of Ninon at Saint Cloud, which the Marquis de Sévigné always attended
as the mutual friend of both. De Vassé was well acquainted with
Ninon's peculiarities and knew that the gallantry of such a man as de
Sévigné was a feeble means of retaining the affections of a heart that
was the slave of nothing but its own fugitive desires. But he was a
man devoted to his friends and, being Epicurean in his philosophy, he
did not attempt to interfere with the affection he perceived growing
between Ninon and his friend. It never occurred to the Marquis that he
was guilty of a betrayal of friendship by paying court to Ninon, and
the latter took the Marquis' attentions as a matter of course without
considering the ingratitude of her conduct. She rather flattered
herself at having been sufficiently attractive to capture a man of de
Seine's family distinction. She had captured the heart of de Soigné,
the father, and had received so many animadversions upon her conduct
from Madame de Sévigné, that it afforded her great pleasure to "spoil"
the son as she had the father.

But her satisfaction was short-lived, for she had the chagrin to learn
soon after her conquest that de Sévigné had perished on the field of
honor at the hands of Chevalier d'Albret. Her sorrow was real, of
course, but the fire lighted by the senses is small and not enduring,
and when the occasion arises regret is not eternalized, besides there
were others waiting with impatience. His successful rival out of the
way, de Vassé supposed he had a clear field, but he did not attain his
expected happiness. He was no longer pleasing to Ninon and she did no:
hesitate to make him understand that he could never hope to win her
heart. According to her philosophy there is nothing so shameful in a
tender friendship as the art of dissimulation.

As has been said, much odium has been cast upon Mademoiselle de