“What is a dangerous love?  I have observed that kind of love.  It is a love which occupies the whole soul to the exclusion of every other sentiment, and which impels us to sacrifice everything to the object loved.

“What characters are susceptible of such a sentiment?  They are the most solid, those who show little on the outside, those who unite reason with an elevated nobility of character in their fashion of thinking.

“Finally, who are the men the most reasonable for women of that kind?  It is those who possess just sufficient brilliant qualities to fix a value on their essential merit.  It must be confessed, though, that such men are not good companions for women who think.  It is true, they are rare at present, and there has never been a period so favorable as this to guarantee us against great passions, but misfortune will have it that we meet one of them in the crowd.

“The moralists pretend that every woman possesses a fund of sensibility destined to be applied to some object or another.  A sensible woman is not affected by the thousand trifling advantages so agreeable to men in ordinary women.  When she meets an object worthy of her attention, it is quite natural that she should estimate the value of it; her affection is measured according to her lights, she can not go half way.  It is these characters that should not be imitated, and all acquaintance with the men of whom I have just been speaking, should be avoided if a woman values her peace of mind.  Let us create a character which can procure for us two advantages at one and the same time:  One to guard us from immoderate impressions; the other to ward off men who cause them.  Let us give them an outside which will at least prevent them from displaying qualities they do not possess.  Let us force them to please us by their frivolity, by their absurdities.  However much they may practice affectation, their visible faults would furnish us with weapons against them.  What happy state can a woman occupy to procure such safeguards?  It is undoubtedly that of a professional society woman.

“You are doubtless astonished at the strange conclusion to which my serious reasoning has led me.  You will be still more astonished when you shall have heard the logic I employ to prove that I am right:  listen to the end.  I know the justice of your mind, and I am not lacking in it, however frivolous I may appear to be, and you will finish by being of my opinion.

“Do you believe that the outward appearance of virtue guarantees the heart against the assaults of love?  A poor resource.  When a woman descends to a weakness, is not her humiliation proportionately as great as the esteem she hoped to secure?  The brighter her virtue, the easier mark for malice.