The Princesse de Clèves (The Princess of Cleves)

After the King’s death, the Guise family is elevated in estimation while others have fallen. “In brief, the whole complexion of the court changed,” Lafayette writes (139). M. de Clèves is passed over for the honor of accompanying Elisabeth to Spain, but he can only think of his wife and removing her from court—and from temptation. This new configuration of the court travels en masse to Reims for the coronation, but Mme de Clèves feigns illness so she can avoid the traveling court and Nemours.

Nemours, upset to learn that the princess won’t come, heads directly to the Clèves’s house, passing a couple departing courtiers in the courtyard. The princess dispatches an attendant to send him away definitively, and he leaves dejected. Nevertheless, M. de Clèves hears of the visit and assumes the worst. He rushes to his wife and confronts her. She soon realizes she can do nothing right in her husband’s eyes; though she convinces her husband that she sent Nemours away with prejudice, this only proves to M. de Clèves that Nemours is being treated with special distinction compared to the courtiers who had visited earlier. “…why make such a distinction for M. de Nemours? Why is he different from all the rest?” asks the stricken husband (143).