would not leave him, then. 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.
"Why"--as if suddenly recollecting something--"here is my will. I shall
be leaving that about on the table next. Iris, my dear, I have left
everything to you. All will be yours." He took out the document. "Keep
it for me, Iris. It is yours. You may as well have it now, and then I
know, in your careful hands, it will be quite safe. Not only is
everything left to you, but you are the sole executrix."

Iris took the will without a word. She understood, now, what it meant.
If she was the sole executrix she would have to act. If everything was
left to her she would have to receive the money. Thus, at a single
step, she became not only cognisant of the conspiracy, but the chief
agent and instrument to carry it out.

This done, her husband had only to tell her what had to be done at
once, in consequence of her premature arrival. He had planned, he told
her, not to send for her--not to let her know or suspect anything of
the truth until the money had been paid to the widow by the Insurance
Company. As things had turned out, it would be best for both of them to
leave Passy at once--that very evening--before her arrival was known by
anybody, and to let Vimpany carry out the rest of the business. He was
quite to be trust