were some that had not been taken? How could I have said such a thing?
There are some that have never been besieged, so you perceive that I
am of your opinion. I will explain, however, so that there will be no
more chicanery about the question.

Here is my profession of faith in this matter: I firmly believe that
there are good women who have never been attacked, or who have been
wrongly attacked.

I further firmly believe that there are good women who have been
attacked and well attacked, when they have had neither disposition,
violent passions, liberty, nor a hated husband.

I have a mind at this point to put you in possession of a rather
lively conversation on this particular point, while I was still very
young, with a prude, whom an adventure of some brilliancy unmasked. I
was inexperienced then, and I was in the habit of judging others with
that severity which every one is disposed to manifest until some
personal fault has made us more indulgent toward our neighbors. I had
considered it proper to blame the conduct of this woman without mercy.
She heard of it. I sometimes saw her at an aunt's, and made
preparations to attack her morals. Before I had an opportunity she
took the matter into her own hands, by taking me aside one day, and
compelled me to submit to the following harangue, which I confess made
a deep impression in my memory:

"It is not for the purpose of reproaching you for the talk you have
been making on my account, that I wish to converse with you in the
absence of witnesses," she explained, "it is to give you some advice,
the truth and solidity of which you will one day appreciate.