hurtful, but he was so much in
control of himself that he hid all his feelings from her and expressed
only surprise at the change in her attitude. He hoped that this change
which removed even the faintest hope from him would at the same time
change his feelings, but he found the Princess so charming, her natural
beauty having been enhanced by a certain grace which she had acquired
at Court that he felt that he loved her more than ever. This remarkable
devotion produced a remarkable effect. He agreed to carry his rival's
letters to his beloved.

The Princess was very despondent at the absence of the Duc de Guise,
and could hope for solace only from his letters. She continually
tormented the Comte de Chabannes to know if he had received any and
almost blamed him for not having delivered one sooner. At last some
arrived, brought by a gentleman in the Duc's service, which he took to
her immediately so as not to delay her pleasure for a moment longer
than necessary. The Princess was delighted to have them and tortured
the poor Comte by reading them to him, as well as her tender and loving
reply. He took this reply to the waiting courier even more sadly than
he had made the delivery. He consoled himself a little by the
reflection that the Princess would realise what he was doing for her
and would show some recognition. Finding, however, that she daily
treated him with less consideration, owing to the anxieties which
preoccupied her, he took the liberty of begging her to think a little
of the suffering she was causing him. The Princess who had nothing in
her head but the Duc de Guise, was so irritated by this approach that
she treated the Comte much worse than she had done on the first
occasion when he had declared his love for her. Although his devotion
and patience had stood so many trials, this was too much. He left the
Princess and went to live with a friend who had a house in the
neighbourhood, from where he wrote to her with all the bitterness that
her behaviour had provoked and bid her an eternal adieu.

The Princess began to repent having dealt so harshly with a man over
whom she had so much influence, and being unwilling to lose him, not
only on account of their past friendship, but also because of his vital
role in the conduct of her affair, she sent a message to him to say
that she wished to speak to him one more time and that afterwards she
would leave him free to do as he pleased. One is very vulnerable when
one