ter affection for another
than for me, I might be troubled, but not exasperated; I would lay
aside the character of a lover or a husband, to bestow my advice and my
pity."

This discourse made Madam de Cleves blush, and she found in it a
certain similitude of her own condition, which very much surprised her,
and gave her a concern, from which she could not recover in a great
while.

"Sancerre spoke to Madam de Tournon," continued Monsieur de Cleves,
"and told her all I had advised him; but she encouraged him with so
many fresh assurances, and seemed so displeased at his suspicions, that
she entirely removed them; nevertheless she deferred the marriage until
after a pretty long journey he was to make; but she behaved herself so
well until his departure, and appeared so concerned at it, that I
believed as well as he, that she sincerely loved him. He set out about
three months ago; during his absence I have seldom seen Madam de
Tournon; you have entirely taken me up, and I only knew that he was
speedily expected.

"The day before yesterday, on my arrival at Paris, I heard she was
dead; I sent to his lodgings to enquire if they had any news of him,
and word was brought me he came to town the night before, which was
precisely the day that Madam de Tournon died; I immediately went to see
him, concluding in what condition I should find him, but his affliction
far surpassed what I had imagined.

"Never did I see a sorrow so deep and so tender; the moment he saw me
he embraced me with tears; 'I shall never see her more,' said he, 'I
shall never see her more, she is dead, I was not worthy of her, but I
shall soon follow her.'

"After this he was silent; and then, from time to time, continually
repeating 'She is dead, I shall never see her more,' he returned to
lamentations and tears, and continued as a man bereft of reason. He
told me he had not often received letters from her during his absence,
but that he knew her too well to be surprised at it, and was sensible
how shy and timorous she was of writing; he made no doubt but she would
have married him upon his return; he considered her as the most amiable
and constant of her sex; he thought himself tenderly beloved by her; he
lost her the moment he expected to be united to her for ever; all these
thoughts threw him into so violent an affliction, that I own I was
deeply touched with it.

"Nevertheless I was obliged to leave him to go to the King, but
promised to return