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with¡¡scornful¡¡eyes¡¡at¡¡the¡¡last¡¡path¡¡as¡¡he¡¡left¡¡it¡£¡¡¡¨Wind¡¡away
over¡¡high¡¡and¡¡low¡¡like¡¡the¡¡sheep¡­walk¡¡on¡¡the¡¡mountain¡¡side£»¡¡if
you¡¡can£¡¡¨

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crossed¡¡the¡¡paddock¡¡and¡¡the¡¡rustic¡¡bridge¡¡beyond£»¡¡and¡¡reached¡¡the
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have¡¡found¡¡out£¡¡¨

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a¡¡human¡¡creature¡¡appeared¡¡on¡¡the¡¡visible¡¡perspective¡¡of¡¡any¡¡one
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black¡¡gaiters¡¡hid¡¡all¡¡they¡¡could¡¡of¡¡his¡¡knobbed£»¡¡ungainly¡¡feet¡£
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all¡¡inquiring¡¡eyes£»¡¡¡¨We¡¡pass¡¡our¡¡nights¡¡on¡¡his¡¡looking¡­glass£»¡¡and
our¡¡days¡¡in¡¡his¡¡mouth¡£¡¨

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uneasiness¡¡in¡¡the¡¡presence¡¡of¡¡strangers¡¡reflected£»¡¡with¡¡tenfold
intensity¡¡of¡¡nervous¡¡suffering£»¡¡in¡¡the¡¡face¡¡of¡¡another¡¡manand
that¡¡man¡¡old¡¡enough¡¡to¡¡be¡¡his¡¡father¡£

¡¨Which¡¡do¡¡you¡¡please¡¡to¡¡mean£»¡¡sirthe¡¡town¡¡or¡¡the¡¡house£¿¡¡I¡¡beg
your¡¡pardon¡¡for¡¡asking£»¡¡but¡¡they¡¡both¡¡go¡¡by¡¡the¡¡same¡¡name¡¡in
these¡¡parts¡£¡¨

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of¡¡his¡¡being¡¡accustomed¡¡to¡¡receive¡¡rough¡¡answers¡¡in¡¡exchange¡¡for
his¡¡own¡¡politeness¡¡from¡¡the¡¡persons¡¡whom¡¡he¡¡habitually¡¡addressed¡£

¡¨I¡¡was¡¡not¡¡aware¡¡that¡¡both¡¡the¡¡house¡¡and¡¡the¡¡town¡¡went¡¡by¡¡the
same¡¡name£»¡¨¡¡said¡¡Midwinter£»¡¡¡¨I¡¡meant¡¡the¡¡house¡£¡¨¡¡He¡¡instinctively
conquered¡¡his¡¡own¡¡shyness¡¡as¡¡he¡¡answered¡¡in¡¡those¡¡words£»¡¡speaking
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intercourse¡¡with¡¡strangers¡£

The¡¡man¡¡of¡¡miserable¡¡respectability¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡feel¡¡the¡¡warm
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little¡¡courage¡£¡¡His¡¡lean¡¡forefinger¡¡pointed¡¡eagerly¡¡to¡¡the¡¡right
road¡£¡¡¡¨That¡¡way£»¡¡sir£»¡¨¡¡he¡¡said£»¡¡¡¨and¡¡when¡¡you¡¡come¡¡to¡¡two¡¡roads
next£»¡¡please¡¡take¡¡the¡¡left¡¡one¡¡of¡¡the¡¡two¡£¡¡I¡¡am¡¡sorry¡¡I¡¡have
business¡¡the¡¡other¡¡way£»¡¡I¡¡mean¡¡in¡¡the¡¡town¡£¡¡I¡¡should¡¡have¡¡been
happy¡¡to¡¡go¡¡with¡¡you¡¡and¡¡show¡¡you¡£¡¡Fine¡¡summer¡¡weather£»¡¡sir£»¡¡for
walking£¿¡¡You¡¡can't¡¡miss¡¡your¡¡way¡¡if¡¡you¡¡keep¡¡to¡¡the¡¡left¡£¡¡Oh£»
don't¡¡mention¡¡it£¡¡¡I'm¡¡afraid¡¡I¡¡have¡¡detained¡¡you£»¡¡sir¡£¡¡I¡¡wish¡¡you
a¡¡pleasant¡¡walk¡¡back£»¡¡andgood¡­morning¡£¡¨

By¡¡the¡¡time¡¡he¡¡had¡¡made¡¡an¡¡end¡¡of¡¡speaking¡¡£¨under¡¡an¡¡impression
apparently¡¡that¡¡the¡¡more¡¡he¡¡talked¡¡the¡¡more¡¡polite¡¡he¡¡would¡¡be£©
he¡¡had¡¡lost¡¡his¡¡courage¡¡again¡£¡¡He¡¡darted¡¡away¡¡down¡¡his¡¡own¡¡road£»
as¡¡if¡¡Midwinter's¡¡attempt¡¡to¡¡thank¡¡him¡¡involved¡¡a¡¡series¡¡of
trials¡¡too¡¡terrible¡¡to¡¡confront¡£¡¡In¡¡two¡¡minutes¡¡more£»¡¡his¡¡black
retreating¡¡figure¡¡had¡¡lessened¡¡in¡¡the¡¡distance¡¡till¡¡it¡¡looked
again£»¡¡what¡¡it¡¡had¡¡once¡¡looked¡¡already£»¡¡a¡¡moving¡¡blot¡¡on¡¡the
brilliant¡¡white¡¡surface¡¡of¡¡the¡¡sun¡­brightened¡¡road¡£

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way¡¡back¡¡to¡¡the¡¡house¡£¡¡He¡¡was¡¡at¡¡a¡¡loss¡¡to¡¡account¡¡for¡¡it¡£¡¡It
never¡¡occurred¡¡to¡¡him¡¡that¡¡he¡¡might¡¡have¡¡been¡¡insensibly¡¡reminded
of¡¡himself£»¡¡when¡¡he¡¡saw¡¡the¡¡plain¡¡traces¡¡of¡¡past¡¡misfortune¡¡and
present¡¡nervous¡¡suffering¡¡in¡¡the¡¡poor¡¡wretch's¡¡face¡£¡¡He¡¡blindly
resented¡¡his¡¡own¡¡perverse¡¡interest¡¡in¡¡this¡¡chance¡¡foot¡¡passenger
on¡¡the¡¡high¡­road£»¡¡as¡¡he¡¡had¡¡resented¡¡all¡¡else¡¡that¡¡had¡¡happened
to¡¡him¡¡since¡¡the¡¡beginning¡¡of¡¡the¡¡day¡£¡¡¡¨Have¡¡I¡¡made¡¡another
unlucky¡¡discovery£¿¡¨¡¡he¡¡asked¡¡himself£»¡¡impatiently¡£¡¡¡¨Shall¡¡I¡¡see
this¡¡man¡¡again£»¡¡I¡¡wonder£¿¡¡Who¡¡can¡¡he¡¡be£¿¡¨

Time¡¡was¡¡to¡¡answer¡¡both¡¡those¡¡questions¡¡before¡¡many¡¡days¡¡more¡¡had
passed¡¡over¡¡the¡¡inquirer's¡¡head¡£


Allan¡¡had¡¡not¡¡returned¡¡when¡¡Midwinter¡¡reached¡¡the¡¡house¡£¡¡Nothing
had¡¡happened¡¡but¡¡the¡¡arrival¡¡of¡¡a¡¡message¡¡of¡¡apology¡¡from¡¡the
cottage¡£¡¡¡¨Major¡¡Milroy's¡¡compliments£»¡¡and¡¡he¡¡was¡¡sorry¡¡that¡¡Mrs¡£
Milroy's¡¡illness¡¡would¡¡prevent¡¡his¡¡receiving¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Armadale¡¡that
day¡£¡¨¡¡It¡¡was¡¡plain¡¡that¡¡Mrs¡£¡¡Milroy's¡¡occasional¡¡fits¡¡of
suffering¡¡£¨or¡¡of¡¡ill¡¡temper£©¡¡created¡¡no¡¡mere¡¡transitory
disturbance¡¡of¡¡the¡¡tranquillity¡¡of¡¡the¡¡household¡£¡¡Drawing¡¡this
natural¡¡inference£»¡¡after¡¡what¡¡he¡¡had¡¡himself¡¡heard¡¡at¡¡the¡¡cottage
nearly¡¡three¡¡hours¡¡since£»¡¡Midwinter¡¡withdrew¡¡into¡¡the¡¡library¡¡to
wait¡¡patiently¡¡among¡¡the¡¡books¡¡until¡¡his¡¡friend¡¡came¡¡back¡£

It¡¡was¡¡past¡¡six¡¡o'clock¡¡when¡¡the¡¡well¡­known¡¡hearty¡¡voice¡¡was
heard¡¡again¡¡in¡¡the¡¡hall¡£¡¡Allan¡¡burst¡¡into¡¡the¡¡library£»¡¡in¡¡a¡¡state
of¡¡irrepressible¡¡excitement£»¡¡and¡¡pushed
¡¡Midwinter¡¡back¡¡unceremoniously¡¡into¡¡the¡¡chair¡¡from¡¡which¡¡he¡¡was
just¡¡rising£»¡¡before¡¡he¡¡could¡¡utter¡¡a¡¡word

¡¨Here's¡¡a¡¡riddle¡¡for¡¡you£»¡¡old¡¡boy£¡¡¨¡¡cried¡¡Allan¡£¡¡¡¨Why¡¡am¡¡I¡¡like
the¡¡resident¡¡manager¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Augean¡¡stable£»¡¡before¡¡Hercules¡¡was
called¡¡in¡¡to¡¡sweep¡¡the¡¡litter¡¡out£¿¡¡Because¡¡I¡¡have¡¡had¡¡my¡¡place¡¡to
keep¡¡up£»¡¡and¡¡I've¡¡gone¡¡and¡¡made¡¡an¡¡infernal¡¡mess¡¡of¡¡it£¡¡¡Why¡¡don't
you¡¡laugh£¿¡¡By¡¡George£»¡¡he¡¡doesn't¡¡see¡¡the¡¡point£¡¡¡Let's¡¡try¡¡again¡£
Why¡¡am¡¡I¡¡like¡¡the¡¡resident¡¡manager¡¨

¡¨For¡¡God's¡¡sake£»¡¡Allan£»¡¡be¡¡serious¡¡for¡¡a¡¡moment£¡¡¨¡¡interposed
Midwinter¡£¡¡¡¨You¡¡don't¡¡know¡¡how¡¡anxious¡¡I¡¡am¡¡to¡¡hear¡¡if¡¡you¡¡have
recovered¡¡the¡¡good¡¡opinion¡¡of¡¡your¡¡neighbors¡£¡¨

¡¨That's¡¡just¡¡what¡¡the¡¡riddle¡¡was¡¡intended¡¡to¡¡tell¡¡you£¡¡¨¡¡rejoined
Allan¡£¡¡¡¨But¡¡if¡¡you¡¡will¡¡have¡¡it¡¡in¡¡so¡¡many¡¡words£»¡¡my¡¡own
impression¡¡is¡¡that¡¡you¡¡would¡¡have¡¡done¡¡better¡¡not¡¡to¡¡disturb¡¡me
under¡¡that¡¡tree¡¡in¡¡the¡¡park¡£¡¡I've¡¡been¡¡calculating¡¡it¡¡to¡¡a
nicety£»¡¡and¡¡I¡¡beg¡¡to¡¡inform¡¡you¡¡that¡¡I¡¡have¡¡sunk¡¡exactly¡¡

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