sensible part, my dear; you
have found out what has been my grief; you need make no further
inquiries.

_Wife_.--Was that your grief?--and would you never be so kind to your
wife as to let her know it?

_Husb._--How could I mention so unkind a thing to you?

_Wife_.--Would it not have been more unkind to have let things run on to
destruction, and left your wife to the reproach of the world, as having
ruined you by her expensive living?

_Husb._--That's true, my dear; and it may be I might have spoke to you
at last, but I could not do it now; it looks so cruel and so hard to
lower your figure, and make you look little in the eyes of the world,
for you know they judge all by outsides, that I could not bear it.

_Wife_.--It would be a great deal more cruel to let me run on, and be
really an instrument to ruin, my husband, when, God knows, I thought I
was within the compass of your gettings, and that a great way; and you
know you always prompted me to go fine, to treat handsomely, to keep
more servants, and every thing of that kind. Could I doubt but that you
could afford it very well?

_Husb._--That's true, but I see it is otherwise now; and though I cannot
help it, I could not mention it to you, nor, for ought I know, should I
ever have done it.

_Wife_.--Why! you said just now you should have done it.

_Husb._--Ay, at last, perhaps, I might, when things had been past
recovery.

_Wife_.--That is to say, when you were ruined and undone, and could not
show your head, I should know it; or when a statute of bankrupt had come
out, and the creditors had come and turned us out of doors, then I
should have known it--that would have been a barbarous sort of kindness.

_Husb._--What could I do? I could not help it.

_Wife_.--Just so our old acquaintance G--W--did; his poor wife knew not
one word of it, nor so much as suspected it, but thought him in as
flourishing circumstances as ever; till on a sudden he was arrested in
an action for a great sum, so great that he could not find bail, and the
next day an execution on another action was served in the house, and
swept away the very bed from under her; and the poor lady, that brought
him L3000 portion, was turned into the street with five small children
to take care of.

_Husb._--Her case was very sad, indeed.

_Wife_.--But was not he a barbarous wretch to her, to let her know
nothing of her circumstances? She was at the ball but the day before, in
her velvet suit,