continued insistently. His tone was so impressive that it evidently vanquished his hearers, and even the lady felt crushed but still did not give in.
“Yes, but I think you will agree that a woman is a human being and has feelings as a man has. What is she to do then, if she does not love her husband?”
“Does not love!” said the tradesman severely, moving his brows and lips. “She’ll love, no fear!” this unexpected argument particularly pleased the clerk, and he emitted a sound of approval.
“Oh, no, she won’t!” the lady began. “And when there is no love you can’t enforce it.”
“Well, and supposing the wife is unfaithful, what then?” asked the lawyer.
“That is not admissible,” said the old man. “One has to see to that.”
“But if it happens, what then? You know it does occur.”
“It happens among some, but not among us,” said the old man.
All were silent. The clerk moved, came still nearer, and, evidently unwilling to be behind hand, began with a smile.
“Yes, a young fellow of ours had a scandal. It was a difficult case to deal with. It too was a case of a woman who was a bad lot. She began to play the devil, and the young fellow is respectable and cultured. At first it was with one of the office clerks. The husband tried to persuade her with kindness. She would not stop, but played all sorts of dirty tricks. Then she began to steal his money. He beat her, but she only grew worse. Carried on intrigues, if I may mention it, with an unchristened Jew. What was he to do? He turned her out altogether and lives as a bachelor, while she gads about.”