The Woman in White The First Epoch: The Story Begun by Walter Hartright: Introduction - IV (Walter Hartright)

Armadale Book the third - Chapter III

In which Allan Armadale receives a curious letter from Mrs. Milroy inviting him to become the bearer of confidential letters relating to Miss Gwilt’s family, leading him to set off for London with his solicitor, Pedgift Junior, to pursue this delicate inquiry. Their investigations bring them to a mysterious lodging-house bearing the name Oldershaw, where neither the name nor the occupant can be readily found, and they begin to suspect the cunning secrecy that envelops the persons they seek.

Armadale Book the third - Chapter II

In which a young lady, distressed by the presence of a certain governess Miss Gwilt, confides her sorrows and secret suspicions to her ailing mother, only to find her confidence met with coldness and veiled intrigue. Meanwhile, Mrs. Milroy, stirred by jealousy and a sharp plan, prepares to involve Mr. Armadale in a discreet investigation, setting the stage for a curious revelation.

Armadale Book the third - Chapter I

In which we find Mrs. Milroy, a once-beautiful woman worn to a shadow by long illness and tormenting jealousy, plotting in her sick-bed against the new, inscrutable governess who has entered her household under a cloud of suspicion. As her suspicious mind turns every circumstance to a weapon, she enlists the aid of her nurse in a clandestine investigation, all the while wrestling with the precarious challenges of trust and deceit within her own home.

Armadale Book the second - Chapter XIII

In which a morning painted grey by rain finds Midwinter confessing a weariness that prompts a sudden resolve to seek health and clarity through a solitary journey, leaving Allan to wrestle with the delicate mysteries of the woman he loves and the cautious counsel of friendship. Throughout, the quiet acts of kindness by Midwinter shed light on a noble spirit hidden beneath a brooding exterior, as the narrative softly closes this chapter of intertwined fates with a melancholic farewell.

Armadale Book the second - Chapter XII

In which a quiet evening spent in a once-forbidden chamber at Thorpe Ambrose reveals the comforting restoration of friendship and trust amidst the remnants of a mother’s memory, even as subtle changes in the household stir new hopes. Allan confides to his friend Midwinter a surprising attachment that provokes a pause and a grave silence, while beyond the house, the first rain falls softly on a night charged with unspoken intentions.