with a hatred
against her daughter-in-law that cannot be concealed. The Cardinal of
Loraine, who, I believe has been long aspiring to the Queen's favour,
and would be glad to fill the place I possess, is, under pretence of
reconciling the two Queens, become master of the differences between
them; I doubt not but he has discovered the true cause of the Queen's
anger, and I believe he does me all manner of ill offices, without
letting her see that he designs it. This is the condition my affairs
are in at present; judge what effect may be produced by the letter
which I have lost, and which I unfortunately put in my pocket with
design to restore it to Madam de Themines: if the Queen sees this
letter, she will know I have deceived her; and that almost at the very
same time that I deceived her for Madam de Themines, I deceived Madam
de Themines for another; judge what an idea this will give her of me,
and whether she will ever trust me again. If she does not see the
letter, what shall I say to her? She knows it has been given to the
Queen-Dauphin; she will think Chatelart knew that Queen's hand, and
that the letter is from her; she will fancy the person of whom the
letter expresses a jealousy, is perhaps herself; in short, there is
nothing which she may not think, and there is nothing which I ought not
to fear from her thoughts; add to this, that I am desperately in love
with Madam de Martigues, and that the Queen-Dauphin will certainly show
her this letter, which she will conclude to have been lately writ.
Thus shall I be equally embroiled both with the person I love most, and
with the person I have most cause to fear. Judge, after this, if I
have not reason to conjure you to say the letter is yours, and to beg
of you to get it out of the Queen-Dauphin's hands."

"I am very well satisfied," answered the Duke de Nemours, "that one
cannot be in a greater embarrassment than that you are in, and it must
be confessed you deserve it; I have been accused of being inconstant in
my amours, and of having had several intrigues at the same time, but
you out-go me so far, that I should not so much as have dared to
imagine what you have undertaken; could you pretend to keep Madam de
Themines, and be at the same engaged with the Queen? did you hope to
have an engagement with the Queen, and be able to deceive her? she is
both an Italian and a Queen, and by consequence full of jealousy,
suspicion, and pride. As soon as your good fortun