He has acted throughout in cold blood; it is his interest to marry her,
and from first to last he has plotted to force the marriage on us. For
God's sake, don't speak loud! She is in the room above us; if she hears
you it will be the death of her. Don't suppose I am talking at random;
I have looked at his letters to her; I have got the confession of the
servant-girl. Such a confession! Emma is his victim, body and soul. I
know it! I know that she sent him money (_my_ money) from this place. I
know that the servant (at _her_ instigation) informed him by telegraph
of the birth of the child. Oh, Benjamin, don't curse the poor helpless
infant--such a sweet little girl! don't think of it! I don't think of
it! Show me the letter that brought you here; I want to see the letter.
Ah, I can tell you who wrote it! _He_ wrote it. In his own interests;
always with his own interests in view. Don't you see it for yourself?
If I succeed in keeping this shame and misery a secret from
everybody--if I take Emma away, to some place abroad, on pretence of
her health--there is an end of his hope of becoming your son-in-law;
there is an end of his being taken into the business. Yes! he, the
low-lived vagabond who puts up the shop-shutters, _he_ looks forward to
being taken into partnership, and succeeding you when you die! Isn't
his object in writing that letter as plain to you now as the heaven
above us? His one chance is to set your temper in a flame, to provoke
the scandal of a discovery--and to force the marriage on us as the only
remedy left. Am I wrong in making any sacrifice, rather than bind our
girl for life, our own flesh and blood, to such a man as that? Surely
you can feel for me, and forgive me, now. How could I own the truth to
you, before I left London, knowing you as I do? How could I expect you
to be patient, to go into hiding, to pass under a false name--to do all
the degrading things that must be done, if we are to keep Emma out of
this man's way? No! I know no more than you do where Farnaby is to be
found. Hush! there is the door-bell. It's the doctor's time for his