One evening, as Monsieur and Madam de Cleves were at the Queen's
apartment, it was said there was a report that the King would name
another great lord to wait on Madame into Spain. Monsieur de Cleves
had his eye fixed on his wife, when it was further said, the Chevalier
de Guise, or the Mareschal de St. Andre, was the person; he observed
she was not at all moved at either of those names, nor the discourse of
their going along with her; this made him believe, it was not either of
them whose presence she feared. In order to clear up his suspicions,
he went into the Queen's closet, where the King then was, and after
having stayed there some time came back to his wife, and whispered her,
that he had just heard the Duke de Nemours was the person designed to
go along with them to Spain.
The name of the Duke de Nemours, and the thought of being exposed to
see him every day, during a very long journey, in her husband's
presence, so affected Madam de Cleves, that she could not conceal her
trouble: and being willing to give other reasons for it, "No choice,"
says she, "could have been made more disagreeable for you; he will
share all honours with you, and I think you ought to endeavour to get
some other chosen." "It is not honour, Madam," replied Monsieur de
Cleves, "that makes you apprehensive of the Duke de Nemours's going
with me, the uneasiness you are in proceeds from another cause; and
from this uneasiness of yours I learn, that which I should have
discovered in another woman, by the joy she would have expressed on
such an occasion; but be not afraid; what I have told you is not true,
it was an invention of mine to assure myself of a thing which I already
believed but too much." Having said this, he went out, being unwilling to increase, by his
presence, the concern he saw his wife in.
The Duke de Nemours came in that instant, and presently observed Madam
de Cleves's condition; he came up to her, and told her softly, he had
that respect for her, he durst not ask what it was made her more
pensive than usual. The voice of the Duke de Nemours brought her to
herself again, and looking at him, without having heard what he had
said to her, full of her own thoughts, and afraid lest her husband
should see him with her, "For God's sake," says she, "leave me to
myself in quiet." "Alas, Madam," answered he, "I disturb you too
little; what is it you can complain of? I dare not speak to you, I
dare not look upon you, I tremble whenever I approach you. How have I
drawn upon myself what you have said to me, and why do you show me that
I am in part the cause of the trouble I see you in?" Madam de Cleves
was very sorry to have given the Duke an opportunity of explaining
himself more clearly than ever he had done before; she left him without
making any answer, and went home with her mind more agitated than ever.