“The man is an infernal scoundrel, sir,” I said with emphasis. “I intimated as much to you once before. What I did not, could not, touch upon at the time, was the strange coincidence of his double connection with your family. He was not only your son’s travelling tutor, sir; but he is also, by his own assertion, and in Lady Skene’s belief, _my_ father.” For a moment his mind, grasping desperately at the significance of my words, slipped and went under. “Dalston!” he muttered amazed. “Delane was Charlie’s tutor.” “Delane or Dalston, sir--it is all the same. The man had his reasons for assuming a name not his own. It was to cover over the tracks of a very discreditable liaison he had had with a young woman, whom he had known when he was an usher at a school at Clapham.” “At Clapham!” The word seemed to take him in the face. “Go on,” he said presently, with a sudden clinching intonation. “Is it necessary, sir? You will comprehend me, I think.” “She deceived me about you?” “Yes.” “Anything more?” “This man, who calls himself my father, has come to trade upon his knowledge of that deceit.” The old legal terrier was beginning to awake in him--to prick its ears and show its teeth. “To trade? I understand. Hush-money, eh?” “He has had one large sum from her already. I believe, on my honour, sir, it was his demanding a second this morning that drove her to this step.” “Very likely--very probable indeed.” He resumed his pacing again, plunged into frowning thought. I rejoiced to see this grasp, this stiffening, this recovery in him of an ancient forceful shrewdness, Presently he stopped. “Do you guess where she is gone, Richard?” “Yes, I guess, sir.” “Where?” “To Mr Pugsley’s.” “O! Now, why?” “For one thing, he is her spiritual adviser. For another, he was aware of her deceit from the first, and could even reconcile his condonation of it with his evangelical conscience. In the view of that, sir, I understand, the fraud was not only harmless but praiseworthy, in consideration of its object in reclaiming a brand from the burning.” “Meaning me.” For the first time a faint smile twitched his lips. “You seem to have interested yourself successfully in your family history, Gaskett.” “Yes, I have, sir; and to more purpose than this, even.” “Wait a bit. If your surmise is correct, it would be useless to attempt to persuade her back until this man has been dealt with.” “I think you would be most unwise to attempt it.” “I quite agree with you. We must buy him out first.” “_Buy_ him out, sir? A cur like that? Stone him out, don’t you mean?” He was smilingly tolerant of me. His manner had become, almost in a moment, quite confident and reassured. I had guessed already that the deception, _per se_, would count for little with him; but I was not prepared for his cool reception of its consequences. “Tut-tut, my boy!” he said. “If you had had my experience, you would know that compromise is nine parts of the law.”