Oh! my dear friend, how I pity you! I am sincerely affected by your sorrows! – But the idea that you may pass another winter sixty leagues from me, is insupportable. I stand in need of you every moment; and more than ever during these last three months, when I have experienced a succession of difficulties, which I feel myself no longer able to resist. Madame d’ Almane is here: that is saying every thing. You will readily believe she dictates at least five or six sermons a day to my mother, which I am obliged to listen to; and all to engage me to adopt the manners and behaviour of Madame d’ Ostalis. If they look on her as so perfect a pattern, why did not they educate me as they did her? – We are both ‘just as they made us.’ She is very prudent, very reasonable; I am very giddy, very trifling; she knows how to employ herself, to paint, and play on the harp; I know how to dance. We have profited alike, each of us, of the examples, attentions, and education we have received. Notwithstanding my detestation of lectures, I could submit to hear them from those who have a right to preach. – But I would have people just and consistent; I shall never be converted by any preacher, who does not possess these two qualifications. For example, my mother came into my apartment the other morning, and found on the table two volumes of plays, ‘a little free,’ which brought on some remonstrance of half an hour long, a most eloquent panegyric on decency, modesty, taste, and propriety, &c. &c. In short, this dissertation perhaps might not have been finished by this time, had I not suddenly interrupted it by saying, very plainly, ‘these plays are truly very free, but I did not think there was any more harm in reading than in seeing them acted.’ Now in order for you to feel all the smartness of this reply, you must know, that these very plays were acted some years since at Mons. Blesac's, and my mother attended every representation.