“I could not sleep soundly, my love, if I did not ease my conscience of an unpleasant weight.  Perhaps you did not approve of the ‘partie carree’ with our young friend, and you may not have objected out of mere politeness.  Tell me the truth, dearest, for, should you not look forward to that meeting with pleasure, I can contrive to undo it without implicating you in any way; trust me for that.  If, however, you have no objection to the party, it will take place as agreed.  Believe me, I love your soul more than your heart—­I mean than your person.  Adieu.”

Her fear was very natural, but out of shamefacedness I did not like to retract.  M——­ M——­ knew me well, and as a skilful tactician she attacked my weak side.

Here is my answer: 

“I expected your letter, my best beloved, and you cannot doubt it, because, as you know me thoroughly, you must be aware that I know you as well.  Yes, I know your mind, and I know what idea you must entertain of mine, because I have exposed to you all my weakness and irritability by my sophisms.  I do penance for it, dearest, when I think that having raised your suspicions your tenderness for me must have been weakened.  Forget my visions, I beg, and be quite certain that for the future my soul will be in unison with yours.  The supper must take place, it will be a pleasure for me, but let me confess that in accepting it I have shewn myself more grateful than polite.  C——­ C——­ is a novice, and I am not sorry to give her an opportunity of seeing the world.  In what school could she learn better than yours?  Therefore I recommend her to you, and you will please me much by continuing to shew your care and friendship towards her, and by increasing, if possible, the sum of your goodness.  I fear that you may entice her to take the veil, and if she did I would never console myself.  Your friend has quite captivated me; he is a superior man, and truly charming.”

Thus did I wittingly deprive myself of the power of drawing back, but I was able to realize the full force of the situation.  I had no difficulty in guessing that the ambassador was in love with C——­ C——­, and that he had confessed as much to M——­ M——­, who, not being in a position to object to it, was compelled to shew herself compliant, and to assist him in everything that could render his passion successful.  She could certainly not do anything without my consent, and she had evidently considered the affair too delicate to venture upon proposing the party point-blank to me.  They had, no doubt, put their heads together, so that by bringing the conversation on that subject I should find myself compelled, for the sake of politeness and perhaps of my inward feelings, to fall into the snare.  The ambassador, whose profession it was to carry on intrigues skilfully, had succeeded well, and I had taken the bait as he wished.  There was nothing left for me but to put a good face on the matter, not only so as not to shew myself a very silly