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74 friendship will be too dear at the price of making me your confidant; I give you two days to think on it; but then, consider well of the answer you shall make me; and remember that if ever I find hereafter you have deceived me, I shall never forgive you as long as I live.

Having said this, the queen left me without waiting for my answer. You may imagine how full my thoughts were of what she had said to me; the two days she had given me to consider of it I did not think too long a time to come to a resolution; I found she had a mind to know if I was in love, and that her desire was I should not be so; I foresaw the consequences of what I was going to do; my vanity was flattered with the thought of having a particular interest with the queen, and a queen whose person is still extremely amiable: on the other hand, I was in love with madam de Themines; and though I had committed a petty treason against her by my engagement with the other woman I told you of, I could not find in my heart to break with her; I foresaw also the danger I should expose myself to, if I deceived the queen, and how hard it would be to do it: nevertheless I could not resolve to refuse what Fortune offered me, and was willing to run the hazard of anything my ill-conduct might draw upon me; I broke with her with whom I kept a correspondence that might be discovered, and was in hopes of concealing that I had with madam de Themines.

At the two days end, as I entered the room where the queen was with all the ladies about her, she said aloud to me, and with a grave air that was surprising enough, Have you thought of the business I charged you with, and do you know the truth of it?—Yes, madam, answered I, and it is as I told your majesty.—Come in the evening, when I am writing, replied she, and you shall have further orders.—I made a respectful bow without answering any thing, and did not fail to attend at the hour she had appointed me. I found her in the gallery, with her secretary and one of