'Yes！' I sat lost； I sat silent。 'If _you_ can't write English；'
he said； 'find somebody who can。' I tried to remonstrate。 He
burst into a dreadful moaning crya dumb entreaty； like the
entreaty of a dog。 'Hush！ hush！' I said； 'I will find somebody。'
'To…day！' he broke out； 'before my speech fails me； like my
hand。' 'To…day； in an hour's time。' He shut his eyes； he quieted
himself instantly。 'While I am waiting for you；' he said； 'let me
see my little boy。' He had shown no tenderness when he spoke of
his wife； but I saw the tears on his cheeks when he asked for his
child。 My profession； sir； has not made me so hard a man as you
might think； and my doctor's heart was as heavy； when I went out
to fetch the child； as if I had not been a doctor at all。 I am
afraid you think this rather weak on my part？〃
The doctor looked appealingly at Mr。 Neal。 He might as well have
looked at a rock in the Black Forest。 Mr。 Neal entirely declined
to be drawn by any doctor in Christendom out of the regions of
plain fact。
〃Go on；〃 he said。 〃I presume you have not told me all that you
have to tell me； yet？〃
〃Surely you understand my object in coming here； now？〃 returned
the other
〃Your object is plain enough； at last。 You invite me to connect
myself blindfold with a matter which is in the last degree
suspicious； so far。 I decline giving you any answer until I know
more than I know now。 Did you think it necessary to inform this
man's wife of what had passed between you； and to ask her for an
explanation？〃
〃Of course I thought it necessary！〃 said the doctor； indignant at
the reflection on his humanity which the question seemed to
imply。 〃If ever I saw a woman fond of her husband； and sorry for
her husband； it is this unhappy Mrs。 Armadale。 As soon as we were
left alone together； I sat down by her side； and I took her hand
in mine。 Why not？ I am an ugly old man； and I may allow myself
such liberties as these！〃
〃Excuse me；〃 said the impenetrable Scotchman。 〃I beg to suggest
that you are losing the thread of the narrative。〃
〃Nothing more likely；〃 returned the doctor； recovering his good
humor。 〃It is in the habit of my nation to be perpetually losing
the thread； and it is evidently in the habit of yours； sir； to be
perpetually finding it。 What an example here of the order of the
universe； and the everlasting fitness of things！〃
〃Will you oblige me； once for all； by confining yourself to the
facts；〃 persisted Mr。 Neal； frowning impatiently。 〃May I inquire；
for my own information； whether Mrs。 Armadale could tell you what
it is her husband wishes me to write； and why it is that he
refuses to let her write for him？〃
〃There is my thread foundand thank you for finding it！〃 said
the doctor。 〃You shall hear what Mrs。 Armadale had to tell me； in
Mrs。 Armadale's own words。 'The cause that now shuts me out of
his confidence；' she said； 'is； I firmly believe； the same cause
that has always shut me out of his heart。 I am the wife he has
wedded； but I am not the woman he loves。 I knew when he married
me that another man had won from him the woman he loved。 I
thought I could make him forget her。 I hoped when I married him；
I hoped again when I bore him a son。 Need I tell you the end of
my hopesyou have seen it for yourself。' （Wait； sir； I entreat
you！ I have not lost the thread again； I am following it inch by
inch。） 'Is this all you know？' I asked。 'All I knew；' she said；
'till a short time since。 It was when we were in Switzerland； and
when his illness was nearly at its worst； that news came to him
by accident of that other woman who has been the shadow and the
poison of my lifenews that she （like me） had borne her husband
a son。 On the instant of his making that discoverya trifling
discovery； if ever there was one yeta mortal fear seized on
him： not for me； not for himself； a fear for his own child。 The
same day （without a word to me） he sent for the doctor。 I was
mean； wicked； what you pleaseI listened at the door。 I heard
him say： _I have something to tell my son； when my son grows old
enough to understand me。 Shall I live to tell it？_ The doctor
would say nothing certain。 The same night （still without a word
to me） he locked himself into his room。 What would any woman；
treated as I was； have done in my place？ She would have done as I
didshe would have list ened again。 I heard him say to himself：
_I shall not live to tell it： I must； write it before I die。_ I
heard his pen scrape； scrape； scrape over the paper； I heard him
groaning and sobbing as he wrote； I implored him for God's sake
to let me in。 The cruel pen went scrape； scrape； scrape； the
cruel pen was all the answer he gave me。 I waited at the
doorhoursI don't know how long。 On a sudden； the pen stopped；
and I heard no more。 I whispered through the keyhole softly； I
said I was cold and weary with waiting； I said； Oh； my love； let
me in！ Not even the cruel pen answered me now： silence answered
me。 With all the strength of my miserable hands I beat at the
door。 The servants came up and broke it in。 We were too late； the
harm was done。 Over that fatal letter； the stroke had struck
himover that fatal letter； we found him paralyzed as you see
him now。 Those words which he wants you to write are the words he
would have written himself if the stroke had spared him till the
morning From that time to this there has been a blank place left
in the letter； and it is that blank place which he has just asked
you to fill up。'In those words Mrs。 Armadale spoke to me； in
those words you have the sum and substance of all the information
I can give。 Say； if you please； sir； have I kept the thread at
last？ Have I shown you the necessity which brings me here from
your countryman's death…bed？〃
〃Thus far；〃 said Mr。 Neal； 〃you merely show me that you are
exciting yourself。 This is too serious a matter to be treated as
you are treating it now。 You have involved Me in the business；
and I insist on seeing my way plainly。 Don't raise your hands；
your hands are not a part of the question。 If I am to be
concerned in the completion of this mysterious letter； it is only
an act of justifiable prudence on my part to inquire what the
letter is about。 Mrs。 Armadale appears to have favored you with
an infinite number of domestic particularsin return； I presume；
for your polite attention in taking her by the hand。 May I ask
what she could tell you about her husband's letter； so far as her
husband has written it？〃
〃Mrs。 Armadale could tell me nothing；〃 replied the doctor； with a
sudden formality in his manner； which showed that his forbearance
was at last failing him。 〃Before she was composed enough to think
of the letter； her husband had asked for it； and had caused it to
be locked up in his desk。 She knows that he has since； time after
time； tried to finish it； and that； time after time； the pen has
dropped from his fingers。 She knows； when all other hope of his
restoration was at an end； that his medical advisers encouraged
him to hope in the famous waters of this place。 And last； she
knows how that hope has ended； for she knows what I told her
husband this morning。〃
The frown which had been gathering latterly on Mr。 Neal's face
deepened and darkened。 He looked at the doctor as if the doctor
had personally offended him。
〃The more I think of the position you are asking me to take；〃 he
said； 〃the less I like it。 Can you undertake to say positively
that Mr。 Armadale is in his right mind？〃
〃Yes； as positively as words can say it。〃
〃Does his wife sanction your coming here to request my
interference？〃
〃His wife sends me to youthe only Englishman in Wildbadto
write for your dying countryman what he cannot write for himself；
and what no one else in this place but you can write for him。〃
That answer drove Mr。 Neal back to the last inch of ground left
him to stand on。 Even on that inch the Scotchman resisted still。
〃Wait a little！〃 he said。 〃You put it strongly； let us be quite
sure you put it correctly as well。 Let us be quite sure there is
nobody to take this responsibility but myself。 There is a mayor
in Wildbad； to begin witha man who possesses an official
character to justify his interference。〃
〃A man of a thousand；〃 said the doctor。 〃With one faulthe knows
no language but his own。〃
〃There is an English legation at Stuttgart；〃 persisted Mr。 Neal。
〃And there are miles on miles of the forest between this and
Stuttgart；〃 rejoined the doctor。 〃If we sent this moment； we
could get no help from the legation before to…morrow； and it is
as likely as not； in the state of this dying man's articulation；
that to…morrow may find him speechless。 I don't know whether his
last wishes are wishes harmless to his child and to others；
wishes hurtful to his child and to others； but I _do_ know that
they must be fulfilled at once or never； and that you are the
only man that can help him。〃
That open declaration brought the discussion to a close。 It fixed
Mr。 Neal fast between the two alternatives of saying Yes； and
committing an act of imprudence； or of saying No； and committing
an act of inhumanity。 There was a silence of some minutes。 The
Scotchman steadily reflected； and the German steadily watched
him。
The responsibility of saying the next words rested on Mr。 Neal；
and in course of time Mr。 Neal took it。 He rose from his chair
with a sullen sense of injury lowering on his heavy eyebrows； and
working sourly in the lines at the corners of his mouth。
〃My position is forced on me；〃 he said。 〃I have no choice but to
accept it。〃
The doctor's impulsive nature rose in revolt against the
merciless brevity and gracelessness of that reply。 〃I wish to
God；〃 he broke out fervently； 〃I knew English enough to take your
place at Mr。 Armadale's bedside！〃
〃Bating your taking the name of the Almighty in vain；〃 answered
the Scotchman； 〃I entirely agree with you。 I wish you did。〃
Without another word on either side； they left the room
togetherthe doctor leading the way。
CHAPTER III。
THE WRECK OF THE TIMBER SHIP。
NO one answered the doctor's knock when he and his companion
reached the antechamber door of Mr。 Armadale's apartments。 They
entered unannounced； and when they loo