The strong word "degradation," recurring here in relation to Mrs Gould's ideal, reminds us that she too is one of the novel's idealists, and is not exempt from the general fate. We are tempted to see her as a victim here, her ideal "degraded" by the mine and her husband's obsession, both of which deny her "life" and "love." But she has just made the "immense" allegorical decision to preserve the system in all its proprieties. Her continued acceptance of her loveless marriage, wealth and position make her, like the others, an active agent in her ideal's degradation.