
  business　to　Mr。　Darch？〃
  〃Nothing　can　indispose　me；〃　said　Allan。　〃Besides　being　the　family
  lawyer　here；　Darch　was　the　first　to　write　me　word　at　Paris　of　my
  coming　in　for　my　fortune；　and；　if　I　have　got　any　business　to
  give；　of　course　he　ought　to　have　it。〃
  Midwinter　still　looked　distrustfully　at　the　open　letter　on　the
  table。　〃I　am　sadly　afraid；　Allan；　there　is　something　wrong
  already；〃　he　said。　〃This　man　would　never　have　ventured　on　the
  application　he　has　made　to　you；　unless　he　had　some　good　reason
  for　believing　he　would　succeed。　If　you　wish　to　put　yourself　right
  at　starting；　you　will　send　to　Mr。　Darch　this　morning　to　tell　him
  you　are　here；　and　you　will　take　no　notice　for　the　present　of　Mr。
  Pedgift's　letter。〃
  Before　more　could　be　said　on　either　side；　the　footman　made　his
  appearance　with　the　breakfast　tray。　He　was　followed；　after　an
  interval；　by　the　butler；　a　man　of　the　essentially　confidential
  kind；　with　a　modulated　voice；　a　courtly　manner；　and　a　bulbous
  nose。　Anybody　but　Allan　would　have　seen　in　his　face　that　he　had
  come　into　the　room　having　a　special　communication　to　make　to　his
  master。　Allan；　who　saw　nothing　under　the　surface；　and　whose　head
  was　running　on　the　lawyer's　letter；　stopped　him　bluntly　with　the
  point…blank　question：　〃Who's　Mr。　Pedgift？〃
  The　butler's　sources　of　local　knowledge　opened　confidentially　on
  the　instant。　Mr。　Pedgift　was　the　second　of　the　two　lawyers　in　the
  town。　Not　so　long　established；　not　so　wealthy；　not　so　universally
  looked　up　to　as　old　Mr。　Darch。　Not　doing　the　business　of　the
  highest　people　in　the　county；　and　not　mixing　freely　with　the　best
  society；　like　old　Mr。　Darch。　A　very　sufficient　man；　in　his　way；
  nevertheless。　Known　as　a　perfectly　competent　and　respectable
  practitioner　all　round　the　neighborhood。　In　short；　professionally
  next　best　to　Mr。　Darch；　and　personally　superior　to　him　（if　the
  expression　might　be　permitted）　in　this　respectthat　Darch　was　a
  Crusty　One；　and　Pedgift　wasn't。
  Having　imparted　this　information；　the　butler；　taking　a　wise
  advantage　of　his　position；　glided；　without　a　moment's　stoppage；
  from　Mr。　Pedgift's　character　to　the　business　that　had　brought　him
  into　the　breakfast…room。　The　Midsummer　Audit　was　near　at　hand；
  and　the　tenants　were　accustomed　to　have　a　week's　notice　of　the
  rent…day　dinner。　With　this　necessity　pressing；　and　with　no　orders
  given　as　yet；　and　no　steward　in　office　at　Thorpe　Ambrose；　it
  appeared　desirable　that　some　confidential　person　should　bring　the
  matter　forward。　The　butler　was　that　confidential　person；　and　he
  now　ventured　accordingly　to　trouble　his　master　on　the　subject。
  At　this　point　Allan　opened　his　lips　to　interrupt；　and　was　himself
  interrupted　before　he　could　utter　a　word。
  〃Wait！〃　interposed　Midwinter；　seeing　in　Allan's　face　that　he　was
  in　danger　of　being　publicly　announced　in　the　capacity　of　steward。
  〃Wait！〃　he　repeated；　eagerly；　〃till　I　can　speak　to　you　first。〃
  The　butler's　courtly　manner　remained　alike　unruffled　by
  Midwinter's　sudden　interference　and　by　his　own　dismissal　from　the
  scene。　Nothing　but　the　mounting　color　in　his　bulbous　nose
  betrayed　the　sense　of　injury　that　animated　him　as　he　withdrew。
  Mr。　Armadale's　chance　of　regaling　his　friend　and　himself　that　day
  with　the　best　wine　in　the　cellar　trembled　in　the　balance；　as　the
  butler　took　his　way　back　to　the　basement　story。
  〃This　is　beyond　a　joke；　Allan；〃　said　Midwinter；　when　they　were
  alone。　〃Somebody　must　meet　your　tenants　on　the　rent…day　who　is
  really　fit　to　take　the　steward's　place。　With　the　best　will　in　the
  world　to　learn；　it　is　impossible　for　_me_　to　master　the　business
  at　a　week's　notice。　Don't；　pray　don't　let　your　anxiety　for　my
  welfare　put　you　in　a　false　position　with　other　people！　I　should
  never　forgive　myself　if　I　was　the　unlucky　cause〃
  〃Gently　gently！'　cried　Allan；　amazed　at　his　friend's
  extraordinary　earnestness。　〃If　I　write　to　London　by　to…night's
  post　for　the　man　who　came　down　here　before；　will　that　satisfy
  you？〃
  Midwinter　shook　his　head。　〃Our　time　is　short；〃　he　said；　〃and　the
  man　may　not　be　at　liberty。　Why　not　try　in　the　neighborhood　first？
  You　were　going　to　write　to　Mr。　Darch。　Send　at　once；　and　see　if　he
  can't　help　us　between　this　and　post…time。〃
  Allan　withdrew　to　a　side…table　on　which　writing　materials　were
  placed。　〃You　shall　breakfast　in　peace；　you　old　fidget；〃　he
  replied；　and　addressed　himself　forthwith　to　Mr。　Darch；　with　his
  usual　Spartan　brevity　of　epistolary　expression。　〃Dear　SirHere　I
  am；　bag　and　baggage。　Will　you　kindly　oblige　me　by　being　my
  lawyer？　I　ask　this；　because　I　want　to　consult　you　at　once。　Please
  look　in　in　the　course　of　the　day；　and　stop　to　dinner　if　you
  possibly　can。　Yours　truly。　ALLAN　ARMADALE。〃　Having　read　this
  composition　aloud　with　unconcealed　admiration　of　his　own　rapidity
  of　literary　execution；　Allan　addressed　the　letter　to　Mr。　Darch；
  and　rang　the　bell。　〃Here；　Richard；　take　this　at　once；　and　wait
  for　an　answer。　And；　I　say；　if　there's　any　news　stirring　in　the
  town；　pick　it　up　and　bring　it　back　with　you。　See　how　I　manage　my
  servants！〃　continued　Allan；　joining　his　friend　at　the
  breakfast…table。　〃See　how　I　adapt　myself　to　my　new　duties！　I
  haven't　been　down　here　one　clear　day　yet；　and　I'm　taking　an
  interest　in　the　neighborhood　already。〃
  Breakfast　over；　the　two　friends　went　out　to　idle　away　the　morning
  under　the　shade　of　a　tree　in　the　park。　Noon　came；　and　Richard
  never　appeared。　One　o'clock　struck；　and　still　there　were　no　signs
  of　an　answer　from　Mr。　Darch。　Midwinter's　patience　was　not　proof
  against　the　delay。　He　left　Allan　dozing　on　the　grass；　and　went　to
  the　house　to　make　inquiries。　The　town　was　described　as　little
  more　than　two　miles　distant；　but　the　day　of　the　week　happened　to
  be　market　day；　and　Richard　was　being　detained　no　doubt　by　some　of
  the　many　acquaintances　whom　he　would　be　sure　to　meet　with　on　that
  occasion。
  Half　an　hour　later　the　truant　messenger　returned；　and　was　sent
  out　to　report　himself　to　his　master　under　the　tree　in　the　park。
  〃Any　answer　from　Mr。　Darch？〃　asked　Midwinter；　seeing　that　Allan
  was　too　lazy　to　put　the　question　for　himself。
  〃Mr。　Darch　was　engaged；　sir。　I　was　desired　to　say　that　he　would
  send　an　answer。〃
  〃Any　news　in　the　town？〃　inquired　Allan；　drowsily；　without
  troubling　himself　to　open　his　eyes。
  〃No；　sir；　nothing　in　particular。〃
  Observing　the　man　suspiciously　as　he　made　that　reply；　Midwinter
  detected　in　his　face　that　he　was　not　speaking　the　truth。　He　was
  plainly　embarrassed；　and　plainly　relieved　when　his　master's
  silence　allowed　him　to　withdraw。　After　a　little　consideration；
  Midwinter　followed；　and　overtook　the　retreating　servant　on　the
  drive　before　the　house。
  〃Richard；〃　he　said；　quietly；　〃if　I　was　to　guess　that　there　_is_
  some　news　in　the　town；　and　that　you　don't　like　telling　it　to　your
  master；　should　I　be　guessing　the　truth？〃
  The　man　started　and　changed　color。　〃I　don't　know　how　you　have
  found　it　out；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　can't　deny　you　have　guessed
  right。〃
  〃If　you　let　me　hear　what　the　news　is；　I　will　take　the
  responsibility　on　myself　of　telling　Mr。　Armadale。〃
  After　some　little　hesitation；　and　some　distrustful　consideration；
  on　his　side；　of　Midwinter's　face；　Richard　at　last　prevailed　on
  himself　to　repeat　what　he　had　heard　that　day　in　the　town。
  The　news　of　Allan's　sudden　appearance　at　Thorpe　Ambrose　had
  preceded　the　servant's　arrival　at　his　destination　by　some　hours。
  Wherever　he　went；　he　found　his　master　the　subject　of　public
  discussion。　The　opinion　of　Allan's　conduct　among　the　leading
  townspeople；　the　resident　gentry　of　the　neighborhood；　and　the
  principal　tenants　on　the　estate　was　unanimously　unfavorable。　Only
  the　day　before；　the　committee　for　managing　the　pubic　reception　of
  the　new　squire　had　sketched　the　progress　of　the　procession；　had
  settled　the　serious　question　of　the　triumphal　arches；　and　had
  appointed　a　competent　person　to　solicit　subscriptions　for　the
  flags；　the　flowers；　the　feasting；　the　fireworks；　and　the　band。　In
  less　than　a　week　more　the　money　could　have　been　collected；　and
  the　rector　would　have　written　to　Mr。　Armadale　to　fix　the　day。　And
  now；　by　Allan's　own　act；　the　public　welcome　waiting　to　honor　him
  had　been　cast　back　contemptuously　in　the　public　teeth！　Everybody
  took　for　granted　（what　was　unfortunately　true）　that　he　had
  received　private　information　of　the　contemplated　proceedings。
  Everybody　declared　that　he　had　purposely　stolen　into　his　own
  house　like　a　thief　in　the　night　（so　the　phrase　ran）　to　escape
  accepting　the　offered　civilities　of　his　neighbors。　In　brief；　the
  sensitive　self…importance　of　the　little　town　was　wounded　to　the
  quick；　and　of　Allan's　once　enviable　position　in　the　estimation　of
  the　neighborhood　not　a　vestige　remained。
  For　a　moment；　Midwinter　faced　the　messenger　of　evil　tidings　in
  silent　distress。　That　moment　past；　the　sense　of　Allan's　critical
  position　roused　him；　now　the　evil　was　known；　to　seek　the　remedy。
  〃Has　the　little　you　have　seen　of　your　master；　Richard；　inclined
  you　to　like　him？〃　he　asked。
  This　time　the　man　answered　without　hesitation；　〃A　pleasanter　and
  kinder　gentleman　than　Mr。　Armadale　no　one　could　wish　to　serve。〃
  〃If　you　think　that；〃　pursued　Midwinter