D'Albert and Rosette were greatly astonished, and did not know how to account for this sudden disappearance--especially D'Albert, who, by the prowess he displayed the first night, thought he had well earned a second. Toward the end of the week, the unhappy, disappointed lover received a letter from Théodore which we propose to transcribe. I am afraid it will not satisfy my readers of either sex; but the letter was written so and not otherwise, and this glorious romance shall have no other conclusion. XVII Doubtless, my dear D'Albert, you are greatly surprised by what I now do after what I have done.--I permit you to be, there is good reason for it.--I will wager that you have already applied to me at least twenty of the epithets we agreed to strike out of our vocabulary: perfidious, inconstant, vile creature--is it not so?--At all events, you will not call me cruel or virtuous, which is so much gained.--You curse me and you are wrong.--You desired me, you loved me, I was your ideal:--very good. I granted you on the spot what you wanted; it was nobody's fault but your own that you hadn't it sooner. I served as body to your dream in the most accommodating way.--I gave you what I certainly shall never again give any one--a surprise upon which you hardly reckoned and for which you certainly ought to be most grateful to me.--Now that I have satisfied you, it pleases me to go away.--What is there so monstrous in that? You had me absolutely and without reserve a whole night; what more do you want? Another night and then still another; you would even put up with a few days at need.--And so you would go on until you were disgusted with me.--I can hear you from here crying most politely that I am not one of those with whom men become disgusted. _Mon Dieu_! yes, with me as with others. It would last six months, two years, even ten years, if you choose, but it must end at some time or other.--You would keep me through a sort of feeling of duty, or because you had not the courage to give me my dismissal. What is the use of waiting until it comes to that?