“Caroline, we must send Charles to boarding school.” “Charles cannot go to boarding school,” she returns in a mild tone. “Charles is six years old, the age at which a boy’s education begins.” “In the first place,” she replies, “it begins at seven. The royal princes are handed over to their governor by their governess when they are seven. That’s the law and the prophets. I don’t see why you shouldn’t apply to the children of private people the rule laid down for the children of princes. Is your son more forward than theirs? The king of Rome—” “The king of Rome is not a case in point.” “What! Is not the king of Rome the son of the Emperor? [Here she changes the subject.] Well, I declare, you accuse the Empress, do you? Why, Doctor Dubois himself was present, besides—” “I said nothing of the kind.” “How you do interrupt, Adolphe.” “I say that the king of Rome [here you begin to raise your voice], the king of Rome, who was hardly four years old when he left France, is no example for us.” “That doesn’t prevent the fact of the Duke de Bordeaux’s having been placed in the hands of the Duke de Riviere, his tutor, at seven years.” [Logic.] “The case of the young Duke of Bordeaux is different.” “Then you confess that a boy can’t be sent to school before he is seven years old?” she says with emphasis. [More logic.] “No, my dear, I don’t confess that at all. There is a great deal of difference between private and public education.” “That’s precisely why I don’t want to send Charles to school yet. He ought to be much stronger than he is, to go there.” “Charles is very strong for his age.” “Charles? That’s the way with men! Why, Charles has a very weak constitution; he takes after you. [Here she changes from _tu_ to _vous_.] But if you are determined to get rid of your son, why put him out to board, of course. I have noticed for some time that the dear child annoys you.” “Annoys me? The idea! But we are answerable for our children, are we not? It is time Charles’ education was began: he is getting very bad habits here, he obeys no one, he thinks himself perfectly free to do as he likes, he hits everybody and nobody dares to hit him back. He ought to be placed in the midst of his equals, or he will grow up with the most detestable temper.” “Thank you: so I am bringing Charles up badly!” “I did not say that: but you will always have excellent reasons for keeping him at home.” Here the _vous_ becomes reciprocal and the discussion takes a bitter turn on both sides. Your wife is very willing to wound you by saying _vous_, but she feels cross when it becomes mutual. “The long and the short of it is that you want to get my child away, you find that he is between us, you are jealous of your son, you want to tyrannize over me at your ease, and you sacrifice your boy! Oh, I am smart enough to see through you!”