Having spoke these words, Monsieur de Cleves left his wife, and set out

the next day without seeing her; but he wrote her a letter full of

sorrow, and at the same time very kind and obliging: she gave an answer

to it so moving and so full of assurances both as to her past and

future conduct, that as those assurances were grounded in truth, and

were the real effect of her sentiments, the letter made great

impressions on Monsieur de Cleves, and gave him some tranquillity; add

to this that the Duke de Nemours going to the King as well as himself,

he had the satisfaction to know that he would not be in the same place

with Madam de Cleves. Everytime that lady spoke to her husband, the

passion he expressed for her, the handsomeness of his behaviour, the

friendship she had for him, and the thought of what she owed him, made

impressions in her heart that weakened the idea of the Duke de Nemours;

but it did not continue long, that idea soon returned more lively than

before. For a few days after the Duke was gone, she was hardly sensible of his

absence; afterwards it tortured her; ever since she had been in love

with him, there did not pass a day, but she either feared or wished to

meet him, and it was a wounding thought to her to consider that it was

no more in the power of fortune to contrive their meeting.

She went to Colomiers, and ordered to be carried thither the large

pictures she had caused to be copied from the originals which the

Duchess of Valentinois had procured to be drawn for her fine house of

Annett. All the remarkable actions that had passed in the late King's

reign were represented in these pieces, and among the rest was the

Siege of Mets, and all those who had distinguished themselves at that

Siege were painted much to the life. The Duke de Nemours was of this

number, and it was that perhaps which had made Madam de Cleves desirous

of having the pictures.

Madam de Martigues not being able to go along with the Court, promised

her to come and pass some days at Colomiers. Though they divided the

Queen's favour, they lived together without envy or coldness; they were

friends, but not confidants; Madam de Cleves knew that Madam de

Martigues was in love with the Viscount, but Madam de Martigues did not

know that Madam de Cleves was in love with the Duke de Nemours, nor

that she was beloved by him. The relation Madam de Cleves had to the

Viscount made her more dear to Madam de Martigues, and Madam de Cleves

was also fond of her as a person who was in love as well as herself,

and with an intimate friend of her own lover.




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