Lady Honoria, it is scarcely necessary to say, had little idea that she was driving her husband to such dangerous and determined councils.  She wanted to frighten Geoffrey, not to lose him and all he meant to her; this was the last thing that she would wish to do.  She did not greatly care about the Beatrice incident, but her shrewd common sense told her that it might well be used as an engine to ruin them all.  Therefore she spoke as she did speak, though in reality matters would have to be bad indeed before she sought the aid of a court of law, where many things concerning herself might come to the light of day which she would prefer to leave in darkness.

Nor did she stop here; she determined to attack Geoffrey’s position in another way, namely, through Beatrice herself.  For a long time Honoria hesitated as to the method of this attack.  She had some knowledge of the world and of character, and from what she knew of Beatrice she came to the sound conclusion that she was not a woman to be threatened, but rather one to be appealed to.  So after much thought she wrote to her thus:—­

“A story, which I still hesitate to believe, has come to me by means of anonymous letters, as to your conduct with my husband.  I do not wish to repeat it now, further than to say that, if true, it establishes circumstances which leave no doubt as to the existence of relations so intimate between you as to amount to guilt.  It may not be true or it may, in which latter event I wish to say this:  With your morality I have nothing to do; it is your affair.  Nor do I wish to plead to you as an injured wife or to reproach you, for there are things too wicked for mere reproach.  But I will say this:  if the story is true, I must presume that you have some affection for the partner of your shame.  I put myself out of the question, and in the name of that affection, however guilty it may be, I ask you to push matters no further.  To do so will be to bring its object to utter ruin. If you care for him, sever all connection with him utterly and for ever. Otherwise he will live to curse and hate you.  Should you neglect this advice, and should the facts that I have heard become public property, I warn you, as I have already warned him, that in self-preservation and for the sake of self-respect, I shall be forced to appeal to the law for my remedy.  Remember that his career is at stake, and that in losing it and me he will lose also his child.  Remember that if this comes about it will be through you.  Do not answer this, it will do no good, for I shall naturally put no faith in your protestations, but if you are in any way or measure guilty of this offence, appealing to you as one woman to another, and for the sake of the man who is dear to both, I say do your best to redeem the evil, by making all further communication between yourself and him an impossibility.  H.B.”