Cleves came in. Madam de Cleves was dressed a little
negligently, as a person who had been indisposed, but her
countenance did not at all correspond with her dress. "You look
so pretty," says the Queen-Dauphin to her, "that I can't
believe you have been ill; I think the Prince of Conde, when he
told us the Duke de Nemours's opinion of the ball, persuaded you,
that to go there would be doing a favour to the Mareschal de St.
Andre, and that that's the reason which hindered you from
going." Madam de Cleves blushed, both because the Queen-Dauphin
had conjectured right, and because she spoke her conjecture in
the presence of the Duke de Nemours.

Madam de Chartres immediately perceived the true reason, why her
daughter refused to go to the ball; and to prevent the Duke de
Nemours discovering it, as well as herself, she took up the
discourse after a manner that gave what she said an air of truth.

"I assure you, Madam," said she to the Queen-Dauphin, "that
your Majesty has done my daughter more honour than she deserves;
she was really indisposed, but I believe, if I had not hindered
her, she would not have failed to wait on you, and to show
herself under any disadvantages, for the pleasure of seeing what
there was extraordinary at yesterday's entertainment." The
Queen-Dauphin gave credit to what Madam de Chartres said but the
Duke de Nemours was sorry to find so much probability in it
nevertheless, the blushes of the Princess of Cleves made him
suspect, that what the Queen-Dauphin had said was not altogether
false. The Princess of Cleves at first was concerned the Duke
had any room to believe it was he who had hindered her from going
to the Mareschal de St. Andre; but afterwards she was a little