her What! what would you have me stab her to let you see how odious she is to me Ah Perfidious Wretch Cry'd I how hast thou been able to delude me all this while No I will not not follow thy Example but it behoves me to be reveng'd of a Traytor My Sighs and Tears would not permit me to say more and how it came to pass I did not die under the pressure of my over-whelming sorrows I cannot say Book the Eighth VElley strove to comfort me and ask'd me what Satisfaction I desir'd his Daughter should make me 'T is not your Daughter said I that I complain against but against a Man who has abus'd my most sincere and constant Love Speak Madam reply'd Velley what Commands will you be pleas'd to lay upon me I adore ye I will sacrifice my life to serve you in your revenge for I must not dissemble with you the injury done you has renew'd in my heart all those Sentiments of Kindness and Affection which formerly my Love disclos'd to your Disdain Let your Husband alone to follow his indiscreet Passion I 'le answer for my Daughter that her Verture shall sufficiently punish him for his Treachery And as for your self Madam forget an unworthy Husband were it only to make a happy change and vow your Embraces to a Lover that adores ye I was at that instant so deeply perswaded of St. Albe's infidelity and so resolv'd to revenge my self that I hearken'd to every thing that Velley said to me and I thought that the more he lov'd me the more ready I should find him to assist me with his Counsel and his Services and to tell ye the whole Truth I must confess my Vanity was so humbled by St. Albe's Contempt that I would have listen'd to any man that would have but pretended to afford me Consolation For the supplys of Pride are infinite in the heart of a Woman I desir'd Velley not to forsake me but to assist me as a Friend He advis'd me to take no notice to my Husband of any thing that he had said to me and as he went out of my Chamber he told me he was going to study some pretence or other to put his Daughter into a Convent and indeed he carry'd her that very day to St. Anthonies Abbey After this Discourse I went to Bed where I was seis'd with a Fever St. Albe desir'd to see me but I desir'd him to let me take my rest however he came into the Room without my leave He took me by the Arm and as he was feeling my Pulse I perceiv'd the Tears that trickl'd from his Eyes He askt me whether I knew that Velley had carry'd his Daughter to a Convent But I made him no answer for I believ'd the tears he shed to be no other then the effect of his Grief for being separated from his Mistress He conjur'd me to take care of my Health but still I made him no answer so that he was forc'd to leave me I spent that Night but very ill and the next Morning they told me that my Husband desir'd to see me but I sent him word that I had need of rest not having slept a wink all night With that he went away and about Noon a Letter was brought me from him and I was also farther given to understand that he had taken Horse without leaving any word whither he was gone The Contents of the Letter were these The LETTER SInce my Presence Madam is an Obstacle to your Health and that I am one of those Testimonies whom you desire to be soonest rid of I take my leave of you for ever if you chance to hear of the death of him who rob'd me of your heart seek no farther for the Author of it then my self I wish that time would give me strength to forget you even to desire no further revenge It is not necessary the Publick should be inform'd of our Differences but you may tell those who ask you what is become of me That Business has callâ—d me into the Province This Letter I read over and over again above twenty times yet could not apprehend the meaning of it Could it be possible thought 〈◊〉 to give him any occasion to suspect my Loyalty No 't is a pretence which he takes to lay the blame at my door But to what purpose does he absent himself 'T is because he thinks I love him too well to endure him out of my sight he believes me ignorant of his infidelity he knows I am sick and desiring my death he picks a quarrel with me that he may quite overwhelm me For what else can be his aim in betraying me Alas continu'd I with tears in my Eyes 't is I who ought to complain that his heart is taken from me Is it possible that St. Albe that St. Albe so different from all other men should be capable of so foul a Treason These were the Reflexions which I made for I was so prepossest against him that it never came into my mind that he might be innocent After Dinner Velley came to see me and gave me an account how he had carry'd his Daughter to a Convent he told me also that she went with a hearty good will as being tormented to the soul to be the occasion of St. Albe's being in love with any other but his own Wife I told Velley that he had left Paris at which he seem'd to be in a great fit of Admiration and buzz'd it into my Head that St. Albe was meditating violence to his Daughter Then I shew'd him St. Albe's Letter at which he seem'd to be more surpriz'd and after he had stood a while in a Brown study he told me that my Husband had wrote to me in that manner for no other reason but to puzzle and amuse me and to oblige me perhaps to run after him but that it behov'd me to stand upon my guard for that if I did not keep stedfast he would make an ill use of my weakness and my fondness for him Velley would afterwards have entertain'd me with Vows and Protestations and a long Preamble of his Passion but I cut him off short and told him that besides other reasons which I had for not hearkening to him my Husband's Letter furnish'd me with one more for in regard I thought he was in part suspected by St. Albe I was willing to shun him Afterwards I desir'd him to change his Lodging under pretence that it did not look well for a stranger to lye in my House while my Husband was absent I shew'd the Letters which St. Albe had written to Mademoiselle de Velley to the Countess of as also the Letter which he had written to me upon his going out of Town She told me she understood nothing of the Business but that she fear'd that both St. Albe and I were deceiv'd 'T is requisite added she that I should see and discourse Mademoiselle de Velley perhaps I might then pick out
a Resolution which I withstood at first but which after all was that which flatter'd me most and of which the very thought afforded me consolation in the midst of my Troubles and Afflictions I wrote to Blossac and gave him an Account of my Condition desiring his Advice and Assistance However because I was still afraid lest my Letter should be intercepted I let nothing fall from my Pen that might give him the least hint that I had still a Passion for him I only seem'd to repair to him as to a general Friend not knowing where else to address my self But this Precaution quite ruin'd me in the good opinion of Blossac or rather serv'd as a pretence for his Inconstancy For certain it is that if he had always lov'd me he would never have quarrell'd with me for making so little a shew of my Passion because he might well judge that I could not in prudence write otherwise considering the Circumstances I was under I have already told ye that he was jealous of my Civilities to Sauveboeuf This Jealousy was strengthen'd by the many Reports which my Husband had spread about to my Disgrace For in all Companies where he took pains to dishonour me Sauveboeuf's Name was not forgotten And the very naming of a Person who was fam'd for being one of the greatest Intrieguers about the Country was enough to render the Calumny probable Now Blossac not finding in my Letter my former tenderness of Expressions believ'd me another Woman and that it was not out of inclination or preference that I address'd my self to him but out of pure necessity So that he was neither a Lover that had the Tenderness nor a Friend that had the Generosity to serve me He return'd me an Answer the flattest the most spropositous and the most offensive in the World reproaching me with my ill Conduct and my natural propensity to Coquettry Alas he forgot that 't was himself who had infus'd that propensity into me And his Perfidiousness went so far as to make that criminal in me which I had only done for his sake I read over his Letter no less then ten times not being able to persuade my self that ever he could have been capable of so much Ingratitude as to write to me in that manner But being fully at length convinc'd of it I ceas'd from that moment to have any longer for him I will not say not only the least Inclination but the least Esteem I was astonish'd that I should be so long before I understood it and I repented that I had not taken a Resolution to despise him from the very time that he refus'd to give me the meeting already spoken of This speedy change in my heart in reference to Blossac convinc'd me that there is not any Woman sensible of her Honour who is proof against some certain Injuries From that time forward I could never endure either to see or have any value for him All that I could do in consideration of the Sentiments which he had inspir'd into me was only never to name him I know not whether all Women will approve this speedy Resolution of mine to forget him But I can hardly believe there is any Woman so low-spirited as to continue her Affection to a Man that should forsake her in necessity and under a slight Pretence when unfortunate only for his sake We may pardon Inconstancy Fantastical Humour and even Injuries themselves when they are not the Character of a Base and Interested Heart but I cannot believe it other then a Crime to love a Man who suffers a Woman whom he had lov'd and who craves his Assistance to become a prey to her Enemies He ought to have serv'd me without any hesitation and that done he might have chosen whether he would have lov'd me or no. And therefore in my opinion I did no more then what any Rational Woman would have done in defacing him out of my heart So soon as I had receiv'd the foremention'd Letter and that it had caus'd so suddain a change in my Affection all things methought began to look with a new face I did not think my Husband's Behaviour so hateful as it seem'd to be I blam'd my self for having left him and I expected the arrival of my Father with as much impatience as fear of seeing him before I found no reluctancy to submit to what he had propounded to me and I lookt upon the Misfortunes which I had so much dreaded to be no other then the effects of vain Terror By which we may see that Love is that which gives what Tincture it pleases to things and that when a Woman ceases to have a Passion for another Man besides her Husband she has courage enough either not to magnify the causes of her fear or else not to be afraid at all How happy had I bin had I consider'd these things sooner and had always remember'd 'em during the continu'd course of my Life How great a power did my Father believe he had over me when he beheld me so submissive to what not how from the Sparks that stopt him came riding up with his Sword in his hand and threaten'd to kill me Upon which Sauveboeuf not believing it safe to trust me in such rude hands carri'd me away by force notwithstanding all that I could say or plead for my self Thus by the most unexpected Accident that ever was I found my self as it were torn from the hands of my Husband at a time when I began to love him and I became at the same time an Innocent Occasion of new Stories and fresh Calamities to the prejudice of my Reputation when I was wholly taken up with a desire to have fix'd my self to my duty What a noise did this Story make and what did not People say of me in the World My Father and my Husband made no question but that it was a Contrivance of mine which had engag'd Sauveboeuf to this Act of Violence And being so prepossess'd they made no wonder that I so readily consented to my Reconciliation and after this my Father no less readily believ'd whatever my Husband had told him before And indeed Probabilities render'd the Proceeding so Criminal that neither the one nor the other could well excuse me And upon this they were so incens'd against me and Sauveboeuf that without any consideration of their own Honours and my Reputation they went to Bourdeaux to make their Complaint to the Parlament But they were not a little amaz'd to meet Sauveboeuf there who to justify me as I had desir'd him had follow'd 'em to that City However 't was in vain for him to lay before 'em that I had no hand in the Violence For that was thought to be an Excuse only to hinder the Prosecution of the Law In the mean time Publick Report had spread abroad a new Story by which it was given out that Sauveboeuf having forc'd me from my Friends only to satisfy a transitory Passion had
Prince who for above these two years has had so great a Passion for you which has made him forget his Quality that he might have the Honour of seeing you I am the Duke of Savoy but I do not ground my Hopes of gaining your Favour so much upon my Quality as upon the most tender and pâ—ssionate Love that ever was pledg'd to Woman-kind While he was thus talking to me I kept my Eyes attentively fix'd upon him A sort of surprize which he perceiving and afraid lest I should interrupt him tho it were onely to shew the astonishment I was in he earnestly desir'd me not to disclose it to others that He had discover'd himself and after a World of Amorous Ejaculations he press'd me to tell him what Impression they had made upon my Heart But I was not over-hasty to let him understand my Sentiments I perceiv'd in my self an Inclination for the Marquess of Fleuri before I knew who he was and I was sorry that I had shewn any thing of Complacency to the Duke of Savoy because I foresaw he would prove an Obstacle to my growing Passion In short I was already more in love then I could imagin my self to be Instead of answering to the Duke of Savoy's Amorous Importunities I ask'd him with a kind of unseasonable Transport the Name of the Person that accompany'd him but immediately repenting that I had bin so foolish to put such a Question to him I fell into a sort of Rambling Gibbâ—ish that put the Duke into a fit of Laughter However he attributed the little Ramblings of my Expressions to the Disorder of my Mind and still press'd to know what he was to hope for By which time having a little recollected my self from the Agitations that turmoyl'd my surprized Thoughts I told him I could not think my self any way oblig'd to him for a seeming Honour that so much expos'd my Reputation He laught at my niceness in point of Reputation and told me that the thing which he requir'd from a Woman that he lov'd was that she would lay aside that part of Delicacy Upon this Subject we had a long discourse and our Conversation ended in many earnest Invitations which he made me to the Court of Savoy The Marquess de Fleuri as my Friend afterwards told me was under a strange disturbance all the while that the Duke of Savoy was talking to me and she could perceive I was a Person who had made no small Impression in his Breast Therefore before we parted the Marquiss took his Opportunity and whispering me in the Ear Madam said He I shall dye if you surrender to the Duke of Savoy a Heart which I alone deserve because of that Infinite Love which I have for you He was unwilling to say more to me for fear of being observ'd and I must confess it was my happiness that I could not have time to discourse him in private for I should have had much ado to have conceal'd from him the Joy which the assurance of his Love infus'd into me considering how little we are Mistresses of our selves in the first Agitations of a violent Passion At the same time the Duke of Savoy desir'd leave that he might tarry the next day also at my House which the Pleasure of the Marquiss de Fleuri's Company and the Hopes of understanding who he was easily prevail'd upon me to grant When my Friend the Lady and I were alone together I gave her an account of the Conversation I had had with the Duke of Savoy but said not a word to her of my Inclinations for the Marquis de Fleuri Not that I distrusted the Sincerity of her Friendship but because Secrecy is always the first thing that inspires us with a Real Passion My Friend would hardly believe me at first when I told her that one of the Persons was the Duke of Savoy but fully at length convinc'd she blam'd me for consenting to let 'em tarry all the next day She foresaw better then I did the Consequences of this Adventure and told me moreover that if it should come to be known the Higher the Duke of Savoy's Quality was the more my Reputation would suffer I assur'd her that he should never have any occasion to boast of any thing that could do me an Injury and that I did not find in my self the least Inclination for him We spent all that night in discoursing of this Adventure not being able in all that time to think of disclosing to her my Sentiments for the Marquiss de Fleuri a fault for which I have often since that time deservedly blam'd my self for a Woman has never more need of the Counsel and Advice of a prudent and discerning Friend then when a Passion begins to blind her When she thinks to be her own Conductress she makes a thousand false Steps and falls into a thousand mistakes Thus then consulting no body but my self I resolv'd upon two things that were ill contriv'd yet which at the same time seem'd to give me an occasion to satisfy both my Inclination and my Vertue I took a Resolution not to let the Marquiss de Fleuri understand the Sentiments I had for him nor to discourage the Duke of Savoy that I might not be depriv'd of the Marquiss's Company This Design appear'd to me Heroic besides that it concern'd me to try whether the Marquiss lov'd me really or no and I thought there was no better way to convince my self of this Truth then by making a shew of having a greater Fondness for the Duke of Savoy then I had The next day I put my project in Execution as being onely civil and complaisant to the Duke of Savoy and carefully avoiding to discourse or cast my Eye upon the Marquis de Fleuri As for the Duke of Savoy whose love for me was one of those sorts of Passions that never languish by degrees but seek a speedy satisfaction he was so charm'd with my converse and disposition that without any more ado he propos'd to me what his Passion made him desire On the other side I who had a design to manage him return'd him no such Answer as I should have done so that he thought there was now no more to be done but to find an Opportunity that we might be both in Private together He dissembl'd therefore and having made me promise him to take a Journey into Savoy he took his leave of me and I believ'd him really gone The Marquis of Fleuri endeavour'd in vain to speak to me before they took horse for I still avoided him so that all he could do was to slip a Billet-Doux into my hand which I had not the Power to refuse and therefore so soon as they were out of sight I open'd it in great haste and found the following words Nothing but an Affection for you as violent as mine could force me to betray the Duke of Savoy by giving you notice that he is this night to be let into your Chamber Your
giving credit to such Reports with so much easiness render'd him so different to me from what he always had bin that I repented of having thrown away my Love upon him And then it was that I found by experience that Absence operates more ways then one to the prejudice of Love This begat a little coldness between us and we forbore writing one to another He that will undertake to love a Woman ought to have a strong Head more especially when the Person upon whom he desires to place his Esteem has the misfortune to have Enemies For I believe there is no man strong enough upon that account since the Marquiss of Fleuri who was a man of the best Character that ever I knew was so weak as to believe whatever Tales and Stories reach'd his Ears These Scandals and Reproaches pleas'd the Duke of Savoy as much as the Marquiss of Fleuri was vext to hear 'em and thereby 't was easy to understand the difference of their Love The Duke of Savoy who had only a Roughhewn Passion for me ne'er laid my Defamations to heart Nay he rather believ'd it would be no hard matter to win a Woman who had little Reputation to be cautious of For this is that which happens but too frequently There are few Women when the greatest part of their Honour is sacrific'd make any scruple to offer up the remainder On the other side the Marquis of Fleuri who never lov'd me but because he thought I had not merited my Misfortunes was at his wits end to have the least reason to question my Innocence his Love not being able to support it self without Esteem which was the foundation of it he valu'd not a Heart accustom'd to surrender At the same time the Marquiss of Cah fell in love with the Damself of Bretagne which was a Match of great Advantage for her and in regard the Duke of Savoy had a desire to bestow her he desir'd me that I would be pleas'd to visit her sometimes and to accompany her when the Marquiss propos'd to carry her abroad He also desir'd me to speak to the Marquiss de Cah in favour of his Mistress which I did with that success that he marry'd her within a year or two after One day the Duke of Savoy propos'd the taking of a Tour by Water upon the Poe where I was present with all the Court. In our return it was perceiv'd that the Barge which carri'd us began to leake And presently the Duke of Savoy order'd us to be set ashore where Coaches were ready to receive us and carry us to Turin from whence we were not above a League and Night drawing on I know not by what Enchantment thinking to have taken Coach with the Marquiss of Cah and his Mistress I mistook and put my self into another which drove away like Lightning and wherein I found my self alone with a single Person whom I knew soon after to be the Duke of Savoy I was sufficiently vext that it should be said I return'd alone with the Duke but I had juster cause soon after to be more afflicted The Wheel of our Coach broke as the Duke himself had taken order and we were forc'd to alight as Fortune or rather Design would have it near a House which belong'd to the Marquiss of Fleuri and which flew open to us as soon as the Duke's Name was heard It seems 't was no new thing in that Principality to see the Duke engage himself in such Adventures and never was Prince less shie of publick Discourse upon that score I made no scruple to enter the House believing the other Coaches had follow'd us but they had taken another Road and I was all alone with the Duke of Savoy However I thought to meet with Company in the House and when I understood that it belong'd to the Marquis of Fleuri I flatter'd my self that no Misfortune could befall me and that in the House of so dear a Lover I should be nimble and cunning enough to defend my self from any Affront that his Rival could put upon me Hardly were we enter'd when a certain Person arriv'd you will scarcely believe it when I shall tell you it was the Marquiss of Fleuri seeing I have told ye that he was in France However it was He and you shall hear the reason why he return'd Receiving no Letters from me and being no less able to persuade himself to write to me he took a Resolution to come and satisfy his Curiosity and his Jealousies upon the Place it self for he lov'd me really and was at his Wit's-end that he could not be assur'd of my Vertue Nor was it a hard matter for him to take this Journey because the Court of France was then removing to Lion and therefore taking his advantage of these Circumstances he took Post and came to his House with a design to remain there Incognito and not to make known his return to any but those by whom he intended to inform himself of the truth of things He arriv'd almost as soon as We and the House-keeper telling him that the Duke of Savoy was but just come before with a Lady his thoughts misgave him presently that 't was my self He was at a stand whether or no he should conceal himself when the Duke who was desirous to know who he was perceiv'd him and presently taking notice of him ask'd him why he was not in France and wherefore he was return'd without his Order The Marquiss in his own excuse made answer that his Negotiations being at an end he thought he might be permitted to leave a Place where he had nothing more to do The Duke of Savoy who despair'd not all this while to vanquish my Reluctancy commanded the Marquis to go and stay for him at Turin as being unwilâ—ing he should see me in his Company Thereupon the Marquis made a shew of yielding him Obedience tho having more exactly inform'd himself who the Lady was that the Duke of Savoy had brought along with him he understood it was my self But then it was that he minded little the Disobeying of his Prince provided he could but convince himself by his own Eyes of what he had bin long doubtful and in some measure perswaded Now in regard he was better acquainted then any Body with the Apartiments of his own House he hid himself in a Closet where he could hear and see what was done in the Chamber where we were together Nothing could have fallen out more to my Advantage for the Marquis de Fleuri was a witness how coursely I handl'd the Duke of Savoy and his Esteem for my Vertue restor'd me to his Heart and made him lay aside all his Jealousies In the mean time the Duke press'd me to correspond with his Passion and he urg'd his Importunities to that degree that the Marquis thought it no longer became him to conceal himself but that it was time to succour me in that distress He appear'd then and never considering that
also tell ye that 't was I who confirm'd her in her resolution to marry ye And I can farther assure ye that if she does not marry you she will never be Wife to any other Person In what an Extasie of Delight and Satisfaction was over-joy'd St. Albe when he heard such Confirmations of his Felicity as these He embrac'd the Dutchesses Knees conjuring her at the same time to deal sincerely with him Madam de Chatillon answer'd him that to let him see she did not deceive him she would send for me which she did and I as soon repair'd to her Lodgings impatient to know what had past between 'em where St. Albe was still upon his Knees when I entred the Room 'T is well y' are come Madam said she for I know not what to do and if you do not take some speedy care I 'm afraid St. Alhe will die at my Feet I knew not what the Dutchess had said to him and therefore seeing him in that condition I was afraid she had put him into a fit of despair by telling him that I intended to marry the Duke of Scar'd with these thoughts Ah Madam said I you have bin too cruel to put the poor St. Albe in pain and to St. Albe cry'd I What has she told ye that so terribly afflicts ye Then turning to me and embracing my Knees in the same manner No Madam cry'd he I cannot believe what I have heard my happiness is so unconceivable that it astonishes me I was then afraid lest Madam de Chatillon had told him too much and blushing I askt him what happiness it was had so transported him Alas Madam reply'd he I am not able to express it all that I am sensible of is only this that I adore ye I wish that you could read it in my heart I find then reply'd I that Madam de Chatillon has betray'd me and 't is in vain to dissemble any longer Rise St. Albe and hearken to me I love you and all that you have done for me for these dozen years together has convinc'd me that you merit my Affection I never thought that the Disposal of Providence would order things in such a manner as to testifie the impression which your Accomplishments have made in my heart I must also tell ye farther that tho we are now in a fair way both you and I to a lasting Union I should hardly have resolv'd upon it had â—ot your misfortunes depriv'd ye of your Estate But now you 'T is true 't was Passion that fix'd my Resolution to marry St. Albe but I saw nothing of so much inequality in the Match that was any way a lessening to my Honour He was a Gentleman and a Person of singular merit And I am persuaded that had he bin as rich as I they who blam'd the Marriage most of all would have bin the first Advisers of me to it For my part I was not of their Opinions that Estate and Fortune are to be the Rules of Wedlock but on the other side the less St. Albe was worth the more I thought my self oblig'd to do things generously But Generosity is not a Vertue that men imagin we ought to boast of when we marry That Engagement is only lookt upon as a driv'n Bargain where we are to propose nothing to our selves but Profit and Interest But I insist too much upon the Justification of my Conduct 't is enough for me that my Marriage was approv'd by all those that are endu'd with noble and vertuous Sentiments St. Albe was nothing alter'd in his Behaviour after he had marri'd me but rather redoubl'd his Consideration and Respect for me I thought my self then going to lead a Life of Happiness and Tranquillity But I was not yet arriv'd at the end of my Sorrows My Marriage being made publick all the Women except Madam de Chatillon forsook me lamenting my ill Conduct And had you heard 'em you would have thought they would have more easily excus'd a piece of forbidden Galantry then this Lawful Marriage Such is the Unjustice of the World to judge of things by fantastical Conceit and Capriccio They pardon'd me no more for having married a man that I lov'd then formerly for having sought a Separation from a Husband that I could not endure The Old Count of who had serv'd me in my former Misfortunes took my part at Court and came to visit me on purpose to give me an Account of the Good Offices he did me by answering those that told Idle Tales and Stories to the Queen concerning my Marriage At my House he met with Mrs. Laval with whom he enter'd into a long Conversation She was witty and comely withal and the Count took a liking to her He judg'd by her Fidelity and her constant Adherence to me that a man might be happy in his old Age to have a Woman of her Character and with these and perhaps some other Considerations he return'd the next day renew'd his Discourse with Mrs. Laval and in eight days after made her a proposal of marriage And though he had Children marri'd yet for her he was a considerable Match For my part I had such a desire to see Mrs. Laval advanc'd to a degree becoming her Merit and her Vertue that I spar'd for nothing to bring about the Match At length the old Count marri'd her but kept a private Wedding and the Marriage being a Secret his new Wife remain'd at my House whither while the old Count came every day to her People began to talk of them as they did of St. Albe and me when they thought we were not marri'd The Count therefore to stop the Mouth of Scandal declar'd his Marriage carri'd his Wife whom henceforward I must call the Countess of to his own House and caus'd all the Honours to be paid her that were due to the Wife of a Person of his Quality Nevertheless the Old Count's Marriage became a Story full of divertisement and they who had enur'd their Tongues to Scandal and Calumny could not forbear talking They renew'd the Stories of my past Galantries and fail'd not to bring in the Countess of for her share of whom they told a hundred Idle Tales I found my self in this manner become a third time a prey to Envy and Reproach Which when they fasten once upon any Woman let her Conduct be never so void of Offence she cannot shun the Whirrits of their Malice The Children of the Count of beheld their Father's Marriage with an Evil Eye and not being able to null it they endeavour'd at least to poison the pleasure of it To which purpose they maliciously order'd Letters to be deliver'd to the Count wherein they gave him Hypocritical Advertisements of my irregular Life and that the Countess his Wife was my Companion and Sharer in all my Pleasures The Count who was a Person but of weak Parts gave credit to those Letters became jealous and desir'd his Wife to see me no more But she
years of Age whom he had caus'd to be bred up in a Convent However Velley was yet young enough well shap'd and had a great deal of Wit He was born with so great an Inclination for all sorts of Sciences and was so studiously addicted to 'em that he had attain'd to a considerable perfection in 'em But among all the Good Qualities he had one very Bad one which had like to have ruin'd St. Albe and my self and which we never were so curious as to mistrust Velley who could not believe after all that had bin reported of me in the World that I was an Enemy to Gallantry took a fancy to court me Now in regard I was not sensible of any Inclination for him I was not offended with the marks which he gave me of his Love I treated him also after such a manner as made him believe I was not displeas'd with his Courtship I also perceiv'd what he drove at because he redoubl'd his Sedulities and gave me sufficient Intimations that he was passionately in love with me Till then I little minded his Courtship but when I found him in earnest I carri'd my self more warily and so behav'd my self toward him as to let him see there was no hopes And whether it were that my entire devotion to my Husband made him forbear his Courtship or whether he lookt upon my Severity as an Artifice which I made use of to engage him the more he spoke no more to me concerning his Passion and we began to live together as if he had never mention'd any such thing to me St. Albe return'd from the Army and we went to spend the Winter at Paris Velley accompani'd us and having fetch'd his Daughter out of the Convent presented her to me She was witty and chearful in her humour and I was glad of such a pleasant Companion in my House 'T is true that her Beauty was so lively and so charming that had I bin never so little addicted to Jealousy or rather could I have imagin'd that St. Albe who lov'd only Me and the War could have bin of a humour to alter his Inclination I might have bin afraid of her Allurements I gladly therefore accepted Velley's Proposal to let him have an Apartment in my House though my Husband told me it would be inconvenient to lodge Strangers under the same Roof but I assur'd him they were People that would be no trouble to us in the World He was not accustom'd to contradict me and therefore would not oppose a thing which I seem'd to desire but added he with a smile blame no body but your self for what may happen for Mademoiselle de Velley is very amiable I answer'd him also with a smile that instead of alarumming my self at that I desir'd he might find her to his humour for I lov'd him too well to dislike what he lov'd But he found too soon that I did not mean as I said About a Month Velley and his Daughter had liv'd with us when I perceiv'd that St. Albe labour'd with a secret melancholy that tormented him and which he strove to conceal under various Infirmities of which he complain'd he spent the Nights without sleeping he sigh'd continually and me thought he avoided the sight of me for when I came to him to ask him what he ail'd he shun'd me and sighing only cry'd that he was very ill This began to disturb me and I desir'd him to enter into a Course of Physick to which he answer'd that nothing but death could cure him I redoubled my cares and my Caresses which he coldly receiv'd and which I attributed to his Distemper I judg'd him to be very sick indeed since instead of being a comfort I was become a trouble to him I was so persuaded that his indifference for me was no other then an Effect of his Disease that I durst not complain of it for fear of adding to the pain of his distemper the trouble which I thought it would be to to him should he perceive me to be discontented with him I made it my Business to divert him and in regard that Velley was a Jolly-man I desir'd his Conversation But I found that his Company rather augmented then lessen'd my Husband's Disturbances only methought that Mademoiselle de Velley's appearance gave him some Relief This began to create disturbances within me of another nature I felt Suspicions and Jealousie brooding in my Breast But then thought I to my self if he loves Mademoiselle de Velley wherefore does his Love make him sick since he sees her every day and she if I mistake not no way seems displeas'd with his Company It must be doubtless then Remorse of Conscience for being thus perfidious to me and he seeks to punish himself for his falseness in loving another I had so good an opinion of him that I made no question but that his sickness supposing he did love Mademoiselle de Velley proceeded from his being asham'd of his having Sentiments offensive to me but then again I was as soon of another mind and thought him like those Husbands who cannot endure the sight of their Wives when once they become unfaithful While I was rowling these thoughts in my mind Velley enter'd my Chamber seemingly pierc'd with Grief and Vexation in which condition when I ask'd him what he ail'd Madam said he I have strange News to tell ye you here behold a Man at his Wits end of necessity I must leave your House I understand your Husband Monsieur St. Albe's Disease Here are two Letters which he has written to my Daughter and which I intercepted read 'em and then tell me whether I am not the most unfortunate man in the World to come to your House to be the trouble of your felicity and Repose I took the Letters trembling I open'd 'em and found the Hand to be St. Albe's The first contain'd the following Expressions The LETTER WHY lay ye to my Charge my Affection to my Wife Is it because you are not convinc'd after all that I have said to ye that Acknowledgment only forces me to have some sort of value for her I marry'd her only to raise my Fortune but 't is my Heart 't is Inclination and Choice that fix me to your self and if you continue your Rigours you will certainly be the cause of my death 'T is impossible to express the shame and indignation that seiz'd me after I had read this Letter I had not strength enough to read the other but Velley press'd me to peruse it and it was thus indited The LETTER COnfess that the Reproaches which you cast upon me about Madam de St. Albe are but a Pretence which you make use of to conceal from me the Aversion you have for me For in short what would you have me do to convince ye that I hate my Wife since what I do every day before your Eyes is not sufficient to perswade ye of the Truth You see I can hardly endure to look upon