"
"Oh, you delightful person!" said his wife.
So they went to the jeweller's, and Lady Honoria bought ornaments to
the value of L150, and carried them home and hung over them, as another
class of woman might hang over her first-born child, admiring them with
a tender ecstasy. Whenever he had a sum of money that he could afford
to part with, Geoffrey would take her thus to a jeweller's or a
dressmaker's, and stand by coldly while she bought things to its value.
Lady Honoria was delighted. It never entered into her mind that in a
sense he was taking a revenge upon her, and that every fresh exhibition
of her rejoicings over the good things thus provided added to his
contempt for her.
Those were happy days for Lady Honoria! She rejoiced in this return of
wealth like a school-boy at the coming of the holidays, or a half-frozen
wanderer at the rising of the sun. She had been miserable during all
this night of poverty, as miserable as her nature admitted of, now
she was happy again, as she understood happiness. For bred, educated,
civilized--what you will--out of the more human passions, Lady Honoria
had replaced them by this idol-worship of wealth, or rather of what
wealth brings.
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