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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