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LETTER XL - The Baroness to Madame de Valmont

from VOL III - ADELAIDE AND THEODORE

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Summary

They are in the right, Madame, to say, that a mother is very proud the first time her daughter has an offer of marriage. I have just experienced that satisfaction. The Marquis de Hernay, a young man whom I saw in Italy, is very desirous of marrying Adelaide; he hinted the subject to me near three weeks ago. I gave an indirect answer, and spoke of it to my daughter the same day: at the first mention of marriage, before I had named the Marquis de Hernay, she changed countenance! What! Mamma, cried she, do you already think of marrying me? Not immediately, answered I, since you have a good fortune and are well situated. Nothing can determine me to marry you till your education is quite completed. But I can from this time, if you consent to it, enter into conditional engagements. In short, he that makes proposals … is the Marquis de Hernay … a very proper person, whose fortune and family … Oh! Mamma, interrupted Adelaide, smilling, was his family still more noble, and his fortune more considerable, it is impossible that man should be destined to call you mother. But Adelaide, you are very censorious … I think he does me great honour … but I confess, that he does not appear to me worthy of being your son … nor your husband. Do you agree to that? … Confess, Mamma, that you are of my opinion! … Let us speak seriously: why have you so great a dislike to him? … because, Mamma, you think him a coxcomb … I never told you so … but I observed it, and your opinion will always determine mine … Well, if it should be true that he is a coxcomb, if he is worthy … My dear Mamma shall find me a good husband and one who is not a coxcomb … Take care, Adelaide, that you form no idle chimeras, nor carry your delicacy too far … I cannot do that; for I assure you I never in my life considered the turn of mind I should desire in a husband.

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Adelaide and Theodore
by Stephanie-Felicite De Genlis
, pp. 399 - 401
Publisher: Pickering & Chatto
First published in: 2014

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