which gentleness must predominate.
Wives are bound to obey their husbands, but obedience cannot be
exacted from wives, as it may from servants, by aid of law and
with penalties, or as from a horse, by punishments and manger
curtailments. A man should be master in his own house, but he should
make his mastery palatable, equitable, smooth, soft to the touch,
a thing almost unfelt. How was he to do all this now, when he had
already given an order to which obedience had been refused unless
under certain stipulations,--an agreement with which would be
degradation to him? He had pointed out to his wife her duty, and she
had said she would do her duty as pointed out, on condition that he
would beg her pardon for having pointed it out! This he could not and
would not do. Let the heavens fall,--and the falling of the heavens
in this case was a separation between him and his wife,--but he would
not consent to such injustice as that!

But what was he to do at this moment,--especially with reference to
that note which he had destroyed. At last he resolved to write to his
wife, and he consequently did write and send to her the following
letter:--

May 4.

DEAREST EMILY,

If Colonel Osborne should write to you again, it will
be better that you should not open his letter. As you
know his handwriting, you will have no difficulty in so
arranging. Should any further letter come from Colonel
Osborne addressed to you, you had better put it under
cover to me, and take no notice of it yourself.

I shall dine at the club to-day. We were to have gone to
Mrs. Peacock's in the evening. You had better write a line
to say that we shall not be there. I am very sorry that
Nora should lose her evening. Pray think very carefully
over what I have asked of you. My request to you is, that
you shall give me a promise that you will not willingly
see Colonel Osborne again. Of course you will understand
that this is not supposed to extend to accidental
meetings, as to which, should they occur,--and they would
be sure to occur,--you would find that they would be
wholly unnoticed by me.

But I must request that you will comply with my wish in
this matter. If you will send for me, I will go to you
instantly, and after one word from you to the desired
effect, you will find that there will be no recurrence by
me to a subject so hateful. As I have done, and am doing
what I th