THECOMTESSEDEL’ESTORADETOTHEBARONNEDEMACUMER
January1827。
MyfatherhasbeenelectedtotheChamber，myfather-in-lawisdead，andIamonthepointofmysecondconfinement；thesearethechiefeventsmarkingtheendoftheyearforus。Imentionthematonce，lestthesightoftheblacksealshouldfrightenyou。
Mydear，yourletterfromRomemademyfleshcreep。Youarenothingbutapairofchildren。Felipeiseitheradissemblingdiplomatorelsehisloveforyouistheloveamanmighthaveforacourtesan，onwhomhesquandershisall，knowingallthetimethatsheisfalsetohim。Enoughofthis。YousayIrave，soIhadbetterholdmytongue。
OnlythiswouldIsay，fromthecomparisonofourtwoverydifferentdestiniesIdrawthisharshmoral——Lovenotifyouwouldbeloved。