you hard with the 'dissecting…knife；' doctor； and now you have
hit him back again with your 'natural explanation。' Let's have
it。〃
〃By all means；〃 said Mr。 Hawbury。 〃Here it is。 There is nothing
at all extraordinary in my theory of dreams： it is the theory
accepted by the great mass of my profession。 A dream is the
reproduction； in the sleeping state of the brain； of images and
impressions produced on it in the waking state； and this
reproduction is more or less involved； imperfect； or
contradictory； as the action of certain faculties in the dreamer
is controlled more or less completely by the influence of sleep。
Without inquiring further into this latter part of the subjecta
very curious and interesting part of itlet us take the theory；
roughly and generally； as I have just stated it； and apply it at
once to the dream now under consideration。〃 He took up the
written paper from the table； and dropped the formal tone （as of
a lecturer addressing an audience） into which he had insensibly
fallen。 〃I see one event already in this dream；〃 he resumed；
〃which I know to be the reproduction of a waking impression
produced on Mr。 Armadale in my own presence。 If he will only help
me by exerting his memory； I don't despair of tracing back the
whole succession of events set down here to something that he has
said or thought； or seen or done； in the four…and…twenty hours；
or less； which preceded his falling asleep on the deck of the
timber…ship。〃
〃I'll exert my memory with the greatest pleasure；〃 said Allan。
〃Where shall we start from？〃
〃Start by telling me what you did yesterday； before I met you and
your friend on the road to this place；〃 replied Mr。 Hawbury。 〃We
will say； you got up and had your breakfast。 What next？〃
〃We took a carriage next；〃 said Allan； 〃and drove from Castletown
to Douglas to see
my old friend； Mr。 Brock； off by the steamer to Liverpool。 We
came back to Castletown。 and separated at the hotel door。
Midwinter went into the house； and I went on to my yacht in the
harbor。By…the…bye； doctor； remember you have promised to go
cruising with us before we leave the Isle of Man。〃
〃Many thanks； but suppose we keep to the matter in hand。 What
next？〃
Allan hesitated。 In both senses of the word his mind was at sea
already。
〃What did you do on board the yacht？〃
〃Oh； I know！ I put the cabin to rightsthoroughly to rights。 I
give you my word of honor； I turned every blessed thing
topsy…turvy。 And my friend there came off in a shore…boat and
helped me。Talking of boats； I have never asked you yet whether
your boat came to any harm last night。 If there's any damage
done； I insist on being allowed to repair it。〃
The doctor abandoned all further attempts at the cultivation of
Allan's memory in despair。
〃I doubt if we shall be able to reach our object conveniently in
this way；〃 he said。 〃It will be better to take the events of the
dream in their regular order； and to ask the questions that
naturally suggest themselves as we go on。 Here are the first two
events to begin with。 You dream that your father appears to
youthat you and he find yourselves in the cabin of a shipthat
the water rises over you； and that you sink in it together。 Were
you down in the cabin of the wreck； may I ask？〃
〃I couldn't be down there；〃 replied Allan； 〃as the cabin was full
of water。 I looked in and saw it； and shut the door again。〃
〃Very good；〃 said Mr。 Hawbury。 〃Here are the waking impressions
clear enough； so far。 You have had the cabin in your mind； and
you have had the water in your mind； and the sound of the channel
current （as I well know without asking） was the last sound in
your ears when you went to sleep。 The idea of drowning comes too
naturally out of such impressions as these to need dwelling on。
Is there anything else before we go on？ Yes； there is one more
circumstance left to account for。〃
〃The most important circumstance of all；〃 remarked Midwinter；
joining in the conversation； without stirring from his place at
the window。
〃You mean the appearance of Mr。 Armadale's father？ I was just
coming to that；〃 answered Mr。 Hawbury。 〃Is your father alive？〃 he
added； addressing himself to Allan once more。
〃My father died before I was born。〃
The doctor started。 〃This complicates it a little；〃 he said。 〃How
did you know that the figure appearing to you in the dream was
the figure of your father？〃
Allan hesitated again。 Midwinter drew his chair a little away
from the window； and looked at the doctor attentively for the
first time。
〃Was your father in your thoughts before you went to sleep？〃
pursued Mr。 Hawbury。 〃Was there any description of himany
portrait of him at homein your mind？〃
〃Of course there was！〃 cried Allan； suddenly seizing the lost
recollection。 〃Midwinter！ you remember the miniature you found on
the floor of the cabin when we were putting the yacht to rights？
You said I didn't seem to value it； and I told you I did； because
it was a portrait of my father〃
〃And was the face in the dream like the face in the miniature？〃
asked Mr。 Hawbury。
〃Exactly like！ I say； doctor； this is beginning to get
interesting！〃
〃What do you say now？〃 asked Mr。 Hawbury； turning toward the
window again。
Midwinter hurriedly left his chair； and placed himself at the
table with Allan。 Just as he had once already taken refuge from
the tyranny of his own superstition in the comfortable common
sense of Mr。 Brock； so； with the same headlong eagerness； with
the same straightforward sincerity of purpose； he now took refuge
in the doctor's theory of dreams。 〃I say what my friend says；〃 he
answered； flushing with a sudden enthusiasm； 〃this is beginning
to get interesting。 Go on； pray go on。〃
The doctor looked at his strange guest more indulgently than he
had looked yet。 〃You are the only mystic I have met with；〃 he
said； 〃who is willing to give fair evidence fair play。 I don't
despair of converting you before our inquiry comes to an end。 Let
us get on to the next set of events；〃 he resumed； after referring
for a moment to the manuscript。 〃The interval of oblivion which
is described as succeeding the first of the appearances in the
dream may be easily disposed of。 It means； in plain English； the
momentary cessation of the brain's intellectual action； while a
deeper wave of sleep flows over it； just as the sense of being
alone in the darkness； which follows； indicates the renewal of
that action； previous to the reproduction of another set of
impressions。 Let us see what they are。 A lonely pool； surrounded
by an open country； a sunset sky on the further side of the pool；
and the shadow of a woman on the near side。 Very good； now for
it； Mr。 Armadale！ How did that pool get into your head？ The open
country you saw on your way from Castletown to this place But we
have no pools or lakes hereabouts； and you can have seen none
recently elsewhere； for you came here after a cruise at sea。 Must
we fall back on a picture； or a book； or a conversation with your
friend？〃
Allan looked at Midwinter。 〃I don't remember talking about pools
or lakes；〃 he said。 〃Do you？〃
Instead of answering the question； Midwinter suddenly appealed to
the doctor。
〃Have you got the last number of the Manx newspaper？〃 he asked。
The doctor produced it from the sideboard。 Midwinter turned to
the page containing those extracts from the recently published
〃Travels in Australia；〃 which had roused Allan's； interest on the
previous evening； and the reading of which had ended by sending
his friend to sleep。 Therein the passage describing the
sufferings of the travelers from thirst； and the subsequent
discovery which saved their livesthere； appearing at the climax
of the narrative； was the broad pool of water which had figured
in Allan's dream！
〃Don't put away the paper；〃 said the doctor； when Midwinter had
shown it to him； with the necessary explanation。 〃Before we are
at the end of the inquiry； it is quite possible we may want that
extract again。 We have got at the pool。 How about the sunset？
Nothing of that sort is referred to in the newspaper extract。
Search your memory again； Mr。 Armadale； we want your waking
impression of a sunset； if you please。〃
Once more； Allan was at a loss for an answer； and； once more；
Midwinter's ready memory helped him through the difficulty。
〃I think I can trace our way back to this impression； as I traced
our way back to the other；〃 he said； addressing the doctor。
〃After we got here yesterday afternoon； my friend and I took a
long walk over the hills〃
〃That's it！〃 interposed Allan。 〃I remember。 The sun was setting
as we came back to the hotel for supper； and it was such a
splendid red sky； we both stopped to look at it。 And then we
talked about Mr。 Brock； and wondered how far he had got on his
journey home。 My memory may be a slow one at starting； doctor；
but when it's once set going； stop it if you can！ I haven't half
done yet。〃
〃Wait one minute； in mercy to Mr。 Midwinter's memory and mine；〃
said the doctor。 〃We have traced back to your waking impressions
the vision of the open country； the pool； and the sunset。 But the
Shadow of the Woman has not been accounted for yet。 Can you find
us the original of this mysterious figure in the dream
landscape？〃
Allan relapsed into his former perplexity； and Midwinter waited
for what was to come； with his eyes fixed in breathless interest
on the doctor's face。 For the first time there was unbroken
silence in the room。 Mr。 Hawbury looked interrogatively from
Allan to Allan's friend。 Neither of them answered him。 Between
the shadow and the shadow's substance there was a great gulf of
mystery； impenetrable alike to all three of them。
〃Patience；〃 said the doctor； composedly。 〃Let us leave the figure
by the pool for the present and try if we can't pick her up again
as we go on。 Allow me to observe； Mr。 Midwinter； that it is not
very easy to identify a shadow； but we won't despair。 This
impalpable lady of the lake may take some consistency when we
next meet with her。〃
Midwinter made no reply。 From that moment his interest in the
inquiry began to flag。
〃What is the next scene in the dream？〃 pursued Mr。 Hawbury；
referring to the manuscr