see her daughter again; her daughter was the only thing she had



reluctance to part with.

Madam de Cleves was in the utmostaffliction; her husband did not



leave her, and no sooner was her mother expired, but he carried

her into the country, that she might not have in her eye a place



which could serve only to sharpen her sorrow, which was scarce to

be equalled. Though tenderness and gratitude had the greatest



share in her griefs, yet the need which she found she had of her

mother to guard her against the Duke of Nemours added no small



weight to them; she found she was unhappy in being left to

herself, at a time when she was so little mistress of her own



affections, and when she so much wished for somebody to pity and

encourage her. The Prince of Cleves's behaviour to her on this



occasion, made her wish more ardently than ever, never to fail in

her duty to him; she also expressed more friendship and affection



for him than she had done before; she would not suffer him to

leave her, and she seemed to think that his being constantly with



her could defend her against the Duke of Nemours.

The Duke came to see the Prince of Cleves in the country; he did



what he could to pay a visit also to Madam de Cleves, but she

refused to receive him; and being persuaded she could not help



finding something dangerously lovely in him, she made a strong

resolution to forbearseeing him, and to avoid all occasions of



it that were in her power.

The Prince of Cleves went to Paris to make his Court, and



promised his lady to return the next day, but however he did not

return till the day after. "I expected you yesterday," said



Madam de Cleves to him on his arrival, "and I ought to chide you

for not having come as you promised; you know, if I was capable



of feeling a new affliction in the condition I am in, it would be

the death of Madam de Tournon, and I have heard of it this



morning; I should have been concerned, though I had not known

her; it is a melting consideration to think that a lady so young



and handsome as she, should be dead in two days; but besides, she

was the person in the world that pleased me most, and who



appeared to have discretion equal to her beauty."

"I am sorry I could not return yesterday," replied the Prince



of Cleves, "but my presence was so necessary to the consolation

of an unhappy man, that it was impossible for me to leave him.



As for Madam de Tournon, I do not advise you not to be concerned

for her, if you lament her as a woman full of discretion, and



worthy of your esteem." "You surprise me," answered Madam de

Cleves, "I have heard you say several times, that there was not



a lady at Court you had a greater respect for." "It is

true," replied he, "but women are incomprehensible, and when I



have seen them all, I think myself so happy in having you, that I

cannot enough admire my good fortune." "You esteem me more



than I deserve," answered Madam de Cleves, "you have not had

experience enough yet to pronounce me worthy of you; but tell me,



I beseech you, what it is has undeceived you with respect to

Madam de Tournon." "I have been undeceived a great while,"



replied he, "and I know that she was in love with the Count de

Sancerre, and that she gave him room to hope she would marry



him." "I can't believe," said Madam de Cleves, "that Madam

de Tournon, after so extraordinary an aversion as she has shown



to marriage from the time she became a widow, and after the

public declarations she has made that she would never marry



again, should give hopes to Sancerre." "If she had given hopes

to him only," replied the Prince of Cleves, "the wonder had not



been so great; but what is surprising is, that she gave hopes

likewise to Etouteville at the same time: I'll let you know the



whole history of this matter."

II



"You know the friendship, there is betwixt Sancerre and me.

Nevertheless about two years ago he fell in love with Madam de



Tournon, and concealed it from me with as much care as from the

rest of the world; I had not the least suspicion of it. Madam de



Tournon as yet appeared inconsolable for the death of her

husband, and lived in retirement with great austerity.



Sancerre's sister was in a manner the only person she saw, and it

was at her lodgings he became in love with her.



"One evening there was to be play at the Louvre, and the actors

only waited for the coming of the King and Madam de Valentinois,

• princess [,prin´ses] n.公主；王妃；亲王夫人 (初中英语单词)


• plainly [´pleinli] ad.平坦地；简单地 (初中英语单词)


• countenance [´kauntinəns] n.面部表情；脸色；面容 (初中英语单词)


• apartment [ə´pɑ:tmənt] n.一套房间 (初中英语单词)


• acknowledge [ək´nɔlidʒ] vt.(公开)承认；感谢 (初中英语单词)


• prince [´prins] n.王子；亲王；君主 (初中英语单词)


• entertain [,entə´tein] vt.招待；娱乐；使高兴 (初中英语单词)


• utmost [´ʌtməust] a.最大的 n.极端 (初中英语单词)


• dreadfully [dredfuli] ad.可怕地；糟透地 (初中英语单词)


• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)


• closet [´klɔzit] n.橱；私室；盥洗室 (初中英语单词)


• acquaintance [ə´kweintəns] n.相识；熟人，相识的人 (初中英语单词)


• humour [´hju:mə] n.幽默，诙谐 (初中英语单词)


• passion [´pæʃən] n.激情；激怒；恋爱 (初中英语单词)


• conceal [kən´si:l] vt.藏；隐瞒 (初中英语单词)


• intention [in´tenʃən] n.意图；打算；意义 (初中英语单词)


• curiosity [,kjuəri´ɔsiti] n.好奇；奇事；珍品 (初中英语单词)


• intimate [´intimit] a.亲密的 n.知己 (初中英语单词)


• extreme [ik´stri:m] a.尽头的 n.极端 (初中英语单词)


• partly [´pɑ:tli] ad.部分地；不完全地 (初中英语单词)


• affection [ə´fekʃən] n.友爱；慈爱 (初中英语单词)


• illness [´ilnis] n.生病，不健康，疾病 (初中英语单词)


• waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)


• sensible [´sensəbəl] a.感觉得到的 (初中英语单词)


• introduction [,intrə´dʌkʃən] n.介绍；引言；引导 (初中英语单词)


• despair [di´speə] vi.&n.绝望 (初中英语单词)


• worthy [´wə:ði] a.有价值的；值得的 (初中英语单词)


• retire [ri´taiə] v.撤退；退职；退休 (初中英语单词)


• willing [´wiliŋ] a.情愿的，乐意的 (初中英语单词)


• violence [´vaiələns] n.猛烈；暴力(行) (初中英语单词)


• reflect [ri´flekt] v.反射；反响；表达 (初中英语单词)


• oblige [ə´blaidʒ] vt.责成；迫使；使感激 (初中英语单词)


• capable [´keipəbəl] a.有能力；能干的 (初中英语单词)


• witness [´witnis] n.见证人 vt.目击 (初中英语单词)


• scarce [skeəs, skers] a.缺乏的；稀有的 (初中英语单词)


• gratitude [´grætitju:d] n.感激，感谢 (初中英语单词)


• unhappy [ʌn´hæpi] a.不幸的；不快乐的 (初中英语单词)


• mistress [´mistris] n.女主人；情妇；女能手 (初中英语单词)


• constantly [´kɔnstəntli] ad.经常地；不断地 (初中英语单词)


• arrival [ə´raivəl] n.到达；到达的人(物) (初中英语单词)


• consideration [kən,sidə´reiʃən] n.考虑；原因；体谅 (初中英语单词)


• advise [əd´vaiz] vt.忠告；建议；通知 (初中英语单词)


• extraordinary [ik´strɔ:dinəri] a.非常的；额外的 (初中英语单词)


• surprising [sə´praiziŋ] a.惊人的；意外的 (初中英语单词)


• suspicion [sə´spiʃən] n.怀(猜)疑；嫌疑 (初中英语单词)


• mistaken [mis´teikən] mistake的过去分词 (高中英语单词)


• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)


• chamber [´tʃeimbə] n.房间；议院；会议室 (高中英语单词)


• execution [,eksi´kju:ʃən] n.执行；演奏；表演 (高中英语单词)


• infinite [´infinit] a.无限的，无穷的 (高中英语单词)


• resentment [ri´zentmənt] n.不满；怨恨；忿恨 (高中英语单词)


• withdrew [wið´dru:] withdraw的过去式 (高中英语单词)


• pleasing [´pli:ziŋ] a.使人愉快的；合意的 (高中英语单词)


• seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)


• pretence [pri´tens] n.假装；托词；无理要求 (高中英语单词)


• excessive [ik´sesiv] a.过分的；极端的 (高中英语单词)


• inclination [,inkli´neiʃən] n.倾斜；爱好；天资 (高中英语单词)


• frightful [´fraitfəl] a.可怕的；不愉快的 (高中英语单词)


• necessarily [´nesisərili] ad.必定，必然地 (高中英语单词)


• hinder [´hində, ´haində] vt.阻止 a.后面的 (高中英语单词)


• sharpen [´ʃɑ:pən] v.削尖，(使)锐利 (高中英语单词)


• tenderness [´tendənis] n.娇嫩；柔软；温柔 (高中英语单词)


• concerned [kən´sə:nd] a.有关的；担心的 (高中英语单词)


• lament [lə´ment] v.哀悼 n.哀悼；恸哭 (高中英语单词)


• esteem [i´sti:m] n.尊重 vt.认为；感到 (高中英语单词)


• beseech [bi´si:tʃ] v.恳求，哀求 (高中英语单词)


• shameful [´ʃeimfəl] a.可耻的；猥亵的 (英语四级单词)


• embarrassment [im´bærəsmənt] n.窘迫；困惑；为难 (英语四级单词)


• forbear [fɔ:´beə, fə-] v.容忍；克制 n.祖先 (英语四级单词)


• brussels [´brʌslz] n.布鲁塞尔 (英语四级单词)


• sincerity [sin´seriti] n.真诚；诚意 (英语四级单词)


• precipice [´presipis] n.悬崖；危急的处境 (英语四级单词)


• discretion [di´skreʃən] n.谨慎；判断(力) (英语四级单词)


• retirement [ri´taiəmənt] n.退休；撤退；幽静处 (英语四级单词)


• scruple [´skru:pəl] n.&v.犹豫；顾忌 (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• affliction [ə´flikʃən] n.痛苦，苦恼；折磨 (英语六级单词)


• dangerously [´deindʒrəsli] ad.危险 (英语六级单词)