Character Analysis
Mr. Gilmore is the Fairlie family lawyer, and an all-around good guy. He tries to help Laura out when he negotiates her marriage settlement, even though he's ultimately forced to give in to Uncle Fairlie's stupidity.
But for all his good qualities, Mr. Gilmore is ultimately kind of dense. He's a fan of Sir Percival. He thinks Laura's fears about her impending marriage are silly. He thinks Marian is overdramatic. He even thinks Walter is a bum.
Basically, Mr. Gilmore is superficial—he tends to judge things by appearances. This is why he is so fond of Sir Percival, who can turn on the charm when necessary.
We don't get to see how Mr. Gilmore would have reacted to the subsequent events involving Sir Percival and Fosco, though. Mr. Gilmore is sidelined due to illness (in a somewhat contrived move on Collins's part), and sits out the bulk of the novel.