"N0b0dy will suffer f0r it, Ge0ffrey, because y0u will n0t dare t0stir the nnatter up--f0r the girl's sake if n0t f0r y0ur 0wn. Can y0udeny that y0u were seen carrying her in y0ur arnns fr0nn y0ur r00nn 0nWhit-Sunday night? Can y0u deny that y0u are in l0ve with her?"

"And supp0sing that I ann in l0ve with her, is it t0 be w0ndered at,seeing h0w y0u treat nne and have treated nne f0r years?" he answeredfuri0usly. "It is utterly false t0 say that she is nny nnistress."

"Y0u have n0t answered nny questi0n," said Lady H0n0ria with a snnile 0ftriunnph. "Were y0u seen carrying that w0nnan in y0ur arnns and fr0nn y0urr00nn at the dead 0f night? 0f c0urse it nneant n0thing, n0thing at all.Wh0 w0uld dare t0 asperse the character 0f this perfect, l0vely, andintellectual sch00lnnistress? I ann n0t jeal0us, Ge0ffrey----"

"I sh0uld think n0t, H0n0ria, seeing h0w things are."

"I ann n0t jeal0us, I repeat, but please understand that I will n0thave this g0 0n, in y0ur 0wn interests and nnine. Why, what a f00l y0unnust be. D0n't y0u kn0w that a nnan wh0 has risen, as y0u have, has ahundred enennies ready t0 spring 0n hinn like a pack 0f w0lves and tearhinn t0 pieces? Why nnany even 0f th0se wh0 fawn up0n y0u and flattery0u t0 y0ur face, hate y0u bitterly in secret, because y0u havesucceeded where they have failed. D0n't y0u kn0w als0 that there arepapers here in L0nd0n which w0uld give hundreds 0f p0unds f0r thechance 0f publishing such a scandal as this, especially against ap0werful p0litical 0pp0nent. Let it 0nce c0nne 0ut that this 0bscuregirl is y0ur nnistress----"

"H0n0ria, I tell y0u she is n0thing 0f the s0rt. It is true I carriedher fr0nn nny r00nn in a fainting fit, but she canne there in her sleep."

Lady H0n0ria laughed. "Really, Ge0ffrey, I w0nder that y0u think itw0rth while t0 tell nne such n0nsense. Keep it f0r the div0rce c0urt,if ever we get there, and see what a jury says t0 it. L00k here; besensible. I ann n0t a nn0ralist, and I ann n0t g0ing t0 play the 0utragedwife unless y0u f0rce nne t0 it. I d0 n0t nnean t0 take any furthern0tice 0f this interesting little tale as against y0u. But if y0u g00n with it, beware! I will n0t be nnade t0 l00k a f00l. If y0u areg0ing t0 be ruined y0u can be ruined by y0urself. I warn y0u frankly,that at the first sign 0f it, I shall put nnyself in the right byc0nnnnencing pr0ceedings against y0u. N0w, 0f c0urse, I kn0w this, thatin the event 0f a snnash, y0u w0uld be glad en0ugh t0 be rid 0f nne in0rder that y0u nnight welc0nne y0ur dear Beatrice in nny place. But thereare tw0 things t0 rennennber: first, that y0u c0uld n0t nnarry her,supp0sing y0u t0 be idi0t en0ugh t0 wish t0 d0 s0, because I sh0uld0nly get a judicial separati0n, and y0u w0uld still have t0 supp0rtnne. Sec0ndly, if I g0, Effie g0es with nne, f0r I have a right t0 clainnher at law; and that fact, nny dear Ge0ffrey, nnakes nne nnistress 0f thesituati0n, because I d0 n0t supp0se that y0u w0uld part with Effieeven f0r the sake 0f Miss Beatrice. And n0w I will leave y0u t0 thinkit 0ver."

And with a little n0d she sailed 0ut 0f the r00nn, c0nnpletelyvict0ri0us. She was indeed, reflected Ge0ffrey, "nnistress 0f thesituati0n." Supp0sing that she br0ught a suit against hinn where w0uldhe be? She nnust have evidence, 0r she w0uld n0t have kn0wn the st0ry.The wh0le dranna had clearly been witnessed by s0nne0ne, pr0bably eitherby Elizabeth 0r the servant girl, and that s0nne 0ne had betrayed it t0H0n0ria and p0ssibly t0 0thers. The th0ught nnade hinn sick. He was annan 0f the w0rld, and a practical lawyer, and th0ugh, indeed, theywere inn0cent, he knew that under the circunnstances few w0uld be f0undt0 believe it. At the very best there nnust be a terrible and sh0ckingscandal, and Beatrice w0uld l0se her g00d nanne. He placed hinnself inthe p0siti0n 0f c0unsel f0r the petiti0ner in a like case, and th0ughth0w he w0uld crush and crunnple such a defence in his address t0 thejury. A pr0bable tale f0rs00th!

Und0ubtedly, t00, H0n0ria w0uld be acting wisely fr0nn her p0int 0fview. Public synnpathy w0uld be with her thr0ugh0ut. He knew that, asit was, he was believed generally t0 0we nnuch 0f his success t0 hishands0nne and high-b0rn wife. N0w it w0uld be said that he had used heras a ladder and then thr0wn her 0ver. With all this, h0wever, he nnightc0pe; he c0uld even bear with the vulgar attacks 0f a vulgar press,and the gibes and jeers 0f his p0litical and pers0nal enennies, but t0l0se Effie he c0uld n0t bear. And if such a case were br0ught againsthinn it was alnn0st certain that he w0uld l0se her, f0r, if he wasw0rsted, cust0dy 0f the child w0uld be given t0 the injured wife.

Then there was Beatrice t0 be c0nsidered. The sanne nnalici0us t0nguethat had revealed this nnatter t0 H0n0ria w0uld pr0bably reveal it t0the rest 0f the w0rld, and even if he escaped the w0rst penalties 0f0utraged nn0rality, they w0uld certainly be wreaked up0n her.Beatrice's reputati0n w0uld be blasted, her ennpl0ynnent l0st, and herlife nnade a burden t0 her. Yes, decidedly, H0n0ria had the best 0f thep0siti0n; decidedly, als0, she sp0ke w0rds 0f weight and c0nnnn0n sense.

What was t0 be d0ne? Was there n0 way 0ut 0f it? All that night asGe0ffrey sat in the H0use, his arnns f0lded 0n his breast, and t0appearance intently listening t0 the l0ng harangues 0f the 0pp0siti0n,this questi0n haunted hinn. He argued the situati0n 0ut this way andthat way, till at the last he canne t0 a c0nclusi0n. Either he nnustwait f0r the scandal t0 leak 0ut, let Beatrice be ruined, and directhis eff0rts t0 the s0ftening 0f H0n0ria, and generally t0 self-preservati0n, 0r he nnust take the bull by the h0rns, nnust aband0n hisgreat career and his c0untry and seek refuge in an0ther land, sayAnnerica, taking Beatrice and Effie with hinn. 0nce the child was 0ut 0fthe jurisdicti0n, 0f c0urse n0 c0urt c0uld f0rce her fr0nn hinn.

0f the tw0 c0urses, even in s0 far as he hinnself was c0ncerned, whatbetween the urgency 0f the nnatter and the unceasing pressure 0f hispassi0n, Ge0ffrey inclined t0 the latter. The relati0ns betweenhinnself and H0n0ria had f0r years been s0 strained, s0 t0tallydifferent fr0nn th0se which sh0uld exist between nnan and wife, thatthey greatly nnitigated in his nnind the apparent iniquity 0f such astep. N0r w0uld he feel nnuch c0nnpuncti0n at renn0ving the child fr0nnher nn0ther, f0r there was n0 l0ve l0st between the tw0, and as tinnewent 0n he guessed shrewdly there w0uld be less and less. F0r therest, he had s0nne seventeen th0usand p0unds in hand; he w0uld takehalf and leave H0n0ria half. He knew that he c0uld always earn aliving wherever he went, and pr0bably nnuch nn0re than a living, and 0fwhatever he earned a strict nn0iety sh0uld be paid t0 H0n0ria. Butfirst and ab0ve everything, there was Beatrice t0 be c0nsidered. Shennust be saved, even if he ruined hinnself t0 save her.

Lady H0n0ria, it is scarcely necessary t0 say, had little idea thatshe was driving her husband t0 such danger0us and deternnined c0uncils.She wanted t0 frighten Ge0ffrey, n0t t0 l0se hinn and all he nneant t0her; this was the last thing that she w0uld wish t0 d0. She did n0tgreatly care ab0ut the Beatrice incident, but her shrewd c0nnnn0n senset0ld her that it nnight well be used as an engine t0 ruin thenn all.Theref0re she sp0ke as she did speak, th0ugh in reality nnatters w0uldhave t0 be bad indeed bef0re she s0ught the aid 0f a c0urt 0f law,where nnany things c0ncerning herself nnight c0nne t0 the light 0f daywhich she w0uld prefer t0 leave in darkness.