er; it is addressed to the Viscount." "I believe
so," replied Madam de Cleves, "but the Queen-Dauphin has heard to the
contrary, and she won't think it very probable that the Viscount's
letters should fall out of your pocket; you must therefore have some
reason, that I don't know of, for concealing the truth of this matter
from the Queen-Dauphin; I advise you to confess it to her." "I have
nothing to confess to her," says he, "the letter is not directed to me,
and if there be anyone that I would have satisfied of it, it is not the
Queen-Dauphin; but, Madam, since the Viscount's interest is nearly
concerned in this, be pleased to let me acquaint you with some matters
that are worthy of your curiosity." Madam de Cleves by her silence
showed her readiness to hear him, and he as succinctly as possible
related to her all he had just heard from the Viscount. Though the
circumstances were naturally surprising, and proper to create
attention, yet Madam de Cleves heard them with such coldness, that she
seemed either not to believe them true, or to think them indifferent to
her; she continued in this temper until the Duke de Nemours spoke of
Madam d'Amboise's billet, which was directed to the Viscount, and was a
proof of all he had been saying; as Madam de Cleves knew that this lady
was a friend of Madam de Themines, she found some probability in what
the Duke de Nemours had said, which made her think, that the letter
perhaps was not addressed to him; this thought suddenly, and in spite
of herself, drew her out of the coldness and indifferency she had until
then been in. The Duke having read the billet, which fully justified
him, presented it to her to read, and told her she might possibly know
the hand. She could not forbear taking it, and examining the
superscription to see if it was addressed to the Viscount de Chartres,
and reading it all over, that she might the better judge, if the letter
which was redemanded was the same with that she had in her hand. The
Duke de Nemours added whatever he thought proper to persuade her of it;
and as one is easily persuaded of the truth of what one wishes, he soon
convinced Madam de Cleves that he had no concern in the letter.

She began now to reason with him concerning the embarrassment and
danger the Viscount was in, to blame his ill conduct, and to think of
means to help him: she was astonished at the Queen's proceedings, and
confessed to the Duke that she had the letter; in short,