the Prince of Conde, when he
told us the Duke de Nemours's opinion of the ball, persuaded you, that
to go there would be doing a favour to the Mareschal de St. Andre, and
that that's the reason which hindered you from going." Madam de Cleves
blushed, both because the Queen-Dauphin had conjectured right, and
because she spoke her conjecture in the presence of the Duke de Nemours.

Madam de Chartres immediately perceived the true reason, why her
daughter refused to go to the ball; and to prevent the Duke de Nemours
discovering it, as well as herself, she took up the discourse after a
manner that gave what she said an air of truth.

"I assure you, Madam," said she to the Queen-Dauphin, "that your
Majesty has done my daughter more honour than she deserves; she was
really indisposed, but I believe, if I had not hindered her, she would
not have failed to wait on you, and to show herself under any
disadvantages, for the pleasure of seeing what there was extraordinary
at yesterday's entertainment." The Queen-Dauphin gave credit to what
Madam de Chartres said but the Duke de Nemours was sorry to find so
much probability in it nevertheless, the blushes of the Princess of
Cleves made him suspect, that what the Queen-Dauphin had said was not
altogether false. The Princess of Cleves at first was concerned the
Duke had any room to believe it was he who had hindered her from going
to the Mareschal de St. Andre; but afterwards she was a little
chagrined that her mother had entirely taken off the suspicion of it.

Though the Congress of Cercamp had been broken off, the negotiations
for the peace were continued, and things were so disposed, that towards
the latter end of February the conferences were reassumed at
Chateau-Cambresis; the same plenipotentiaries were sent as before, and
the Mareschal de St. Andre being one, his absence freed the Duke de
Nemours from a rival, who was formidable rather from his curiosity in
observing those who addressed to Madam de Cleves, than from any
advances he was capable of making himself in her favour.

Madam de Chartres was not willing to let her daughter see that she knew
her sentiments for the Duke, for fear of making herself suspected in
some things which she was very desirous to tell her.

One day she set herself to talk about him, and a great deal of good she
said of him, but mixed with it abundance of sham praises, as the
prudence he showed in never falling in love, and how wise he was to