We say to suspect, because he never spoke to her on the subject; he never told her of Mary Janes and New Friendships; or hinted that he had extensive money dealings in connexion with Undy Scott.
But it can be taken for granted that no husband can carry on such dealings long without some sort of cognizance on his wife's part as to what he is doing; a woman who is not trusted by her lord may choose to remain in apparent darkness, may abstain from questions, and may consider it either her duty or her interest to assume an ignorance as to her husband's affairs; but the partner of one's bed and board, the minister who soothes one's headaches, and makes one's tea, and looks after one's linen, can't but have the means of guessing the thoughts which occupy her companion's mind and occasionally darken his brow.
Much of Gertrude's society had consisted of that into which Alaric was thrown by his friendship with Undy Scott.

There was a brother of Undy's living in town, one Valentine Scott--a captain in a cavalry regiment, and whose wife was by no means of that delightfully retiring disposition evinced by Undy's better half.
The Hon.

Mrs.Valentine, or Mrs.Val Scott as she was commonly called, was a very pushing woman, and pushed herself into a prominent place among Gertrude's friends.

She had been the widow of Jonathan Golightly, Esq., umquhile sheriff of the city of London, and stockbroker, and when she gave herself and her jointure up to Captain Val, she also brought with her, to enliven the house, a daughter Clementina, the only remaining pledge of her love for the stockbroker.
When Val Scott entered the world, his father's precepts as to the purposes of matrimony were deeply graven on his heart.

He was the best looking of the family, and, except Undy, the youngest.