What her enemies had said were lies--all of them.

Her fear lay in quite a different direction.
Her poor, blind, helpless husband was in ignorance of that terrible chapter of her own life--a chapter which she had believed to be closed for ever, and yet which was, by means of a chain of unexpected circumstances, in imminent danger of being reopened.
"Well," she inquired at last in a blank voice, "and who are those others who, you believe, would be prepared to denounce me ?" "Certain persons who envy you your position, and who, perhaps, think that you do not treat poor old Sir Henry quite properly." "But I do treat him properly!" she declared vehemently.

"If he prefers the society of that chit of a girl of his to mine, how can I possibly help it?
Besides, people surely must know that, to me, the society of a blind old man is not exactly conducive to gaiety.

I would only like to put those women who malign me into my place for a single year.

Perhaps they would become even more reckless of the _convenances_ than I am!" "My dear Winnie," he said, "what's the use of discussing such an old and threadbare theme?
Things are not always what they seem, as the man with a squint said when he thought he saw two sovereigns where there was but one.