It is too bad, I say!"
"It is really curious, Honoria," said her husband, "to see what
obligations you are ready to put yourself under in search of pleasure.
It is not dignified of you to accept boxes at theatres from this
gentleman."
"Nonsense. There is no obligation about it. If he gave us a box, of
course he would make a point of looking in during the evening, and then
telling his friends that it was Lady Honoria Bingham he was speaking
to--that is the exchange. I want to go to the theatre; he wants to get
into good society--there you have the thing in a nutshell. It is done
every day. The fact of the matter is, Geoffrey," she went on, looking
very much as though she were about to burst into a flood of angry tears,
"as I said just now, beggars cannot be choosers--I cannot live like
the wife of a banker's clerk. I must have _some_ amusement, and _some_
comfort, before I become an old woman. If you don't like it, why did you
entrap me into this wretched marriage, before I was old enough to know
better, or why do you not make enough money to keep me in a way suitable
to my position?"
"We have argued that question before, Honoria," said Geoffrey, keeping
his temper with difficulty, "and now there is another thing I wish to
say to you.
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