Mr. Grey's curiosity was roused, and he began to ask questions. Why, in
the first place, had Mr. Scarborough behaved so dishonestly? Why had he
originally not married his wife? And then, why had he married her? If,
as he said, the proofs were so easy, how had he dared to act so directly
in opposition to the laws of his country? Why, indeed, had he been
through the whole of his life so bad a man,--so bad to the woman who had
borne his name, so bad to the son whom he called illegitimate, and so
bad also to the other son whom he now intended to restore to his
position, solely with the view of defrauding the captain's creditors?

In answer to this Mr. Scarborough, though he was suffering much at the
time,--so much as to be considered near to his death,--had replied with
the most perfect good-humor.

He had done very well, he thought, by his wife, whom he had married
after she had consented to live with him on other terms. He had done
very well by his elder son, for whom he had intended the entire
property. He had done well by his second son, for whom he had saved his
money. It was now his first duty to save the property. He regarded
himself as being altogether unselfish and virtuous from his point of
view.

When Mr. Grey had spoken about the laws of his country he had simply
smiled, though he was expecting a grievous operation on the following
day. As for marriage, he had no great respect for it, except as a mode
of enabling men and women to live together comfortably. As for the
"outraged laws of his country," of which Mr. Grey spoke much, he did not
care a straw for such outrages--nor, indeed, for the expressed opinion
of mankind as to his conduct. He was very soon about to leave the world,