he called in Jasper's landlady.

Grewgious now knows by Jasper's behaviour that he believes himself
to have committed a superfluous crime, by murdering Edwin, who no
longer stood between him and Rosa, as their engagement was already
at an end. Whether a Jasper, in real life, would excite himself so
much, is another question. We do not know, as Mr. Proctor insists,
what Mr. Grewgious had been doing at Cloisterham between Christmas
Day and December 27, the date of his experiment on Jasper's nerves.
Mr. Proctor supposes him to have met the living Edwin, and obtained
information from him, after his escape from a murderous attack by
Jasper. Mr. Proctor insists that this is the only explanation of
Grewgious's conduct, any other "is absolutely impossible." In that
case the experiment of Grewgious was not made to gain information
from Jasper's demeanour, but was the beginning of his punishment,
and was intended by Grewgious to be so.

But Dickens has been careful to suggest, with suspicious breadth of
candour, another explanation of the source of Grewgious's
knowledge. If Edwin has really escaped, and met Grewgious, Dickens
does not want us to be sure of that, as Mr. Proctor was sure.
Dickens deliberately puts his readers on another trail, though
neither Mr. Walters nor Mr. Proctor struck the scent. As we have
noted, Grewgious at once says to Jasper, "I HAVE JUST COME FROM
MISS LANDLESS." This tells Jasper nothing, but it tells a great
deal to the watchful reader, who remembers that Miss Landless, and
she only, is aware that Jasper loves, bullies, and insults Rosa,
and that Rosa's life is embittered by Jasper's silent wooing, and
his unspoken threats. Helena may also know that "Ned is a
threatened name," as we have seen, and that the menace comes from