Private　in　the　British　army；　and；　if　the　person　appointed　to
  watch　me　to…morrow　is　a　man；　I　think　it　just　possible　that　he　may
  find　his　attention　disagreeably　diverted　from　Miss　Gwilt　in　the
  course　of　the　evening。
  〃When　Midwinter　came　here　last　from　the　railway；　he　came　at
  half…past　eight。　How　am　I　to　get　through　the　weary；　weary　hours
  between　this　and　the　evening？　I　think　I　shall　darken　my　bedroom；
  and　drink　the　blessing　of　oblivion　from　my　bottle　of　Drops。
  〃Eleven　o'clock。We　have　parted　for　the　last　time　before　the　day
  comes　that　makes　us　man　and　wife。
  〃He　has　left　me。　as　he　left　me　before；　with　an　absorbing　subject
  of　interest　to　think　of　in　his　absence。　I　noticed　a　change　in　him
  the　moment　he　entered　the　room。　When　he　told　me　of　the　funeral；
  and　of　his　parting　with　Armadale　on　board　the　yacht；　though　he
  spoke　with　feelings　deeply　moved；　he　spoke　with　a　mastery　over
  himself　which　is　new　to　me　in　my　experience　of　him。　It　was　the
  same　when　our　talk　turned　next　on　our　own　hopes　and　prospects。　He
  was　plainly　disappointed　when　he　found　that　my　family
  embarrassments　would　prevent　our　meeting　to…morrow；　and　plainly
  uneasy　at　the　prospect　of　leaving　me　to　find　my　way　by　myself　on
  Monday　to　the　church。　But　there　was　a　certain　hopefulness　and
  composure　of　manner　underlying　it　all；　which　produced　so　strong
  an　impression　on　me　that　I　was　obliged　to　notice　it。
  〃　'You　know　what　odd　fancies　take　possession　of　me　sometimes；'　I
  said。　'Shall　I　tell　you　the　fancy　that　has　taken　possession　of　me
  now？　I　can't　help　thinking　that　something　has　happened　since　we
  last　saw　each　other　which　you　have　not　told　me　yet。
  〃　'Something　_has_　happened；'　he　answered。　'And　it　is　something
  which　you　ought　to　know。'
  〃With　those　words　he　took　out　his　pocket…book；　and　produced　two
  written　papers　from　it。　One　he　looked　at　and　put　back。　The　other
  he　placed　on　the　table。
  〃　'Before　I　tell　you　what　this　is；　and　how　it　came　into　my
  possession；'　he　said；　'I　must　own　something　that　I　have　concealed
  from　you。　It　is　no　more　serious　confession　than　the　confession　of
  my　own　weakness。'
  〃He　then　acknowledged　to　me　that　the　renewal　of　his　friendship
  with　Armadale　had　been　clouded；　through　the　whole　period　of　their
  intercourse　in　London；　by　his　own　superstitious　misgivings。　He
  had　obeyed　the　summons　which　called　him　to　the　rector's　bedside；
  with　the　firm　intention　of　confiding　his　previsions　of　coming
  trouble　to　Mr。　Brock；　and　he　had　been　doubly　confirmed　in　his
  superstition　when　he　found　that　Death　had　entered　the　house
  before　him；　and　had　parted　them；　in　this　world；　forever。　More
  than　this；　he　had　traveled　back　to　be　present　at　the　funeral；
  with　a　secret　sense　of　relief　at　the　prospect　of　being　parted
  from　Armadale；　and　with　a　secret　resolution　to　make　the
  after…meeting　agreed　on　between　us　three　at　Naples　a　meeting　that
  should　never　take　place。　With　that　purpose　in　his　heart；　he　had
  gone　up　alone　to　the　room　prepared　for　him　on　his　arrival　at　the
  rectory；　and　had　opened　a　letter　which　he　found　waiting　for　him
  on　the　table。　The　letter　had　only　that　day　been
  discovereddropped　and　lostunder　the　bed　on　which　Mr。　Brock
  had　died。　It　was　in　the　rector's　handwriting　throughout；　and　the
  person　to　whom　it　was　addressed　was　Midwinter　himself。
  〃Having　told　me　this；　nearly　in　the　words　in　which　I　have　written
  it；　he　gave　me　the　written　paper　that　lay　on　the　table　between
  us。
  〃　'Read　it；'　he　said；　'and　you　will　not　need　to　be　told　that　my
  mind　is　at　peace　again；　and　that　I　took　Allan's　hand　at　parting
  with　a　heart　that　was　worthier　of　Allan's　love。'
  〃I　read　the　letter。　There　was　no　superstition　to　be　conquered　in
  _my_　mind；　there　were　no　old　feelings　of　gratitude　toward
  Armadale　to　be　roused　in　_my_　heart；　and　yet；　the　effect　which
  the　letter　had　had　on　Midwinter　was；　I　firmly　believe；　more　than
  matched　by　the　effect　that　the　letter　now　produced　on　Me。
  〃It　was　vain　to　ask　him　to　leave　it；　and　to　let　me　read　it　again
  （as　I　wished）　when　I　was　left　by　myself。　He　is　determined　to　keep
  it　side　by　side　with　that　other　paper　which　I　had　seen　him　take
  out　of　his　pocket…book；　and　which　contains　the　written　narrative
  of　Armadale's　Dream。　All　I　could　do　was　to　ask　his　leave　to　copy
  it；　and　this　he　granted　readily。　I　wrote　the　copy　in　his
  presence；　and　I　now　place　it　here　in　my　diary；　to　mark　a　day
  which　is　one　of　the　memorable　days　in　my　life。
  〃Boscombe　Rectory；　August　2d。
  〃MY　DEAR　MIDWINTERFor　the　first　time　si　nce　the　beginning　of　my
  illness；　I　found　strength　enough　yesterday　to　look　over　my
  letters。　One　among　them　is　a　letter　from　Allan；　which　has　been
  lying　unopened　on　my　table　for　ten　days　past。　He　writes　to　me　in
  great　distress；　to　say　that　there　has　been　dissension　between
  you；　and　that　you　have　left　him。　If　you　still　remember　what
  passed　between　us。　when　you　first　opened　your　heart　to　me　in　the
  Isle　of　Man；　you　will　be　at　no　loss　to　understand　how　I　have
  thought　over　this　miserable　news；　through　the　night　that　has　now
  passed；　and　you　will　not　be　surprised　to　hear　that　I　have　roused
  myself　this　morning　to　make　the　effort　of　writing　to　you。
  〃I　want　no　explanation　of　the　circumstances　which　have　parted　you
  from　your　friend。　If　my　estimate　of　your　character　is　not　founded
  on　an　entire　delusion；　the　one　influence　which　can　have　led　to
  your　estrangement　from　Allan　is　the　influence　of　that　evil　spirit
  of　Superstition　which　I　have　once　already　cast　out　of　your
  heartwhich　I　will　once　again　conquer；　please　God；　if　I　have
  strength　enough　to　make　my　pen　speak　my　mind　to　you　in　this
  letter。
  〃It　is　no　part　of　my　design　to　combat　the　belief　which　I　know　you
  to　hold；　that　mortal　creatures　may　be　the　objects　of　supernatural
  intervention　in　their　pilgrimage　through　this　world。　Speaking　as
  a　reasonable　man；　I　own　that　I　cannot　prove　you　to　be　wrong。
  Speaking　as　a　believer　in　the　Bible；　I　am　bound　to　go　further；
  and　to　admit　that　you　possess　a　higher　than　any　human　warrant　for
  the　faith　that　is　in　you。　The　one　object　which　I　have　it　at　heart
  to　attain　is　to　induce　you　to　free　yourself　from　the　paralyzing
  fatalism　of　the　heathen　and　the　savage；　and　to　look　at　the
  mysteries　that　perplex；　and　the　portents　that　daunt　you；　from　the
  Christian's　point　of　view。　If　I　can　succeed　in　this；　I　shall
  clear　your　mind　of　the　ghastly　doubts　that　now　oppress　it；　and　I
  shall　reunite　you　to　your　friend；　never　to　be　parted　from　him
  again。
  〃I　have　no　means　of　seeing　and　questioning　you。　I　can　only　send
  this　letter　to　Allan　to　be　forwarded；　if　he　knows；　or　can
  discover；　your　present　address。　Placed　in　this　position　toward
  you；　I　am　bound　to　assume　all　that　_can_　be　assumed　in　your
  favor。　I　will　take　it　for　granted　that　something　has　happened　to
  you　or　to　Allan　which　to　your　mind　has　not　only　confirmed　the
  fatalist　conviction　in　which　your　father　died；　but　has　added　a
  new　and　terrible　meaning　to　the　warning　which　he　sent　you　in　his
  death…bed　letter。
  〃On　this　common　ground　I　meet　you。　On　this　common　ground　I　appeal
  to　your　higher　nature　and　your　better　sense。
  〃Preserve　your　present　conviction　that　the　events　which　have
  happened　（be　they　what　they　may）　are　not　to　be　reconciled　with
  ordinary　mortal　coincidences　and　ordinary　mortal　laws；　and　view
  your　own　position　by　the　best　and　clearest　light　that　your
  superstition　can　throw　on　it。　What　are　you？　You　are　a　helpless
  instrument　in　the　hands　of　Fate。　You　are　doomed；　beyond　all　human
  capacity　of　resistance；　to　bring　misery　and　destruction　blindfold
  on　a　man　to　whom　you　have　harmlessly　and　gratefully　united
  yourself　in　the　bonds　of　a　brother's　love。　All　that　is　morally
  firmest　in　your　will　and　morally　purest　in　your　aspirations
  avails　nothing　against　the　hereditary　impulsion　of　you　toward
  evil；　caused　by　a　crime　which　your　father　committed　before　you
  were　born。　In　what　does　that　belief　end？　It　ends　in　the　darkness
  in　which　you　are　now　lost；　in　the　self…contradictions　in　which
  you　are　now　bewildered；　in　the　stubborn　despair　by　which　a　man
  profanes　his　own　soul；　and　lowers　himself　to　the　level　of　the
  brutes　that　perish。
  〃Look　up；　my　poor　suffering　brotherlook　up；　my　hardly　tried；　my
  well…loved　friend；　higher　than　this！　Meet　the　doubts　that　now
  assail　you　from　the　blessed　vantage…ground　of　Christian　courage
  and　Christian　hope；　and　your　heart　will　turn　again　to　Allan；　and
  your　mind　will　be　at　peace。　Happen　what　may；　God　is　all…merciful；
  God　is　all…wise：　natural　or　supernatural；　it　happens　through　Him。
  The　mystery　of　Evil　that　perplexes　our　feeble　minds；　the　sorrow
  and　the　suffering　that　torture　us　in　this　little　life；　leave　the
  one　great　truth　unshaken　that　the　destiny　of　man　is　in　the　hands
  of　his　Creator；　and　that　God's　blessed　Son　died　to　make　us
  worthier　of　it。　Nothing　that　is　done　in　unquestioning　submission
  to　the　wisdom　of　the　Almighty　is　done　wrong。　No　evil　exists　out
  of　which；　in　obedience　to　his　laws；　Good　may　not　come。　Be　true　to
  what　Christ　tells　you　is　true。　Encourage　in　yourself；　be　the
  circumstances　what　they　may；　all　that　is　loving；　all　that　is
  grateful；　all　that　is　patient；　all　that　is　forgiving；　toward　your
  fellow…men。　And　humbly　and　trustfully　leave　the　rest　to　the　God
  who　made　you；　and　to　the　Saviou