when alone, 'are you really happy?'
Alas! my friend, as we saw each other so often, how many foolish and
mad projects were then conceived!

"We talked, we conversed of the future of which those who ardently love
never think in the early period of their ecstacies. Once an
opportunity of an alliance likely to add to the lustre of her house
presented itself. What fury and bitter rancour were aroused in me!
For only appearing favourably disposed towards this illustrious
alliance, she suffered much from my anger. My passion was ignoble, as
she deeply felt, more from her love to me, than from the sufferings it
caused her. Oh! she was never able to erase from her soul this picture
of my madness. To alleviate my sufferings and completely to reconcile
me, she stooped to my mean and rude nature. Our hearts harmonised
again, but from the lowering clouds that now surrounded me, I looked
back with yearnings to that heavenly serenity that first shone
dazzlingly upon me so. In imagination we lived as though affianced,
and dreamt of our union, of unexpected bliss, of varied pleasures and
turns of fate never to be realised. But these were misty visions, and
we considered the greatest improbabilities as near and natural. The
habitual thoughts of our love gradually destroyed necessary precaution.
The looks of spies were watchful, and were sharpened by our imprudence.
Rumours were circulated, which perhaps never would have reached the
prince himself, had not his own glance suspected and discovered our
connection. He now learnt more from his questions than he desired to
know, and far more than was in accordance with truth. One evening he
sent for me to attend him alone in his closet, and displayed to me in
this serious interview all the nobleness of his great mind. Without
reproaching me, he ascribed to himself alone the immediate cause of my
presumption, saying that he had treated me with too much confidence,
nay, almost like a son; that he had deviated too much from his rank and
the laws of etiquette; that he had foolishly rejoiced in the thought of
his daughter being able by intercourse with me to improve her mind. As
he became more serious, I assured the agitated father by my honour, and
by all that is sacred,--which indeed was in accordance with the
truth,--that our mutual passion had never led us astray, and that our
better genius had never forsaken us. At this he became tranquil, and
only replied by prohibiting as I ha