This
he was delighted to discover; but how was he to take advantage of it
without exposing himself? By showing the letter he ran the risk of
being reproached with abusing the confidence of his friend.
To relieve himself from this embarrassment he resolved to break with
me in the most violent manner possible, and to set forth in his letter
the favor he did me in not showing mine. He was certain that in my
indignation and anger I should refuse his feigned discretion, and
permit him to show my letter to everybody; this was what he wished
for, and everything turned out as he had expected it would. He sent my
letter all over Paris, with his own commentaries upon it." which,
however, were not so successful as he had expected them to be. It
was not judged that the permission he had extorted to make my letter
public exempted him from the blame of having so lightly taken me at my
word to do me an injury. People continually asked what personal
complaints he had against me to authorize so violent a hatred.
Finally, it was thought that if even my behavior had been such as to
authorize him to break with me, friendship, although extinguished, had
rights which he ought to have respected. But unfortunately the
inhabitants of Paris are frivolous; remarks of the moment are soon
forgotten; the absent and unfortunate are neglected; the man who
prospers secures favor by his presence; the intriguing and malicious
support each other, renew their vile efforts, and the effects of
these, incessantly succeeding each other, efface everything by which
they were preceded.
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