"
"That is not so. They approved."
"How could they? Your wife's father is French vice-consul at
Gibraltar. Her mother is dead. Neither was present at your marriage;
how, then, could they approve?"
Gascoigne did not answer.
"On your first arrival you were well provided with funds--the
proceeds, no doubt, of some nefarious scheme; a run of luck at the
tables; the plunder of some pigeon--"
"The price of my commission in the English Army."
"Bah! You never were in the English Army."
"I can prove it."
"I shall not believe you. Being in funds, I say, you lived riotously,
stayed at one of the best hotels, kept a landau and pair, dined at the
Trois Freres and the Rocher de Cancale, frequented the theatres;
madame wore the most expensive toilettes. But you presently ran short
of cash."
"It's not surprising. But I presume I was at liberty to do what I
liked with my own."
"Coming to the end of your resources," went on the judge, coldly
ignoring the sneer, "you tried the gaming-table again, with varying
success. You went constantly to the Hotel Paradis--"
"On the contrary, occasionally, not often."
"You were there last night; it is useless to deny it. We have the
deposition of the proprietor, who is well known to the police--M.
Hippolyte Ledantec; you shall be confronted with him.
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