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Life, Letters, and Epicurean Philosophy of Ninon de L'Enclos - The Celebrated Beauty of the Seventeenth Century by Ninon de Lenclos
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qualities of the man she loves. To an ordinary man, a weakness is a
weakness, he blushes at it; to a man of intelligence, it is a tribute
paid to his merits, it is even a proof of our discernment; he
eulogizes our good taste and takes the credit of it. It is thus by
turning it to the profit of the vanity which he rescues from virtue,
that this enchanter hides from our eyes the grades of our weakness."

Such are at present, Marquis, the sentiments of the Countess, and I am
not sure if they leave you much to hope for. I do not ignore the fact
that it might have doubtless been better to carry out the project we
have in view without giving you any information concerning it. That
was our first intention; but could I in conscience secretly work
against you? Would it not have been to betray you? Moreover, by taking
that course, we should have appeared to be afraid of you, and hence we
found courage to put you in possession of all we expect to do to
resist you.

Come, now, Marquis, our desire to see you really makes us impatient.
Would you know the reason? It is because we expect you without fearing
you. Remember that you have not now a weak loving woman to fight
against, she would be too feeble an adversary, her courage might give
out; it is I, now, it is a woman of cold blood, who fancies herself
interested in saving the reason of her friend from being wrecked. Yes,
I will penetrate to the bottom of your heart; I will read there your
perverse designs; I will forestall them; I will render all the
artifices of your malice innocuous.

You may accuse me of treason as much as you please, but come to-night,
and I will convince you that my conduct is conformable to the most
exact equity. While your inexperience needed enlightenment,
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