He might take counsel privately with his only surviving partner, Mrs.Wagner.

Mrs.Wagner might recall the interview in the drawing-room, and the conversation about Jack; and might see her way to consulting Jack's recollections of his illness at Wurzburg.

The risk to herself of encountering these dangers was trifling.

But the risk to Minna involved nothing less than the breaking off of the marriage.

She decided on keeping up appearances, at any sacrifice, until the marriage released her from the necessities of disguise.
So it came back again to the question of how the money was to be found.
Had she any reasonable hope of success, if she asked for a few days' leave of absence, and went to Wurzburg?
Would the holder of the bill allow her to renew it for a fortnight?
She got up, and consulted her glass--and turned away from it again, with a sigh.