tage of this country over that of all others. I do not know
if you will bring back from your travels a disgust for travel-
ling, but I am very sure you will have lost the power to settle
yourself anywhere. You will have judged with justice and
accuracy that which is good, that which is better, but you will
do as the Italians do with music ; they prefer novelty to excellence. I beg your pardon for contradicting your words, but
you must agree that I am truly on the tone of your soul. Do
you wish me to talk to you of mine ? Here is the state of it.
Have you ever watched those who are attacked by slow, incur-
able diseases ? When you inquire of those who are nursing
them, the answer is, " As well as can be expected ; " which
means : " He must die, but he has a few moments of respite."
That is precisely the state of health of my soul. To a most
violent storm a calm has succeeded. The soul's condition of
him I love is such as I could wish it, and according to my
heart, but his health is alarming. ISTevertheless, I am sure
that he makes no mistakes of regimen. He clings to life
because it gladdens him to love and to be loved ; he lives for
that only. Oh ! if you knew how winning he is ! Yes, you
might love me a little, but you would not think well of me
for being capable of a faithless feeling to him. Oh ! who are
you to have turned me for an instant from the most delightful, the most perfect of mankind ? Yes, if you knew him —
when you know him — you will see that in the judgment I
pronounce upon him there is neither illusion nor bias.
The Chevalier d'Aguesseau will have written you that I had lost all patience. I sent to him to ask news of you and he had none at the moment, but as soon as he received your letter of the 8 th he sent me word that you were well. I was tempted to write and thank you for having a friend to relieve me of anxiety ; but then I thought it better to wait till I heard from you.
