his; that death alone can break your union? The phrases of your age,
delicious chimeras of a moment, at which one day you will smile, happy at
not having to lament them all your life. Of the many and brilliant women
you see around me at court, there is not one but at your age had some
beautiful dream of love, like this of yours, who did not form those ties,
which they believed indissoluble, and who did not in secret take eternal
oaths. Well, these dreams are vanished, these knots broken, these oaths
forgotten; and yet you see them happy women and mothers. Surrounded by
the honors of their rank, they laugh and dance every night. I again
divine what you would say--they loved not as you love, eh? You deceive
yourself, my dear child; they loved as much, and wept no less.

"And here I must make you acquainted with that great mystery which
constitutes your despair, since you are ignorant of the malady that
devours you. We have a twofold existence, 'm'amie': our internal life,
that of our feelings powerfully works within us, while the external life
dominates despite ourselves. We are never independent of men, more
especially in an elevated condition. Alone, we think ourselves
mistresses of our destiny; but the entrance of two or three people
fastens on all our chains, by recalling our rank and our retinue. Nay;
shut yourself up and abandon yourself to all the daring and extraordinary
resolutions that the passions may raise up in you, to the marvellous
sacrifices they may suggest to you. A lackey coming and asking your
orders will at once break the charm and bring you back to your real life.
It is this contest between your projects and your position which destroys
you. You are invariably angry with yourself; you bitterly reproach
yourself."

Marie turned away her head.