Now that it had dawned upon her that her husband really was a success, Honoria’s manner towards him modified very considerably. She even became amiable, and once or twice almost affectionate. When Geoffrey told her of the twenty thousand pounds she was radiant. “Why, we shall be able to go back to Bolton Street now,” she said, “and as luck will have it, our old house is to let. I saw a bill in the window yesterday.” “Yes,” he said, “you can go back as soon as you like.” “And can we keep a carriage?” “No, not yet; I am doing well, but not well enough for that. Next year, if I live, you will be able to have a carriage. Don’t begin to grumble, Honoria. I have got £150 to spare, and if you care to come round to a jeweller’s you can spend it on what you like.” “Oh, you delightful person!” said his wife. So they went to the jeweller’s, and Lady Honoria bought ornaments to the value of £150, 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. It gave her a positive physical satisfaction; her beauty, which had begun to fade, came back to her; she looked five years younger. And all the while Geoffrey watched her with an ever-growing scorn.