house."

At those last words, Mr. Bashwood suddenly rallied. The lawyer's passing
reference to the great house had led him back in a moment to the purpose
that he had in view.

"That's it, sir!" he said, eagerly; "that's what I wanted to speak to
you about; that's what I've been preparing in my mind. Mr. Pedgift, sir,
the last time you were at the great house, when you came away in your
gig, you--you overtook me on the drive."

"I dare say I did," remarked Pedgift, resignedly. "My mare happens to be
a trifle quicker on her legs than you are on yours, Bashwood. Go on, go
on. We shall come in time, I suppose, to what you are driving at."

"You stopped, and spoke to me, sir," proceeded Mr. Bashwood, advancing
more and more eagerly to his end. "You said you suspected me of feeling
some curiosity about Miss Gwilt, and you told me (I remember the exact
words, sir)--you told me to gratify my curiosity by all means, for you
didn't object to it."

Pedgift Senior began for the first time to look interested in hearing
more.

"I remember something of the sort," he replied; "and I also remember
thinking it rather remarkable that you should _happen_--we won't put
it in any more offensive way--to be exactly under Mr. Armadale's open
window while I was talking to him. It might have been accident, of
course; but it looked rather more like curiosity. I could only judge by
appearances," concluded Pedgift, pointing his sarcasm with a pinch of
snuff; "and appearances, Bashwood, were decidedly against you."

"I don't deny it, sir. I only mentioned the circumstance because I
wished to acknowledge that I _was_ curious, and _am_ curious about Miss
Gwilt."

"Why?" asked Pedgift Senior, seeing something under the surface in Mr.
Bashwood's face and manner, but utterly in the dark thus far as to what
that something might be.

There was silence for a moment. The moment passed, Mr. Bashwood took
the refuge usually taken by nervous, unready men, placed in his
circumstances, when they are at a loss for an answer. He simply
reiterated the assertion that he had just made. "I feel some curiosity
sir," he said, with a strange mixture of doggedness and timidity, "about
Miss Gwilt."

There was another moment of silence. In spite of his practiced acuteness
and knowledge of the world, the lawyer was more puzzled than ever. The
case of Mr. Bashwood presented the one human riddle of all others which
he was least qualified to solve. Though year aft