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142 designed to bespeak some pieces for herself. Having seen several kinds of his work, she spied a chamber-door, where she thought there were more, and desired it might be opened: the master answered, he had not the key, and that the room was taken by a man, who came there sometimes in the day-time to draw the plans and prospects of the fine houses and gardens that were to be seen from his windows; he is one of the handsomest men I ever saw, added he, and does not look much like one that works for his living; whenever he comes here, I observe he always looks towards the gardens and houses, but I never see him work.

Madam de Cleves listened to this story very attentively; and what madam de Martigues had told her of monsieur de Nemours's coming now and then to Paris, she applied in her fancy to that handsome man, who came to a place so near her house; and this gave her an idea of monsieur de Nemours endeavouring to see her; which raised a disorder in her, of which she did not know the cause: she went towards the windows to see where they looked into, and she found they overlooked all her gardens, and directly faced her apartment: and when she was in her own room, she could easily see that very window where she was told the man came to take his prospects. The thought that it was the duke de Nemours, entirely changed the situation of her mind; she no longer found herself in that pensive tranquillity which she had begun to enjoy, her spirits were ruffled again as with a tempest: at last, not being able to stay at home, she went abroad to take the air in a garden without the suburbs, where she hoped to be alone; she walked about a great while, and found no likelihood of any one's being there.

Having crossed a little wilderness, she perceived at the end of the walk, in the most remote part of the garden, a kind of a bower open on all sides, and went towards it; when she was near, she saw a man lying on the benches, who seemed sunk into a deep