be married to him in a fortnight! She
may be married to him this morning! I can't wait! I can't wait!"

"There's no knowing what you can do till you try," rejoined Bashwood
the younger. "Try, and you'll find you can wait. What has become of your
curiosity?" he went on, feeding the fire ingeniously with a stick at a
time. "Why don't you ask me what I mean by calling Miss Gwilt a public
character? Why don't you wonder how I came to lay my hand on the story
of her life, in black and white? If you'll sit down again, I'll tell
you. If you won't, I shall confine myself to my breakfast."

Mr. Bashwood sighed heavily, and went back to his chair.

"I wish you were not so fond of your joke, Jemmy," he said. "I wish, my
dear, you were not quite so fond of your joke."

"Joke?" repeated his son. "It would be serious enough in some people's
eyes, I can tell you. Miss Gwilt has been tried for her life; and the
papers in that black bag are the lawyer's instructions for the Defense.
Do you call that a joke?"

The father started to his feet, and looked straight across the table at
the son with a smile of exultation that was terrible to see.

"She's been tried for her life!" he burst out, with a deep gasp of
satisfaction. "She's been tried for her life!" He broke into a low,
prolonged laugh, and snapped his fingers exultingly. "Aha-ha-ha!
Something to frighten Mr. Armadale in _that_!"

Scoundrel as he was, the son was daunted by the explosion of pent-up
passion which burst on him in those words.

"Don't excite yourself," he said, with a sullen suppression of the
mocking manner in which he had spoken thus far.

Mr. Bashwood sat down again, and passed his handkerchief over his
forehead. "No," he said, nodding and smiling at his son. "No, no--no
excitement, as you say--I can wait now, Jemmy; I can wait now."

He waited with immovable patience. At intervals, he nodded, and smiled,
and whispered to himself, "Something to frighten Mr. Armadale in
_that_!" But he made no further attempt, by word, look, or action, to
hurry his son.

Bashwood the younger finished his breakfast slowly, out of pure bravado;
lit a cigar with the utmost deliberation; looked at his father, and,
seeing him still as immovably patient as ever, opened the black bag at
last, and spread the papers on the table.

"How will you have it?" he asked. "Long or short? I have got her whole
life here. The counsel who defended her at the trial was instructed to
hammer ha