They set out the next day, and went after the King; the Viscount wrote

to Madam de Cleves at Monsieur de Nemours's request, and in a second

letter, which soon followed the first, the Duke wrote a line or two in

his own hand; but Madam de Cleves determined not to depart from the

rules she had prescribed herself, and fearing the accidents that might

happen from letters, informed the Viscount that she would receive his

letters no more, if he continued to speak of Monsieur de Nemours, and

did it in so peremptory a manner, that the Duke desired him not to

mention him.

During the absence of the Court, which was gone to conduct the Queen of

Spain as far as Poitou, Madam de Cleves continued at home; and the more

distant she was from Monsieur de Nemours, and from everything that

could put her in mind of him, the more she recalled the memory of the

Prince of Cleves, which she made it her glory to preserve; the reasons

she had not to marry the Duke de Nemours appeared strong with respect

to her duty, but invincible with respect to her quiet; the opinion she

had, that marriage would put an end to his love, and the torments of

jealousy, which she thought the infallible consequences of marriage,

gave her the prospect of a certain unhappiness if she consented to his

desires; on the other hand, she thought it impossible, if he were

present, to refuse the most amiable man in the world, the man who loved

her, and whom she loved, and to oppose him in a thing that was neither

inconsistent with virtue nor decency: she thought that nothing but

absence and distance could give her the power to do it; and she found

she stood in need of them, not only to support her resolution not to

marry, but even to keep her from seeing Monsieur de Nemours; she

resolved therefore to take a long journey, in order to pass away the

time which decency obliged her to spend in retirement; the fine estate

she had near the Pyrenees seemed the most proper place she could make

choice of; she set out a few days before the Court returned, and wrote

at parting to the Viscount to conjure him not to think of once

enquiring after her, or of writing to her.

Monsieur de Nemours was as much troubled at this journey as another

would have been for the death of his mistress; the thought of being

deprived so long a time of the sight of Madam de Cleves grieved him to

the soul, especially as it happened at a time when he had lately

enjoyed the pleasure of seeing her, and of seeing her moved by his

passion; however he could do nothing but afflict himself, and his

affliction increased every day. Madam de Cleves, whose spirits had been

so much agitated, was no sooner arrived at her country seat, but she

fell desperately ill; the news of it was brought to Court; Monsieur de

Nemours was inconsolable; his grief proceeded even to despair and

extravagance; the Viscount had much a-do to hinder him from discovering

his passion in public, and as much a-do to keep him from going in

person to know how she did; the relation and friendship between her and

the Viscount served as an excuse for sending frequent messengers; at

last they heard she was out of the extremity of danger she had been in,

but continued in a languishing malady that left but little hopes of

life.




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