What would she not be called upon to suffer?
The woman no doubt would be brought before magistrates and judges, and would be made to swear that she was his wife.

The whole story of his life in Australia would be made public,--and there was so much that could not be made public without overwhelming her with sorrow! His own father, too, who had surrendered the estate to him, must know it all.
His father hitherto had not heard the name of Mrs.Smith, and had been told only of Crinkett's dishonest successes and dishonest failures.

When Caldigate had spoken of Crinkett to his father, he had done so with a triumph as of a man whom he had weighed and measured and made use of,--whose frauds and cunning he had conquered by his own honesty and better knowledge.

Now he could no longer weigh and measure and make use of Crinkett.

Crinkett had been a joke to him in talking with his father.
But Crinkett was no joke now.
While walking through the College quad, he was half stupefied by his confusion, and was aware that such was his condition.