In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Part Six LETTER I From Madame d’Orbe to Madame de Wolmar Before leaving Lausanne I must write you a brief word to inform you that I have arrived here; not however as joyful as I hoped. I was looking forward with great pleasure to this little trip which has so often tempted even you; but by refusing to come along you have made it almost a bother to me; for what comfort will there be in it for me? If it is boring, the boredom will be all for me; and if it is agreeable, I will have the regret of enjoying myself without you. While I have nothing to object to your reasons, does that make you think they satisfy me? In faith, Cousin, you are quite mistaken, and that is another thing that peeves me, that I shouldn’t even have the right to be peeved. Tell me, meany, aren’t you ashamed always to be the one who is right, and to resist what gives your friend pleasure, leaving her not even the pleasure of grumbling? I suppose you think everything would have fallen apart if you had just run away from your husband, your household, and your youngsters for a week? You would have committed an extravagance, it is true; but it would make you a hundred times better; whereas in making it your business to be perfect, you’ll no longer be good for anything, and you will just have to look for friends among the angels. In spite of past disagreements, I could not without some emotion Wnd myself once again amongst my family; they have received me with pleasure , or at least with many caresses. I shall not attempt to describe my brother until I have made his acquaintance. Cutting a rather Wne Wgure, he has the starchy manner of the country he hails from. He is grave and cold; he even seems to me somewhat arrogant; I greatly fear for the little bride, lest instead of being as good a husband as ours, he play something of the Lord and master. My father was so enchanted to see me that to embrace me he abandoned the account of a great battle the French have just won in Flanders,1 as if to verify the prediction made by our friend’s friend. What a blessing he was not there! Can you imagine the valiant Edward seeing the English 523 Pt6a 569.qxd 04 Oct 2007 10:40 AM Page 523 Xee, and Xeeing himself?.... Never, never!.... he would sooner have had himself killed a hundred times over. But as for our friends, it has been a long while since they wrote to us. Was it not yesterday, I believe, that the Post was due to arrive? If you receive any Letters from them, I hope you will not forget my stake in them. Farewell, Cousin, I must go. I await news of you in Geneva, where we expect to arrive tomorrow in time for dinner. Moreover, I warn you that in one way or another the wedding will not take place without you, and that if you are unwilling to come to Lausanne, I shall bring my whole crew and put Clarens to pillage, and drink the wines of the world over.2 LETTER II From Madame d’Orbe to Madame de Wolmar Wonderfully put, sister preacher! but you are counting a bit too much, I think, on the salutary eVect of your sermons: without presuming to judge whether they used to put your friend to sleep, I warn you that today they do not have that eVect on yours truly; and the one I received last evening, far from lulling me to sleep, deprived me of it the whole night long. Beware my Argus’s commentary,3 if he were to lay eyes on this letter! but I shall see to it that he doesn’t, and I assure you that you will sooner put your hand in the Wre than show it to him. If I were to recapitulate your letter point by point,4 I would be usurping your prerogatives; it is better for me to follow my whim; and also, to seem more modest and not make things too easy for you, I do not intend to talk Wrst about our travellers and the Post from Italy. The remedy, should I do so, will be to rewrite my letter, and put the beginning at the end.5 Let...

Share