She accepted the situation. He was
amazed at the readiness with which she fell; but he did not understand
how she was ready to cling to him, for better for worse, through worse
evils than this; nor could he understand how things formerly impossible
to her had been rendered possible by the subtle deterioration of the
moral nature, when a woman of lofty mind at the beginning loves and is
united to a man of lower nature and coarser fibre than herself. Only a
few months before, Iris would have swept aside these sophistrics with
swift and resolute hand. Now she accepted them.
"You have fallen into the doctor's hands, dear," she said. "Pray Heaven
it brings us not into worse evils! What can I say? it is through love
of your wife--through love of your wife--oh! husband!" she threw
herself into his arms, and forgave everything and accepted everything.
Henceforth she would be--though this she knew not--the willing
instrument of the two conspirators.
CHAPTER LIV
ANOTHER STEP
"I HAVE left this terrible thing about once too often already," and
Lord Harry took it from the table. "Let me put it in a place of
safety."
He unlocked a drawer and opened it. "I will put it here," he said.
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