attached to her in proportion to the attachment she
showed me. All my fear in perceiving this infatuation, and feeling the
want of agreeableness in myself to support it, was that it would be
changed into disgust; and unfortunately this fear was but too well
founded.

There must have been a natural opposition between her turn of mind and
mine, since, independently of the numerous stupid things which at every
instant escaped me in conversation, and even in my letters, and when I
was upon the best terms with her, there were certain other things with
which she was displeased without my being able to imagine the reason.
I will quote one instance from among twenty. She knew I was writing for
Madam d'Houdetot a copy of the New Eloisa. She was desirous to have one
on the same footing. This I promised her, and thereby making her one of
my customers, I wrote her a polite letter upon the subject, at least such
was my intention. Her answer, which was as follows, stupefied me with
surprise.

VERSAILLES, Tuesday.

"I am ravished, I am satisfied: your letter has given me infinite
pleasure, and I take the earliest moment to acquaint you with, and thank
you for it.

"These are the exact words of your letter: 'Although you are certainly a
very good customer, I have some pain in receiving your money: according
to regular order I ought to pay for the pleasure I should have in working
for you.' I will say nothing more on the subject. I have to complain of
your not speaking of your state of health: nothing interests me more.
I love you with all my heart: and be assured that I write this to you in
a very melancholy mood, for I should have much pleasure in telling it to
you myself. M. de Luxembourg loves and embraces you with all his heart.

"On receiving the letter I hastened to answer it, reserving to myself more
fully to examine the matter, protesting against all disobliging
interpretation, and after having given several days to this examination
with an inquietude which may easily be conceived, and still without being
able to discover in what I could have erred, what follows was my final
answer on the subject.

"MONTMORENCY, 8th December, 1759.

"Since my last letter I have examined a hundred times the passage in
question. I have considered it in its proper and natural meaning, as
well as in every other which may be given to it, and I confess to