"
"I understand you perfectly."
"But that I make no admissions?"
"That you make no admissions." And Wemmick repeated, "No
admissions."
"Put the case, Pip, that passion and the terror of death had a
little shaken the woman's intellects, and that when she was set at
liberty, she was scared out of the ways of the world, and went to
him to be sheltered. Put the case that he took her in, and that he
kept down the old, wild, violent nature whenever he saw an inkling of
its breaking out, by asserting his power over her in the old way.
Do you comprehend the imaginary case?"
"Quite."
"Put the case that the child grew up, and was married for money.
That the mother was still living. That the father was still living.
That the mother and father, unknown to one another, were dwelling
within so many miles, furlongs, yards if you like, of one another.
That the secret was still a secret, except that you had got wind of
it. Put that last case to yourself very carefully."
"I do."
"I ask Wemmick to put it to himself very carefully."
And Wemmick said, "I do."
"For whose sake would you reveal the secret? For the father's? I
think he would not be much the better for the mother. For the
mother's? I think if she had done such a deed she would be safer
where she was.
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