which did tell him that
such an ending might be possible.

"Do not speak in such a way," he said.

"No, I will not. I know that it is wrong. I will go down there, and
tell him that it must not--must not be so. But I may stay at The
Cleeve;--may I not?"

"Oh, certainly--if he wishes it,--after your understanding with him."

"Ah; he may turn me out, may he not? And they are so kind to me,
so gentle and so good. And Lucius is so stern. But I will go back.
Sternness will perhaps be better for me now than love and kindness."

In spite of everything, in the teeth of his almost certain conviction
of her guilt, he would now, even now, have asked her to come to his
own house, and have begged her to remain there till the trial was
over,--if only he had had the power to do so. What would it be to him
what the world might say, if she should be proved guilty? Why should
not he have been mistaken as well as others? And he had an idea
that if he could get her into his own hands he might still bring
her through triumphantly,--with assistance from Solomon Aram and
Chaffanbrass. He was strongly convinced of her guilt, but by no means
strongly convinced that her guilt could be proved. But then he had no
house at the present moment that he could call his own. His Kitty,
the Kitty of whom he still sometimes thought with affection,--that
Kitty whose soft motherly heart would have melted at such a story
of a woman's sorrows, if only it had been rightly approached,--that
Kitty was now vehemently hostile, hostile both to him and to this
very woman for whom he would have asked her care.

"May God help me!" said the poor woman. "I do not know where else to
turn for aid. Well; I may go now then. And, indeed, why should I take
up your time further?"

But before she did go, Mr. Furnival gave her much counsel. He did not
ask as to her guilt, but he did give her that advice which he would
have thought most expedient had her guilt been declared and owned. He
told her that very much would depend on her maintaining her present
position and standing; that she was so to carry herself as not to
let people think that she was doubtful about the trial; and that
above all things she was to maintain a composed and steadfast manner
before her son. As to the Ormes, he bade her not to think of leaving
The Cleeve, unless she found that her remaining there would be
disagreeable to Sir Peregrine after her explanation with him. That
she was to decline the marr