Midwinter, as
the other opened his writing-case and dipped his pen in the ink.

"Oh, but I am, though!" replied Allan. "Chance is on my side, and Miss
Milroy's; and you're outvoted, two to one. It's no use arguing. The
major has fallen uppermost, and the major shall have the cottage. I
won't leave it to the lawyers; they'll only be worrying me with more
letters. I'll write myself."

He wrote his answers to the two proposals, literally in two minutes. One
to the house agent: "Dear sir, I accept Major Milroy's offer; let him
come in when he pleases. Yours truly, Allan Armadale." And one to the
lawyer: "Dear sir, I regret that circumstances prevent me from
accepting your proposal. Yours truly," etc. "People make a fuss about
letter-writing," Allan remarked, when he had done. "_I_ find it easy
enough."

He wrote the addresses on his two notes, and stamped them for the post,
whistling gayly. While he had been writing, he had not noticed how
his friend was occupied. When he had done, it struck him that a sudden
silence had fallen on the cabin; and, looking up, he observed that
Midwinter's whole attention was strangely concentrated on the half crown
as it lay head uppermost on the table. Allan suspended his whistling in
astonishment.

"What on earth are you doing?" he asked.

"I was only wondering," replied Midwinter.

"What about?" persisted Allan.

"I was wondering," said the other, handing him back the half-crown,
"whether there is such a thing as chance."

Half an hour later the two notes were posted; and Allan, whose close
superintendence of the repairs of the yacht had hitherto allowed him but
little leisure time on shore, had proposed to while away the idle hours
by taking a walk in Castletown. Even Midwinter's nervous anxiety to
deserve Mr. Brock's confidence in him could detect nothing objectionable
in this harmless proposal, and the young men set forth together to see
what they could make of the metropolis of the Isle of Man.

It is doubtful if there is a place on the habitable globe which,
regarded as a sight-seeing investment offering itself to the spare
attention of strangers, yields so small a percentage of interest in
return as Castletown. Beginning with the waterside, there was an inner
harbor to see, with a drawbridge to let vessels through; an outer
harbor, ending in a dwarf lighthouse; a view of a flat coast to the
right, and a view of a flat coast to the left. In the central solitudes
of the cit