as　the　bent　of　their　own　minds　may　incline　them。　Persons　disposed
  to　take　the　rational　view　may；　under　these　circumstances；　be
  interested　in　hearing　of　a　coincidence　relating　to　the　present
  story；　which　actually　happened；　and　which　in　the　matter　of
  〃extravagant　improbability〃　sets　anything　of　the　same　kind　that　a
  novelist　could　imagine　at　flat　defiance。
  In　November；　1865；　that　is　to　say；　when　thirteen　monthly　parts　of
  〃Armadale〃　had　been　published；　and；　I　may　add；　when　more　than　a
  year　and　a　half　had　elapsed　since　the　end　of　the　story；　as　it　now
  appears；　was　first　sketched　in　my　notebooka　vessel　lay　in　the
  Huskisson　Dock　at　Liverpool　which　was　looked　after　by　one　man；
  who　slept　on　board；　in　the　capacity　of　shipkeeper。　On　a　certain
  day　in　the　week　this　man　was　found　dead　in　the　deck…house。　On　the
  next　day　a　second　man；　who　had　taken　his　place；　was　carried　dying
  to　the　Northern　Hospital。　On　the　third　day　a　third　ship…keeper
  was　appointed；　and　was　found　dead　in　the　deck…house　which　had
  already　proved　fatal　to　the　other　two。　_The　name　of　that　ship　was
  〃The　Armadale。〃_　And　the　proceedings　at　the　Inquest　proved　that
  the　three　men　had　been　all　suffocated　_by　sleeping　in　poisoned
  air！_
  I　am　indebted　for　these　particulars　to　the　kindness　of　the
  reporters　at　Liverpool；　who　sent　me　their　statement　of　the　facts。
  The　case　found　its　way　into　most　of　the　newspapers。　It　was
  noticedto　give　two　instances　in　which　I　can　cite　the　datesin
  the　_Times_　of　November　30th；　1865；　and　was　more　fully　described
  in　the　_Daily　News_　of　November　28th；　in　the　same　year。
  Before　taking　leave　of　〃Armadale；〃　I　may　perhaps　be　allowed　to
  mention；　for　the　benefit　of　any　readers　who　may　be　curious　on
  such　points；　that　the　〃Norfolk　Broads〃　are　here　described　after
  personal　investigation　of　them。　In　this；　as　in　other　cases；　I
  have　spared　no　pains　to　instruct　myself　on　matters　of　fact。
  Wherever　the　story　touches　on　questions　connected　with　Law；
  Medicine；　or　Chemistry；　it　has　been　submitted　before　publication
  to　the　experience　of　professional　men。　The　kindness　of　a　friend
  supplied　me　with　a　plan　of　the　doctor's　apparatus；　and　I　saw　the
  chemical　ingredients　at　work　before　I　ventured　on　describing　the
  action　of　them　in　the　closing　scenes　of　this　book。
  End