excess of his grief for the loss of his master, that Monsieur de
Nemours's journey to Colomiers was the occasion of his death.
The Duke was extremely surprised to hear this; but after having
reflected upon it, he guessed the truth in part, and rightly
judged what Madam de Cleves's sentiments would be at first, and
what a distance it would throw him from her, if she thought her
husband's illness was occasioned by his jealousy; he was of
opinion that he ought not so much as to put her in mind of his
name very soon, and he abided by that conduct, however severe it
appeared to him.

He took a journey to Paris, nor could he forbear calling at her
house to enquire how she did. He was told, that she saw nobody,
and that she had even given strict orders that they should not
trouble her with an account of any that might come to see her;
those very strict orders, perhaps, were given with a view to the
Duke, and to prevent her hearing him spoken of; but he was too
much in love to be able to live so absolutely deprived of the
sight of Madam de Cleves; he resolved to find the means, let the
difficulty be what it would, to get out of a condition which was
so insupportable to him.

The grief of that Princess exceeded the bounds of reason; a
husband dying, and dying on her account, and with so much
tenderness for her, never went out of her mind: she continually
revolved in her thoughts what she owed him, and she condemned
herself for not having had a passion for him, as if that had been
a thing which depended on herself; she found no consolation but
in the thought that she lamented him as he deserved to be
lamented, and that she would do nothing during the remainder of