undoubtedly _is_
ridiculous and perverted, it must nevertheless be respected,
particularly by a lady; otherwise the world, (which is public opinion,)
calls her a harlot--points at her the finger of scorn--excludes her from
all decent society, and she is forever disgraced and ruined. I must
preserve my reputation and position as a lady, no matter at what cost,
or what sacrifice; ardently as I long for the delights of love, I shall
never, to enjoy them, surrender my personal freedom by marriage, or my
character by yielding to the solicitations of a lover,--unless, in the
latter case, I should unfortunately, while in the intoxication of
excited passion, grant the favors which he asks; which I pray heaven may
never happen to me! It is all very well, sir," continued the Duchess,
assuming a tone of arch vivacity--"it is all very well for you _men_ to
be in such continual readiness to indulge in the joys of Venus, whenever
opportunity presents itself; for this odious public opinion is very
lenient with you, gay deceivers that you are, and kindly pardons and
even smiles at your amorous frailties; but we poor women, good heavens!
must not swerve six inches from the straight path of rectitude marked
out for us, under pain of eternal condemnation and disgrace; and thus we
are either driven into matrimony, or are obliged to deprive ourselves of
a bliss (to use your own language) which is the rightful inheritance of
every man and woman on the face of the earth. Well," added the Duchess,
in a tone of mock melancholy which was irresistibly charming,--"poor _I_
must submit to the stern decree, as well as the rest of those
unfortunate mortals called women;--unfortunate because they _are_ women,
and because they are even more ardent in their passions than those who
have the happiness to be men. Let me congratulate you, sir, on your
felicity in belonging to a sex which possesses the exclusive privilege
of unrestricted amative enjoyment; and I am sure you will not refuse to
sympathize with me on my misfortune, in having been born one of those
wretched beings who are doomed to be forever shut out from a Paradise
for which they long,--a Paradise whose bright portals are guarded by the
savage monster, Public Opinion, which ruthlessly denies the admission
within its flowery precincts, of every poor daughter of Eve."

Mr. Tickels had listened with breathless attention to the words of the
Duchess; he plainly saw that she was not to be subdued by