Mr. Strafford was glad to be left alone with Mrs. Costello. He had been
considering seriously what he had heard from the doctor, and what he had
himself seen of Christian's state, and had come to a decision which must
be carried out at once.

He answered all her questions with this view clearly before him, and
explained to her solicitously how very little consequence it now was to
Christian whether the hands that ministered to his few remaining wants
were those of his own kindred or of pitying strangers. When he thought
he had made this quite evident to her, he reminded her that there was no
further question of removing either from Christian himself, or from his
wife and daughter, the stain of an undeserved ignominy; he was at this
very moment regarded by all who knew anything of the circumstances as a
victim sacrificed to save Clarkson, and justified by the manifest
interference of Providence--placed thus in a better position as regarded
public opinion than he could have been by any other train of events.
Thus no idea of compensation need longer be entertained; the generous
yearning towards the oppressed must die now that oppression was ended;
and the only result of declaring the long-concealed marriage would be to
bring upon the two women who had already suffered so much in consequence
of it, a fresh torture of wonder and notoriety--in short, there was no
longer any sufficient reason for the relationship becoming known, and
Mr. Strafford came gradually to the point of suggesting this to Mrs.
Costello.

She heard him with surprise. As he went on telling her all that was
meant to prepare her for this idea, she listened and assented without
suspecting what was coming, but when she did understand him she said
much as she had done before,