law　in　force　at　the　first　attempt　she　made　to　extort　money　from
  any　member　of　the　family　at　Thorpe　Ambrose。　The　last　chance　was
  to　get　at　the　address　of　her　mistress's　place　of　retirement。　The
  family　bankers；　to　whom　she　wrote；　wrote　back　to　say　that　they
  were　instructed　not　to　give　the　lady's　address　to　any　one
  applying　for　it；　without　being　previously　empowered　to　do　so　by
  the　lady　herself。　That　last　letter　settled　the　questionMiss
  Gwilt　could　do　nothing　more。　With　money　at　her　command；　she　might
  have　gone　to　England　and　made　the　Blanchards　think　twice　before
  they　carried　things　with　too　high　a　hand。　Not　having　a　half…penny
  at　command；　she　was　helpless。　Without　money　and　without　friends；
  you　may　wonder　how　she　supported　herself　while　the　correspondence
  was　going　on。　She　supported　herself　by　playing　the　piano…forte　at
  a　low　concert…room　in　Brussels。　The　men　laid　siege　to　her；　of
  course；　in　all　directions；　but　they　found　her　insensible　as
  adamant。　One　of　these　rejected　gentlemen　was　a　Russian；　and　he
  was　the　means　of　making　her　acquainted　with　a　countrywoman　of
  his；　whose　name　is　unpronounceable　by　English　lips。　Let　us　give
  her　her　title；　and　call　her　the　baroness。　The　two　women　liked
  each　other　at　their　first　introduction；　and　a　new　scene　opened　in
  Miss　Gwilt's　life。　She　became　reader　and　companion　to　the
  baroness。　Everything　was　right；　everything　was　smooth　on　the
  surface。　Everything　was　rotten　and　everything　was　wrong　under
  it。〃
  〃In　what　way；　Jemmy？　Please　to　wait　a　little；　and　tell　me　in　what
  way。〃
  〃In　this　way。　The　baroness　was　fond　of　traveling；　and　she　had　a
  select　set　of　friends　about　her　who　were　quite　of　her　way　of
  thinking。　They　went　from　one　city　on　the　Continent　to　another；
  and　were　such　charming　people　that　they　picked　up　acquaintances
  everywhere。　The　acquaintances　were　invited　to　the　baroness's
  receptions；　and　card…tables　were　invariably　a　part　of　the
  baroness's　furniture。　Do　you　see　it　now？　or　must　I　tell　you；　in
  the　strictest　confidence；　that　cards　were　not　considered　sinful
  on　these　festive　occasions；　and　that　the　luck；　at　the　end　of　the
  evening；　turned　out　to　be　almost　invariably　on　the　side　of　the
  baroness　and　her　friends？　Swindlers；　all　of　them；　and　there　isn't
  a　doubt　on　my　mind；　whatever　there　may　be　on　yours；　that　Miss
  Gwilt's　manners　and　appearance　made　her　a　valuable　member　of　the
  society　in　the　capacity　of　a　decoy。　Her　own　statement　is　that　she
  was　innocent　of　all　knowledge　of　what　really　went　on；　that　she
  was　quite　ignorant　of　card…playing；　that　she　hadn't　such　a　thing
  as　a　respectable　friend　to　turn　to　in　the　world；　and　that　she
  honestly　liked　the　baroness；　for　the　simple　reason　that　the
  baroness　was　a　hearty　good　friend　to　her　from　first　to　last。
  Believe　that　or　not；　as　you　please。　For　five　years　she　traveled
  about　all　over　the　Continent　with　these　card…sharpers　in　high
  life；　and　she　might　have　been　among　them　at　this　moment；　for
  anything　I　know　to　the　contrary；　if　the　baroness　had　not　caught　a
  Tartar　at　Naples；　in　the　shape　of　a　rich　traveling　Englishman；
  named　Waldron。　Aha！　that　name　startles　you；　does　it？　You've　read
  the　Trial　of　the　famous　Mrs。　Waldron；　like　the　rest　of　the　world？
  And　you　know　who　Miss　Gwilt　is　now；　without　my　telling　you？〃
  He　paused；　and　looked　at　his　father　in　sudden　perplexity。　Far
  from　being　overwhelmed　by　the　discovery　which　had　just　burst　on
  him；　Mr。　Bashwood；　after　the　first　natural　movement　of　surprise；
  faced　his　son　with　a　self…possession　which　was　nothing　short　of
  extraordinary　under　the　circumstances。　There　was　a　new　brightness
  in　his　eyes；　and　a　new　color　in　his　face。　If　it　had　been　possible
  to　conceive　such　a　thing　of　a　man　in　his　position；　he　seemed　to
  be　absolutely　encouraged　instead　of　depressed　by　what　he　had　just
  heard。　〃Go　on；　Jemmy；〃　he　said；　quietly；　〃I　am　one　of　the　few
  people　who　didn't　read　the　trial；　I　only　heard　of　it。〃
  Still　wondering　inwardly；　Bashwood　the　younger　recovered　himself；
  and　went　on。
  〃You　always　were；　and　you　always　will　be；　behind　the　age；〃　he
  said。　〃When　we　come　to　the　trial；　I　can　tell　you　as　much　about　it
  as　you　need　know。　In　the　meantime；　we　must　go　back　to　the
  baroness　and　Mr。　Waldron。　For　a　certain　number　of　nights　the
  Englishman　let　the　card…sharpers　have　it　all　their　own　way；　in
  other　words；　he　paid　for　the　privilege　of　making　himself
  agreeable　to　Miss　Gwilt。　When　he　thought　he　had　produced　the
  necessary　impression　on　her；　he　exposed　the　whole　confederacy
  without　mercy。　The　police　interfered；　the　baroness　found　herself
  in　prison；　and　Miss　Gwilt　was　put　between　the　two　alternatives　of
  accepting　Mr。　Waldron's　protection　or　being　thrown　on　the　world
  again。　She　was　amazingly　virtuous；　or　amazingly　clever；　which　you
  please。　To　Mr。　Waldron's　astonishment；　she　told　him　that　she
  could　face　the　prospect　of　being　thrown　on　the　world；　and　that　he
  must　address　her　honorably　or　leave　her　forever。　The　end　of　it
  was　what　the　end　always　is；　where　the　man　is　infatuated　and　the
  woman　is　determined。　To　the　disgust　of　his　family　and　friends；
  Mr。　Waldron　made　a　virtue　of　necessity；　and　married　her。〃
  〃How　old　was　he？〃　asked　Bashwood　the　elder；　eagerly。
  Bashwood　the　younger　burst　out　laughing。　〃He　was　about　old
  enough；　daddy；　to　be　your　son；　and　rich　enough　to　have　burst　that
  precious　pocket…book　of　yours　with　thousand…pound　notes！　Don't
  hang　your　head。　It　wasn't　a　happy　marriage；　though　he　_was_　so
  young　and　so　rich。　They　lived　abroad；　and　got　on　well　enough　at
  first。　He　made　a　new　will；　of　course；　as　soon　as　he　was　married；
  and　provided　handsomely　for　his　wife；　under　the　tender　pressure
  of　the　honey…moon。　But　women　wear　out；　like　other　things；　with
  time；　and　one　fine　morning　Mr。　Waldron　woke　up　with　a　doubt　in
  his　mind　whether　he　had　not　acted　like　a　fool。　He　was　an
  ill…tempered　man；　he　was　discontented　with　himself；　and　of　course
  he　made　his　wife　feel　it。　Having　begun　by　quarreling　with　her；　he
  got　on　to　suspecting　her；　and　became　savagely　jealous　of　every
  male　creature　who　entered　the　house。　They　had　no　incumbrances　in
  the　shape　of　children；　and　they　moved　from　one　place　to　another；
  just　as　his　jealousy　inclined　him；　till　they　moved　back　to
  England　at　last；　after　having　been　married　close　on　four　years。
  He　had　a　lonely　old　house　of　his　own　among　the　Yorkshire　moors；
  and　there　he　shut　his　wife　and　himself　up　from　every　living
  creature；　except　his　servants　and　his　dogs。　Only　one　result　could
  come；　of　course；　of　treating　a　high…spirited　young　woman　in　that
  way。　It　may　be　her　fate；　or　it　may　be　chance；　but；　whenever　a
  woman　is　desperate；　there　is　sure　to　be　a　man　handy　to　take
  advantage　of　it。　The　man　in　this　case　was　rather　a　'dark　horse；'
  as　they　say　on　the　turf。　He　was　a　certain　Captain　Manuel；　a
  native　of　Cuba；　and　（according　to　his　own　account）　an　ex…officer
  in　the　Spanish　navy。　He　had　met　Mr。　Waldron's　beautiful　wife　on
  the　journey　back　to　England；　had　contrived　to　speak　to　her　in
  spite　of　her　husband's　jealousy；　and　had　followed　her　to　her
  place　of　imprisonment　in　Mr。　Waldron's　house　on　the　moors。　The
  captain　is　described　as　a　clever；　determined　fellowof　the
  daring　piratical　sortwith　the　dash　of　mystery　about　him　that
  women　like〃
  〃She's　not　the　same　as　other　women！〃　interposed　Mr。　Bashwood；
  suddenly　interrupting　his　son。　〃Did　she？〃　His　voice　failed　him；
  and　he　stopped　without　bringing　the　question　to　an　end。
  〃Did　she　like　the　captain？〃　suggested　Bashwood　the　younger；　with
  another　laugh。　〃According　to　her　own　account　of　it；　she　adored
  him。　At　the　same　time　her　conduct　（as　represented　by　herself）　was
  perfectly　innocent。　Considering　how　carefully　her　husband　watched
  her；　the　statement　（incredible　as　it　appears）　is　probably　true。
  For　six　weeks　or　so　they　confined　themselves　to　corresponding
  privately；　the　Cuban　captain　（who　spoke　and　wrote　English
  perfectly）　having　contrived　to　make　a　go…between　of　one　of　the
  female　servants　in　the　Yorkshire　house。　How　it　might　have　ended
  we　needn't　trouble　ourselves　to　inquireMr。　Waldron　himself
  brought　matters　to　a　crisis。　Whether　he　got　wind　of　the
  clandestine　correspondence　or　not；　doesn't　appear。　But　this　is
  certain；　that　he　came　home　from　a　ride　one　day　in　a　fiercer
  temper　than　usual；　that　his　wife　showed　him　a　sample　of　that　high
  spirit　of　hers　which　he　had　never　yet　been　able　to　break；　and
  that　it　ended　in　his　striking　her　across　the　face　with　his
  riding…whip。　Ungentlemanly　conduct；　I　am　afraid　we　must　admit；
  but；　to　all　outward　appearance；　the　riding…whip　produced　the　most
  astonishing　results。　From　that　moment　the　lady　submitted　as　she
  had　never　submitted　before。　For　a　fortnight　afterward　he　did　what
  he　liked；　and　she　never　thwarted　him；　he　said　what　he　liked；　and
  she　never　uttered　a　word　of　protest。　Some　men　might　have
  suspected　this　sudden　reformation　of　hiding　something　dangerous
  under　the　surface。　Whether　Mr。　Waldron　looked　at　it　in　that
  light；　I　can't　tell　you。　All　that　is　known　is　that；　before　the
  mark　of　the　whip　was　off　his　wife's　face；　he　fell　ill；　and　that
  in　two　days　afterward　he　was　a　dead　man。　What　do　you　say　to
  that？〃
  〃I　say　he　deserved　it！〃　answered　Mr。　Bashwood；　striking　his　hand
  excitedly　on　the　table；　as　his　son　paused　and　looked　at　h