[You've got his interest and his curiosity, but the wine has dulled his ability to speculate properly. Women who study law? What a novel and progressive idea! He looks impressed. Of course, it would be his friends among the educated women]

Studying law to what end? For the sake of learning, or are there occupations in law a woman can take? And what of Joly's medicine? Does she still come down with every ailment in the book?