he might make money by telling it; but he was by no means so sure of Croll.  Croll had signified his intention of leaving Melmotte’s service, and would therefore probably enter some rival service, and thus become an enemy to his late master.  There could be no reason why Croll should keep the secret.  Even if he got no direct profit by telling it, he would curry favour by making it known.  Of course Croll would tell it.

But what harm could the telling of such a secret do him?  The girl was his own daughter!  The money had been his own money!  The man had been his own servant!  There had been no fraud; no robbery; no purpose of peculation.  Melmotte, as he thought of this, became almost proud of what he had done, thinking that...