have made nobody your confidant, you think that your love is not known; but it is known, and even by persons who are interested in it: you are observed, the place where you see your mistress is discovered, and there is a design to surprise you; I don't know who she is, nor do I ask you to tell me; I would only secure you from the misfortunes into which you may fall. See, I beseech you, what a snare the queen laid for me, and how difficult it was for me not to fall into it; she had a mind to know if I was in love; and as she did not ask me who I was in love with, but let me see her intention was only to serve me, I had no suspicion that she spoke either out of curiosity or by design.
Nevertheless, contrary to all probability, I saw into the bottom of the matter; I was in love with madam de Themines; but though she loved me again, I was not happy enough to have private places to see her in without danger of being discovered there, and so I was satisfied she could not be the person the queen meant; I knew also, that I had an intrigue with another woman less handsome and less reserved than madam de Themines, and that it was not impossible but the place where I saw her might be discovered; but as this was a business I little cared for, it was easy for me to guard against all sorts of danger by forbearing to see her. I resolved therefore to acknowledge nothing of it to the queen, but to assure her on the contrary that I had a long time laid aside the desire of gaining women's affections, even where I might hope for success, because I found them all in some measure unworthy of engaging the heart of an honourable man, and that it must be something very much above them which could touch me.—You do not answer me ingenuously, replied the queen; I am satisfied of the contrary; the free manner in which I speak to you ought to oblige you to conceal nothing from me; I would have you, continued she, be of the number of my friends; but I would not, after having admitted you into that rank, be ignorant of your engagements; consider, whether you think my
