The Duke was sent for, and came immediately; Madam de Cleves told him all

she had told her husband, and asked for the letter; but the Duke

answered, that he had already returned it to the Viscount de Chartres,

who was so overjoyed upon having it again, and being freed from the

danger he was in, that he sent it immediately to Madam de Themines's

friend. Madam de Cleves was in a new embarrassment on this occasion:

in short, after having consulted together, they resolved to form the

letter by memory; and, in order to go about it, they locked themselves

up, and left orders that nobody should be admitted, and that all the

Duke de Nemours's attendants should be sent away. Such an appearance

of secret confidence was no small charm to Monsieur de Nemours, and

even to Madam de Cleves; her husband's presence, and the interests of

her uncle the Viscount de Chartres, were considerations which in great

measure removed her scruples, and made this opportunity of seeing and

being with the Duke de Nemours so agreeable to her, that she never

before experienced a joy so pure and free from allay; this threw her

into a freedom and gaiety of spirit which the Duke had never observed

in her till now, and which made him still more passionately in love

with her: as he had never known such agreeable moments, his vivacity

was much heightened; and whenever Madam de Cleves was beginning to

recollect and write the letter, instead of assisting her seriously, did

nothing but interrupt her with wit and pleasantry. Madam de Cleves was

as gay as he, so that they had been locked up a considerable time, and

two messages had come from the Queen-Dauphin to hasten Madam de Cleves,

before they had half finished the letter.

The Duke de Nemours was glad to prolong the time that was so agreeable

to him, and neglected the concerns of his friend; Madam de Cleves was

not at all tired, and neglected also the concerns of her uncle: at

last, with much ado, about four o'clock the letter was finished, and

was so ill done, and the copy so unlike the original, as to the

handwriting, that the queen must have taken very little care to come at

the truth of the matter, if she had been imposed on by so ill a

counterfeit.

Accordingly she was not deceived; and however industrious

they were to persuade her, that this letter was addressed to the Duke

de Nemours, she remained satisfied not only that it was addressed to

the Viscount de Chartres, but that the Queen-Dauphin was concerned in

it, and that there was a correspondence between them; this heightened

her hatred against that Princess to such a degree, that she never

forgave her, and never ceased persecuting her till she had driven her

out of France.




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