Third Period Chapter 41 The Man is Found

The unworthy scheme, by means of which Lord Harry had proposed to
extricate himself from his pecuniary responsibilities, had led to
serious consequences. It had produced a state of deliberate
estrangement between man and wife.

Iris secluded herself in her own room. Her husband passed the hours of
every day away from the cottage; sometimes in the company of the
doctor, sometimes among his friends in Paris. His wife suffered acutely
under the self-imposed state of separation, to which wounded pride and
keenly felt resentment compelled her to submit. No friend was near her,
in whose compassionate advice she might have token refuge. Not even the
sympathy of her maid was offered to the lonely wife.

With the welfare of Iris as her one end in view, Fanny Mere honestly
believed that it would be better and safer for Lady Harry if she and
her husband finally decided on living separate lives. The longer my
lord persisted in keeping the doctor with him as his guest, the more
perilously he was associated with a merciless wretch, who would be
capable of plotting the ruin of anyone--man or woman, high person or
low person--who might happen to be an obstacle in his way. So far as a
person in her situation could venture on taking the liberty, the maid
did her best to widen the breach between her master and her mistress.

While Fanny was making the attempt to influence Lady Harry, and only
producing irritation as the result, Vimpany was exerting stronger
powers of persuasion in the effort to prejudice the Irish lord against
any proposal for reconciliation which might reach him through his wife.