“I should think not, Honoria, seeing how things are.”

“I am not jealous, I repeat, but please understand that I will not have this go on, in your own interests and mine.  Why, what a fool you must be.  Don’t you know that a man who has risen, as you have, has a hundred enemies ready to spring on him like a pack of wolves and tear him to pieces?  Why many even of those who fawn upon you and flatter you to your face, hate you bitterly in secret, because you have succeeded where they have failed.  Don’t you know also that there are papers here in London which would give hundreds of pounds for the chance of publishing such a scandal as this, especially against a powerful political opponent.  Let it once come out that this obscure girl is your mistress——­”

“Honoria, I tell you she is nothing of the sort.  It is true I carried her from my room in a fainting fit, but she came there in her sleep.”

Lady Honoria laughed.  “Really, Geoffrey, I wonder that you think it worth while to tell me such nonsense.  Keep it for the divorce court, if ever we get there, and see what a jury says to it.  Look here; be sensible.  I am not a moralist, and I am not going to play the outraged wife unless you force me to it.  I do not mean to take any further notice of this interesting little tale as against you.  But if you go on with it, beware!  I will not be made to look a fool.  If you are going to be ruined you can be ruined by yourself.  I warn you frankly, that at the first sign of it, I shall put myself in the right by commencing proceedings against you.  Now, of course, I know this, that in the event of a smash, you would be glad enough to be rid of me in order that you might welcome your dear Beatrice in my place.  But there are two things to remember:  first, that you could not marry her, supposing you to be idiot enough to wish to do so, because I should only get a judicial separation, and you would still have to support me.  Secondly, if I go, Effie goes with me, for I have a right to claim her at law; and that fact, my dear Geoffrey, makes me mistress of the situation, because I do not suppose that you would part with Effie even for the sake of Miss Beatrice.  And now I will leave you to think it over.”

And with a little nod she sailed out of the room, completely victorious.  She was indeed, reflected Geoffrey, “mistress of the situation.”  Supposing that she brought a suit against him where would he be?  She must have evidence, or she would not have known the story.  The whole drama had clearly been witnessed by someone, probably either by Elizabeth or the servant girl, and that some one had betrayed it to Honoria and possibly to others.  The thought made him sick.  He was a man of the world, and a practical lawyer, and though, indeed, they were innocent, he knew that under the circumstances few would be found to believe it.  At the very best there must be a terrible and shocking scandal, and Beatrice would lose her good name.  He placed himself in the position of counsel for the petitioner in a like case, and thought how he would crush and crumple such a defence in his address to the jury.  A probable tale forsooth!