without　claiming　his　acquaintance；　but；　as　things　were；　I　felt　an
  impulse　to　speak　to　him　or　to　anybody　who　had　a　grudge　against
  Mother　Jezebel。　There　was　more　of　my　small　spitefulness　in　this；
  I　suppose。　Anyway；　I　slipped　downstairs；　and；　following　the
  doctor　out　quietly；　overtook　him　in　the　street。
  〃I　had　recognized　his　voice；　and　I　recognized　his　back　as　I
  walked　behind　him。　But　when　I　called　him　by　his　name；　and　when　he
  turned　round　with　a　start　and　confronted　me；　I　followed　his
  example；　and　started　on　my　side。　The　doctor's　face　was
  transformed　into　the　face　of　a　perfect　stranger！　His　baldness　had
  hidden　itself　under　an　artfully　grizzled　wig。　He　had　allowed　his
  whiskers　to　grow；　and　had　dyed　them　to　match　his　new　head　of
  hair。　Hideous　circular　spectacles　bestrode　his　nose　in　place　of
  the　neat　double　eyeglass　that　he　used　to　carry　in　his　hand；　and　a
  black　neckerchief；　surmounted　by　immense　shirt…collars；　appeared
  as　the　unworthy　successor　of　the　clerical　white　cravat　of　former
  times。　Nothing　remained　of　the　man　I　once　knew　but　the
  comfortable　plumpness　of　his　figure；　and　the　confidential
  courtesy　and　smoothness　of　his　manner　and　his　voice。
  〃　'Charmed　to　see　you　again；'　said　the　doctor；　looking　about　him
  a　little　anxiously；　and　producing　his　card…case　in　a　very
  precipitate　manner。　'But；　my　dear　Miss　Gwilt；　permit　me　to
  rectify　a　slight　mistake　on　your　part。　Doctor　Downward　of　Pimlico
  is　dead　and　buried；　and　you　will　infinitely　oblige　me　if　you　will
  never；　on　any　consideration；　mention　him　again！'
  〃I　took　the　card　he　offered　me；　and　discovered　that　I　was　now
  supposed　to　be　speaking　to　'Doctor　Le　Doux；　of　the　Sanitarium；
  Fairweather　Vale；　Hampstead！'
  〃　'You　seem　to　have　found　it　necessary；'　I　said；　'to　change　a
  great　many　things　since　I　last　saw　you？　Your　name；　your
  residence；　your　personal　appearance？'
  〃　'And　my　branch　of　practice；'　interposed　the　doctor。　'I　have
  purchased　of　the　original　possessor　（a　person　of　feeble
  enterprise　and　no　resources）　a　name；　a　diploma；　and　a　partially
  completed　sanitarium　for　the　reception　of　nervous　invalids。　We
  are　open　already　to　the　inspection　of　a　few　privileged
  friendscome　and　see　us。　Are　you　walking　my　way？　Pray　take　my
  arm；　and　tell　me　to　what　happy　chance　I　am　indebted　for　the
  pleasure　of　seeing　you　again？'
  〃I　told　him　the　circumstances　exactly　as　they　had　happened；　and　I
  added　（with　a　view　to　making　sure　of　his　relations　with　his
  former　ally　at　Pimlico）　that　I　had　been　greatly　surprised　to　hear
  Mrs。　Oldershaw's　door　shut　on　such　an　old　friend　as　himself。
  Cautious　as　he　was；　the　doctor's　manner　of　receiving　my　remark
  satisfied　me　at　once　that　my　suspicions　of　an　estrangement　were
  well　founded。　His　smile　vanished；　and　he　settled　his　hideous
  spectacles　irritably　on　the　bridge　of　his　nose。
  〃　'Pardon　me　if　I　leave　you　to　draw　your　own　conclusions；'　he
  said。　'The　subject　of　Mrs。　Oldershaw　is；　I　regret　to　say；　far
  from　agreeable　to　me　under　existing　circumstancesa　business
  difficulty　connected　with　our　late　partnership　at　Pimlico；
  entirely　without　interest　for　a　young　and　brilliant　woman　like
  yourself。　Tell　me　your　news！　Have　you　left　your　situation　at
  Thorpe　Ambrose？　Are　you　residing　in　London？　Is　there　anything；
  professional　or　otherwise；　that　I　can　do　for　you？'
  〃That　last　question　was　a　more　important　one　than　he　supposed。
  Before　I　answered　it；　I　felt　the　necessity　of　parting　company
  with　him　and　of　getting　a　little　time　to　think。
  〃　'You　have　kindl　y　asked　me；　doctor；　to　pay　you　a　visit；'　I
  said。　'In　your　quiet　house　at　Hampstead；　I　may　possibly　have
  something　to　say　to　you　which　I　can't　say　in　this　noisy　street。
  When　are　you　at　home　at　the　Sanitarium？　Should　I　find　you　there
  later　in　the　day？'
  〃The　doctor　assured　me　that　he　was　then　on　his　way　back；　and
  begged　that　I　would　name　my　own　hour。　I　said；　'Toward　the
  afternoon；'　and；　pleading　an　engagement；　hailed　the　first　omnibus
  that　passed　us。　'Don't　forget　the　address；'　said　the　doctor；　as
  he　handed　me　in。　'I　have　got　your　card；'　I　answered；　and　so　we
  parted。
  〃I　returned　to　the　hotel；　and　went　up　into　my　room；　and　thought
  over　it　very　anxiously。
  〃The　serious　obstacle　of　the　signature　on　the　marriage　register
  still　stood　in　my　way　as　unmanageably　as　ever。　All　hope　of
  getting　assistance　from　Mrs。　Oldershaw　was　at　an　end。　I　could
  only　regard　her　henceforth　as　an　enemy　hidden　in　the　darkthe
  enemy；　beyond　all　doubt　now；　who　had　had　me　followed　and　watched
  when　I　was　last　in　London。　To　what　other　counselor　could　I　turn
  for　the　advice　which　my　unlucky　ignorance　of　law　and　business
  obliged　me　to　seek　from　some　one　more　experienced　than　myself？
  Could　I　go　to　the　lawyer　whom　I　consulted　when　I　was　about　to
  marry　Midwinter　in　my　maiden　name？　Impossible！　To　say　nothing　of
  his　cold　reception　of　me　when　I　had　last　seen　him；　the　advice　I
  wanted　this　time　related　（disguise　the　facts　as　I　might）　to　the
  commission　of　a　Frauda　fraud　of　the　sort　that　no　prosperous
  lawyer　would　consent　to　assist　if　he　had　a　character　to　lose。　Was
  there　any　other　competent　person　I　could　think　of？　There　was　one；
  and　one　onlythe　doctor　who　had　died　at　Pimlico；　and　had　revived
  again　at　Hampstead。
  〃I　knew　him　to　be　entirely　without　scruples；　to　have　the　business
  experience　that　I　wanted　myself；　and　to　be　as　cunning；　as　clever；
  and　as　far…seeing　a　man　as　could　be　found　in　all　London。　Beyond
  this；　I　had　made　two　important　discoveries　in　connection　with　him
  that　morning。　In　the　first　place；　he　was　on　bad　terms　with　Mrs。
  Oldershaw；　which　would　protect　me　from　all　danger　of　the　two
  leaguing　together　against　me　if　I　trusted　him。　In　the　second
  place；　circumstances　still　obliged　him　to　keep　his　identity
  carefully　disguised；　which　gave　me　a　hold　over　him　in　no　respect
  inferior　to　any　hold　that　_I_　might　give　him　over　_me。_　In　every
  way　he　was　the　right　man；　the　only　man；　for　my　purpose；　and　yet　I
  hesitated　at　going　to　himhesitated　for　a　full　hour　and　more；
  without　knowing　why！
  〃It　was　two　o'clock　before　I　finally　decided　on　paying　the　doctor
  a　visit。　Having；　after　this；　occupied　nearly　another　hour　in
  determining　to　a　hair…breadth　how　far　I　should　take　him　into　my
  confidence；　I　sent　for　a　cab　at　last；　and　set　off　toward　three　in
  the　afternoon　for　Hampstead。
  〃I　found　the　Sanitarium　with　some　little　difficulty。
  〃Fairweather　Vale　proved　to　be　a　new　neighborhood；　situated　below
  the　high　ground　of　Hampstead；　on　the　southern　side。　The　day　was
  overcast；　and　the　place　looked　very　dreary。　We　approached　it　by　a
  new　road　running　between　trees；　which　might　once　have　been　the
  park　avenue　of　a　country　house。　At　the　end　we　came　upon　a
  wilderness　of　open　ground；　with　half…finished　villas　dotted
  about；　and　a　hideous　litter　of　boards；　wheelbarrows；　and　building
  materials　of　all　sorts　scattered　in　every　direction。　At　one
  corner　of　this　scene　of　desolation；　stood　a　great　overgrown
  dismal　house；　plastered　with　drab…colored　stucco；　and　surrounded
  by　a　naked；　unfinished　garden；　without　a　shrub　or　a　flower　in　it；
  frightful　to　behold。　On　the　open　iron　gate　that　led　into　this
  inclosure　was　a　new　brass　plate；　with　'Sanitarium'　inscribed　on
  it　in　great　black　letters。　The　bell；　when　the　cabman　rang　it；
  pealed　through　the　empty　house　like　a　knell；　and　the　pallid；
  withered　old　man…servant　in　black　who　answered　the　door　looked　as
  if　he　had　stepped　up　out　of　his　grave　to　perform　that　service。　He
  let　out　on　me　a　smell　of　damp　plaster　and　new　varnish；　and　he　let
  in　with　me　a　chilling　draft　of　the　damp　November　air。　I　didn't
  notice　it　at　the　time；　but；　writing　of　it　now；　I　remember　that　I
  shivered　as　I　crossed　the　threshold。
  〃I　gave　my　name　to　the　servant　as　'Mrs。　Armadale；'　and　was　shown
  into　the　waiting…room。　The　very　fire　itself　was　dying　of　damp　in
  the　grate。　The　only　books　on　the　table　were　the　doctor's　Works；
  in　sober　drab　covers；　and　the　only　object　that　ornamented　the
  walls　was　the　foreign　Diploma　（handsomely　framed　and　glazed）；　of
  which　the　doctor　had　possessed　himself　by　purchase；　along　with
  the　foreign　name。
  〃After　a　moment　or　two；　the　proprietor　of　the　Sanitarium　came　in；
  and　held　up　his　hands　in　cheerful　astonishment　at　the　sight　of
  me。
  〃　'I　hadn't　an　idea　who　〃Mrs。　Armadale〃　was！'　he　said。　'My　dear
  lady；　have　_you_　changed　your　name　too？　How　sly　of　you　not　to
  tell　me　when　we　met　this　morning！　Come　into　my　private
  snuggeryI　can't　think　of　keeping　an　old　and　dear　friend　like
  you　in　the　patients'　waiting…room。'
  〃The　doctor's　private　snuggery　was　at　the　back　of　the　house；
  looking　out　on　fields　and　trees；　doomed　but　not　yet　destroyed　by
  the　builder。　Horrible　objects　in　brass　and　leather　and　glass；
  twisted　and　turned　as　if　they　were　sentient　things　writhing　in
  agonies　of　pain；　filled　up　one　end　of　the　room。　A　great　book…case
  with　glass　doors　extended　over　the　whole　of　the　opposite　wall；
  and　exhibited　on　its　shelves　long　rows　of　glass　jars；　in　which
  shapeless　dead　creatures　of　a　dull　white　color　floated　in　yellow
  liquid。　Above　the　fireplace　hung　a　collection　of　photographic
  portraits　of　men　and　women；　inclosed　in　two　large　frames　hanging
  side　by　side　with　a　space　between　them。　The　left…hand　frame
  illustrated　the　effects　of　nervous　sufferin