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 satisfied, absent, and irascible. His whims were soon very troublesome to us, and he frequently treated his lady in a very harsh manner. I perceived that he preferred Adelheid's company to all other society; but without concluding therefrom upon the real cause of his extraordinary change, looked upon it as the effect of the similarity of their characters, and as an encouragement of his melancholy. I cemented, therefore, that friendship as much as possible, instead of throwing the least impediment into his way. Adelheid, confiding in me and my knowledge of the Count's character, made no difficulty to admit his visits without restraint, and to receive from him an attention which she considered as a matter of course in a friend of her husband. I do not know what particular information S******i had received of the secret cause of his behaviour: in short, he, as well as Don Bernhard, grew every day colder to him, and jointly endeavoured to interrupt his intimacy with my wife, by throwing many little impediments into his