past will
render the days to come very sad. I knew that Monday was an unlucky day:
since my maid gave me such a fright by announcing the approaching
departure of the princes, all has gone from bad to worse.

The huntsman who brought me the bouquet from the prince, told me, in his
name, that he too was forced to depart. With great difficulty could he
invent a pretext for remaining three days after his brothers left. These
three days will not expire until to-morrow, and yet he leaves me to-day;
he must go, and can no longer delay. The king has sent an express for
him, with an order to return as soon as possible. He will leave in one
half hour, and I do not know when we can meet again. Ah! how soon
happiness passes away!...

Sunday, _June 7th._

It is now two weeks since the prince royal left me; he has sent two
expresses, and slipped two notes for me under cover to the prince
palatine. But what is a letter?... An unfinished thought--it soothes for
a moment, but cannot calm. A letter can never replace even a few seconds
of personal intercourse; he has left me his portrait; I am sure every
one would think it like him; but for me, it is merely a shred of
inanimate canvas. It has his features, but it is not he, and has not his
expression.... I have him much better in my memory.

All consolation is denied me, for I will not reply to his letters; this
restraint I have imposed upon myself; I am sure that my hand would
become motionless as the cold marble were I to write to the man I love
without the knowledge of my aunt, my elder sister, and my parents. I
told the prince royal that he could never have a letter from me until I
was his wife. This is a great sacrifice, but I have promised my God that
I will accomplish it.

Since his departure, time weighs upon me as a continued torture. During
the first few days I wandered about as if bereft of reason; I could not
fix my thoughts, or apply myself to any occupation. The illness of the
princess has restored some energy to my soul. The injury to her foot,
which she at first neglected, has become very serious; during three days
she had a burning fever, which threatened her life. My anguish was
beyond description; I am sure I could not have been more uneasy had it
been my sister or one of my parents. I scarcely thought of the prince
royal during the whole of those three days; and what is most strange, I
no longer regretted his absence; if he had been here, I could not have
devo