On comparing notes, it appeared that there was not a woman in the place
who had not been, all along, convinced that the little girl at Mrs.
Walsham's was something more than she seemed to be, and that the
showman was a man quite out of the ordinary way. And when, on the
following Sunday, the sergeant, who had in the meantime been to Exeter,
walked quietly into church with the squire, all agreed that the
well-dressed military-looking man was a gentleman, and that he had only
been masquerading under the name of Sergeant Wilks until, somehow or
other, the quarrel between him and the squire was arranged, and the
little heiress restored to her position; and Sidmouth remained in that
belief to the end.
The sergeant's military title was henceforth dropped. Mr. Linthorne
introduced him to his acquaintances--who soon began to flock in, when
it was known that the squire's granddaughter had come home, and that he
was willing to see his friends and join in society again--as "My friend
Mr. Wilks, the father of my poor boy's wife."
And the impression made was generally favourable.
None had ever known the exact story of Herbert's marriage. It was
generally supposed that he had married beneath him; but the opinion now
was that this must have been a mistake, for there was nothing in any
way vulgar about the quiet, military-looking gentleman, with whom the
squire was evidently on terms of warm friendship.
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