A husband?
Yes! He remembered, with a sudden start, what Pendleton had said to him.

Good Heavens! Had Pendleton that idea in his mind?
And yet--it seemed the only solution.
A knock at his door was followed by the appearance of Mr.Woods.

Mr.
Hathaway's portmanteau had come, and Mrs.Woods had sent a message, saying that in view of the limited time that Mr.Hathaway would have with his ward, Mrs.Woods would forego her right to keep him at her side at dinner, and yield her place to Yerba.

Paul thanked him with a grave inward smile.

What if he made his dramatic disclosure to her confidentially over the soup and fish?
Yet, in his constantly recurring conviction of the girl's independence, he made no doubt she would have met his brutality with unflinching pride and self-possession.