atias_, and I assure you that I have not found any at all. On
the contrary, I find everything very plainly expressed, and among
others, one which is too explicit for my satisfaction--namely, what
you have said to Madame de Rambouillet, that if you tried to imagine
a perfectly happy life for yourself, it would be to pass it all alone
with Mademoiselle de Rambouillet. You know whether any one can be
more persuaded than I am of her merit; but I confess to you that that
has not prevented me from being surprised that you could entertain a
thought which did so great an injury to our friendship. As to
believing that you said this to one, and wrote it to the other,
simply for the sake of paying them an agreeable compliment, I have
too high an esteem for your courage to be able to imagine that
complaisance would cause you thus to betray the sentiments of your
heart, especially on a subject in which, as they were unfavorable to
me, I think you would have the more reason for concealing them, the
affection which I have for you being so well known to every one, and
especially to Mademoiselle de Rambouillet, so that I doubt whether
she will not have been more sensible of the wrong you have done me,
than of the advantage you have given her. The circumstance of this
letter falling into my hands has forcibly reminded me of these lines
of Bertaut:

"'Malheureuse est l'ignorance
Et plus malheureux le savoir."

"Having through this lost a confidence which alone rendered life
supportable to me, it is impossible for me to take the journey so
much thought of. For would there be any propriety in travelling
sixty miles in this season, in order to burden you with a person so
little suited to you, that after years of a passion without parallel,
you cannot help thinking that the greatest pleasure of your life
would be to pass it without her? I return, then, into my solitude,
to examine the defects which cause me so much unhappiness, and unless
I can correct them, I should have less joy than confusion in seeing
you."

It speaks strongly for the charm of Madame de Sable's nature that she was
able to retain so susceptible a friend as Mademoiselle d'Attichy in spite
of numerous other friendships, some of which, especially that with Madame
de Longueville, were far from lukewarm--in spite too of a tendency in
herself t