The Princess employed the day of the wedding in dressing herself, that

she might appear with the greater advantage at the ball and royal

banquet that were to be at the Louvre. When she came, everyone admired

both her beauty and her dress. The ball began, and while she was

dancing with the Duke of Guise, a noise was heard at the door of the

hall, as if way was making for some person of uncommon distinction.

She had finished her dance, and as she was casting her eyes round to

single out some other person, the King desired her to take him who came

in last; she turned about, and viewing him as he was passing over the

seats to come to the place where they danced, she immediately concluded

he was the Duke of Nemours. The Duke's person was turned in so

delicate a manner, that it was impossible not to express surprise at

the first sight of him, particularly that evening, when the care he had

taken to adorn himself added much to the fine air of his carriage. It

was as impossible to behold the Princess of Cleves without equal

admiration.

The Duke de Nemours was struck with such surprise at her beauty, that

when they approached and paid their respects to each other, he could

not forbear showing some tokens of his admiration. When they begun to

dance, a soft murmur of praises ran through the whole company. The

King and the two Queens, remembering that the Duke and Princess had

never seen one another before, found something very particular in

seeing them dance together without knowing each other; they called

them, as soon as they had ended their dance, without giving them time

to speak to anybody, and asked them if they had not a desire to know

each other, and if they were not at some loss about it. "As for me,

Madam," said the Duke to the Queen, "I am under no uncertainty in this

matter; but as the Princess of Cleves has not the same reasons to lead

her to guess who I am, as I have to direct me to know her, I should be

glad if your Majesty would be pleased to let her know my name." "I

believe," said the Queen-Dauphin, "that she knows your name as well as

you know hers." "I assure you, Madam," replied the Princess a little

embarrassed, "that I am not so good a guesser as you imagine." "Yes,

you guess very well," answered the Queen-Dauphin; "and your

unwillingness to acknowledge that you know the Duke of Nemours, without

having seen him before, carries in it something very obliging to him."

The Queen interrupted them, that the ball might go on; and the Duke de

Nemours took out the Queen-Dauphin. This Princess was a perfect

beauty, and such she appeared in the eyes of the Duke de Nemours,

before he went to Flanders; but all this evening he could admire

nothing but Madam de Cleves.




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