appeared Lady Wilde was not in the house at Merrion Square, but was away at
Bray, as one of the children had not been well, and she thought the sea air
would benefit him. Dr. Wilde was alone in the house. Miss Travers called and
was admitted into Dr. Wilde's study. He put her on her knees before him and
bared her neck, pretending to examine the burn; he fondled her too much and
pressed her to him: she took offence and tried to draw away. Somehow or other
his hand got entangled in a chain at her neck. She called out to him, "You are
suffocating me," and tried to rise: but he cried out like a madman: "I will,
I want to," and pressed what seemed to be a handkerchief over her face.
She declared that she lost consciousness.

When she came to herself she found Dr. Wilde frantically imploring her to come
to her senses, while dabbing water on her face, and offering her wine to drink.

"If you don't drink," he cried, "I'll pour it over you."

For some time, she said, she scarcely realized where she was or what had
occurred, though she heard him talking. But gradually consciousness came back
to her, and though she would not open her eyes she understood what he was
saying. He talked frantically:

"Do be reasonable, and all will be right. . . I am in your power . . . . spare
me, oh, spare me . . . . strike me if you like. I wish to God I could hate you,
but I can't. I swore I would never touch your hand again. Attend to me and do
what I tell you. Have faith and confidence in me and you may remedy the past
and go to Australia. Think of the talk this may give rise to. Keep up
appearances for your own sake. . . . ."

He then took her up-stairs to a bedroom and made her drink some wine and lie
down for some time. She afterwards left the house; she hardly knew how; he