She no longer continued to have the same disposition to communicate to
her mother what she thought concerning the Duke de Nemours, as she had
to talk to her about her other lovers; though she had no settled design
of concealing it from her, yet she did not speak of it. Madam de
Chartres, however, plainly perceived the Duke's attachment to her
daughter, as well as her daughter's inclination for him; the knowledge
of this could not but sensibly afflict her, nor could she be ignorant
of the danger this young lady was in, in being beloved by, and loving
so accomplished a person as the Duke de Nemours: she was entirely
confirmed in the suspicion she had of this business, by an incident
which fell out a few days after.
The Mareschal de St. Andre, who took all opportunities to show his
magnificence, desired the King, under pretence of showing him his house
which was just finished, to do him the honour to sup there with the two
Queens. The Mareschal was also very glad to display, in the sight of
the Princess of Cleves, that splendid and expensive manner of life,
which he carried to so great a profusion.
Some days before that appointed for the entertainment, the Dauphin, who
had an ill state of health, found himself indisposed, and saw nobody;
the Queen-Dauphin had spent all that day with him; and in the evening,
upon his growing better, all the persons of quality that were in the
anti-chamber were admitted; the Queen-Dauphin returned to her own
apartment, where she found Madam de Cleves and some other ladies, with
whom she lived in familiarity.
It being already very late, and not being dressed, she did not wait
upon the Queen, but gave out that she was not to be seen, and ordered
her jewels to be brought, in order to choose out some for the Mareschal
de St. Andre's Ball, and present the Princess of Cleves with some, as
she had promised her. While they were thus employed, the Prince of
Conde entered; his great quality gave him free access everywhere.
"Doubtless," said the Queen-Dauphin, "you come from the King my
husband, what are they doing there?"
"Madam," said he, "they are maintaining a dispute against the Duke of
Nemours, and he defends the argument he undertook with so much warmth,
that he must needs be very much interested in it; I believe he has some
mistress that gives him uneasiness by going to balls, so well satisfied
he is that it is a vexatious thing to a lover to see the person he
loves in those places."