terpret his motives
if he left Allan's position unexplained, he was careful to remind them
that Mrs. Armadale's son was well provided for, and that the object of
his letter was simply to communicate the news of their sister's decease.
The two letters were dispatched toward the middle of January, and by
return of post the answers were received. The first which the rector
opened was written not by the elder brother, but by the elder brother's
only son. The young man had succeeded to the estates in Norfolk on his
father's death, some little time since. He wrote in a frank and friendly
spirit, assuring Mr. Brock that, however strongly his father might have
been prejudiced against Mrs. Armadale, the hostile feeling had never
extended to her son. For himself, he had only to add that he would be
sincerely happy to welcome his cousin to Thorpe Ambrose whenever his
cousin came that way.

The second letter was a far less agreeable reply to receive than the
first. The younger brother was still alive, and still resolute neither
to forget nor forgive. He informed Mr. Brock that his deceased sister's
choice of a husband, and her conduct to her father at the time of her
marriage, had made any relations of affection or esteem impossible, on
his side, from that time forth. Holding the opinions he did, it would
be equally painful to his nephew and himself if any personal intercourse
took place between them. He had adverted, as generally as possible, to
the nature of the differences which had kept him apart from his
late sister, in order to satisfy Mr. Brock's mind that a personal
acquaintance with young Mr. Armadale was, as a matter of delicacy, quite
out of the question and, having done this, he would beg leave to close
the correspondence.

Mr. Brock wisely destroyed the second letter on the spot, and, after
showing Allan his cousin's invitation, suggested that he should go to
Thorpe Ambrose as soon as he felt fit to present himself to strangers.

Allan listened to the advice patiently enough; but he declined to profit
by it. "I will shake hands with my cousin willingly if I ever meet him,"
he said; "but I will visit no family, and be a guest in no house, in
which my mother has been badly treated." Mr. Brock remonstrated gently,
and tried to put matters in their proper light. Even at that time--even
while he was still ignorant of events which were then impending--Allan's
strangely isolated position in the world was a subject of seriou