Youcanrealizenow，Fernand，whatajoyitistometoliveafreshinyouandMarie。Ishallwatchyouhenceforthwiththeprideofacreatorsatisfiedinhiswork。Loveeachotherwellandgoonlovingifyouwouldnotgivemepain；anydiscordbetweenyouwouldhurtmemorethanitwouldyourselves。
　　Ourmotherhadapresentimentthateventswouldonedayserveherwishes。ItmaybethatthelongingofamotherconstitutesapactbetweenherselfandGod。Wasshenot，moreover，oneofthosemysteriousbeingswhocanholdconversewithHeavenandbringbackthenceavisionofthefuture？HowoftenhaveInotreadinthelinesofherforeheadthatshewascovetingforFernandthehonorsandthewealthofFelipe!WhenIsaidsotoher，shewouldreplywithtears，layingbarethewoundsofaheart，whichofrightwastheundividedpropertyofbothhersons，butwhichanirresistiblepassiongavetoyoualone。
　　Herspirit，therefore，willhoverjoyfullyaboveyourheadsasyoubowthematthealtar。Mymother，haveyounotacaressforyourFelipenowthathehasyieldedtoyourfavoriteeventhegirlwhomyouregretfullythrustintohisarms？WhatIhavedoneispleasingtoourwomankind，tothedead，andtotheKing；itisthewillofGod。Makenodifficultythen，Fernand；obey，andbesilent。
　　/P。S。/TellUrracatobesureandcallmenothingbutM。Henarez。
　　Don’tsayawordaboutmetoMarie。YoumustbetheonelivingsoultoknowthesecretsofthelastChristianizedMoor，inwhoseveinsrunsthebloodofagreatfamily，whichtookitsriseinthedesertandisnowabouttodieoutinthepersonofasolitaryexile。
　　Farewell。
　　LOUISEDECHAULIEUTORENEEDEMAUCOMBE
　　WHAT!Tobemarriedsosoon。Butthisisunheardof。Attheendofamonthyoubecomeengagedtoamanwhoisastrangertoyou，andaboutwhomyouknownothing。Themanmaybedeaf——therearesomanykindsofdeafness!——hemaybesickly，tiresome，insufferable!
　　Don’tyousee，Renee，whattheywantwithyou？Youareneedfulforcarryingonthegloriousstockofthel’Estorades，thatisall。Youwillbeburiedintheprovinces。Arethesethepromiseswemadeeachother？WereIyou，IwouldsoonersetofftotheHyeresislandsinacaique，onthechanceofbeingcapturedbyanAlgeriancorsairandsoldtotheGrandTurk。ThenIshouldbeaSultanasomeday，andwouldn’tImakeastirintheharemwhileIwasyoung——yes，andafterwardstoo!
　　Youareleavingoneconventtoenteranother。Iknowyou；youareacoward，andyouwillsubmittotheyokeoffamilylifewithalamblikedocility。ButIamheretodirectyou；youmustcometoParis。Thereweshalldrivethemenwildandholdacourtlikequeens。Yourhusband，sweetheart，inthreeyearsfromnowmaybecomeamemberoftheChamber。Iknowallaboutmembersnow，andIwillexplainittoyou。Youwillworkthatmachineverywell；youcanliveinParis，andbecometherewhatmymothercallsawomanoffashion。Oh!youneedn’tsupposeIwillleaveyouinyourgrange!
　　Monday。
　　Forawholefortnightnow，mydear，Ihavebeenlivingthelifeofsociety；oneeveningattheItaliens，anotherattheGrandOpera，andalwaysaballafterwards。Ah!societyisawitchingworld。ThemusicoftheOperaenchantsme；andwhilstmysoulisplungedindivinepleasure，Iamthecentreofadmirationandthefocusofalltheopera-glasses。Butasingleglancewillmaketheboldestyouthdrophiseyes。
　　Ihaveseensomecharmingyoungmenthere；allthesame，Idon’tcareforanyofthem；notonehasrousedinmetheemotionwhichIfeelwhenIlistentoGarciainhissplendidduetwithPellegriniin/Otello/。Heavens!howjealousRossinimusthavebeentoexpressjealousysowell!Whatacryin“Ilmiocorsidivide!“I’mspeakingGreektoyou，foryouneverheardGarcia，butthenyouknowhowjealousIam!
　　WhatawretcheddramatistShakespeareis!Othelloisinlovewithglory；hewinsbattles，hegivesorders，hestrutsaboutandisallovertheplacewhileDesdemonasitsathome；andDesdemona，whoseesherselfneglectedforthesillyfussofpubliclife，isquitemeekallthetime。Suchasheepdeservestobeslaughtered。LetthemanwhomI
　　deigntolovebewarehowhethinksofanythingbutlovingme!
　　Formypart，Ilikethoselongtrialsoftheold-fashionedchivalry。
　　Thatloutofayounglord，whotookoffencebecausehissovereign-ladysenthimdownamongthelionstofetchherglove，was，inmyopinion，veryimpertinent，andafooltoo。Doubtlesstheladyhadinreserveforhimsomeexquisitefloweroflove，whichhelost，ashewelldeserved——thepuppy!
　　ButhereamIrunningonasthoughIhadnotagreatpieceofnewstotellyou。MyfatheriscertainlygoingtorepresentourmastertheKingatMadrid。Isay/our/master，forIshallmakepartoftheembassy。Mymotherwishestoremainhere，andmyfatherwilltakemesoastohavesomewomanwithhim。
　　Mydear，thisseemstoyou，nodoubt，verysimple，buttherearehorrorsbehindit，allthesame：inafortnightIhaveprobedthesecretsofthehouse。MymotherwouldaccompanymyfathertoMadridifhewouldtakeM。deCanalisasasecretarytotheembassy。ButtheKingappointsthesecretaries；theDukedareneitherannoytheKing，whohatestobeopposed，norvexmymother；andthewilydiplomatbelieveshehascuttheknotbyleavingtheDuchesshere。M。deCanalis，whoisthegreatpoetoftheday，istheyoungmanwhocultivatesmymother’ssociety，andwhonodoubtstudiesdiplomacywithherfromthreeo’clocktofive。Diplomacymustbeafinesubject，forheisasregularasagamblerontheStockExchange。
　　TheDucdeRhetore，ourelderbrother，solemn，cold，andwhimsical，wouldbeextinguishedbyhisfatheratMadrid，thereforeheremainsinParis。MissGriffithhasfoundoutalsothatAlphonseisinlovewithaballet-girlattheOpera。Howisitpossibletofallinlovewithlegsandpirouettes？WehavenoticedthatmybrothercomestothetheatreonlywhenTulliadancesthere；heapplaudsthestepsofthiscreature，andthengoesout。Twoballet-girlsinafamilyare，I
　　fancy，moredestructivethantheplague。Mysecondbrotheriswithhisregiment，andIhavenotyetseenhim。ThusitcomesaboutthatIhavetoactastheAntigoneofHisMajesty’sambassador。PerhapsImaygetmarriedinSpain，andperhapsmyfather’sideaisamarriagetherewithoutdowry，afterthepatternofyourswiththisbroken-downguardofhonor。MyfatheraskedifIwouldgowithhim，andofferedmetheuseofhisSpanishmaster。
　　“Spain，thecountryforcastlesintheair!“Icried。“Perhapsyouhopethatitmaymeanmarriagesforme!“
　　Forsolereplyhehonoredmewithameaninglook。Forsomedayshehasamusedhimselfwithteasingmeatlunch；hewatchesme，andI
　　dissemble。InthiswayIhaveplayedwithhimcruellyasfatherandambassador/inpetto/。Hadn’thetakenmeforafool？HeaskedmewhatIthoughtofthisandthatyoungman，andofsomegirlswhomIhadmetinseveralhouses。Irepliedwithquiteinaneremarksonthecoloroftheirhair，theirfaces，andthedifferenceintheirfigures。Myfatherseemeddisappointedatmycrassness，andinwardlyblamedhimselfforhavingaskedme。
　　“Still，father，“Iadded，“don’tsupposeIamsayingwhatIreallythink：mothermademeafraidtheotherdaythatIhadspokenmorefranklythanIoughtofmyimpressions。“
　　“Withyourfamilyyoucanspeakquitefreely，“mymotherreplied。
　　“Verywell，then，“Iwenton。“TheyoungmenIhavemetsofarstrikemeastooself-centeredtoexciteinterestinothers；theyaremuchmoretakenupwiththemselvesthanwiththeircompany。Theycan’tbeaccusedoflackofcandoratanyrate。Theyputonacertainexpressiontotalktous，anddropitagaininamoment，apparentlysatisfiedthatwedon’tuseoureyes。Themanasheconversesisthelover；silent，heisthehusband。Thegirls，again，aresoartificialthatitisimpossibletoknowwhattheyreallyare，exceptfromthewaytheydance；theirfiguresandmovementsalonearenotasham。Butwhathasalarmedmemostinthisfashionablesocietyisitsbrutality。
　　Thelittleincidentswhichtakeplacewhensupperisannouncedgiveonesomeidea——tocomparesmallthingswithgreat——ofwhatapopularrisingmightbe。Courtesyisonlyathinveneeronthegeneralselfishness。Iimaginedsocietyverydifferent。Womencountforlittleinit；thatmayperhapsbeasurvivalofBonapartistideas。“
　　“Armandeiscomingonextraordinarily，“saidmymother。
　　“Mother，didyouthinkIshouldnevergetbeyondaskingtoseeMme。deStael？“
　　Myfathersmiled，androsefromthetable。
　　Saturday。
　　Mydear，Ihaveleftonethingout。HereisthetidbitIhavereservedforyou。Thelovewhichwepicturedmustbeextremelywellhidden；I
　　haveseennotatraceofit。True，Ihavecaughtindrawing-roomsnowandagainaquickexchangeofglances，buthowcolorlessitallis!
　　Love，asweimaginedit，aworldofwonders，ofgloriousdreams，ofcharmingrealities，ofsorrowsthatwakensympathy，andsmilesthatmakesunshine，doesnotexist。Thebewitchingwords，theconstantinterchangeofhappiness，themiseryofabsence，thefloodofjoyatthepresenceofthebelovedone——wherearethey？Whatsoilproducestheseradiantflowersofthesoul？Whichiswrong？Weortheworld？
　　Ihavealreadyseenhundredsofmen，youngandmiddle-aged；notonehasstirredtheleastfeelinginme。Noproofofadmirationanddevotionontheirpart，notevenasworddrawninmybehalf，wouldhavemovedme。Love，dear，istheproductofsuchrareconditionsthatitisquitepossibletolivealifetimewithoutcomingacrossthebeingonwhomnaturehasbestowedthepowerofmakingone’shappiness。
　　Thethoughtisenoughtomakeoneshudder；forifthisbeingisfoundtoolate，whatthen？
　　ForsomedaysIhavebeguntotremblewhenIthinkofthedestinyofwomen，andtounderstandwhysomanywearasadfacebeneaththeflushbroughtbytheunnaturalexcitementofsocialdissipation。Marriageisamerematterofchance。Lookatyours。Astormofwildthoughtshaspassedovermymind。Tobelovedeverydaythesame，yetwithadifference，tobelovedasmuchaftertenyearsofhappinessasonthefirstday!——suchalovedemandsyears。Thelovermustbeallowedtolanguish，curiositymustbepiquedandsatisfied，feelingrousedandrespondedto。
　　Isthere，then，alawfortheinnerfruitsoftheheart，asthereisforthevisiblefruitsofnature？Canjoybemadelasting？Inwhatproportionshouldlovemingletearswithpleasures？Thecoldpolicyofthefunereal，monotonous，persistentroutineoftheconventseemedtomeatthesemomentstheonlyreallife；whilethewealth，thesplendor，thetears，thedelights，thetriumph，thejoy，thesatisfaction，ofaloveequal，shared，andsanctioned，appearedamereidlevision。
　　Iseenoroominthiscityforthegentlewaysoflove，forpreciouswalksinshadyalleys，thefullmoonsparklingonthewater，whilethesuppliantpleadsinvain。Rich，young，andbeautiful，Ihaveonlytolove，andlovewouldbecomemysoleoccupation，mylife；yetinthethreemonthsduringwhichIhavecomeandgone，eagerandcurious，nothinghasappealedtomeinthebright，covetous，keeneyesaroundme。Novoicehasthrilledme，noglancehasmadetheworldseembrighter。
　　Musicalonehasfilledmysoul，musicalonehasatalltakentheplaceofourfriendship。Sometimes，atnight，Iwilllingerforanhourbymywindow，gazingintothegarden，summoningthefuture，withallitbrings，outofthemysterywhichshroudsit。Therearedaystoowhen，havingstartedforadrive，IgetoutandwalkintheChamps-Elysees，andpicturetomyselfthatthemanwhoistowakenmyslumberingsoulisathand，thathewillfollowandlookatme。ThenImeetonlymountebanks，vendorsofgingerbread，jugglers，passers-byhurryingtotheirbusiness，orloverswhotrytoescapenotice。TheseIamtemptedtostop，askingthem，“Youwhoarehappy，tellmewhatislove。“
　　Buttheimpulseisrepressed，andIreturntomycarriage，swearingtodieanoldmaid。Loveisundoubtedlyanincarnation，andhowmanyconditionsareneedfulbeforeitcantakeplace!Wearenotcertainofneverquarrelingwithourselves，howmuchlesssowhentherearetwo？
　　ThisisaproblemwhichGodalonecansolve。
　　IbegintothinkthatIshallreturntotheconvent。IfIremaininsociety，Ishalldothingswhichwilllooklikefollies，forIcannotpossiblyreconcilemyselftowhatIsee。Iamperpetuallywoundedeitherinmysenseofdelicacy，myinnerprinciples，ormysecretthoughts。
　　Ah!mymotheristhehappiestofwomen，adoredassheisbyCanalis，hergreatlittleman。Mylove，doyouknowIamseizedsometimeswithahorriblecravingtoknowwhatgoesonbetweenmymotherandthatyoungman？Griffithtellsmeshehasgonethroughallthesemoods；shehaslongedtoflyatwomen，whosehappinesswaswrittenintheirface；