with Champmêlé, the actress, and when she began to obtain an
ascendency over his mind, she wormed out of him all the letters he had
ever received from the comedienne. Some say it was jealousy on Ninon's
part, but any one who reads her letters to de Sévigné will see between
the lines a disposition on his part to wander away after a new
charmer. Others, however, say that she intended to send them to the
Marquis de Tonnerre, whom the actress had betrayed for de Sévigné.

But Madame de Sévigné, to whom her son had confessed his folly in
giving up the letters, perhaps fearing to be embroiled in a
disgraceful duel over an actress, made him blush at his cruel
sacrifice of a woman who loved him, and made him understand that even
in dishonesty there were certain rules of honesty to be observed. She
worked upon his mind until he felt that he had committed a
dishonorable act, and when he had reached that point, it was easy to
get the letters away from Ninon partly by artifice, partly by force.
Madame de Sévigné tells the story in a letter to her daughter, Madame
de Grignan:

"Elle (Ninon) voulut l'autre jour lui faire donner des lettres de la
comedienne (Champmêlé); il les lui donna; elle en était jalouse; elle
voulait les donner à un amant de la princesse, afin de lui faire
donner quelque coups de baudrier. Il me le vint dire: je lui fis voir
que c'était une infamie de couper ainsi la gorge à une petite créature
pour l'avoir aimer; je representai qu'elle n'avait point sacrifié ses
lettres, comme on voulait lui faire croire pour l'animer. Il entra
dans mes raisons; il courut chez Ninon, et moitié par adresse, et
moitié par force, il retira les lettres de cette pauvre diablesse."

It was easy for a doting mother like Madame de Sévigné to credit