er year witnesses in
thousands and thousands of cases, the remorseless disinheriting of
nearest and dearest relations, the unnatural breaking-up of sacred
family ties, the deplorable severance of old and firm friendships, due
entirely to the intense self-absorption which the sexual passion can
produce when it enters the heart of an old man, the association of love
with infirmity and gray hairs arouses, nevertheless, all the world over,
no other idea than the idea of extravagant improbability or extravagant
absurdity in the general mind. If the interview now taking place in Mr.
Pedgift's consulting-room had taken place at his dinner-table instead,
when wine had opened his mind to humorous influences, it is possible
that he might, by this time, have suspected the truth. But, in his
business hours, Pedgift Senior was in the habit of investigating men's
motives seriously from the business point of view; and he was on
that very account simply incapable of conceiving any improbability so
startling, any absurdity so enormous, as the absurdity and improbability
of Mr. Bashwood's being in love.

Some men in the lawyer's position would have tried to force their way to
enlightenment by obstinately repeating the unanswered question. Pedgift
Senior wisely postponed the question until he had moved the conversation
on another step. "Well," he resumed, "let us say you feel a curiosity
about Miss Gwilt. What next?"

The palms of Mr. Bashwood's hands began to moisten under the influence
of his agitation, as they had moistened in the past days when he had
told the story of his domestic sorrows to Midwinter at the great house.
Once more he rolled his handkerchief into a ball, and dabbed it softly
to and fro from one hand to the other.

"May I ask if I am right, sir," he began, "in believing that you have
a very unfavorable opinion of Miss Gwilt? You are quite convinced, I
think--"

"My good fellow," interrupted Pedgift Senior, "why need you be in any
doubt about it? You were under Mr. Armadale's open window all the while
I was talking to him; and your ears, I presume, were not absolutely
shut."

Mr. Bashwood showed no sense of the interruption. The little sting of
the lawyer's sarcasm was lost in the nobler pain that wrung him from the
wound inflicted by Miss Gwilt.

"You are quite convinced, I think, sir," he resumed, "that there
are circumstances in this lady's past life which would be highly
discreditable to her if they were dis