of demanding
infallibility of women, they were to make women's duties and virtues
easier by showing less indulgence for men, and by declaring that, in
matrimony, the same conjugal virtues are expected alike of men as of
women.

CHAPTER III

THE ROSE, THE LILY, AND THE VIOLET; OR, HOW DIFFERENT METHODS APPEAL TO
DIFFERENT WOMEN

The man butterfly is the most dangerous member of society. He is
generally handsome, amiable, persuasive, and witty. He may be in
succession cheerful, light-hearted, poetical, and sentimental.

If he comes to the rose, he says to her in his sweetest voice: 'You are
beautiful, and I love you tenderly, ardently. I feel I can devote my
whole life to you. If you can love me, I can reward your love with a
century of constancy and faithfulness.'

'Oh!' says the rose, with an air of incredulity, 'I know what the
faithfulness of the butterfly is.'

'There are all sorts of butterflies,' he gently intimates; 'I know that
some of them have committed perjury and deceived roses, but I am not one
of them. Of the butterfly I have only the wings, to always bring me back
to you. I am a one-rose butterfly; if the others are inconstant,
unfaithful, liars, I am innocent of their faults. I swear, if you will
not listen to me, I shall die, and in dying for you there will be
happiness still.'

The rose is touched, moved and charmed with this passionate language.
'How he loves me!' she thinks. 'After all, if butterflies are generally
perfidious, it is not his fault; he is not one of that sort.'

The rose yields; she gives up to him her whole soul, all her most
exquisite perfume. After he is saturated, he takes his flight.

'Where are you going?' asks the rose.

'Where am I going?' he says, with a protecting sneer. 'Why, I am going
to visit the other flowers, your rivals.'

'But you swore you would be faithful to me!'

'I know, my dear; a butterfly's oath, nothing more. You should have been
wiser, and not allowed yourself to be taken in.'

Then he goes in the neighbourhood of a beautiful, haughty, vain lily.
Meantime an ugly bumble comes near the rose and tries to sting her. She
calls the butterfly to her help, but he does not even deign to answer.
For him the rose is the past and the lily the present. He is no more
grateful than he is faithful.

WHEN HE MEETS THE LILY

With the lily, whom he understands well, he knows he has to proceed in
quite a different manner. He must use flattery.