t be afraid of that! There isn't a headache in
a hogshead of it! Make yourself comfortable; I'll leave you and Mr.
Midwinter to talk your business over by yourselves. It's all in Mr.
Midwinter's hands; he acts for me, and settles everything at his own
discretion."

He said those words with a cautious choice of expression very
uncharacteristic of him, and, without further explanation, made abruptly
for the door. Midwinter, sitting near it, noticed his face as he went
out. Easy as the way was into Allan's favor, Mr. Bashwood, beyond all
kind of doubt, had in some unaccountable manner failed to find it!

The two strangely assorted companions were left together--parted widely,
as it seemed on the surface, from any possible interchange of sympathy;
drawn invisibly one to the other, nevertheless, by those magnetic
similarities of temperament which overleap all difference of age or
station, and defy all apparent incongruities of mind and character. From
the moment when Allan left the room, the hidden Influence that works
in darkness began slowly to draw the two men together, across the great
social desert which had lain between them up to this day.

Midwinter was the first to approach the subject of the interview.

"May I ask," he began, "if you have been made acquainted with
my position here, and if you know why it is that I require your
assistance?"

Mr. Bashwood--still hesitating and still timid, but manifestly relieved
by Allan's departure--sat further back in his chair, and ventured on
fortifying himself with a modest little sip of wine.

"Yes, sir," he replied; "Mr. Pedgift informed me of all--at least I
think I may say so--of all the circumstances. I am to instruct, or
perhaps, I ought to say to advise--"

"No, Mr. Bashwood; the first word was the best word of the two. I am
quite ignorant of the duties which Mr. Armadale's kindness has induced
him to intrust to me. If I understand right, there can be no question of
your capacity to instruct me, for you once filled a steward's situation
yourself. May I inquire where it was?"

"At Sir John Mellowship's, sir, in West Norfolk. Perhaps you would
like--I have got it with me--to see my testimonial? Sir John might have
dealt more kindly with me; but I have no complaint to make; it's all
done and over now!" His watery eyes looked more watery still, and the
trembling in his hands spread to his lips as he produced an old dingy
letter from his pocket-book and laid it open