Asthesehadbothexercisedtheirtalentschieflyinthestudyofdivinity，thiswas，fromtheirfirstacquaintance，themostcommontopicofconversationbetweenthem。Thecaptain，likeawell-bredman，had，beforemarriage，alwaysgivenuphisopiniontothatofthelady；
andthis，notintheclumsyawkwardmannerofaconceitedblockhead，who，whilehecivillyyieldstoasuperiorinanargument，isdesirousofbeingstillknowntothinkhimselfintheright。Thecaptain，onthecontrary，thoughoneoftheproudestfellowsintheworld，soabsolutelyyieldedthevictorytohisantagonist，thatshe，whohadnottheleastdoubtofhissincerity，retiredalwaysfromthedisputewithanadmirationofherownunderstandingandaloveforhis。
Butthoughthiscomplacencetoonewhomthecaptainthoroughlydespised，wasnotsouneasytohimasitwouldhavebeenhadanyhopesofprefermentmadeitnecessarytoshowthesamesubmissiontoaHoadley，ortosomeotherofgreatreputationinthescience，yeteventhiscosthimtoomuchtobeenduredwithoutsomemotive。Matrimony，therefore，havingremovedallsuchmotives，hegrewwearyofthiscondescension，andbegantotreattheopinionsofhiswifewiththathaughtinessandinsolence，whichnonebutthosewhodeservesomecontemptthemselvescanbestow，andthoseonlywhodeservenocontemptcanbear。
Whenthefirsttorrentoftendernesswasover，andwhen，inthecalmandlongintervalbetweenthefits，reasonbegantoopentheeyesofthelady，andshesawthisalterationofbehaviourinthecaptain，whoatlengthansweredallherargumentsonlywithpishandpshaw，shewasfarfromenduringtheindignitywithatamesubmission。Indeed，itatfirstsohighlyprovokedher，thatitmighthaveproducedsometragicalevent，haditnottakenamoreharmlessturn，byfillingherwiththeutmostcontemptforherhusband’sunderstanding，whichsomewhatqualifiedherhatredtowardshim；thoughofthislikewiseshehadaprettymoderateshare。
Thecaptain’shatredtoherwasofapurerkind:forastoanyimperfectionsinherknowledgeorunderstanding，henomoredespisedherforthem，thanforhernotbeingsixfeethigh。Inhisopinionofthefemalesex，heexceededthemorosenessofAristotlehimself:helookedonawomanasonananimalofdomesticuse，ofsomewhathigherconsiderationthanacat，sinceherofficeswereofrathermoreimportance；butthedifferencebetweenthesetwowas，inhisestimation，sosmall，that，inhismarriagecontractedwithMr。