point　where　he　had　to　choose　between　the　way　that　led　into　the
  town　and　the　way　that　led　to　the　great　house；　he　stopped；
  incapable　of　deciding；　and　careless；　apparently；　even　of　making
  the　attempt。　〃I'll　be　revenged　on　her！〃　he　whispered　to　himself；
  still　absorbed　in　his　jealous　frenzy　of　rage　against　the　woman
  who　had　deceived　him。　〃I'll　be　revenged　on　her；〃　he　repeated；　in
  louder　tones；　〃if　I　spend　every　half…penny　I've　got！〃
  Some　women　of　the　disorderly　sort；　passing　on　their　way　to　the
  town；　heard　him。　〃Ah；　you　old　brute；〃　they　called　out；　with　the
  measureless　license　of　their　class；　〃whatever　she　did；　she　served
  you　right！〃
  The　coarseness　of　the　voices　startled　him；　whether　he
  comprehended　the　words　or　not。　He　shrank　away　from　more
  interruption　and　more　insult；　into　the　quieter　road　that　led　to
  the　great　house。
  At　a　solitary　place　by　the　wayside　he　stopped　and　sat　down。　He
  took　off　his　hat　and　lifted　his　youthful　wig　a　little　from　his
  bald　old　head；　and　tried　desperately　to　get　beyond　the　one
  immovable　conviction　which　lay　on　his　mind　like　leadthe
  conviction　that　Miss　Gwilt　had　been　purposely　deceiving　him　from
  the　first。　It　was　useless。　No　effort　would　free　him　from　that　one
  dominant　impression；　and　from　the　one　answering　idea　that　it　had
  evokedthe　idea　of　revenge。　He　got　up　again；　and　put　on　his　hat
  and　walked　rapidly　forward　a　little　waythen　turned　without
  knowing　why；　and　slowly　walked　back　again　〃If　I　had　only　dressed
  a　little　smarter！〃　said　the　poor　wretch；　helplessly。　〃If　I　had
  only　been　a　little　bolder　with　her；　she　might　have　overlooked　my
  being　an　old　man！〃　The　angry　fit　returned　on　him。　He　clinched　his
  clammy；　trembling　hands；　and　shook　them　fiercely　in　the　empty
  air。　〃I'll　be　revenged　on　her；〃　he　reiterated。　〃I'll　be　revenged
  on　her；　if　I　spend　every　half…penny　I've　got！〃　It　was　terribly
  suggestive　of　the　hold　she　had　taken　on　him；　that　his　vindictive
  sense　of　injury　could　not　get　far　enough　away　from　her　to　reach
  the　man　whom　he　believed　to　be　his　rival；　even　yet。　In　his　rage；
  as　in　his　love；　he　was　absorbed；　body　and　soul；　by　Miss　Gwilt。
  In　a　moment　more；　the　noise　of　running　wheels　approaching　from
  behind　startled　him。　He　turned　and　looked　round。　There　was　Mr。
  Pedgift　the　elder；　rapidly　overtaking　him　in　the　gig；　just　as　Mr。
  Pedgift　had　overtaken　him　once　already；　on　that　former　occasion
  when　he　had　listened　under　the　window　at　the　great　house；　and
  when　the　lawyer　had　bluntly　charged　him　with　feeling　a　curiosity
  about　Miss　Gwilt！
  In　an　instant　the　inevitable　association　of　ideas　burst　on　his
  mind。　The　opinion　of　Miss　Gwilt；　which　he　had　heard　the　lawyer
  express　to　Allan　at　parting；　flashed　back　into　his　memory；　side
  by　side　with　Mr。　Pedgift's　sarcastic　approval　of　anything　in　the
  way　of　inquiry　which　his　own　curiosity　might　attempt。　〃I　may　be
  even　with　her　yet；〃　he　thought；　〃if　Mr。　Pedgift　will　help
  me！Stop；　sir！〃　he　called　out；　desperately；　as　the　gig　came　up
  with　him。　〃If　you　please；　sir；　I　want　to　speak　to　you。〃
  Pedgift　Senior　slackened　the　pace　of　his　fast…trotting　mare；
  without　pulling　up。　〃Come　to　the　office　in　half　an　hour；〃　he
  said；　〃I'm　busy　now。〃　Without　waiting　for　an　answer；　without
  noticing　Mr。　Bashwood's　bow；　he　gave　the　mare　the　rein　again；　and
  was　out　of　sight　in　another　minute。
  Mr。　Bashwood　sat　down　once　more　in　a　shady　place　by　the　roadside。
  He　appeared　to　be　incapable　of　feeling　any　slight　but　the　one
  unpardonable　slight　put　upon　him　by　Miss　Gwilt。　He　not　only
  declined　to　resent；　he　even　made　the　best　of　Mr。　Pedgift's
  unceremonious　treatment　of　him。　〃Half　an　hour；〃　he　said；
  resignedly。　〃Time　enough　to　compose　myself；　and　I　want　time。　Very
  kind　of　Mr。　Pedgift；　though　he　mightn't　have　meant　it。〃
  The　sense　of　oppression　in　his　head　forced　him　once　again　to
  remove　his　hat。　He　sat　with　it　on　his　lap；　deep　in　thought；　his
  face　bent　low；　and　the　wavering　fingers　of　one　hand　drumming
  absently　on　the　crown　of　the　hat。　If　Mr。　Pedgift　the　elder；
  seeing　him　as　he　sat　now；　could　only　have　looked　a　little　way
  into　the　future；　the　monotonously　drumming　hand　of　the
  deputy…steward　might　have　been　strong　enough；　feeble　as　it　was；
  to　stop　the　lawyer　by　the　roadside。　It　was　the　worn；　weary；
  miserable　old　hand　of　a　worn；　weary；　miserable　old　man；　but　it
  was；　for　all　that　（to　use　the　language　of　Mr。　Pedgift's　own
  parting　prediction　to　Allan）；　the　hand　that　was　now　destined　to
  〃let　the　light　in　on　Miss　Gwilt。〃
  CHAPTER　XIII。
  AN　OLD　MAN'S　HEART。
  PUNCTUAL　to　the　moment；　when　the　half　hour's　interval　had
  expired；　Mr。　Bashwood　was　announced　at　the　office　as　waiting　to
  see　Mr。　Pedgift　by　special　appointment。
  The　lawyer　looked　up　from　his　papers　with　an　air　of　annoyance：　he
  had　totally　forgotten　the　meeting　by　the　roadside。　〃See　what　he
  wants；〃　said　Pedgift　Senior　to　Pedgift　Junior；　working　in　the
  same　room　with　him。　〃And　if　it's　nothing　of　importance；　put　it
  off　to　some　other　time。〃
  Pedgift　Junior　swiftly　disappeared　and　swiftly　returned。
  〃Well？〃　asked　the　father。
  〃Well；〃　answered　the　son；　〃he　is　rather　more　shaky　and
  unintelligible　than　usual。　I　can　make　nothing　out　of　him；　except
  that　he　persists　in　wanting　to　see　you。　My　own　idea；〃　pursued
  Pedgift　Junior；　with　his　usual；　sardonic　gravity；　〃is　that　he　is
  going　to　have　a　fit；　and　that　he　wishes　to　acknowledge　your
  uniform　kindness　to　him　by　obliging　you　with　a　private　view　of
  the　whole　proceeding。〃
  Pedgift　Senior　habitually　matched　everybodyhis　son
  includedwith　their　own　weapons。　〃Be　good　enough　to　remember；
  Augustus；〃　he　rejoined；　〃that　my　Room　is　not　a　Court　of　Law。　A
  bad　joke　is　not　invariably　followed　by　'roars　of　laughter'
  _here。_　Let　Mr。　Bashwood　come　in。〃
  Mr。　Bashwood　was　introduced；　and　Pedgift　Junior　withdrew。　〃You
  mustn't　bleed　him；　sir；〃　whispered　the　incorrigible　joker；　as　he
  passed　the　back　of　his　father's　chair。　〃Hot…water　bottles　to　the
  soles　of　his　feet；　and　a　mustard　plaster　on　the　pit　of　his
  stomachthat's　the　modern　treatment。〃
  〃Sit　down；　Bashwood；〃　said　Pedgift　Senior　when　they　were　alone。
  〃And　don't　forget　that　time's　money。　Out　with　it；　whatever　it　is；
  at　the　quickest　possible　rate；　and　in　the　fewest　possible　words。〃
  These　preliminary　directions；　bluntly　but　not　at　all　unkindly
  spoken；　rather　increased　than　diminished　the　painful　agitation
  under　which　Mr。　Bashwood　was　suffering。　He　stammered　more
  helplessly；　he　trembled　more　continuously　than　usual；　as　he　made
  his　little　speech　of　thanks；　and　added　his　apologies　at　the　end
  for　intruding　on　his　patron　in　business　hours。
  〃Everybody　in　the　place；　Mr。　Pedgift；　sir；　knows　your　time　is
  valuable。　Oh；　dear；　yes！　oh；　dear；　yes！　most　valuable；　most
  valuable！　Excuse　me；　sir；　I'm　coming　out　with　it。　Your
  goodnessor　rather　your　businessno；　your　goodness　gave　me　half
  an　hour　to　waitand　I　ha　ve　thought　of　what　I　had　to　say；　and
  prepared　it；　and　put　it　short。〃　Having　got　as　far　as　that；　he
  stopped　with　a　pained；　bewildered　look。　He　had　put　it　away　in　his
  memory；　and　now；　when　the　time　came；　he　was　too　confused　to　find
  it。　And　there　was　Mr。　Pedgift　mutely　waiting；　his　face　and　manner
  expressive　alike　of　that　silent　sense　of　the　value　of　his　own
  time　which　every　patient　who　has　visited　a　great　doctor；　every
  client　who　has　consulted　a　lawyer　in　large　practice；　knows　so
  well。　〃Have　you　heard　the　news；　sir？〃　stammered　Mr。　Bashwood；
  shifting　his　ground　in　despair；　and　letting　the　uppermost　idea　in
  his　mind　escape　him；　simply　because　it　was　the　one　idea　in　him
  that　was　ready　to　come　out。
  〃Does　it　concern　_me？_〃　asked　Pedgift　Senior；　mercilessly　brief；
  and　mercilessly　straight　in　coming　to　the　point。
  〃It　concerns　a　lady；　sirno；　not　a　ladya　young　man；　I　ought　to
  say；　in　whom　you　used　to　feel　some　interest。　Oh；　Mr。　Pedgift；
  sir；　what　do　you　think！　Mr。　Armadale　and　Miss　Gwilt　have　gone　up
  to　London　together　to…dayalone；　siralone　in　a　carriage
  reserved　for　their　two　selves。　Do　you　think　he's　going　to　marry
  her？　Do　you　really　think；　like　the　rest　of　them；　he's　going　to
  marry　her？〃
  He　put　the　question　with　a　sudden　flush　in　his　face　and　a　sudden
  energy　in　his　manner。　His　sense　of　the　value　of　the　lawyer's
  time；　his　conviction　of　the　greatness　of　the　lawyer's
  condescension；　his　constitutional　shyness　and　timidityall
  yielded　together　to　his　one　overwhelming　interest　in　hearing　Mr。
  Pedgift's　answer。　He　was　loud　for　the　first　time　in　his　life　in
  putting　the　question。
  〃After　my　experience　of　Mr。　Armadale；〃　said　the　lawyer；　instantly
  hardening　in　look　and　manner；　〃I　believe　him　to　be　infatuated
  enough　to　marry　Miss　Gwilt　a　dozen　times　over；　if　Miss　Gwilt
  chose　to　ask　him。　Your　news　doesn't　surprise　me　in　the　least；
  Bashwood。　I'm　sorry　for　him。　I　can　honestly　say　that；　though　he
  _has_　set　my　advice　at　defiance。　And　I'm　more　sorry　still；〃　he
  continued；　softening　again　as　his　mind　reverted　to　his　interview
  with　Neelie　under　the　trees　of　the　park〃I'm　more　sorry　still
  for　another　person　who　shall　be　nameless。　But　what　have　I　to　do
  with　all　this？　And　what　on　earth　is　the　matter　with　you？〃　he
  resumed；　noticing　for　the　first　time　the　abject　misery　in　Mr。
  Bashwood's　manner；　the　blank　despair　in　Mr。　Bashwood's　face；
  which　his　answer　had　produced。　〃Are