Felix　de　Vandenesse。
  Dear　Count；You　received　a　letter　from　poor　Madame　de　Mortsauf；
  which；　you　say；　was　of　use　in　guiding　you　through　the　world；a
  letter　to　which　you　owe　your　distinguished　career。　Permit　me　to
  finish　your　education。
  Give　up；　I　beg　of　you；　a　really　dreadful　habit；　do　not　imitate
  certain　widows　who　talk　of　their　first　husband　and　throw　the
  virtues　of　the　deceased　in　the　face　of　their　second。　I　am　a
  Frenchwoman；　dear　count；　I　wish　to　marry　the　whole　of　the　man　I
  love；　and　I　really　cannot　marry　Madame　de　Mortsauf　too。　Having
  read　your　tale　with　all　the　attention　it　deserves；and　you　know
  the　interest　I　feel　in　you；it　seems　to　me　that　you　must　have
  wearied　Lady　Dudley　with　the　perfections　of　Madame　de　Mortsauf；
  and　done　great　harm　to　the　countess　by　overwhelming　her　with　the
  experiences　of　your　English　love。　Also　you　have　failed　in　tact　to
  me；　poor　creature　without　other　merit　than　that　of　pleasing　you；
  you　have　given　me　to　understand　that　I　cannot　love　as　Henriette　or
  Arabella　loved　you。　I　acknowledge　my　imperfections；　I　know　them；
  but　why　so　roughly　make　me　feel　them？
  Shall　I　tell　you　whom　I　pity？the　fourth　woman　whom　you　love。　She
  will　be　forced　to　struggle　against　three　others。　Therefore；　in
  your　interests　as　well　as　in　hers；　I　must　warn　you　against　the
  dangers　of　your　tale。　For　myself；　I　renounce　the　laborious　glory
  of　loving　you；it　needs　too　many　virtues；　Catholic　or　Anglican；
  and　I　have　no　fancy　for　rivalling　phantoms。　The　virtues　of　the
  virgin　of　Clochegourde　would　dishearten　any　woman；　however　sure　of
  herself　she　might　be；　and　your　intrepid　English　amazon　discourages
  even　a　wish　for　that　sort　of　happiness。　No　matter　what　a　poor
  woman　may　do；　she　can　never　hope　to　give　you　the　joys　she　will
  aspire　to　give。　Neither　heart　nor　senses　can　triumph　against　these
  memories　of　yours。　I　own　that　I　have　never　been　able　to　warm　the
  sunshine　chilled　for　you　by　the　death　of　your　sainted　Henriette。　I
  have　felt　you　shuddering　beside　me。
  My　friend；for　you　will　always　be　my　friend；never　make　such
  confidences　again；　they　lay　bare　your　disillusions；　they
  discourage　love；　and　compel　a　woman　to　feel　doubtful　of　herself。
  Love；　dear　count；　can　only　live　on　trustfulness。　The　woman　who
  before　she　says　a　word　or　mounts　her　horse；　must　ask　herself
  whether　a　celestial　Henriette　might　not　have　spoken　better；
  whether　a　rider　like　Arabella　was　not　more　graceful；　that　woman
  you　may　be　very　sure；　will　tremble　in　all　her　members。　You
  certainly　have　given　me　a　desire　to　receive　a　few　of　those
  intoxicating　bouquetsbut　you　say　you　will　make　no　more。　There
  are　many　other　things　you　dare　no　longer　do；　thoughts　and
  enjoyments　you　can　never　reawaken。　No　woman；　and　you　ought　to　know
  this；　will　be　willing　to　elbow　in　your　heart　the　phantom　whom　you
  hold　there。
  You　ask　me　to　love　you　out　of　Christian　charity。　I　could　do　much；
  I　candidly　admit；　for　charity；　in　fact　I　could　do　allexcept
  love。　You　are　sometimes　wearisome　and　wearied；　you　call　your
  dulness　melancholy。　Very　good；so　be　it；　but　all　the　same　it　is
  intolerable；　and　causes　much　cruel　anxiety　to　one　who　loves　you。　I
  have　often　found　the　grave　of　that　saint　between　us。　I　have
  searched　my　own　heart；　I　know　myself；　and　I　own　I　do　not　wish　to
  die　as　she　did。　If　you　tired　out　Lady　Dudley；　who　is　a　very
  distinguished　woman；　I；　who　have　not　her　passionate　desires；
  should；　I　fear；　turn　coldly　against　you　even　sooner　than　she　did。
  Come；　let　us　suppress　love　between　us；　inasmuch　as　you　can　find
  happiness　only　with　the　dead；　and　let　us　be　merely　friendsI　wish
  it。
  Ah！　my　dear　count；　what　a　history　you　have　told　me！　At　your
  entrance　into　life　you　found　an　adorable　woman；　a　perfect
  mistress；　who　thought　of　your　future；　made　you　a　peer；　loved　you
  to　distraction；　only　asked　that　you　would　be　faithful　to　her；　and
  you　killed　her！　I　know　nothing　more　monstrous。　Among　all　the
  passionate　and　unfortunate　young　men　who　haunt　the　streets　of
  Paris；　I　doubt　if　there　is　one　who　would　not　stay　virtuous　ten
  years　to　obtain　one　half　of　the　favors　you　did　not　know　how　to
  value！　When　a　man　is　loved　like　that　how　can　he　ask　more？　Poor
  woman！　she　suffered　indeed；　and　after　you　have　written　a　few
  sentimental　phrases　you　think　you　have　balanced　your　account　with
  her　coffin。　Such；　no　doubt；　is　the　end　that　awaits　my　tenderness
  for　you。　Thank　you；　dear　count；　I　will　have　no　rival　on　either
  side　of　the　grave。　When　a　man　has　such　a　crime　upon　his
  conscience；　at　least　he　ought　not　to　tell　of　it。　I　made　you　an
  imprudent　request；　but　I　was　true　to　my　woman's　part　as　a　daughter
  of　Eve；it　was　your　part　to　estimate　the　effect　of　the　answer。
  You　ought　to　have　deceived　me；　later　I　should　have　thanked　you。　Is
  it　possible　that　you　have　never　understood　the　special　virtue　of
  lovers？　Can　you　not　feel　how　generous　they　are　in　swearing　that
  they　have　never　loved　before；　and　love　at　last　for　the　first　time？
  No；　your　programme　cannot　be　carried　out。　To　attempt　to　be　both
  Madame　de　Mortsauf　and　Lady　Dudley；why；　my　dear　friend；　it　would
  be　trying　to　unite　fire　and　water　within　me！　Is　it　possible　that
  you　don't　know　women？　Believe　me；　they　are　what　they　are；　and　they
  have　therefore　the　defects　of　their　virtues。　You　met　Lady　Dudley
  too　early　in　life　to　appreciate　her；　and　the　harm　you　say　of　her
  seems　to　me　the　revenge　of　your　wounded　vanity。　You　understood
  Madame　de　Mortsauf　too　late；　you　punished　one　for　not　being　the
  other；what　would　happen　to　me　if　I　were　neither　the　one　nor　the
  other？　I　love　you　enough　to　have　thought　deeply　about　your　future；
  in　fact；　I　really　care　for　you　a　great　deal。　Your　air　of　the
  Knight　of　the　Sad　Countenance　has　always　deeply　interested　me；　I
  believed　in　the　constancy　of　melancholy　men；　but　I　little　thought
  that　you　had　killed　the　loveliest　and　the　most　virtuous　of　women
  at　the　opening　of　your　life。
  Well；　I　ask　myself；　what　remains　for　you　to　do？　I　have　thought　it
  over　carefully。　I　think；　my　friend；　that　you　will　have　to　marry　a
  Mrs。　Shandy；　who　will　know　nothing　of　love　or　of　passion；　and　will
  not　trouble　herself　about　Madame　de　Mortsauf　or　Lady　Dudley；　who
  will　be　wholly　indifferent　to　those　moments　of　ennui　which　you
  call　melancholy；　during　which　you　are　as　lively　as　a　rainy　day；a
  wife　who　will　be　to　you；　in　short；　the　excellent　sister　of　charity
  whom　you　are　seeking。　But　as　for　loving；　quivering　at　a　word；
  anticipating　happiness；　giving　it；　receiving　it；　experiencing　all
  the　tempests　of　passion；　cherishing　the　little　weaknesses　of　a
  beloved　womanmy　dear　count；　renounce　it　all！　You　have　followed
  the　advice　of　your　good　angel　about　young　women　too　closely；　you
  have　avoided　them　so　carefully　that　now　you　know　nothing　about
  them。　Madame　de　Mortsauf　was　right　to　place　you　high　in　life　at
  the　start；　otherwise　all　women　would　have　been　against　you；　and
  you　never　would　have　risen　in　society。
  It　is　too　late　now　to　begin　your　training　over　again；　too　late　to
  learn　to　tell　us　what　we　long　to　hear；　to　be　superior　to　us　at　the
  right　moment；　or　to　worship　our　pettiness　when　it　pleases　us　to　be
  petty。　We　are　not　so　silly　as　you　think　us。　When　we　love　we　place
  the　man　of　our　choice　above　all　else。　Whatever　shakes　our　faith　in
  our　supremacy　shakes　our　love。　In　flattering　us　men　flatter
  themselves。　If　you　intend　to　remain　in　society；　to　enjoy　an
  intercourse　with　women；　you　must　carefully　conceal　from　them　all
  that　you　have　told　me；　they　will　not　be　willing　to　sow　the　flowers
  of　their　love　upon　the　rocks　or　lavish　their　caresses　to　soothe　a
  sickened　spirit。　Women　will　discover　the　barrenness　of　your　heart
  and　you　will　be　ever　more　and　more　unhappy。　Few　among　them　would
  be　frank　enough　to　tell　you　what　I　have　told　you；　or　sufficiently
  good…natured　to　leave　you　without　rancor；　offering　their
  friendship；　like　the　woman　who　now　subscribes　herself
  Your　devoted　friend；
  Natalie　de　Manerville。
  ADDENDUM
  The　following　personages　appear　in　other　stories　of　the　Human　Comedy。
  Birotteau；　Abbe　Francois
  Cesar　Birotteau
  The　Vicar　of　Tours
  Blamont…Chauvry；　Princesse　de
  The　Thirteen
  Madame　Firmiani
  Brandon；　Lady　Marie　Augusta
  The　Member　for　Arcis
  La　Grenadiere
  Chessel；　Madame　de
  The　Government　Clerks
  Dudley；　Lord
  The　Thirteen
  A　Man　of　Business
  Another　Study　of　Woman
  A　Daughter　of　Eve
  Dudley；　Lady　Arabella
  The　Ball　at　Sceaux
  The　Magic　Skin
  The　Secrets　of　a　Princess
  A　Daughter　of　Eve
  Letters　of　Two　Brides
  Givry
  Letters　of　Two　Brides
  Scenes　from　a　Courtesan's　Life
  Lenoncourt；　Duc　de
  Cesar　Birotteau
  Jealousies　of　a　Country　To