she gave expression met with no response from Edith, who looked upon her
journey home in a very sober and commonplace light, and refused to let
her imagination terrify her. Her argument that Wiggins would require
some time to injure her was not easy to answer, and gradually Miss
Plympton found herself forced to yield to Edith's determination. In fact,
there was much in that resolve which was highly natural. Edith, in the
first place, could not bear to resume her intimacy with her
school-mates, for reasons which she had stated already; and, in addition
to this, she had a strong and irresistible longing to go to the only
place that was now her home. There she hoped to find peace, and gain
consolation in the midst of the scenes of her childhood and the memories
of her parents. These were her chief motives for action now; but in
addition to these she had others. The chief was a strong desire to
dismiss Wiggins from his post of agent.

The detestation which she had already conceived for this man has been
noticed in a previous chapter. It had grown during past years out of a
habit of her mind to associate with him the apparent alienation of her
father. But now, since her father's past life was explained, this John
Wiggins appeared in a new light. The dark suggestions of Miss Plympton,
her suspicions as to his character and motives, had sunk deep into the
soul of Edith, and taken root there. She had not yet been able to bring
herself to think that this John Wiggins was himself the treacherous
friend, but she was on the high-road to that belief, and already had
advanced far enough to feel convinced that Wiggins could have at least
saved her father if he had chosen. One thing, however, was evident to
all the world, and that was what Miss Plympton laid so much stress on,
the fact that he had profited by her father's ruin, and had won gold and
influence and position out of her father's tears and agonies and death.
And so, while she longed to go home for her own consolation, there also