en told that I ought to love my husband, and accordingly
I taught myself to do so; but scarcely had the honeymoon waned, than
my fickle partner transferred his affections from me to one of my
attendants; and to such a height did his guilty passion carry him, that
he quitted his home for Italy, carrying with him the unfortunate victim
of his seductive arts. It was during his absence that I first became
acquainted with madame Boncault; she was my own age, and equally
unfortunate in her domestic life; the same tests, griefs, and a great
similarity of temper and disposition soon united us in the bonds of the
firmest friendship; but as she possessed a stronger and more reasonable
mind than I did, she forgot her own sorrows to administer to mine.
However, if the whole truth must be owned, I ought to confess that my
chief consolation was derived from a young cousin of my own, who freely
lavished upon me that unbounded affection I would fain have sought from
my husband.

"Meanwhile, wearied of his folly, this latter returned; and, after
having transferred his capricious fancies to at least half a dozen
mistresses, he finished where he should have begun by attaching himself
to her, who, as his wife, had every claim to his homage. Men are
unaccountable creatures, but unfortunately for my husband his senses
returned too late; my heart was too entirely occupied to restore him to
that place he had so hastily vacated. My affections were no longer mine
to bestow, but equally shared by my estimable friend madame Boncault and
my young and captivating cousin. I was a bad hand at dissimulating,
and M. de Forcalquier perceived enough of my sentiments to excite
his jealous suspicions, and immediately removed with me to one of his
estates.

"However, my cousin (whom my husband was far from suspecting) and madame
Boncault accompanied me in my retreat; there myself and my admirer, more
thrown together than we had been at Paris, began insensibly to lay aside
the restraint we had hitherto imposed on our inclinations, and commenced
a train of imprudences which would quickly have betrayed us had not
friendship watched over us. The excellent madame Boncault, in order to
save my reputation, took so little care to preserve her own, that M. de
Forcalquier was completely caught by her manoeuvre. One morning, finding
me alone, he said,

"' Madam, I am by no means satisfied with what is going on here. Your
friend is wholly devoid of shame and modesty;