"I remain with befitting sentiments, monsieur le duc,

"Your most humble and obedient servant."

When I had completed my letter, I rang, and a footman attended. "Go,"
said I to him, "carry this note immediately to the duc de Villeroi, and
wait, if it be necessary, the whole day, until you can return with the
assurance that you have delivered it into his own hand."

Whilst I was thus speaking to the man, who had been engaged by my
steward, and very recently entered into my service, I chanced to look at
him inadvertently, when my attention was arrested by seeing him rapidly
change colour. I could not at the moment conceive what could thus
agitate him, and making a sign for him to depart immediately upon his
commission, he slowly left the room, regarding me as he went in such a
manner, that I could not fail recognising him: and here, my friend, I
must lay aside every particle of self-love and vanity ere I can make you
a complete confession; the retrospect of my life brings many events,
of which the remembrance is indeed painful to me, and only the solemn
promise I am under to conceal nothing restrains me from consigning many
particulars to oblivion. I am once more about to incur the chance of
drawing down your contempt by my candour, but before I enter upon the
subject, permit me to conclude my affair with the duc de Villeroi.

My letter was a thunderbolt to the duke. He better than any one knew
the extent of my credit, which he dreaded, lest I might employ it to his
injury; he therefore hastened to reply to me in the following words:--

"MADAME LA COMTESSE,--I am a most unhappy, or rather a vilely
calumniated man; and my enemies have employed the most odious means of
making me appear despicable in your eyes. I confess, that not daring to
aspire to you, I stopped at the footstool of your throne, but I wholly
deny the words which have been laid to my charge. I venture to expect
from your justice that you will grant me the favour of an opportunity of
exculpating myself from so black a charge. It would be cruel indeed to
condemn a man without hearing him.

"I am with the most profound respect, &c."

To this hypocritical epistle I replied by another note as follows:--

"Every bad and unfavourable case may be denied, monsieur le duc,
therefore I am not astonished at your seeking to repel the charge of
having uttered the disrespectful words laid to your charge. As for the
explanations you offer me they would be fruitle