Myangel——oroughtInotrathertosaymyimpofevil？——youhave，withoutmeaningit，grievedmesorely。Iwouldsaywoundedwerewenotonesoul。Andyetitispossibletowoundoneself。
Howplainitisthatyouhaveneverrealizedtheforceoftheword/indissoluble/asappliedtothecontractbindingmanandwoman!I
havenowishtocontrovertwhathasbeenlaiddownbyphilosophersorlegislators——theyarequitecapableofdoingthisforthemselves——but，dearone，inmakingmarriageirrevocableandimposingonitarelentlessformula，whichadmitsofnoexceptions，theyhaverenderedeachunionathingasdistinctasoneindividualisfromanother。Eachhasitsowninnerlawswhichdifferfromthoseofothers。Thelawsregulatingmarriedlifeinthecountry，forinstance，cannotbethesameasthoseregulatingahouseholdintown，wherefrequentdistractionsgivevarietytolife。Orconversely，marriedlifeinParis，whereexistenceisoneperpetualwhirl，mustdemanddifferenttreatmentfromthemorepeacefulhomeintheprovinces。
Butifplacealterstheconditionsofmarriage，muchmoredoescharacter。Thewifeofamanborntobealeaderneedonlyresignherselftohisguidance；whereasthewifeofafool，consciousofsuperiorpower，isboundtotakethereinsinherownhandifshewouldavertcalamity。
Youspeakofvice；anditispossiblethat，afterall，reasonandreflectionproducearesultnotdissimilarfromwhatwecallbythatname。Forwhatdoesawomanmeanbyitbutperversionoffeelingthroughcalculation？Passionisviciouswhenitreasons，admirableonlywhenitspringsfromtheheartandspendsitselfinsublimeimpulsesthatsetatnaughtallselfishconsiderations。Soonerorlater，dearone，youtoowillsay，“Yes!dissimulationisthenecessaryarmorofawoman，ifbydissimulationbemeantcouragetobearinsilence，prudencetoforeseethefuture。“