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.