Milroy's statement places you, to all
appearance, in the position of being competent to tell me whether
that charge is properly bestowed or not.
"I have only to add that, as nothing has thus far occurred to
justify me in entertaining the slightest suspicion either of my
governess or her reference, I shall wait before I make any appeal
to Miss Gwilt until I have received your answer--which I shall
expect by return of post. Believe me, dear sir, faithfully yours,
"DAVID MILROY."
This transparently straightforward letter at once dissipated
the confusion which had thus far existed in Allan's mind. He saw
the snare in which he had been caught (though he was still
necessarily at a loss to understand why it had been set for him)
as he had not seen it yet. Mrs. Milroy had clearly placed him
between two alternatives--the alternative of putting himself in
the wrong, by declining to answer her husband's questions; or the
alternative of meanly sheltering his responsibility behind the
responsibility of a woman, by acknowledging to the major's own
face that the major's wife had deceived him.
In this difficulty Allan acted as usual, without hesitation.
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