We cannot believe that a husband, even of moderate intelligence, will fail to see through this feminine manoeuvre, when once he suspects its existence.

Meanwhile, you can judge from a single incident what means of police and of restraint remain to you in the event of such a correspondence.

A young lawyer, whose ardent passion exemplified certain of the principles dwelt upon in this important part of our work, had married a young person whose love for him was but slight; yet this circumstance he looked upon as an exceedingly happy one; but at the end of his first year of marriage he perceived that his dear Anna [for Anna was her name] had fallen in love with the head clerk of a stock-broker.

Adolph was a young man of about twenty-five, handsome in face and as fond of amusement as any other celibate.  He was frugal, discreet, possessed of an excellent heart, rode well, talked well, had fine black hair always curled, and dressed with taste.  In short, he would have done honor and credit to a duchess.  The advocate was ugly, short, stumpy, square-shouldered, mean-looking, and, moreover, a husband.  Anna, tall and pretty, had almond eyes, white skin and refined features.  She was all love; and passion lighted up her glance with a bewitching expression.  While her family was poor, Maitre Lebrun had an income of twelve thousand francs.  That explains all.

One evening Lebrun got home looking extremely chop-fallen.  He went into his study to work; but he soon came back shivering to his wife, for he had caught a fever and hurriedly went to bed.  There he lay groaning and lamenting for his clients and especially for a poor widow whose fortune he was to save the very next day by effecting a compromise.  An appointment had been made with certain business men and he was quite incapable of keeping it.  After having slept for a quarter of an hour, he begged his wife in a feeble voice to write to one of his intimate friends, asking him to take his (Lebrun’s) place next day at the conference.  He dictated a long letter and followed with his eye the space taken up on the paper by his phrases.  When he came to begin the second page of the last sheet, the advocate set out to describe to his confrere the joy which his client would feel on the signing of the compromise, and the fatal page began with these words: 

“My good friend, go for Heaven’s sake to Madame Vernon’s at once; you are expected with impatience there; she lives at No. 7 Rue de Sentier.  Pardon my brevity; but I count on your admirable good sense to guess what I am unable to explain.

“Tout a vous,”

“Give me the letter,” said the lawyer, “that I may see whether it is correct before signing it.”