the heavy burden of secrets. The beginning of "Armadale" introduces us to the tranquil setting of the Baths of Wildbad during 1832, where two Englishmen, Mr. Armadale and Mr. Neal, are expected as new visitors. The narrative quickly shifts to a sense of foreboding with Mr. Armadale’s arrival linked to a mysterious illness, and the sense that his life is intertwined with serious secrets and unresolved debts to the past. The prologue provides glimpses of societal interactions and the characters' motivations, laying groundwork for a dramatic unfolding of events. A juxtaposition of light-hearted moments with the tension of illness and implied danger suggests a story that will delve into both personal and moral crises. (This is an automatically generated summary.)