ndeavour in vain to conceal it; you have even given me
involuntary proofs of it; I know my happiness, permit me to enjoy it,
and cease to make me unhappy. Is it possible I should be loved by the
Princess of Cleves, and yet be unhappy? how beautiful was she last
night? how could I forbear throwing myself at her feet? If I had done
it, I might perhaps have hindered her from shunning me, my respectful
behaviour would have removed her fears; but perhaps, after all, she did
not know it was I; I afflict myself more than I need; she was only
frightened to see a man at so unseasonable an hour."

These thoughts employed the Duke de Nemours all the day; he wished
impatiently for the night, and as soon as it came he returned to
Colomiers. Monsieur de Cleves's gentleman, who was disguised that he
might be less observed, followed him to the place to which he had
followed him the evening before, and saw him enter the garden again.
The Duke soon perceived that Madam de Cleves had not run the risk of
his making another effort to see her, the doors being all shut; he
looked about on all sides to see if he could discover any light, but he
saw none.

Madam de Cleves, suspecting he might return, continued in her chamber;
she had reason to apprehend she should not always have the power to
avoid him, and she would not submit herself to the hazard of speaking
to him in a manner that would have been unsuitable to the conduct she
had hitherto observed.

Monsieur de Nemours, though he had no hopes of seeing her, could not
find in his heart soon to leave a place where she so often was; he
passed the whole night in the garden, and found some pleasure at least
in seeing the same objects which she saw every day; it was near sunrise
before he thought of retiring; but as last the fear of being discovered
obliged him to go away.

It was impossible for him to return to Court without seeing Madam de
Cleves; he made a visit to his sister the Duchess of Mercoeur, at her
house near Colomiers. She was extremely surprised at her brother's
arrival; but he invented so probable a pretence for his journey, and
conducted his plot so skilfully, that he drew her to make the first
proposal herself of visiting Madam de Cleves. This proposal was
executed that very day, and Monsieur de Nemours told his sister, that
he would leave her at Colomiers, in order to go directly to the King;
he formed this pretence of leaving her at Colomiers in hopes she would
take he