The Chevalier de Guise, whose idol she still was, sat at her feet, and
what had passed filled him with the utmost grief; he looked upon it as
ominous for him, that fortune had destined the Duke of Nemours to be in
love with the Princess of Cleves. And whether there appeared in
reality any concern in the Princess's face, or whether the Chevalier's
jealousy only led him to suspect it, he believed that she was touched
with the sight of the Duke, and could not forbear telling her, that
Monsieur de Nemours was very happy to commence an acquaintance with her
by an incident which had something very gallant and extraordinary in it.
Madam de Cleves returned home with her thoughts full of what had passed
at the ball; and though it was very late, she went into her mother's
room to give her a relation of it; in doing which she praised the Duke
of Nemours with a certain air, that gave Madam de Chartres the same
suspicion the Chevalier de Guise had entertained before.
The day following the ceremony of the Duke of Loraine's marriage was
performed; and there the Princess of Cleves observed so inimitable a
grace, and so fine a mien in the Duke of Nemours, that she was yet more
surprised. She afterwards saw him at the Court of the Queen-Dauphin; she saw him
play at tennis with the King; she saw him run the ring; she heard him
discourse; still she found he far excelled everybody else, and drew the
attention of the company to him wherever he was; in short, the
gracefulness of his person, and the agreeableness of his wit soon made
a considerable impression on her heart.
The Duke de Nemours had an inclination no less violent for her; and
hence flowed all that gaiety and sweetness of behaviour, which the
first desires of pleasing ordinarily inspire a man with: hence he
became more amiable than ever he was before; so that by often seeing
one another, and by seeing in each other whatever was most accomplished
at Court, it could not be but that they must mutually receive the
greatest pleasure from such a commerce.
The Duchess of Valentinois made one in all parties of pleasure; and the
King was still as passionately fond of her as in the beginning of his
love. The Princess of Cleves being at those years, wherein people
think a woman is incapable of inciting love after the age of
twenty-five, beheld with the utmost astonishment the King's passion for
the Duchess, who was a grandmother, and had lately married her
granddaughter: she often spoke on this subject to Madam de Chartres.
"Is it possible, Madam," said she, "that the King should still continue
to love? How could he take a fancy to one, who was so much older than
himself, who had been his father's mistress, and who, as I have heard,
is still such to many others?" "'Tis certain," answered Madam de
Chartres," it was neither the merit nor the fidelity of the Duchess of
Valentinois, which gave birth to the King's passion, or preserved it;
and this is what he can't be justified in; for if this lady had had
beauty and youth suitable to her birth; and the merit of having had no
other lover; if she had been exactly true and faithful to the King; if
she had loved him with respect only to his person, without the
interested views of greatness and fortune, and without using her power
but for honourable purposes and for his Majesty's interest; in this
case it must be confessed, one could have hardly forbore praising his
passion for her. If I was not afraid," continued Madam de Chartres,
"that you would say the same thing of me which is said of most women of
my years, that they love to recount the history of their own times, I
would inform you how the King's passion for this Duchess began, and of
several particulars of the Court of the late King, which have a great
relation to things that are acted at present."