Cried she haughtily, when she heard
these words; - the knowledge that I shall be there, ought now to make him
think of it.
- Pride, love, and the astonishment at this sudden change in
his behaviour, rendered her wholly forgetful of what she owed her sex
and rank; and she was just going to his lodgings, in order to upbraid
him with his indifference, and prove what it was she now had to depend
on from him, when the messenger from Louisa arrived and delivered her
the letter, which contained a sad eclaircisement of all she wanted to be
informed of.
At first reading it, she seemed like one transfixed with a sudden clap
of thunder: - she had indeed been jealous, suspicious, fearful of her
fate; but so glaring, so impudent a treachery had never entered her
head, that any man could be guilty of, much less one whom her too fond
passion had figured to her imagination, as possessed of all the virtues
of his sex. It seemed too monstrous to be true; and she had accused the
innocent Louisa as the inventor of this falshood, merely in revenge for
her late treatment, had there been the least shadow of a pretence for
doing so: - gladly would she have encouraged such a hope, but common
sense forbid it; - all circumstances seemed to concur, in proving that he
was indeed that villain which the letter represented him; and that
surprize, which had in a manner stupified her on the discovery, was
succeeded by a storm of mingled grief and rage, which no words can
sufficiently describe: - she exclaimed against fate, cursed all mankind,
and accused every thing as accessory to her misfortune, but that to
which alone she owed it, her own imprudence.
The disorders of her mind had such an effect on her body, that she fell
into fits, and a physician was sent for, who, tho' esteemed the most
skilful in that country, found it required all his art to prevent a
fever: she continued, however, for five days in a condition, such as
permitted her not to do any thing either for the satisfaction of her own
impatient curiosity, or to comply with the just request Louisa had made;
and had not monsieur du Plessis's letter to the prince been mere
successful, they must both have continued where they were, perhaps for a
considerable time.
That, however, had all the effect could be expected from a prince of so
much honour: he immediately sent for the count de Bellfleur; and easily
finding, by the confusion with which he replied to his examination, and
the little low evasions he was obliged to have recourse to, that the
affair was as monsieur du Plessis had represented, gave him a severe
check, and ordered him to depart immediately from Venice, where he told
him, he had given such occasion to call the honour of the French nation
in general in question; and to repair with all expedition to his winter
quarters.
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