[28]
“Tell me, pray, wife of Xenophon, if your
[p. 289]
neighbour has finer gold ornaments than you, would
you prefer hers or yours?” “Hers,” she replied.
“Well, then, if her dress and the rest of her ornaments are more valuable than yours, which would you
prefer, hers or yours?” “Hers,” she replied. “Come,
then,” said she, “if her husband is better than yours,
would you prefer yours or hers?” At this the wife of
Xenophon not unnaturally blushed; for she had
answered ill in replying that she would prefer her
neighbour's gold ornaments to her own, since it
would be wrong to do so. If on the other hand she
had replied that she would prefer her ornaments to
be of the same quality as those of her neighbour, she
might have answered without putting herself to the
blush that she would prefer her husband to be like
him who was his superior in virtue.
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