You reproach M. de Girardin with wishing to make a speculation of love! Be good enough to tell me what you call the greater part of the marriages of the present time, in which men have the heartlessness to speculate even on death!—in which they ask how much a young girl has, what are her expectations, and how old are her parents.
Answer, women:
Is it true that the great majority of seduced women are incapacitated, through shame and poverty, from rearing their children?
That what you call a first fault, drives the greater part of them to make a traffic of their charms?
That the great majority of men forget, after satisfying their passion, both the woman whom they have led astray, and the innocent creature that owes its life to them?
Is it true that the horrible and cruel selfishness of men and the insane confidence of women produces annually a fearful number of so called illegitimate children, the greater part of which people the prisons, the galleys, and the public brothels?
Is it true, lastly, that this same selfishness and this same confidence are the cause of thousands of human lives being criminally sacrificed?
And if all this shame, all these griefs, all these crimes are true?
If there are so many women seduced and heartbroken;
If there are so many children abandoned;