Armadale Book the third - Chapter VII

In which Mr. Bashwood encounters the formidable Miss Gwilt in the neglected outskirts of Thorpe Ambrose, where she deftly manipulates circumstances surrounding her dismissal and the suspicions cast upon her. Later, Miss Gwilt confides in Midwinter about the intrigues and misunderstandings affecting her position, revealing a complex web of social and personal tensions that leave both parties in a state of bewildered sympathy.