ends
with as much civility as if she had liked them. He found that his house
was conducted with the utmost prudence, and that while she maintained
his credit at his table, her personal expenses were almost nothing:
indeed, self seemed nearly annihilated in her. He sometimes felt
disappointed, because he had no cause of complaint, and was angry that
he had nothing to condemn.

"As he has a very fine understanding, he was the more provoked, because
he could not help seeing that her blameless conduct put him continually
in the wrong. All this puzzled him. He never suspected there was a
principle, out of which such consequences could grow, and was ready to
attribute to insensibility, that patience which nothing short of
Christian piety could have inspired. He had conceived of religion as a
visionary system of words and phrases, and concluded that from so
unsubstantial a theory, it would be a folly to look for practical
effects.

"Sometimes, when he saw her nursing his child, of whom he was very fond,
he was almost tempted to admire the mother, who is a most pleasing
figure; and now and then when his heart was thus softened for a moment,
he would ask himself, what reasonable ground of objection there was
either to her mind or person?

"Mrs. Carlton, knowing that his affairs must necessarily be embarrassed,
by the extraordinary expenses he had incurred, when the steward brought
her usual year's allowance she refused to take more than half, and
ordered him to employ the remainder on his master's account. The
faithful old man was ready to weep, and could not forbear saying,
'Madam, you could not do more for a kind husband. Besides, it is but a
drop of water in the ocean.' 'That drop,' said she, 'it is my duty to
contribute.' When the steward communicated this to Carlton, he was
deeply affected, refused to take the money, and again was driven to
resort to the wonderful principle from which such right but difficult
actions could proceed."

Here I interrupted Mr. Stanley. "I am quite of the steward's opinion,"
said I. "That a woman should do this and much more for the man who loved
her, and whom she loved, is quite intelligible to every being who has a
heart. But for a cruel, unfeeling tyrant! I do not comprehend it. What
say you, Miss Stanley?"

"Under the circumstance you suppose," said she, blushing, "I think the
woman would have no shadow of merit; her conduct would be a mere
gratification, an entire indulgence of her o