vain and conceited woman. Her letters will show the
various stages of her desires as she went along vainly struggling to
beat something like comprehension into the dull brain of a clod, who
could not understand the simplest principle of love, or the smallest
point in the female character. At last she resolved to use an argument
that was convincing with the brightest minds with whom she had ever
dealt, that is, the power of her own love, and if the Marquis had
lived, perhaps he might have become an ornament to society and an
honor to his family.

To do this, however, she violated her compact with de Vasse, betrayed
his confidence and opened the way for the animadversions of Madame de
Sevigne. At that time de Sevigne was in love with an actress,
Mademoiselle Champmele, but desired to withdraw his affections, or
rather transfer them to a higher object, a countess, or a princess, as
the reader may infer from his mother's hints in one of her letters to
be given hereafter. To Ninon, therefore, he went for instruction and
advice as to the best course to pursue to get rid of one love and on
with a new. Madame de Sevigne and Madame de La Fayette vainly implored
him to avoid Ninon as he would the pest. The more they prayed and
entreated, the closer he came to Ninon until she became his ideal.
Ninon, herself was captivated by his pleasant conversation, agreeable
manners and seductive traits. She knew that he had had a love affair
with Champmele, the actress, and when she began to obtain an
ascendency over his mind, she wormed out of him all the letters he had
ever received from the comedienne. Some say it was jealousy on Ninon's
part, but any one who reads her letters to de Sevigne will see between
the lines a disposition on his part to wander away after a new
charmer. Others, however, say that she intended to send them to the
Marquis de Tonnerre, whom the actress had betrayed for de Sevigne.

But Madame de Sevigne, to whom her son had confessed his folly in
giving up the letters, perhaps fearing to be embroiled in a
disgraceful duel over an actress, made him blush at his cruel
sacrifice of a woman who loved him, and made him understand that even
in dishonesty there were certain rules of honesty to be observed. She
worked upon his mind until he felt that he had committed a
dishonorable act, and when he had reached that point, it was easy to
get the letters away from Ninon partly by artifice, partly by force.
Madame de Sevigne t