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said。 〃I have been used to be hunted； and cheated； and starved。
Everything else comes strange to me。 〃 Half attracted by the man；
half repelled by him； Mr。 Brock； on rising to take leave；
impulsively offered his hand； and then； with a sudden misgiving；
confusedly drew it back again。 〃You meant that kindly； sir；〃 said
Ozias Midwinter； with his own hands crossed resolutely behind
him。 〃I don't complain of your thinking better of it。 A man who
can't give a proper account of himself is not a man for a
gentleman in your position to take by the hand。〃
Mr。 Brock left the inn thoroughly puzzled。 Before returning to
Mrs。 Armadale he sent for her son。 The chances were that the
guard had been off the stranger's tongue when he spoke to Allan；
and with Allan's frankness there was no fear of his concealing
anything that had passed between them from the rector s
knowledge。
Here again Mr。 Brock's diplomacy achieved no useful results。
Once started on the subject of Ozias Midwinter； Allan rattled on
about his new friend in his usual easy； light…hearted way。 But he
had really nothing of importance to tell； for nothing of
importance had been revealed to him。 They had talked about
boat…building and sailing by the hour together； and Allan had got
some valuable hints。 They had discussed （with diagrams to assist
them； and with more valuable hints for Allan） the serious
impending question of the launch of the yacht。 On other occasions
they had diverged to other subjectsto more of them than Allan
could remember； on the spur of the moment。 Had Midwinter said
nothing about his relations in the flow of all this friendly
talk？ Nothing； except that they had not behaved well to himhang
his relations！ Was he at all sensitive on the subject of his own
odd name？ Not the least in the world； he had set the example；
like a sensible fellow； of laughing at it himself。
Mr。 Brock still persisted。 He inquired next what Allan had seen
in the stranger to take such a fancy to？ Allan had seen in
himwhat he didn't see in people in general。 He wasn't like all
the other fellows in the neighborhood。 All the other fellows were
cut out on the same pattern。 Every man of them was equally
healthy； muscular； loud； hard…hearted； clean…skinned； and rough；
every man of them drank the same draughts of beer； smoked the
same short pipes all day long； rode the best horse； shot over the
best dog； and put the best bottle of wine in England on his table
at night； every man of them sponged himself every morning in the
same sort of tub of cold water and bragged about it in frosty
weather in the same sort of way； every man of them thought
getting into debt a capital joke and betting on horse…races one
of the most meritorious actions that a human being can perform。
They were； no doubt； excellent fellows in their way； but the
worst of them was； they were all exactly alike。 It was a perfect
godsend to meet with a man like Midwintera man who was not cut
out on the regular local pattern； and whose way in the world had
the one great merit （in those parts） of being a way of his own。
Leaving all remonstrances for a fitter opportunity； the rector
went back to Mrs。 Armadale。 He could not disguise from himself
that Allan's mother was the person really answerable for Allan's
present indiscretion。 If the lad had seen a little less of the
small gentry in the neighborhood； and a little more of the great
outside world at home and abroad； the pleasure of cultivating
Ozias Midwinter's society might have had fewer attractions for
him。
Conscious of the unsatisfactory result of his visit to the inn；
Mr。 Brock felt some anxiety about the reception of his report
when he found himself once more in Mrs。 Armadale's presence。 His
forebodings were soon realized。 Try as he might to make the best
of it； Mrs。 Armadale seized on the one suspicious fact of the
usher's silence about himself as justifying the strongest
measures that could be taken to separate him from her son。 If the
rector refused to interfere； she declared her intention of
writing to Ozias Midwinter with her own hand。 Remonstrance
irritated her to such a pitch that she astounded Mr。 Brock by
reverting to the forbidden subject of five years since； and
referring him to the conversation which had passed between them
when the advertisement had been discovered in the newspaper。 She
passionately declared that the vagabond Armadale of that
advertisement； and the vagabond Midwinter at the village inn；
might； for all she know to the contrary； be one and the same。
Foreboding a serious disagreement between the mother and son if
the mother interfered； Mr。 Brock undertook to see Midwinter
again； and to tell him plainly that he must give a proper account
of himself； or that his intimacy with Allan must cease。 The two
concessions which he exacted from Mrs。 Armadale in return were
that she should wait patiently until the doctor reported the man
fit to travel； and that she should be careful in the interval not
to mention the matter in any way to her son。
In a week's time Midwinter was able to drive out （with Allan for
his coachman） in the pony chaise belonging to the inn； and in ten
days the doctor privately reported him as fit to travel。 Toward
the close of that tenth day； Mr。 Brock met Allan and his new
friend enjoying the last gleams of wintry sunshine in one of the
inland lanes。 He waited until the two had separated； and then
followed the usher on his way back to the inn。
The rector's resolution to speak pitilessly to the purpose was in
some danger of failing him as he drew nearer and nearer to the
friendless man； and saw how feebly he still walked； how loosely
his worn coat hung about him； and how heavily he leaned on his
cheap； clumsy stick。 Humanely reluctant to say the decisive words
too precipitately； Mr。 Brock tried him first with a little
compliment on the range of his reading； as shown by the volume of
Sophocles and the volume of Goethe which had been found in his
bag； and asked how long he had been acquainted with German and
Greek。 The quick ear of Midwinter detected something wrong in the
tone of Mr。 Brock's voice。 He turned in the darkening twilight；
and looked suddenly and suspiciously in the rector's face。
〃You have something to say to me；〃 he answered； 〃and it is not
what you are saying now。〃
There was no help for it but to accept the challenge。 Very
delicately； with many preparatory words； to which the other
listened in unbroken silence； Mr。 Brock came little by little
nearer and nearer to the point。 Long before he had really reached
itlong before a man of no more than ordinary sensibility would
have felt what was comingOzias Midwinter stood still in the
lane； and told the rector that he need say no more。
〃I understand you； sir；〃 said the usher。 〃Mr。 Armadale has an
ascertained position in the world； Mr。 Armadale has nothing to
conceal； and nothing to be ashamed of。 I agree with you that I am
not a fit companion for him。 The best return I can make for his
kindness is to presume on it no longer。 You may depend on my
leaving this place to…morrow morning。〃
He spoke no word more； he would hear no word more。 With a
self…control w