to run
the risk of her having heard of this letter, as of a thing in which he
was concerned; he fell into a deep musing, and the Viscount guessed
pretty near what was the subject of his meditations; "I plainly see,"
said he, "that you are afraid of embroiling yourself with your
mistress, and I should almost fancy the Queen-Dauphin was she, if the
little jealousy you seem to have of Monsieur d'Anville did not take me
off from that thought; but be that as it will, it is not reasonable you
should sacrifice your repose to mine, and I'll put you in a way of
convincing her you love, that this letter is directed to me, and not to
you; here is a billet from Madam d'Amboise, who is a friend of Madam de
Themines, and was her confidant in the amour between her and me; in
this she desires me to send her Madam de Themines's letter, which I
have lost; my name is on the superscription, and the contents of the
billet prove, without question, that the letter she desires is the same
with that which has been found; I'll leave this billet in your hands,
and agree that you may show it to your mistress in your justification;
I conjure you not to lose a moment, but to go this morning to the
Queen-Dauphin."

The Duke de Nemours promised the Viscount he would, and took Madam
d'Amboise's billet; nevertheless his design was not to see the
Queen-Dauphin; he thought more pressing business required his care; he
made no question, but she had already spoke of the letter to Madam de
Cleves, and could not bear that a person he loved so desperately,
should have ground to believe he had engagements with any other.

He went to the Princess of Cleves as soon as he thought she might be
awake; and ordered her to be told, that, if he had not business of the
last consequence, he would not have desired the honour to see her at so
extraordinary an hour. Madam de Cleves was in bed, and her mind was
tossed to and fro by a thousand melancholy thoughts that she had had
during the night; she was extremely surprised to hear the Duke de
Nemours asked for her; the anxiety she was in made her presently
answer, that she was ill, and could not speak with him.

The Duke was not at all shocked at this refusal; he thought it presaged
him no ill, that she expressed a little coldness at a time when she
might be touched with jealousy. He went to the Prince of Cleves's
apartment, and told him he came from that of his lady, and that he was
very sorry he could not see her, bec