equally impossible that her husband should, or should not have
spoken of it. What the Duke de Nemours had said to her, that

curiosity might make a husband do indiscreet things, seemed so
justly applicable to Monsieur de Cleves's condition, that she

could not think he said it by chance, and the probability of this
made her conclude that Monsieur de Cleves had abused the

confidence she had placed in him. They were so taken up, the one
and the other, with their respective thoughts, that they

continued silent a great while; and when they broke from this
silence, they only repeated the same things they had already said

very often; their hearts and affections grew more and more
estranged from each other.

It is easy to imagine how they passed the night; Monsieur de
Cleves could no longer sustain the misfortune of seeing a woman

whom he adored in love with another; he grew quite heartless, and
thought he had reason to be so in an affair where his honour and

reputation were so deeply wounded: he knew not what to think of
his wife, and was at a loss what conduct he should prescribe to

her, or what he should follow himself; he saw nothing on all
sides but precipices and rocks; at last, after having been long

tossed to and fro in suspense, he considered he was soon to set
out for Spain, and resolved to do nothing which might increase

the suspicion or knowledge of his unfortunate condition. He went
to his wife, and told her that what they had to do was not to

debate between themselves who had discovered the secret; but to
make it appear that the story which was got abroad was a business

in which she had no concern; that it depended upon her to
convince the Duke de Nemours and others of it; that she had

nothing to do but to behave herself to him with that coldness and
reserve which she ought to have for a man who professed love to

her; that by this proceeding she would easily remove the opinion
he entertained of her being in love with him; and therefore she

needed not to trouble herself as to what he might hitherto have
thought, since if for the future she discovered no weakness, his

former thoughts would vanish of themselves; and that especially
she ought to frequent the Louvre and the assemblies as usual.

Having said this, Monsieur de Cleves left his wife without
waiting her answer; she thought what he said very reasonable, and

the resentment she had against the Duke de Nemours made her
believe she should be able to comply with it with a great deal of

ease; but it seemed a hard task to her to appear at the marriage
with that freedom and tranquillity of spirit as the occasion

required. Nevertheless as she was to carry the Queen-Dauphin's
train, and had been distinguished with that honour in preference

to a great many other Princesses, it was impossible to excuse
herself from it without making a great deal of noise and putting

people upon enquiring into the reasons of it. She resolved
therefore to do her utmost, and employed the rest of the day in

preparing herself for it, and in endeavouring to forget the
thoughts that gave her so much uneasiness; and to this purpose

she locked herself up in her closet. Of all her griefs the most
violent was that she had reason to complain of the Duke de

Nemours, and could find no excuse to urge in his favour; she
could not doubt but he had related this adventure to the Viscount

de Chartres; he had owned it himself, nor could she any more
doubt from his manner of speaking of it, but that he knew the

adventure related to her; how could she excuse so great an
imprudence? and what was become of that extremediscretion which

she had so much admired in this Prince? "He was discreet,"
said she, "while he was unhappy; but the thought of being happy,

though on uncertain grounds, has put an end to his discretion; he
could not consider that he was beloved, without desiring to have

it known; he said everything he could say; I never acknowledged
it was he I was in love with; he suspected it, and has declared

his suspicions; if he had been sure of it, he might have acted as
he has; I was to blame for thinking him a man capable of

concealing what flattered his vanity; and yet it is for this man,
whom I thought so different from other men, that I am become like

other women, who was so unlike them before. I have lost the
heart and esteem of a husband who ought to have been my

happiness; I shall soon be looked upon by all the world as a
person led away by an idle and violentpassion; he for whom I

entertain this passion is no longer ignorant of it; and it was to
avoid these misfortunes that I hazarded my quiet, and even my

life." These sad reflections were followed by a torrent of
tears; but however great her grief was, she plainly perceived she

should be able to support it, were she but satisfied in the Duke
de Nemours.

The Duke was no less uneasy than she; the indiscretion he had
been guilty of in telling what he did to the Viscount de

Chartres, and the mischievous consequences of it, vexed him to
the heart; he could not represent to himself the affliction and

sorrow he had seen Madam de Cleves in without being pierced with
anguish; he was inconsolable for having said things to her about

this adventure, which, though gallant enough in themselves,
seemed on this occasion too gross and impolite, since they gave

Madam de Cleves to understand he was not ignorant that she was
the woman who had that violentpassion, and that he was the

object of it. It was before the utmost of his wishes to have a
conversation with her, but now he found he ought rather to fear

than desire it. "What should I say to her!" says he; "should
I go to discover further to her what I have made her too sensible

of already! Shall I tell how I know she loves me; I, who have
never dared to say I loved her? Shall I begin with speaking

openly of my passion, that she may see my hopes have inspired me
with boldness? Can I even think of approaching her, and of

giving her the trouble to endure my sight? Which way could I
justify myself? I have no excuse, I am unworthy of the least

regard from Madam de Cleves, and I even despair of her ever
looking upon me: I have given her by my own fault better means of

defending herself against me than any she was searching for, and
perhaps searching for to no purpose. I lose by my imprudence the

glory and happiness of being loved by the most beautiful and
deserving lady in the world; but if I had lost this happiness,

without involving her in the most extreme grief and sufferings at
the same time, I should have had some comfort; for at this moment

I am more sensible of the harm I have done her, than of that I
have done myself in forfeiting her favour."

The Duke de Nemours continued turning the same thoughts over and
over, and tormenting himself a great while; the desire he had to

speak to Madam de Cleves came constantly into his mind; he
thought of the means to do it; he thought of writing to her; but

at last he found, considering the fault he had committed and the
temper she was in, his best way was to show her a profound

respect by his affliction and his silence, to let her see he
durst not present himself before her, and to wait for what time,

chance, and the inclination she had for him might produce to his
advantage. He resolved also not to reproach the Viscount de

Chartres for his unfaithfulness, for fear of confirming his
suspicions.

The preparations for the espousals and marriage of Madame on the
next day so entirely took up the thoughts of the Court, that

Madam de Cleves and the Duke de Nemours easily concealed from the
public their grief and uneasiness. The Queen-Dauphin spoke but

slightly to Madam de Cleves of the conversation they had had with
the Duke de Nemours; and Monsieur de Cleves industriously shunned

speaking to his wife of what was past; so that she did not find
herself under so much embarrassment as she had imagined.

The espousals were solemnised at the Louvre; and after the feast
and ball all the Royal family went to lie at the Bishop's Palace,