honestly and
loyally to remember this lesson. I do not advise you to reply in the way
that other women are accustomed to when similar proposals are made
to them. I know what they would say, which would be somewhat to this
effect. 'Oh, husband! what do you mean by speaking like that? How could
you have such a cruel, unjust opinion of me? How can you imagine that I
should commit such an abominable crime? No! no! God forbid that I should
make you such a promise. I will rather wish that the earth may open and
swallow me up alive the day and hour--I will not say commit--but even
think of committing such a sin.

"My dear wife, I have shown you this way of replying in order that you
may not use the same to me. I firmly and truly believe that at the
present moment you are fully determined to remain chaste, and I desire
you to remain of that opinion as long as nature will permit you. And
understand that I do not wish you to break your vows unless you are
unable to battle against the appetites of your frail and weak youth."

When the good merchant had finished his speech, his fair, kind, and
gentle wife, her face all suffused with blushes, trembled, and could not
for some moments reply to what her husband had said. Soon her blushes
vanished, her confidence returned, and calling up all her courage, she
replied in these words;

"My kind, and greatly beloved husband, I assure you that never have I
been so disturbed and troubled by any speech I have ever heard, as I
am now by your words, by which I learn something that I never heard or
guessed. You know my simplicity, youth, and innocence, and you say that
it is not possible at my age to avoid committing such a fault, and that
you are sure and know positively that when you are away I shall not be
able to preserve our marriage vow in its integrity. That speech greatly
vexed my heart, and made me tremble, and I do not know how I can reply
to your arguments. You have deprived me of the reply I should have made,
but I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that with joined hands I
beg most humbly of God that he may cause an abyss to open in which I may
be thrown, that my limbs may be torn off, and that I may suffer a most
cruel death, if ever the day comes when I shall not only be disloyal to
our marriage vow, but even think for a brief moment of being disloyal.
How, and in what manner I could be brought to commit such a crime, I am
unable to comprehend. And as you have forbidden me