Page:ThePrincessofCleves.djvu/144

132 of Cleves, and yet be unhappy? How beautiful was she last night! How could I forbear throwing myself at her feet? If I had done it, I might perhaps have hindered her from shunning me; my respectful behaviour would have removed her fears; but perhaps, after all, she did not know it was I; I afflict myself more than I need; she was only frightened to see a man at so unseasonable an hour.

These thoughts employ'd the duke de Nemours all the day; he wished impatiently for the night; and as soon as it came he returned to Colomiers. Monsieur de Cleves's gentleman, who was disguised that he might be less observed, followed him to the place to which he had followed him the evening before, and saw him enter the garden again. The duke soon perceived that madam de Cleves had not run the risque of his making another effort to see her, the doors being all shut; he looked about on all sides to see if he could discover any light, but he saw none.

Madam de Cleves, suspecting he might return, continued in her chamber; she had reason to apprehend she should not always have the power to avoid him, and she would not submit herself to the hazard of speaking to him in a manner that would have been unsuitable to the conduct she had hitherto observed.

Monsieur de Nemours, though he had no hopes of seeing her, could not find in his heart soon to leave a place where she so often was; he passed the whole night in the garden, and found some pleasure at least in seeing the same objects which she saw every day; it was near sun-rise before he thought of retiring; but at last, the fear of being discovered obliged him to go away.

It was impossible for him to return to court without seeing madam de Cleves; he made a visit to his sister the duchess of Mercœur, at her house near Colomiers. She was extremely surprized at her brother's arrival; but he invented so probable a pretence for his journey, and conducted his plot so skilfully, that he drew her to