greeable man at Court; and the Queen-Dauphin had described him in
such a manner, and spoke of him to her so often, that she had raised in
her a curiosity and even impatience to see him.

The Princess employed the day of the wedding in dressing herself, that
she might appear with the greater advantage at the ball and royal
banquet that were to be at the Louvre. When she came, everyone admired
both her beauty and her dress. The ball began, and while she was
dancing with the Duke of Guise, a noise was heard at the door of the
hall, as if way was making for some person of uncommon distinction.
She had finished her dance, and as she was casting her eyes round to
single out some other person, the King desired her to take him who came
in last; she turned about, and viewing him as he was passing over the
seats to come to the place where they danced, she immediately concluded
he was the Duke of Nemours. The Duke's person was turned in so
delicate a manner, that it was impossible not to express surprise at
the first sight of him, particularly that evening, when the care he had
taken to adorn himself added much to the fine air of his carriage. It
was as impossible to behold the Princess of Cleves without equal
admiration.

The Duke de Nemours was struck with such surprise at her beauty, that
when they approached and paid their respects to each other, he could
not forbear showing some tokens of his admiration. When they begun to
dance, a soft murmur of praises ran through the whole company. The
King and the two Queens, remembering that the Duke and Princess had
never seen one another before, found something very particular in
seeing them dance together without knowing each other; they called
them, as soon as they had ended their dance, without giving them time
to speak to anybody, and asked them if they had not a desire to know
each other, and if they were not at some loss about it. "As for me,
Madam," said the Duke to the Queen, "I am under no uncertainty in this
matter; but as the Princess of Cleves has not the same reasons to lead
her to guess who I am, as I have to direct me to know her, I should be
glad if your Majesty would be pleased to let her know my name." "I
believe," said the Queen-Dauphin, "that she knows your name as well as
you know hers." "I assure you, Madam," replied the Princess a little
embarrassed, "that I am not so good a guesser as you imagine." "Yes,
you guess very well," answered the Queen-Dauphi