Suppose she married incautiously--it is not improbable, for her existence has been a lonely and monotonous one for many years--and the man turned out a ruffian, she would be anxious to screen him, and yet would revolt from his crimes.

This might be.

It bears strongly on the whole drift of her discourse yesterday, and would quite explain her conduct.

Do you suppose Barnaby is privy to these circumstances ?' 'Quite impossible to say, sir,' returned the locksmith, shaking his head again: 'and next to impossible to find out from him.

If what you suppose is really the case, I tremble for the lad--a notable person, sir, to put to bad uses--' 'It is not possible, Varden,' said Mr Haredale, in a still lower tone of voice than he had spoken yet, 'that we have been blinded and deceived by this woman from the beginning?
It is not possible that this connection was formed in her husband's lifetime, and led to his and my brother's--' 'Good God, sir,' cried Gabriel, interrupting him, 'don't entertain such dark thoughts for a moment.