After staying some time at Lyons, we went to Avignon.  Le Guast, not daring to hazard any fresh imposture, and finding that my conduct afforded no ground for jealousy on the part of my husband, plainly perceived that he could not, by that means, bring about a misunderstanding betwixt my brother and the King my husband.  He therefore resolved to try what he could effect through Madame de Sauves.  In order to do this, he obtained such an influence over her that she acted entirely as he directed; insomuch that, by his artful instructions, the passion which these young men had conceived, hitherto wavering and cold, as is generally the case at their time of life, became of a sudden so violent that ambition and every obligation of duty were at once absorbed by their attentions to this woman.

This occasioned such a jealousy betwixt them that, though her favours were divided with M. de Guise, Le Guast, De Souvray, and others, anyone of whom she preferred to the brothers-in-law, such was the infatuation of these last, that each considered the other as his only rival.

To carry on De Guast’s sinister designs, this woman persuaded the King my husband that I was jealous of her, and on that account it was that I joined with my brother.  As we are ready to give ear and credit to those we love, he believed all she said.  From this time he became distant and reserved towards me, shunning my presence as much as possible; whereas, before, he was open and communicative to me as to a sister, well knowing that I yielded to his pleasure in all things, and was far from harbouring jealousy of any kind.

What I had dreaded, I now perceived had come to pass.  This was the loss of his favour and good opinion; to preserve which I had studied to gain his confidence by a ready compliance with his wishes, well knowing that mistrust is the sure forerunner of hatred.

I now turned my mind to an endeavour to wean my brother’s affection from Madame de Sauves, in order to counterplot Le Guast in his design to bring about a division, and thereby to effect our ruin.  I used every means with my brother to divert his passion; but the fascination was too strong, and my pains proved ineffectual.  In anything else, my brother would have suffered himself to be ruled by me; but the charms of this Circe, aided by that sorcerer, Le Guast, were too powerful to be dissolved by my advice.  So far was he from profiting by my counsel that he was weak enough to communicate it to her.  So blind are lovers!

Her vengeance was excited by this communication, and she now entered more fully into the designs of Le Guast.  In consequence, she used all her art to make the King my husband conceive an aversion for me; insomuch that he scarcely ever spoke with me.  He left her late at night, and, to prevent our meeting in the morning, she directed him to come to her at the Queen’s levee, which she duly attended; after which he passed the rest of the day with her.  My brother likewise followed her with the greatest assiduity, and she had the artifice to make each of them think that he alone had any place in her esteem.  Thus was a jealousy kept up betwixt them, and, in consequence, disunion and mutual ruin!