"No, not so bad as that," said he. "Of course there is a scandal, but it makes a deal of difference whether the scandal is a famous or an infamous one. If the woman's standing is high in other respects,--if she has money, political influence, talent, attractiveness,--there is very little made of it; or if society feels itself particularly insulted, she may conciliate it by marrying an honest man whose respectability and position protect her." "What! does an honest man--a gentleman--ever marry such a woman as that?" I cried. "Frequently; and sometimes they make very good wives. But it is risky. I have a friend, a capital fellow, who was so unfortunate as to attract such a woman, and who finally yielded to her persuasions and married her." "Heavens! do the women propose?" "Certainly, when they choose to do so; what is there objectionable in that?" I made no reply, and he continued, "My friend, as I said, succumbed to her pleadings partly--as I believe--because she threw herself upon his mercy, though she is a beautiful woman, and he might have been fascinated to some extent. She told him that his love and protection would be her salvation, and that his denial of her would result in her total ruin; and that for his sake she would reform her life. He is both chivalrous and tender, and, withal, a little romantic, and he consented. My opinion is that, if she could have had him without marriage, she would have preferred it; but he is a true man, a man of honor. Women of her sort like virtuous men, and seldom marry any other. Her love proved to be an ephemeral passion--such as she had had before--and the result has been what you might expect, though Claris is not, by any means, the worst woman in the world." "Claris?" I exclaimed. "Ah! I did not mean to speak her name," he returned in some confusion; "and I had forgotten that you knew her. Well, yes, since I have gone so far, it is my friend Massilia's wife that I have been speaking of. In some respects she is an admirable woman, but she has broken her husband's heart and ruined his life." "Admirable!" I repeated with scorn; "why, in my country, such conduct would damn a woman eternally, no matter what angelic qualities she might possess. She would be shown no quarter in any society--save the very lowest." "And how about her counterpart of the other sex?" asked Severnius, slyly. I disregarded this, and returned: "Did he not get a divorce?" "No; the law does not grant a divorce in such a case. There was where Claris was shrewder than her husband; she made herself safe by confessing her misdeeds to him, and cajoling him into marrying her in spite of them." "I beg your pardon, but what a fool he was!" Severnius acquiesced in this. "I tried to dissuade him," he said, "before the miserable business was consummated,--he made me his confidant,--but it was too late, she had him under her influence."