to avoid the sight of the
man she loved.

But this conviction, which was the effect of reason and virtue, did not
carry her heart along with it; her heart was so violently fixed on the
Duke de Nemours, that she became even an object of compassion, and was
wholly deprived of rest. Never did she pass a night in so uneasy a
manner; in the morning, the first thing she did was to see if there was
anybody at the window which looked towards her apartment; she saw there
Monsieur de Nemours, and was so surprised upon it, and withdrew so
hastily, as made him judge she knew him; he had often wished to be seen
by her, ever since he had found out that method of seeing her, and when
he had no hopes of obtaining that satisfaction, his way was to go to
muse in the garden where she found him.

Tired at last with so unfortunate and uncertain a condition, he
resolved to attempt something to determine his fate: "What should I
wait for?" said he. "I have long known she loves me; she is free; she
has no duty now to plead against me; why should I submit myself to the
hardship of seeing her, without being seen by her or speaking to her?
Is it possible for love so absolutely to have deprived me of reason and
courage, and to have rendered me so different from what I have been in
all my other amours? It was fit I should pay a regard to Madam de
Cleves's grief; but I do it too long, and I give her leisure to
extinguish the inclination she had for me."

After these reflections, he considered what measures he ought to take
to see her; he found he had no longer any reason to conceal his passion
from the Viscount de Chartres; he resolved to speak to him of it, and
to communicate to him his design with regard to his niece.

The Viscount was then at Paris, the town being extremely full, and
everybody busy in preparing equipages and dresses to attend the King of
Navarre, who was to conduct the Queen of Spain: Monsieur de Nemours,
went to the Viscount, and made an ingenuous confession to him of all he
had concealed hitherto, except Madam de Cleves's sentiments, which he
would not seem to know.

The Viscount received what he told him with a great deal of pleasure,
and assured him, that though he was not acquainted with his sentiments
on that subject, he had often thought, since Madam de Cleves had been a
widow, that she was the only lady that deserved him. Monsieur de
Nemours entreated him to give him an opportunity of speaking to her,
and lear