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have¡¡been¡¡one¡¡long¡¡sorrow¡¡to¡¡me£»¡¡and¡¡my¡¡father's¡¡crime¡¡might¡¡have
parted¡¡us¡¡forever£¡¡¨


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housemaid's¡¡face¡¡to¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Brock¡¡as¡¡the¡¡face¡¡of¡¡Miss¡¡Gwilt¡£¡¡And
soby¡¡shaking¡¡Midwinter's¡¡trust¡¡in¡¡his¡¡own¡¡superstition£»¡¡in¡¡the
one¡¡case¡¡in¡¡which¡¡that¡¡superstition¡¡pointed¡¡to¡¡the¡¡truthdid
Mother¡¡Oldershaw's¡¡cunning¡¡triumph¡¡over¡¡difficulties¡¡and¡¡dangers
which¡¡had¡¡never¡¡been¡¡contemplated¡¡by¡¡Mother¡¡Oldershaw¡¡herself¡£

CHAPTER¡¡XI¡£

MISS¡¡GWILT¡¡AMONG¡¡THE¡¡QUICKSANDS¡£

1¡£¡¡_From¡¡the¡¡Rev¡£¡¡Decimus¡¡Brock¡¡to¡¡Ozias¡¡Midwinter¡£_

¡¨Thursday¡£

¡¨MY¡¡DEAR¡¡MIDWINTERNo¡¡words¡¡can¡¡tell¡¡what¡¡a¡¡relief¡¡it¡¡was¡¡to¡¡me
to¡¡get¡¡your¡¡letter¡¡this¡¡morning£»¡¡and¡¡what¡¡a¡¡happiness¡¡I¡¡honestly
feel¡¡in¡¡having¡¡been¡¡thus¡¡far¡¡proved¡¡to¡¡be¡¡in¡¡the¡¡wrong¡£¡¡The
precautions¡¡you¡¡have¡¡taken¡¡in¡¡case¡¡the¡¡woman¡¡should¡¡still¡¡confirm
my¡¡apprehensions¡¡by¡¡venturing¡¡herself¡¡at¡¡Thorpe¡¡Ambrose¡¡seem¡¡to
me¡¡to¡¡be¡¡all¡¡that¡¡can¡¡be¡¡desired¡£¡¡You¡¡are¡¡no¡¡doubt¡¡sure¡¡to¡¡hear
of¡¡her¡¡from¡¡one¡¡or¡¡other¡¡of¡¡the¡¡people¡¡in¡¡the¡¡lawyer's¡¡office£»
whom¡¡you¡¡have¡¡asked¡¡to¡¡inform¡¡you¡¡of¡¡the¡¡appearance¡¡of¡¡a¡¡stranger
in¡¡the¡¡town¡£

¡¨I¡¡am¡¡the¡¡more¡¡pleased¡¡at¡¡finding¡¡how¡¡entirely¡¡I¡¡can¡¡trust¡¡you¡¡in
this¡¡matter£»¡¡for¡¡I¡¡am¡¡likely¡¡to¡¡be¡¡obliged¡¡to¡¡leave¡¡Allan's
interests¡¡longer¡¡than¡¡I¡¡supposed¡¡solely¡¡in¡¡your¡¡hands¡£¡¡My¡¡visit
to¡¡Thorpe¡¡Ambrose¡¡must£»¡¡I¡¡regret¡¡to¡¡say£»¡¡be¡¡deferred¡¡for¡¡two
months¡£¡¡The¡¡only¡¡one¡¡of¡¡my¡¡brother¡­clergymen¡¡in¡¡London¡¡who¡¡is
able¡¡to¡¡take¡¡my¡¡duty¡¡for¡¡me¡¡cannot¡¡make¡¡it¡¡convenient¡¡to¡¡remove
with¡¡his¡¡family¡¡to¡¡Somersetshire¡¡before¡¡that¡¡time¡£¡¡I¡¡have¡¡no
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course£»¡¡instantly¡¡communicate¡¡with¡¡me£»¡¡and£»¡¡in¡¡that¡¡case£»¡¡be¡¡the
inconvenience¡¡what¡¡it¡¡may£»¡¡I¡¡must¡¡leave¡¡home¡¡for¡¡Thorpe¡¡Ambrose¡£
If£»¡¡on¡¡the¡¡other¡¡hand£»¡¡all¡¡goes¡¡more¡¡smoothly¡¡than¡¡my¡¡own
obstinate¡¡apprehensions¡¡will¡¡allow¡¡me¡¡to¡¡suppose£»¡¡then¡¡Allan¡¡£¨to
whom¡¡I¡¡have¡¡written£©¡¡must¡¡not¡¡expect¡¡to¡¡see¡¡me¡¡till¡¡this¡¡day¡¡two
months¡£

¡¨No¡¡result¡¡has£»¡¡up¡¡to¡¡this¡¡time£»¡¡rewarded¡¡our¡¡exertions¡¡to
recover¡¡the¡¡trace¡¡lost¡¡at¡¡the¡¡railway¡£¡¡I¡¡will¡¡keep¡¡my¡¡letter
open£»¡¡however£»¡¡until¡¡post¡¡time£»¡¡in¡¡case¡¡the¡¡next¡¡few¡¡hours¡¡bring
any¡¡news¡£

¡¨Always¡¡truly¡¡yours£»

DECIMUS¡¡BROCK¡£

¡¨P¡£¡¡S¡£I¡¡have¡¡just¡¡heard¡¡from¡¡the¡¡lawyers¡£¡¡They¡¡have¡¡found¡¡out
the¡¡name¡¡the¡¡woman¡¡passed¡¡by¡¡in¡¡London¡£¡¡If¡¡this¡¡discovery¡¡£¨not¡¡a
very¡¡important¡¡one£»¡¡I¡¡am¡¡afraid£©¡¡suggests¡¡any¡¡new¡¡course¡¡of
proceeding¡¡to¡¡you£»¡¡pray¡¡act¡¡on¡¡it¡¡at¡¡once¡£¡¡The¡¡name¡¡isMiss
Gwilt¡£¡¨

2¡£¡¡_From¡¡Miss¡¡Gwilt¡¡to¡¡Mrs¡£¡¡Oldershaw¡£_

The¡¡Cottage£»¡¡Thorpe¡¡Ambrose£»¡¡Saturday£»¡¡June¡¡28¡£

¡¨IF¡¡you¡¡will¡¡promise¡¡not¡¡to¡¡be¡¡alarmed£»¡¡Mamma¡¡Oldershaw£»¡¡I¡¡will
begin¡¡this¡¡letter¡¡in¡¡a¡¡very¡¡odd¡¡way£»¡¡by¡¡copying¡¡a¡¡page¡¡of¡¡a
letter¡¡written¡¡by¡¡somebody¡¡else¡£¡¡You¡¡have¡¡an¡¡excellent¡¡memory£»
and¡¡you¡¡may¡¡not¡¡have¡¡forgotten¡¡that¡¡I¡¡received¡¡a¡¡note¡¡from¡¡Major
Milroy's¡¡mother¡¡£¨after¡¡she¡¡had¡¡engaged¡¡me¡¡as¡¡governess£©¡¡on¡¡Monday
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which¡¡I¡¡think¡¡I¡¡ought¡¡to¡¡impress¡¡on¡¡your¡¡attention¡£'¡¡The¡¡rest¡¡of
the¡¡letter¡¡is¡¡not¡¡of¡¡the¡¡slightest¡¡importance£»¡¡but¡¡the¡¡lines¡¡that
I¡¡have¡¡just¡¡copied¡¡are¡¡well¡¡worthy¡¡of¡¡all¡¡the¡¡attention¡¡you¡¡can
bestow¡¡on¡¡them¡£¡¡They¡¡have¡¡saved¡¡me¡¡from¡¡discovery£»¡¡my¡¡dear£»
before¡¡I¡¡have¡¡been¡¡a¡¡week¡¡in¡¡Major¡¡Milroy's¡¡service£¡

¡¨It¡¡happened¡¡no¡¡later¡¡than¡¡yesterday¡¡evening£»¡¡and¡¡it¡¡began¡¡and
ended¡¡in¡¡this¡¡manner£º

¡¨There¡¡is¡¡a¡¡gentleman¡¡here£»¡¡£¨of¡¡whom¡¡I¡¡shall¡¡have¡¡more¡¡to¡¡say
presently£©¡¡who¡¡is¡¡an¡¡intimate¡¡friend¡¡of¡¡young¡¡Armadale's£»¡¡and¡¡who
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been¡¡chosen¡¡£¨evidently¡¡by¡¡the¡¡same¡¡person£©¡¡to¡¡identify¡¡the¡¡Miss
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appeared¡¡at¡¡Thorpe¡¡Ambrose¡£¡¡You¡¡foresaw¡¡this¡¡danger£»¡¡I¡¡remember£»
but¡¡you¡¡could¡¡scarcely¡¡have¡¡imagined¡¡that¡¡the¡¡exposure¡¡would
threaten¡¡me¡¡so¡¡soon¡£

¡¨I¡¡spare¡¡you¡¡the¡¡details¡¡of¡¡our¡¡conversation¡¡to¡¡come¡¡to¡¡the¡¡end¡£
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