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96 believe she had ventured too far; she passed the whole night full of doubts, anxiety and fear; but at last her spirits grew calm again; she even felt a pleasure arise in her mind, from a sense of having given such a proof of fidelity to a husband who deserved it so well, who had so great a friendship and esteem for her, and had so lately manifested it by the manner in which he received the confession she had made him.

In the mean time monsieur de Nemours was gone away from the place in which he had overheard a conversation which so sensibly affected him, and was got deep into the forest; what madam de Cleves said of her picture had revived him, since it was certain from thence that he was the person she had an inclination for: at first he gave a leap of joy; but his raptures were at an end as soon as he began to reflect, that the same thing that convinced him he had touched the heart of madam de Cleves, ought to convince him also that he should never receive any marks of it, and that it would be impossible to engage a lady who had recourse to so extraordinary a remedy; and yet he could not but be sensibly pleased to have reduced her to that extremity; he thought it glorious for him to have gained the affections of a woman so different from the rest of her sex; in a word, he thought himself very happy, and very unhappy at the same time. He was benighted in the forest, and was very much put to it to find his way again to his sister's the duchess of Mercœur; he arrived there at break of day, and was extremely at a loss what account to give of his absence; but he made out the matter as well as he could, and returned that very day to Paris with the viscount.

The duke was so taken up with his passion, and so surprised at the conversation he had heard, that he fell into an indiscretion very common, which is, to speak one's own particular sentiments in general terms, and to relate one's proper adventures under borrowed names. As they were travelling he began to talk of love, and