Without making any unwarrantable suppositions as to her soul or what had
now become of it (though we could find a good deal to the purpose on
that point in the system of Paracelsus), let us consider only how much
the change in her body must needs affect her ordinary conduct. So that
before we judge too harshly of this unfortunate lady, we must reflect
upon the physical necessities and infirmities and appetites of her new
condition, and we must magnify the fortitude of her mind which enabled
her to behave with decorum, cleanliness and decency in spite of her new
situation.

Thus she might have been expected to befoul her room, yet never could
anyone, whether man or beast, have shown more nicety in such matters.
But at luncheon Mr. Tebrick helped her to a wing of chicken, and leaving
the room for a minute to fetch some water which he had forgot, found her
at his return on the table crunching the very bones. He stood silent,
dismayed and wounded to the heart at this sight. For we must observe
that this unfortunate husband thought always of his vixen as that gentle
and delicate woman she had lately been. So that whenever his vixen's
conduct went beyond that which he expected in his wife he was, as it
were, cut to the quick, and no kind of agony could be greater to him
than to see her thus forget herself. On this account it may indeed be
regretted that Mrs. Tebrick had been so exactly well-bred, and in
particular that her table manners had always been scrupulous. Had she
been in the habit, like a continental princess I have dined with, of
taking her leg of chicken by the drumstick and gnawing the flesh, it had
been far better for him now. But as her manners had been perfect, so the
lapse of them was proportionately painful to him. Thus in this instance
he stood as it were in silent agony till she had finished her hideous
crunching of the chicken bones and had devoured every scrap. Then he