feelforyourcharmbothofbodyandmind。Thereisinyouararecombinationoftheideal，thepractical，andthebewitchingwhichsatisfiesalikejudgment，ahusband’spride，desire，andhope，andwhichextendstheboundariesoflovebeyondthoseoflifeitself。
Oh!mylovedone，maythegeniusofloveremainfaithfultome，andthefuturebefullofthosedelightsbymeansofwhichyouhaveglorifiedallthatsurroundsme!Ilongforthedaywhichshallmakeyouamother，thatImayseeyoucontentwiththefulnessofyourlife，mayhearyou，inthesweetvoiceIloveandwiththethoughts，blessthelovewhichhasrefreshedmysoulandgivennewvigortomypowers，thelovewhichismypride，andwhenceIhavedrawn，asfromamagicfountain，freshlife。Yes，I
shallbeallthatyouwouldhaveme。Ishalltakealeadingpartinthepubliclifeofthedistrict，andonyoushallfalltheraysofaglorywhichwilloweitsexistencetothedesireofpleasingyou。“
Somuchformypupil，dear!Doyousupposehecouldhavewrittenlikethisbefore？Ayearhencehisstylewillhavestillfurtherimproved。
Louisisnowinhisfirsttransport；whatIlookforwardtoistheuniformandcontinuoussensationofcontentwhichoughttobethefruitofahappymarriage，whenamanandwoman，inperfecttrustandmutualknowledge，havesolvedtheproblemofgivingvarietytotheinfinite。Thisisthetasksetbeforeeverytruewife；theanswerbeginstodawnonme，andIshallnotresttillIhavemadeitmine。
Youseethathefancieshimself——vanityofmen!——thechosenofmyheart，justasthoughtherewerenolegalbonds。Nevertheless，Ihavenotyetgotbeyondthatexternalattractionwhichgivesusstrengthtoputupwithagooddeal。YetLouisislovable；histemperiswonderfullyeven，andheperforms，asamatterofcourse，actsonwhichmostmenwouldplumethemselves。Inshort，ifIdonotlovehim，Ishallfindnodifficultyinbeinggoodtohim。
Soherearemyblackhairandmyblackeyes——whoselashesact，accordingtoyou，likeVenetianblinds——mycommandingair，andmywholeperson，raisedtotherankofsovereignpower!Tenyearshence，dear，whyshouldwenotbothbelaughingandgayinyourParis，whenceIshallcarryyouoffnowandagaintomybeautifuloasisinProvence？
Oh!Louise，don’tspoilthesplendidfuturewhichawaitsusboth!
Don’tdothemadthingswithwhichyouthreatenme。Myhusbandisayoungman，prematurelyold；whydon’tyoumarrysomeyoung-heartedgraybeardintheChamberofPeers？Thereliesyourvocation。
THEDUCDESORIATOTHEBARONDEMACUMER
MADRID。
MYDEARBROTHER，——YoudidnotmakemeDucdeSoriainorderthatmyactionsshouldbeliethename。HowcouldItoleratemyhappinessifI
knewyoutobeawanderer，deprivedofthecomfortswhichwealtheverywherecommands？NeitherMarienorIwillconsenttomarrytillwehearthatyouhaveacceptedthemoneywhichUrracawillhandovertoyou。ThesetwomillionsarethefruitofyourownsavingsandMarie’s。
Wehavebothprayed，kneelingbeforethesamealtar——andwithwhatearnestness，Godknows!——foryourhappiness。Mydearbrother，itcannotbethattheseprayerswillremainunanswered。Heavenwillsendyouthelovewhichyouseek，tobetheconsolationofyourexile。
Mariereadyourletterwithtears，andisfullofadmirationforyou。
Asforme，Iconsent，notformyownsake，butforthatofthefamily。
TheKingjustifiedyourexpectations。Oh!thatImightavengeyoubylettinghimseehimself，dwarfedbeforethescornwithwhichyouflunghimhistoy，asyoumighttossatigeritsfood。
TheonlythingIhavetakenformyself，dearbrother，ismyhappiness。
IhavetakenMarie。ForthisIshallalwaysbebeholdentoyou，asthecreaturetotheCreator。TherewillbeinmylifeandinMarie’sonedaynotlessgloriousthanourweddingday——itwillbethedaywhenwehearthatyourhearthasfounditsmate，thatawomanlovesyouasyououghttobe，andwouldbe，loved。Donotforgetthatifyouliveforus，wealsoliveforyou。
YoucanwritetouswithperfectconfidenceundercovertotheNuncio，sendingyourletters/via/Rome。TheFrenchambassadoratRomewill，nodoubt，undertaketoforwardthemtoMonsignoreBemboni，attheStateSecretary’soffice，whomourlegatewillhaveadvised。Nootherwaywouldbesafe。Farewell，dearexile，deardespoiledone。Beproudatleastofthehappinesswhichyouhavebroughttous，ifyoucannotbehappyinit。Godwilldoubtlesshearourprayers，whicharefullofyourname。
LOUISEDECHAULIEUTOMME。DEL’ESTORADE
March。
Ah!mylove，marriageismakingaphilosopherofyou!Yourdarlingfacemust，indeed，havebeenjaundicedwhenyouwrotemethoseterribleviewsofhumanlifeandthedutyofwomen。Doyoufancyyouwillconvertmetomatrimonybyyourprogrammeofsubterraneanlabors？
Alas!isthisthentheoutcomeforyouofourtoo-instructeddreams!
WeleftBloisallinnocent，armedwiththepointedshaftsofmeditation，and，lo!theweaponsofthatpurelyidealexperiencehaveturnedagainstyourownbreast!IfIdidnotknowyouforthepurestandmostangelicofcreatedbeings，IdeclareIshouldsaythatyourcalculationssmackofvice。What，mydear，intheinterestofyourcountryhome，yousubmityourpleasurestoaperiodicthinning，asyoudoyourtimber。Oh!ratherletmeperishinalltheviolenceoftheheart’sstormsthanliveinthearidatmosphereofyourcautiousarithmetic!
Asgirls，wewerebothunusuallyenlightened，becauseofthelargeamountofstudywegavetoourchosensubjects；but，mychild，philosophywithoutlove，ordisguisedunderashamlove，isthemosthideousofconjugalhypocrisies。Ishouldimaginethateventhebiggestoffoolsmightdetectnowandagaintheowlofwisdomsquattinginyourbowerofroses——aghastlyphantomsufficienttoputtoflightthemostpromisingofpassions。Youmakeyourownfate，insteadofwaiting，aplaythinginitshands。
Weareeachdevelopinginstrangeways。Alargedoseofphilosophytoagrainofloveisyourrecipe；alargedoseoflovetoagrainofphilosophyismine。Why，Rousseau’sJulie，whomIthoughtsolearned，isamerebeginnertoyou。Woman’svirtue，quotha!Howyouhaveweigheduplife!Alas!Imakefunofyou，and，afterall，perhapsyouareright。
Inonedayyouhavemadeaholocaustofyouryouthandbecomeamiserbeforeyourtime。YourLouiswillbehappy，Idaresay。Ifhelovesyou，ofwhichImakenodoubt，hewillneverfindout，that，forthesakeofyourfamily，youareactingasacourtesandoesformoney；andcertainlymenseemtofindhappinesswiththem，judgingbythefortunestheysquanderthus。Akeen-sightedhusbandmightnodoubtremaininlovewithyou，butwhatsortofgratitudecouldhefeelinthelongrunforawomanwhohadmadeofduplicityasortofmoralarmor，asindispensableasherstays？
Love，dear，isinmyeyesthefirstprincipleofallthevirtues，conformedtothedivinelikeness。Likeallotherfirstprinciples，itisnotamatterofarithmetic；itistheInfiniteinus。Icannotbutthinkyouhavebeentryingtojustifyinyourowneyesthefrightfulpositionofagirl，marriedtoamanforwhomshefeelsnothingmorethanesteem。Youprateofduty，andmakeityourruleandmeasure；butsurelytotakenecessityasthespringofactionisthemoraltheoryofatheism？Tofollowtheimpulseofloveandfeelingisthesecretlawofeverywoman’sheart。Youareactingaman’spart，andyourLouiswillhavetoplaythewoman!
Oh!mydear，yourletterhasplungedmeintoanendlesstrainofthought。Iseenowthattheconventcannevertaketheplaceofmothertoagirl。Ibegofyou，mygrandangelwiththeblackeyes，sopureandproud，soseriousandsopretty，donotturnawayfromthesecries，whichthefirstreadingofyourletterhastornfromme!Ihavetakencomfortinthethoughtthat，whileIwaslamenting，lovewasdoubtlessbusyknockingdownthescaffoldingofreason。
ItmaybethatIshalldoworsethanyouwithoutanyreasoningorcalculations。Passionisanelementinlifeboundtohavealogicnotlesspitilessthanyours。
Monday。
YesterdaynightIplacedmyselfatthewindowasIwasgoingtobed，tolookatthesky，whichwaswonderfullyclear。Thestarswerelikesilvernails，holdingupaveilofblue。InthesilenceofthenightI
couldhearsomeonebreathing，andbythehalf-lightofthestarsI
sawmySpaniard，perchedlikeasquirrelonthebranchesofoneofthetreesliningtheboulevard，anddoubtlesslostinadmirationofmywindows。
Thefirsteffectofthisdiscoverywastomakemewithdrawintotheroom，myfeetandhandsquitelimpandnerveless；but，beneaththefear，Iwasconsciousofadeliciousundercurrentofjoy。Iwasoverpoweredbuthappy。NotoneofthosecleverFrenchmen，whoaspiretomarryme，hashadthebrilliantideaofspendingthenightinanelm-treeattheriskofbeingcarriedoffbythewatch。MySpaniardhas，nodoubt，beenthereforsometime。Ah!hewon’tgivemeanymorelessons，hewantstoreceivethem——well，heshallhaveone。IfonlyheknewwhatIsaidtomyselfabouthissuperficialugliness!Otherscanphilosophizebesidesyou，Renee!Itwashorrid，Iargued，tofallinlovewithahandsomeman。Isitnotpracticallyavowingthatthesensescountforthreepartsoutoffourinapassionwhichoughttobesuper-sensual？
Havinggotovermyfirstalarm，Icranedmyneckbehindthewindowinordertoseehimagain——andwellwasIrewarded!Bymeansofahollowcaneheblewmeinthroughthewindowaletter，cunninglyrolledroundaleadenpellet。
GoodHeavens!willhesupposeIleftthewindowopenonpurpose？
Butwhatwastobedone？Toshutitsuddenlywouldbetomakeoneselfanaccomplice。
Ididbetter。IreturnedtomywindowasthoughIhadseennothingandheardnothingoftheletter，thenIsaidaloud：
“Comeandlookatthestars，Griffith。“
Griffithwassleepingasonlyoldmaidscan。ButtheMoor，hearingme，sliddown，andvanishedwithghostlyrapidity。
Hemusthavebeendyingoffright，andsowasI，forIdidnothearhimgoaway；apparentlyheremainedatthefootoftheelm。Afteragoodquarterofanhour，duringwhichIlostmyselfincontemplationoftheheavens，andbattledwiththewavesofcuriosity，Iclosedmywidowandsatdownonthebedtounfoldthedelicatebitofpaper，withthetendertouchofaworkeramongsttheancientmanuscriptsatNaples。Itfeltredhottomyfingers。“Whatahorriblepowerthismanhasoverme!“Isaidtomyself。
AllatonceIheldoutthepapertothecandle——Iwouldburnitwithoutreadingaword。Thenathoughtstayedme，“Whatcanhehavetosaythathewritessosecretly？“Well，dear，I/did/burnit，reflectingthat，thoughanyothergirlintheworldwouldhavedevouredtheletter，itwasnotfittingthatI——Armande-Louise-MariedeChaulieu——shouldreadit。
Thenextday，attheItalianopera，hewasathispost。ButIfeelsurethat，ex-primeministerofaconstitutionalgovernmentthoughheis，hecouldnotdiscovertheslightestagitationofmindinanymovementofmine。Imighthaveseennothingandreceivednothingtheeveningbefore。Thiswasmostsatisfactorytome，buthelookedverysad。Poorman!inSpainitissonaturalforlovetocomeinatthewindow!
Duringtheinterval，itseems，hecameandwalkedinthepassages。
ThisIlearnedfromthechiefsecretaryoftheSpanishembassy，whoalsotoldthestoryofanobleactionofhis。
AsDucdeSoriahewastomarryoneoftherichestheiressesinSpain，theyoungprincessMarieHeredia，whosewealthwouldhavemitigatedthebitternessofexile。ButitseemsthatMarie，disappointingthewishesofthefathers，whohadbetrothedthemintheirearliestchildhood，lovedtheyoungersonofthehouseofSoria，towhommyFelipe，gaveherup。AllowinghimselftobedespoiledbytheKingofSpain。
“Hewouldperformthispieceofheroismquitesimply，“Isaidtotheyoungman。
“Youknowhimthen？“washisingenuousreply。
Mymothersmiled。
“Whatwillbecomeofhim，forheiscondemnedtodeath？“Iasked。
“ThoughdeadtoSpain，hecanliveinSardinia。“
“Ah!thenSpainisthecountryoftombsaswellascastles？“Isaid，tryingtocarryitoffasajoke。
“ThereiseverythinginSpain，evenSpaniardsoftheoldschool，“mymotherreplied。
“TheBarondeMacumerobtainedapassport，notwithoutdifficulty，fromtheKingofSardinia，“theyoungdiplomatistwenton。“HehasnowbecomeaSardiniansubject，andhepossessesamagnificentestateintheislandwithfullfeudalrights。HehasapalaceatSassari。IfFerdinandVII。weretodie，Macumerwouldprobablygoinfordiplomacy，andtheCourtofTurinwouldmakehimambassador。Thoughyoung，heis-