“To Mr Pugsley’s.”
“O! Now, why?”
“For one thing, he is her spiritual adviser. For another, he was aware of her deceit from the first, and could even reconcile his condonation of it with his evangelical conscience. In the view of that, sir, I understand, the fraud was not only harmless but praiseworthy, in consideration of its object in reclaiming a brand from the burning.”
“Meaning me.” For the first time a faint smile twitched his lips. “You seem to have interested yourself successfully in your family history, Gaskett.”
“Yes, I have, sir; and to more purpose than this, even.”
“Wait a bit. If your surmise is correct, it would be useless to attempt to persuade her back until this man has been dealt with.”
“I think you would be most unwise to attempt it.”
“I quite agree with you. We must buy him out first.”
“Buy him out, sir? A cur like that? Stone him out, don’t you mean?”
He was smilingly tolerant of me. His manner had become, almost in a moment, quite confident and reassured. I had guessed already that the deception, per se, would count for little with him; but I was not prepared for his cool reception of its consequences.