The House of Mirth: Book II, Chapters III and IV

The death of Mrs. Peniston in Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth causes Miss Bart to not only have to pay her debts to Mr. Trenor, but also leaves her alone and independent. Miss Bart ended up not recieving her aunt's large amount of money and estate, so all of her friends began to ignore her. Now she questions who her true friends are that she can trust. Toward the end of this section Miss Bart visits Miss Stepney in order to find out about the money legacies. While having a conversation with Miss Stepney, Miss Bart is blamed for being the reason for Mrs. Peniston's death. Miss Stepney claims that Mrs. Peniston died because of, "Rumours about your affairs that made her most unhappy" (Wharton, 187). I find this accusation to contain a great deal of irony because Miss Stepney was the person who informed Mrs. Peniston of the rumours that were circulating about Miss Bart. Miss Stepney even informs Miss Bart that she had no idea what the rumours were about. Miss Stepney is not only hiding the truth, but she is attempting to put the blame on Miss Bart. Moreover, Miss Bart not only feels abandoned and alone, but now she will most likely feel responsible for the death of her caring aunt.