Page:Sévigné - Letters to her Daughter and Friends, 1869.djvu/32

32 Preserve this treasure with care. You own yourself charmed with his goodness: let him see you are not ungrateful. I shall soon finish my letter; perhaps when you get to Lyons you will be so giddy with the honors you will receive there, that you will not find time to read it ; find enough, however, I beseech you, to let me hear of you, and whether you embark upon that horrible Rhone.

Wednesday night.

I have this moment received yours from Nogent ; it was given me by a very honest fellow, whom I questioned as much as I could ; but your letter is worth more than any thing that could have been told me. It was but justice, my dear, that you should be the first to make me smile, after having caused me so many tears. What you tell me of Monsieur Busche is quite original ; it is what may be called a genuine stroke of eloquence. I did laugh then, I own, and I should have been ashamed of it had I done any thing else than cry for this week past. I met this Monsieur Busche in the street, when he was bringing your horses for you to set out; I stopped him, and all in tears asked him his name, which he told me. "Monsieur Busche," said I, sobbing all the while, "I recommend my daughter to your care; do not, dear Monsieur Busche, do not overturn her ; and when you have taken her safely to Lyons, if you will call upon me with the agreeable news, I will give you something to drink." I shall, therefore, certainly do so. What you say of him has greatly added to the respect I had for him before.

Thursday, February 12, 1671.

This is only a line precursory, for I shall not write to you till to-morrow; but I wish you to know what I have just heard.