Booth attempted to reason with her, but all to no purpose. She gave, indeed, a quiet hearing to all he said, and even to those parts which most displeased her ears; I mean those in which he exaggerated the great goodness and disinterested generosity of his friend; but her resolution remained inflexible, and resisted the force of all his arguments with a steadiness of opposition, which it would have been almost excusable in him to have construed into stubbornness.
The doctor arrived in the midst of the dispute; and, having heard the merits of the cause on both sides, delivered his opinion in the following words.
'I have always thought it, my dear children, a matter of the utmost nicety to interfere in any differences between husband and wife; but, since you both desire me with such earnestness to give you my sentiments on the present contest between you, I will give you my thoughts as well as I am able. In the first place then, can anything be more reasonable than for a wife to desire to attend her husband? It is, as my favourite child observes, no more than a desire to do her duty; and I make no doubt but that is one great reason of her insisting on it. And how can you yourself oppose it? Can love be its own enemy? or can a husband who is fond of his wife, content himself almost on any account with a long absence from her?'
'You speak like an angel, my dear Doctor Harrison,' answered Amelia: 'I am sure, if he loved as tenderly as I do, he could on no account submit to it.'
'Pardon me, child,' cries the doctor; 'there are some reasons which would not only justify his leaving you, but which must force him, if he hath any real love for you, joined with common sense, to make that election. If it was necessary, for instance, either to your good or to the good of your children, he would not deserve the name of a man, I am sure not that of a husband, if he hesitated a moment. Nay, in that case, I am convinced you yourself would be an advocate for what you now oppose. I fancy therefore I mistook him when I apprehended he said that the colonel made his leaving you behind as the condition of getting him the commission; for I know my dear child hath too much goodness, and too much sense, and too much resolution, to prefer any temporary indulgence of her own passions to the solid advantages of her whole family.'
'There, my dear!' cries Booth; 'I knew what opinion the doctor would be of. Nay, I am certain there is not a wise man in the kingdom who would say otherwise.'
'Don't abuse me, young gentleman,' said the doctor, 'with appellations I don't deserve.'
'I abuse you, my dear doctor!' cries Booth.
'Yes, my dear sir,' answered the doctor; 'you insinuated slily that I was wise, which, as the world understands the phrase, I should be ashamed of; and my comfort is that no one can accuse me justly of it. I have just given an instance of the contrary by throwing away my advice.'
'I hope, sir,' cries Booth, 'that will not be the case.'
'Yes, sir,' answered the doctor. 'I know it will be the case in the present instance, for either you will not go at all, or my little turtle here will go with you.'
'You are in the right, doctor,' cries Amelia.
'I am sorry for it,' said the doctor, 'for then I assure you you are in the wrong.'
'Indeed,' cries Amelia, 'if you knew all my reasons you would say they were very strong ones.'
'Very probably,' cries the doctor. 'The knowledge that they are in the wrong is a very strong reason to some women to continue so.'
'Nay, doctor,' cries Amelia, 'you shall never persuade me of that. I will not believe that any human being ever did an action merely because they knew it to be wrong.'
'I am obliged to you, my dear child,' said the doctor, 'for declaring your resolution of not being persuaded. Your husband would never call me a wise man again if, after that declaration, I should attempt to persuade you.'
