ly half realised it herself.
She is capable of stifling her powers of perception. Then David Bright
died and left her in poverty. His will was a scandal, and the horror did
not only smirch his good name, it reached to hers. I can't and won't try
to tell you what I suffered, or how I determined to fight this hideous
wrong. I went to Florence; I tried to see Madame Danterre; I engaged the
detective--all before I knew of your existence. I came back to London
and discovered that your father, John Dexter, had divorced his wife on
account of David Bright. Still I did not know anything of you. Then,
through Lady Dawning I found you out, and I made friends with Mrs.
Delaport Green in order to see more of you. Was there anything wrong in
that? You did not know your mother; you did not, presumably, care very
deeply about her. It was doubtful if you knew of her existence. Soon the
detective in Florence faded in my mind; he discovered nothing, but I
retained him in case of any change. Was I obliged, because I liked you,
to give up the cause? I never found out, I never tried to find out from
you anything that bore on the case. You must remember that I stopped you
once in the wood at Groombridge when you wanted to tell me more about
yourself, and that I again warned you when you wished to tell me about
your mother's letter to you. As to Edgar Tonmore, I knew that he was
penniless, and I thought it quite possible that you might, in the end,
be penniless too. It was for your own sake I wished you to make a richer
marriage. For I believed--I still believe--that David Bright made a last
will when going out to Africa; I believed, and still believe, that by an
accident that will was not sent to Lady Rose. I thought then that your
mother had, in some way, become possessed of the will, and I thought it
more than likely that, when dying, she would make reparation by leaving
the money where it ought to be. I meant--may I say so?--to prove myself
your friend, then, if you should allow it. I know I kept in touch with
you partly from curiosity as well as from natural attraction. But, if I
acted for the sake of another, I acted for you also. Would it have been
better or worse for you to have been friends with us if my suspicions of
your mother's conduct had proved true? But believe me, Miss Dexter, I
never for one moment could have thought of you with any taint of
suspicion. It is horrible to me to have it suggested."

He rose as he finished speaki