six weeks married; he looked at
her for one moment sternly, the next he was at her feet. 'Forgive me,
dearest Fanny,--forgive me, for I cannot forgive myself. I was too great
a wretch to say what I did; and do believe, my own Fanny, that while
I may be too poor to indulge you in it, I do from my heart admire so
noble, so disinterested, a generosity.' Not a little proud did I feel
to have been the cause of this exemplary husband's admiration for his
amiable wife, and sincerely did I rejoice at having taken up my abode
with these _poor_ people. But not to tire you, my dear sisters, with the
minutiae of detail, I shall briefly say that things did not long remain
in this delightful position; for before many months had elapsed, poor
Fanny had to bear with her husband's increased and more frequent
storms of passion, unfollowed by any halcyon and honeymoon suings for
forgiveness: for at my instigation every shilling went; and when there
were no more to go, her trinkets and even her clothes followed. The
lieutenant became a complete brute, and even allowed his unbridled
tongue to call me--me, sisters, _me_!--'heartless Extravagance.' His
despicable brother-officers and their gossiping wives were no better;
for they did nothing but animadvert upon my Fanny's ostentation and
absurdity, for by such names had they the impertinence to call _me_.
Thus grieved to the soul to find myself the cause of all poor Fanny's
misfortunes, I resolved at the end of the year to leave her, being
thoroughly convinced that, however amiable and praiseworthy I might be
in myself, I was totally unfit to be bosom friend and adviser to the
wife of a lieutenant in a marching regiment, with only one hundred
pounds a year besides his pay."

The Virtues groaned their sympathy with the unfortunate Fanny; and
Prudence, turning to Justice, said, "I long to hear what you have been
doing, for I am certain you cannot have occasioned harm to any one."

Justice shook her head and said: "Alas! I find that there are times and
places when even I do better not to appear, as a short account of my
adventures will prove to you. No sooner had I left you than I instantly
repaired to India, and took up my abode with a Brahmin. I was much
shocked by the dreadful inequalities of condition that reigned in
the several castes, and I longed to relieve the poor Pariah from his
ignominious destiny; accordingly I set seriously to work on reform.
I insisted upon the iniquity of abandon