But this conviction, which was the effect of reason and virtue,
did not carry her heart along with it; her heart was so violently
fixed on the Duke de Nemours, that she became even an object of
compassion, and was wholly deprived of rest. Never did she pass
a night in so uneasy a manner; in the morning, the first thing
she did was to see if there was anybody at the window which
looked towards her apartment; she saw there Monsieur de Nemours,
and was so surprised upon it, and withdrew so hastily, as made
him judge she knew him; he had often wished to be seen by her,
ever since he had found out that method of seeing her, and when
he had no hopes of obtaining that satisfaction, his way was to go
to muse in the garden where she found him.

Tired at last with so unfortunate and uncertain a condition, he
resolved to attempt something to determine his fate: "What
should I wait for?" said he. "I have long known she loves me;
she is free; she has no duty now to plead against me; why should
I submit myself to the hardship of seeing her, without being seen
by her or speaking to her? Is it possible for love so absolutely
to have deprived me of reason and courage, and to have rendered
me so different from what I have been in all my other amours? It
was fit I should pay a regard to Madam de Cleves's grief; but I
do it too long, and I give her leisure to extinguish the
inclination she had for me."

After these reflections, he considered what measures he ought to
take to see her; he found he had no longer any reason to conceal
his passion from the Viscount de Chartres; he resolved to speak
to him of it, and to communicate to him his design with regard to
his niece.