rgeon
had been sent for in great haste to see Mrs. Armadale. He had found her
suffering from an alarming nervous attack, brought on (as the servants
suspected) by an unexpected, and, possibly, an unwelcome visitor, who
had called that morning. The surgeon had done all that was needful,
and had no apprehension of any dangerous results. Finding his patient
eagerly desirous, on recovering herself, to see Mr. Brock immediately,
he had thought it important to humor her, and had readily undertaken to
call at the rectory with a message to that effect.

Looking at Mrs. Armadale with a far deeper interest in her than the
surgeon's interest, Mr. Brock saw enough in her face, when it turned
toward him on his entering the room, to justify instant and serious
alarm. She allowed him no opportunity of soothing her; she heeded none
of his inquiries. Answers to certain questions of her own were what
she wanted, and what she was determined to have: Had Mr. Brock seen the
woman who had presumed to visit her that morning? Yes. Had Allan seen
her? No; Allan had been at work since breakfast, and was at work still,
in his yard by the water-side.

This latter reply appeared to quiet Mrs. Armadale for the moment;
she put her next question--the most extraordinary question of the
three--more composedly: Did the rector think Allan would object to
leaving his vessel for the present, and to accompanying his mother on
a journey to look out for a new house in some other part of England? In
the greatest amazement Mr. Brock asked what reason there could possibly
be for leaving her present residence? Mrs. Armadale's reason, when she
gave it, only added to his surprise. The woman's first visit might be
followed by a second; and rather than see her again, rather than run
the risk of Allan's seeing her and speaking to her, Mrs. Armadale would
leave England if necessary, and end her days in a foreign land. Taking
counsel of his experience as a magistrate, Mr. Brock inquired if the
woman had come to ask for money. Yes; respectably as she was dressed,
she had described herself as being "in distress"; had asked for money,
and had got it. But the money was of no importance; the one thing
needful was to get away before the woman came again. More and more
surprised, Mr. Brock ventured on another question: Was it long since
Mrs. Armadale and her visitor had last met? Yes; longer than all Allan's
lifetime--as long ago as the year before Allan was born.

At that r