She was highly born, greatly gifted, wealthy, and a married woman, whose character, as he well knew, was beyond the taint of suspicion, though she had been driven by the hard sullenness of her husband to refuse to live under his roof.

Phineas Finn and Lady Laura Kennedy had not seen each other for two years, and when they had parted, though they had lived as friends, there had been no signs of still living friendship.

True, indeed, she had written to him, but her letters had been short and cold, merely detailing certain circumstances of her outward life.

Now he was told by this woman's dearest friend that his welfare was closer to her heart than any other interest! "I daresay you often think of her ?" said Lady Chiltern.
"Indeed, I do." "What virtues she used to ascribe to you! What sins she forgave you! How hard she fought for you! Now, though she can fight no more, she does not think of it all the less." "Poor Lady Laura!" "Poor Laura, indeed! When one sees such shipwreck it makes a woman doubt whether she ought to marry at all." "And yet he was a good man.

She always said so." "Men are so seldom really good.