ose who had merit, and to those who had none; since his return he
neither knows the one nor the other; there never was so great a change;
I find his humour is changed too, and that he is less gay than he used
to be."

The Princess of Cleves made no answer; and it shocked her to think she
should have taken all that they said of the change in the Duke for
proofs of his passion for her, had she not been undeceived; she felt in
herself some little resentment against the Queen-Dauphin, for
endeavouring to find out reasons, and seeming surprised at a thing,
which she probably knew more of than anyone else; she could not forbear
showing something of it; and when the other ladies withdrew, she came
up and told her in a low voice, "And is it I, Madam, you have been
pointing at, and have you a mind to conceal, that you are she who has
made such an alteration in the conduct of the Duke of Nemours?" "You
do me injustice," answered the Queen-Dauphin, "you know I conceal
nothing from you; it is true the Duke of Nemours, before he went to
Brussels, had, I believe, an intention to let me know he did not hate
me; but since his return, it has not so much as appeared that he
remembers anything of what he has done; and I acknowledge I have a
curiosity to know what it is has changed him so: it would not be very
difficult for me to unravel this affair," added she; "the Viscount de
Chartres, his intimate friend, is in love with a lady with whom I have
some power, and I'll know by that means the occasion of this
alteration." The Queen-Dauphin spoke with an air of sincerity which
convinced the Princess of Cleves, and in spite of herself she found her
mind in a more calm and pleasing situation than it had been in before.

When she returned to her mother, she heard she was a great deal worse
than she had left her; her fever was redoubled, and the days following
it increased to so great a degree, that she was thought to be in
danger. Madam de Cleves was in extreme grief on this occasion, and
never stirred out of her mother's chamber. The Prince of Cleves was
there too almost every day and all day long, partly out of affection to
Madam de Chartres, and partly to hinder his lady from abandoning
herself to sorrow, but chiefly that he might have the pleasure of
seeing her, his passion not being at all diminished.

The Duke de Nemours, who had always had a great friendship for the
Prince of Cleves, had not failed to show it since his return from