He grew somewhat gentler in manner as he slowly went on, “His Majesty will take care of your children; it behoves you to save their mother.  And, in order to prove to you that I have not come here of my own accord, but that, on the contrary, I am executing a formal command, here is a letter of farewell addressed to you by the King.”

I took the letter, which was couched in the following terms: 

It is but right, madame, that on so solemn an occasion I should set an example myself.  I must ask you henceforth to consider our intimacy entirely at an end.  You must retire to Fontevrault, where Madame de Montemart will take care of you and afford you distraction by her charming society.  Your children are in good hands; do not be in the least uneasy about them.  Farewell.  I wish you all the firmness and well-being possible.  LOUISON

In the first flush of my indignation I was about to trample under foot so offensive a communication.  But the final phrase shocked me less than the others.

I read it over again, and understood that if the King recommended me to be firm, it was because he needed to be firm himself.  I soon mastered my emotion, and looked at things in their real light.  It was easy to see that sanctimonious fanatics had forced the King to act.  Bossuet was not sanctimonious, but, to serve his own ends, proffered himself as spokesman and emissary, being anxious to prove to his old colleagues that he was on the side of what they styled moral conduct and good example.

For a while I walked up and down my salon; but the least exertion fatigues me.  I resumed my armchair or my settee, leaving the man there like a sort of messenger, whom it was not necessary to treat with any respect.  He was bold, and asked me for a definite answer which he could take back to his Majesty.  I stared hard at him for about a minute, and then said:  “My Lord Bishop of Condom, the clerics who have been advising the King are very pleased that he should set an example to his people of self-sacrifice.  I am of their opinion; I think as they do, as you do, as the Pope does; but feeling convinced that to us, the innocent sheep, the shepherds ought first to show an example, I will consent to break off my relationship with his Majesty when you, M. de Condom, shall have broken off your intimacy with Mademoiselle de Mauleon des Vieux!”

By a retort of this kind I admit that I hoped greatly to embarrass the Bishop, and enjoy seeing his face redden with confusion.  But he was nowise disconcerted, and I confess to-day that this circumstance proved to me that there was but little truth in the rumours that were current with regard to this subject.

“Mademoiselle de Mauleon!” said he, smiling half-bitterly, half-pityingly.  “Surely, madame, your grief makes you forget what you say.  Everybody knows that she is an acquaintance of my youth, and that, since that time, having confidence in my doctrines and my counsel, she wished to have me as spiritual monitor and guide.  How can you institute a comparison between such a relationship and your own?” Then, after walking up and down for a moment, as if endeavouring to regain his self-possession, he continued: