All 6 Uses of

consequence
in
Washington Square, by Henry James

She was not absolutely veracious; but this defect was of no great consequence, for she had never had anything to conceal.†
Chpt 2 *

consequence = importance

She wondered what she ought to say, and what would be the consequences of her saying nothing.†
Chpt 4 *

consequences = results

There is nothing against you but an accident, if you will; but with my thirty years' medical practice, I have seen that accidents may have far-reaching consequences.†
Chpt 12

It could only have been at the prompting of such a sentiment that he presently mentioned to her that the course recommended by Mrs. Penniman was an immediate union, regardless of consequences.†
Chpt 20

I have passed, in consequence, into the exasperated stage.†
Chpt 27

consequence = result

Definitions:

(1) (consequence as in: a direct consequence of)
a result of something (often an undesired side effect)
(2) (consequence as in: of little consequence)
importance or relevance
(3) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
meaning too rare to warrant focus:

In classic literature, consequential may refer to someone with too much feeling of self-importance as when Dickens wrote "Because he's a proud, haughty, consequential, turned-up-nosed peacock."

Self-consequence was used in a similar manner, but is more easily understood by modern readers since important is one of the modern senses of consequence.

Another classic sense of consequent that is similar to importance or significance refers to "material wealth or prominence" as when Jane Austen wrote: "They had each had money, but their marriages had made a material difference in their degree of consequence."