de Cleves was informed of it, and came in all haste to him; when
she arrived, he was still worse; besides, she observed something
in him so cold and chilling with respect to her, that she was
equally surprised and grieved at it; he even seemed to receive
with pain the services she did him in his sickness, but at last
she imagined it was perhaps only the effect of his distemper.

When she was come to Blois where the Court then was, the Duke de
Nemours was overjoyed to think she was at the same place where he
was; he endeavoured to see her, and went every day to the Prince
of Cleves's under pretence of enquiring how he did, but it was to
no purpose; she did not stir out of her husband's room, and was
grieved at heart for the condition he was in. It vexed Monsieur
de Nemours to see her under such affliction, an affliction which
he plainly saw revived the friendship she had for Monsieur de
Cleves, and diverted the passion that lay kindling in her heart.
The thought of this shocked him severely for some time; but the
extremity, to which Monsieur de Cleves's sickness was grown,
opened to him a scene of new hopes; he saw it was probable that
Madam de Cleves would be at liberty to follow her own
inclinations, and that he might expect for the future a series of
happiness and lasting pleasures; he could not support the ecstasy
of that thought, a thought so full of transport! he banished it
out of his mind for fear of becoming doubly wretched, if he
happened to be disappointed in his hopes.

In the meantime Monsieur de Cleves was almost given over by his
physicians. One of the last days of his illness, after having
had a very bad night, he said in the morning, he had a desire to
sleep; but Madam de Cleves, who remained alone in his chamber,