pleasure, and I take the earliest moment to acquaint you with, and thank
you for it.

"These are the exact words of your letter: 'Although you are certainly a
very good customer, I have some pain in receiving your money: according
to regular order I ought to pay for the pleasure I should have in working
for you.' I will say nothing more on the subject. I have to complain of
your not speaking of your state of health: nothing interests me more.
I love you with all my heart: and be assured that I write this to you in
a very melancholy mood, for I should have much pleasure in telling it to
you myself. M. de Luxembourg loves and embraces you with all his heart.

"On receiving the letter I hastened to answer it, reserving to myself more
fully to examine the matter, protesting against all disobliging
interpretation, and after having given several days to this examination
with an inquietude which may easily be conceived, and still without being
able to discover in what I could have erred, what follows was my final
answer on the subject.

"MONTMORENCY, 8th December, 1759.

"Since my last letter I have examined a hundred times the passage in
question. I have considered it in its proper and natural meaning, as
well as in every other which may be given to it, and I confess to you,
madam, that I know not whether it be I who owe to you excuses, or you
from whom they are due to me."

It is now ten years since these letters were written. I have since that
time frequently thought of the subject of them; and such is still my
stupidity that I have hitherto been unable to discover what in the