166 [=168]

[166]

[Letters Historical and Galant. Vol. 3]

"satisfy you, and since you take the place of my Confessor, I regard the Order you give me, of reciting the history of
"my Weaknesses, as a pennance you impose on me."

"I got into my Chamber, where after getting into bed without noise, I called my people who were not yet awake, and
"made them bring me some tea, after which I thought proper to continue my head ach to get time to repose myself, and
"under this pretence I made them shut my Chamber again, where I rested part of the Day. I slept but little, all pos'd
"in Reflections, sometimes I was afraid that My elopment would be discovered, and I repented that ever I made it; a
"moment after, I was vex'd it was not to begin again; and always the Absence of the Chevalier was the greatest of
"my troubles. I was sometime without hearing any news of him, but at last I saw him, and after several Interviews
"like that I was telling you of.. He agreed, that it was much better for us to see one another at my Lodgings, provided no person
"was admitted, and I would entrust none with the secret by my own servant, of whose fidelity I was assured. He
"took his opportunity to come in undiscovered, and went out with the same Precautions. From the time he came in
"the door was shut to every body. Sometimes they said I was taking a walk in the forrest, at other times that I
"was sick, and almost always that I was in some Convent; So that the little friends my bad fortune had left me
"growing tired of going to see me to no purpose, gave it over. In short the Chevalier seem'd very sensible of this
"sacrifice, which did not cost me very much, because I had nothing at heart but him. I remember that one
"day upon his hearing they sent back a Colonels Lady, and two young Lords, that came to spend the afternoon with
"me, he told me: Indeed, my Dear, you are very good to bury your self alive for me, and I make a scruple of being
"the Cause of your renouncing all kind of pleasure -- Ah, said I to him without hesitation, I have none but with
"you, and you are all the world to me! He thank'd me in the most enchanting terms in the world, and declared
"his sentiments paird exactly with mine. Thus Content one with the other, and looking upon all the rest as no
"thing, we placed all our happiness in seeing each other, and all our Care in Concealing our Commerce. The
"Chevalier went regularly to pay his Court at the Kings Rising and Dining; after which, as he was not so narrow
"ly watched, it was easy for him to disappear, without any one's mistrusting he came to me. Some thougth
"he went ever day to Paris, and even that he had some intrigues there; others believ'd he was taken up in studying
"the Mathematicks; and this it was he endeavoured to persuade those whom his fatehr had begg'd to have an
"Eye over his Conduct. In short, nobody mistrusted the truth. In the mean time we spent our afternoons
"soberly, sometimes in reading books of wit or reasoning upon what we had read. As the Chevalier was
"persuaded that the Conversation of women was of great use in forming a young man, and as he was prejudiced
"in my favour, he thought he found in me the Agreeable and the useful, and allways begg'd me to be so
"good as to do all I could to polish his mind."

"Oh! As to that, interrupted the Countess, he could not fall into better hands, and I make no doubt but you have made
"him a pretty fellow already; you know the French tongue perfectly well, the fine way of pronouncing it and all the Termes
"de Cabale, which Masters know not how to teach, and is best learned by conversing with the polite world ---- I don't al-
"low all you say, returned my Lady, to my advantage; but as the Chevalier wanted nothing but a little conversing with the
"world, and especially the French World; and as I am a little better frenchwoman than most of my Countrywomen, because
"I was bred in France, I dare faltter my self he lost nothing in that point with me. All his Ambition was to
"Write well, he had indeed a disposition to that; He had pretty thoughts in his Letters, and by correcting some
"Phrases, and suppressing others, one may make them very good; for his failing is not in wit, but in the little use he
"has of the French tongue, which hinders him sometimes from using good Expressions, and placing them well and
"to bring him to it without pedantry, I engaged him to write to me every day. For nothing in my opinion gives one
"Facility, so much as use. I answered him Extempore, and made him remark the places where he might have
"given his thoughts another turn ---- I should be glad, says the Countess to see some of the Letters you wrote to
"one another ---- I can shew you some of the Chevaliers another time, says My Lady, but for mine I never kept copies
"of them; I remember however a billet I wrote him in the beginning of our Correspondence; for he has told me of it so
"often that tis impossible I shall ever forget it. I believe, I have already told you, Madam, that the Chevalier came
"to see me some times after all our troubles. The Copy of that Fatal letter which was the cause of them, and which
"he wrote to me at Fontainbleau, as it never came to my hands, I never minded answering it, and the Cheva
"lier who would lose nothing, was absolutely bent on my doing it, and brought me his Copy on these Conditions
"So I answered it before him very near in these terms"