Monsieur de Cleves spoke to her, as a man of the greatest honour in the

world, and the best deserving the confidence she had reposed in him; "I

am not alarmed as to your conduct," said he, "you have more strength

and virtue than you imagine; I am not alarmed with fears of what may

happen hereafter; what troubles me is that I see you have those

sentiments for another which you want for me." "I don't know what to

answer you," said she, "I die with shame when I speak of this subject

spare me, I conjure you, such cruel conversations; regulate my conduct,

and never let me see anybody; this is all I desire of you; but take it

not ill of me, if I speak no more of a thing which makes me appear so

little worthy of you, and which I think so unbecoming me." "You are in

the right, Madam;" replied he, "I abuse your goodness and your

confidence in me; but have some compassion also on the condition you

have brought me to, and think that whatever you have told me, you

conceal from me a name, which creates in me a curiosity I cannot live

without satisfying; and yet I ask you not to satisfy it; I cannot,

however, forbear telling you, that I believe the man I am to envy is

the Mareschal de St. Andre, the Duke de Nemours, or the Chevalier de

Guise."

"I shall make you no answer," says she blushing, "nor give you

any ground from what I say, either to lessen or strengthen your

suspicions; but if you endeavour to inform yourself by observing me,

you will throw me into a confusion all the world will take notice of,

for God's sake," continued she, "allow me under pretence of an

indisposition to see nobody." "No, Madam," said he, "it will quickly

be discovered to be a feigned business; and besides, I am unwilling to

trust you to anything but yourself; my heart tells me this is the best

way I can take, and my reason tells me so also, considering the temper

of mind you are in, I cannot put a greater restraint upon you than by

leaving you to your liberty."

Monsieur de Cleves was not mistaken; the confidence he showed he had in

his wife, fortified her the more against Monsieur de Nemours, and made

her take more severe resolutions than any restraint could have brought

her to. She went to wait on the Queen-Dauphin at the Louvre as she

used to do, but avoided the presence and eyes of Monsieur de Nemours

with so much care, that she deprived him of almost all the joy he had

in thinking she loved him; he saw nothing in her actions but what

seemed to show the contrary; he scarcely knew if what he had heard was

not a dream, so very improbable it seemed to him; the only thing which

assured him that he was not mistaken, was Madam de Cleves's extreme

melancholy, which appeared, whatever pains she took to hide it; and

perhaps kind words and looks would not have increased the Duke of

Nemours's love so much as this severe conduct did.




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