Robert says this right after he muses on how women are the stronger sex who use their agency to influence men. Though this comment in itself might seem extremely misogynistic, Robert is also reflecting a common suspicion toward powerful women during the Victorian era, based on the prejudiced assumption that women were less moral than men. This quote shows Robert’s growing suspicion that the women (or woman) in George’s life have used their agency for evil. Robert’s perspective is biased towards men, however, since he blames George’s wife for George being cut off from his family, when George’s father is…