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90 with the king, she might go to Colomiers, a pretty house then building, within a day's journey of Paris. Monsieur de Cleves consented to it; she went thither with a design of not returning so soon, and the king set out for Compiegne, where he was to stay but few days.

The duke de Nemours was mightily concerned he had not seen madam de Cleves since that afternoon, which he had spent so agreeably with her, and which had increased his hopes; he was so impatient to see her again, that he could not rest; so that when the king returned to Paris, the duke resolved to go to see his sister the duchess de Mercœur, who was at a country-seat of her's very near Colomiers; he asked the viscount to go with him, who readily consented to it. The duke de Nemours did this in hopes of visiting Madam de Cleves, in company of the viscount.

Madam de Mercœur received them with a great deal of joy, and thought of nothing but giving them all the pleasures and diversions of the country. One day, as they were hunting a stag, the duke de Nemours lost himself in the forest, and upon enquiring his way was told he was near Colomiers; at that word, without further reflection, or so much as knowing what design he was upon, he galloped on full speed the way that had been shewed him; as he rode along he came by chance to the made-ways and walks, which he judged led to the castle: at the end of these he found an arbour, behind which was a pavilion, with two closets, the one opening into a flower-garden, and the other looking into a spacious walk in the park. He entered the pavilion, and would have stopped to observe the beauty of it, if he had not seen in the walk the prince and princess of Cleves, attended with a numerous train of their domestics. As he did not expect to meet monsieur de Cleves there, whom he had left with the king, he thought at first of hiding himself; he entered the closet which looked into the flower-garden,