r believe or disbelieve; or, if he does,
he should never speak of his belief. It is with your acquittal or
conviction that I am concerned, in which matter I can better assist you
by cool judgment than by any fervid assurance.' All this made Caldigate
not only angry but unhappy, for he could not fail to perceive that the
public around him were in the same mind as Mr. Seely. In his own parish
they believed him, but apparently not beyond his parish. It might be
possible that he should escape,--that seemed to be the general opinion;
but then general opinion went on to declare that there was no reason
for supposing that he had not married the woman merely because he said
that he had not done so.

Then gradually there fell upon poor Hester's mind a doubt,--and, after
that, almost a conviction. Not a doubt as to her husband's truth! No
suspicion on that score ever troubled her for a moment. But there came
upon her a fear, almost more than a fear, that these terrible enemies
would be strong enough to override the truth, and to carry with them
both a judge and a jury. As the summer months ran on, they all became
aware that for any purpose of removing the witnesses the money had been
paid in vain. Crinkett was living in all opulence at a hotel at
Brighton; and the woman, calling herself Mrs. Caldigate, had taken
furnished apartments in London. Rumour came that she was frequently seen
at the theatres, and that she had appeared more than once in an open
carriage in the parks. There was no doubt but that Caldigate's money had
made them very comfortable for the present. The whole story of the money
had been made public, and of course there were various opinions about
it. The prevailing idea was, that an attempt had been made to buy off
the first wife, but that the first wife had been clever enough to get
the money without having to go. Caldigate was thought to have been very
foolish; on which subject Bollum once expressed himself strongly to a
friend. 'Clever!' he said; 'Caldigate clever! The greatest idiot I ever
came across in my life! I'd made it quite straight for him,--so that
there couldn't have been a wrinkle. But he wouldn't have it. There are
men so soft that one can't understand 'em.' To do Bollum justice it
should be said that he was most anxious to induce his uncle and the
woman to leave the country when they had got the money.

Though very miserable, Hester was very brave. In the presence of her
husband she would never