However，mypoorHenriettewasnotfated
toenjoyalongconnubialfelicity，forherhusband，beingseized
withaviolentfever，inafitofdeliriumthrewhimselffroma
windowintothecourtbelow，andwastakenupdead。
Slander
availedherselfevenofthisfatalcatastrophetowhisperabroad，
thatthedeathoftheunhappymanarosefromhisdeepsenseof
hiswife’smisconductandinfidelity。
ThisIcanpositivelyassert
wasnotthecase，forHenriettewaswarmlyandtrulyattachedto
him，andconductedherselfasawifewiththemostundeviating
propriety。
Thefactwas，thatHenriettehaddrawnuponherselfa
generalhatredandillwill，becauseshesteadilyrefusedall
gossipinginvitations，wheremycharacterwouldhavebeenpulled
topieces，andtheaffairsofmyhouseholddiscussedandcommented
upon:there，indeed，shehadsinnedbeyondallhopeofpardon。
Sheitwaswhopointedouttometheperfidiousconductofthe
ducdeVilleroi。
Thisgentleman，fromtheverybeginningofmy
riseintheroyalfavour，haddemonstratedthemostlivelyfriendship
forme，ofwhichhesoughttopersuademebythestrongest
protestations，which，weakandcredulousasIwas，Iimplicitly
believed，untilonedaythatHenriette，availingherselfofmy
beingquitealone，letmeintothesecretsofmyestablishment
andfurnishedmewithakeytotheassiduitiesofM。deVilleroi。
AmongstthefemalesinmyservicewasonenamedSophie，young，
beautifulbothinfaceandform，ofasweetdisposition，andevery
waycalculatedtoinspirethetenderpassion。
M。deVilleroifelt
thefullforceofhercharms，andbecamethewhining，sighing
lover——herveryshadow。
UptothisperiodIhadhadnocauseof
complaintagainstM。deVilleroi；andcertainlyIshouldnothave
interferedwithhisplebeianflamehadhenotthoughtproper，
whenquestionedbymyenemiesastohiscontinualpresenceat
thecastle，andgreatassiduitiesthere，toprotestthathisvisits
thitherwerenotinhonourofmycharms，butforthoseofmy
waiting-maid。
However，myvanityhadrenderedmehisconstantdupe。
IfeltperfectlyastonishedasIlistenedtoHenriette’srecital；
andwhenshehadceased，Iconjuredhertotellmecandidly，
whethershehadnotinventedthewholetaleeitheroutofspite
toSophieorwithadesigntomakemebreakofffurtherfriendship
withtheduke。
Thisshemostsolemnlydenied，andrecommendedme
tomakeinquiriesamongstmyfriends，whowouldbecompelledto
beartestimonytothetruthofallshehadasserted。
Idetermined
todoso；andthefirstpersonwhomIwasenabledtointerrogate
respectingtheaffairwasthebishopdeSenlis。
Thisprelate
camefrequentlytoseeme，andIfoundhissocietyeachdaymore
pleasing。
Heservedmeasakindofgazetteofallthatpassed
withtheprincesses，inwhoseopinionIhadstillthemisfortune
nottobeintheveryhighestestimation。
Whenoccasionrequired
it，M。deRoquelaurewouldventuretotakemypart，andthat
withoutmakingasingleenemy；forwhocouldbeoffendedwith
onesoaffable，sogood，sofullofkindnesstowardsall？
In
fact，theworthybishopwassofortunateastoobtaintheloveof
everypersonwhoknewhim；and，inthemostselectsocietyof
opposingparties，eachwouldreserveaplaceforgoodM。deRoquelaure。
WhenIquestionedhimastohisknowledgeoftheaffair，his
embarrassmentwasevident。
“Whataworldisthis！
“criedhe。
“Why，letmeask，doyou
listentothosewhorepeatsuchmortifyingtalestoyou？“
“Because，mylord，myfriendswillnotseememadethesportofa
heartlessandperfidiousfriend；and，ifyouentertaintheslightest
regardforme，Iconjureyoutotellmeallyouknowuponthesubject。“
“Anddoyou，mygoodmadam，conceivethatitwouldbecomemy
sacred
callingtospeakillofmyneighbour？
besides，surelyyou
wouldnotattachanybelieftotheidlereportsspreadaboutthe
castlebyill-disposedpersons？“
“Allthishasnothingtodowithmyquestion，mylord，“resumedI。
“Iaskyouonceagain，whetheryoueverheardtheducdeVilleroi
assignhispassionforoneofmywomenasthereasonforhis
visitstome？
Haveyou，mylordbishop？
Ientreatyoutoanswer。“
“Madam，Ihavenot，“saidthegoodprelate，colouringdeeply。
“Ah，monsieurdeRoquelaure，“criedI，“youmustnotsaymass
to-morrow，forIgreatlyfearyouhavejustcommittedacertain
faultwhichisstyledfibbing。“
Thebishopmadenoreply，andhissilencespokevolumesofconfirmation。
Scarcelyhadhequittedmethantheducd’Aiguillonentered，to
whomIputthesamequestion；andhefranklyconfessed，thatthe
excuseallegedtohavebeenusedbytheducdeVilleroiwas
strictlytheexpressionofthatgentleman。
“Iwaswrong，“saidtheduke，“nottohavementionedittoyou，
butIwassilentfromadesiretopreservepeacebetweenyou。
Nowthattheaffairhasbeenrevealedtoyou，Iwillnotsully
mylipswithafalsehoodforthepleasureofupholdingan
unprincipledman。“
“Iwillnotaskyoutotellmemore，“repliedI。
“Iknowenough
tomakemedespisethecowardlyspiritofhimwhomIrejectas
unworthyofmyfriendship。“
Sosaying，Irantomywriting-table，
andwrotetotheducdeVilleroithefollowingnote:——
“MONSIEURLEDUC，——Ilovemyfriendswith
alltheirfaults，butIcannotpardontheirperfidy；
and，sincefromwhatIhaveheardIamleftto
conclude，thatbutforthecharmsofmyattendant
Sophie，Ishouldnothavebeenfavouredwithso
manyofyourvisits，Inowwritetowarnyou，
thatIthisdaydismisstheunfortunateobjectof
youradmirationfrommyservice，andtherefore
recommendyoutoceaseallfurthercommunication。
Yourpresenceinmyhousewouldbeanything
butagreeabletome；andsincethefairobjectwhich
hashithertoattractedyouwillnolongerdwell
undermyroof，Ipresumeyourpresentingyourself
beforemewouldonlybemorepainfulthanyouhave
hithertofoundit。
Thefranknessofmyconductmay
offendyou，butitcannotsurpriseorgrieveyou
morethanyourduplicityhasme。
“Iremainwithbefittingsentiments，monsieur
leduc，
“Yourmosthumbleandobedientservant。“
WhenIhadcompletedmyletter，Irang，andafootmanattended。
“Go，“saidItohim，“carrythisnoteimmediatelytotheducde
Villeroi，andwait，ifitbenecessary，thewholeday，untilyou
canreturnwiththeassurancethatyouhavedelivereditinto
hisownhand。“
WhilstIwasthusspeakingtotheman，whohadbeenengagedby
mysteward，andveryrecentlyenteredintomyservice，Ichanced
tolookathiminadvertently，whenmyattentionwasarrestedby
seeinghimrapidlychangecolour。
Icouldnotatthemoment
conceivewhatcouldthusagitatehim，andmakingasignforhim
todepartimmediatelyuponhiscommission，heslowlyleftthe
room，regardingmeashewentinsuchamanner，thatIcouldnot
failrecognisinghim:andhere，myfriend，Imustlayasideevery
particleofself-loveandvanityereIcanmakeyouacomplete
confession；theretrospectofmylifebringsmanyevents，ofwhich
theremembranceisindeedpainfultome，andonlythesolemn
promiseIamundertoconcealnothingrestrainsmefromconsigning
manyparticularstooblivion。
Iamoncemoreabouttoincurthe
chanceofdrawingdownyourcontemptbymycandour，butbeforeI
enteruponthesubject，permitmetoconcludemyaffairwiththe
ducdeVilleroi。
Myletterwasathunderbolttotheduke。
Hebetterthananyone
knewtheextentofmycredit，whichhedreaded，lestImight
employittohisinjury；hethereforehastenedtoreplytomein
thefollowingwords:——
“MADAMELACOMTESSE，——Iamamostunhappy，
orratheravilelycalumniatedman；andmyenemies
haveemployedthemostodiousmeansofmakingme
appeardespicableinyoureyes。
Iconfess，thatnot
daringtoaspiretoyou，Istoppedatthefootstool
ofyourthrone，butIwhollydenythewordswhich
havebeenlaidtomycharge。
Iventuretoexpect
fromyourjusticethatyouwillgrantmethefavour
ofanopportunityofexculpatingmyselffromso
blackacharge。
Itwouldbecruelindeedtocondemn
amanwithouthearinghim。
“Iamwiththemostprofoundrespect，&c。“
TothishypocriticalepistleIrepliedbyanothernoteasfollows:——
“Everybadandunfavourablecasemaybe
denied，monsieurleduc，thereforeIamnot
astonishedatyourseekingtorepelthechargeof
havingutteredthedisrespectfulwordslaidto
yourcharge。
Asfortheexplanationsyouoffer
metheywouldbefruitless；Iwillhavenonewith
thosewhohaveeitherbeenmyfriendsorappeared
tobesuch。
Imustthereforebegyouwillcease
allattemptsatacorrespondencewhichcanlead
tonogoodresults。
“Ihavethehonourtoremain，&c。，&c。“
Afterthisbusinesswasdespatched，IcausedSophietobesent
fortoattendme。
“Well，Sophie，“saidI，“youperceivetheconfusionyouhave
occasionedthroughyourfolly。
Isitthentruethattheducde