treet till I want him again. Never mind that! I have something to
say to you about Fanny. She thinks of her own troubles, poor soul, when
she talks to me, and exaggerates a little without meaning it. I hope
she has not misled you in speaking of her master. It is base and bad of
him, unworthy of a gentleman, to be jealous--and he has wounded me
deeply. But dear Hugh, his jealousy is a gentle jealousy. I have heard
of other men who watch their wives--who have lost all confidence in
them--who would even have taken away from me such a trifle as this."
She smiled, and showed to Mountjoy her duplicate key of the cottage
door. "Ah, Harry is above such degrading distrust as that! There are
times when he is as heartily ashamed of his own weakness as I could
wish him to be. I have seen him on his knees before me, shocked at his
conduct. He is no hypocrite. Indeed, his repentance is sincere, while
it lasts--only it doesn't last! His jealousy rises and falls, like the
wind. He said last night (when the wind was high): 'If you wish to make
me the happiest creature on the face of the earth, don't encourage Mr.
Mountjoy to remain in Paris!' Try to make allowances for him!"

"I would rather make allowances, Iris, for you. Do _you,_ too wish me
to leave Paris?"

Sitting very near to him--nearer than her husband might have liked to
see--Iris drew away a little. "Did you mean to be cruel in saying
that?" she asked. "I don't deserve it."

"It was kindly meant," Hugh assured her. "If I can make your position
more endurable by going away, I will leave Paris to-morrow."

Iris moved back again to the place which she had already occupied. She
was eager to thank him (for a reason not yet mentioned) as she had
never thanked him yet. Silently and softly she offered her gratitude to
Hugh, by offering her cheek. The irritating influence of Lord Harry's
jealousy was felt by both of them at that moment. He kissed her
cheek--and lingered over it. She was the first to recover herself.

"When you spoke just now of my position with my husband," she said,
"you reminded me of anxieties, Hugh, in which you once shared, and of
services which I can never forget."

Preparing him in those words for the disclosure which she had now to
make, Iris alluded to the vagabond life of adventure which Lord Harry
had led. The restlessness in his nature which that life implied, had
latterly shown itself again; and his wife had traced the cause to a
letter from Ireland