Diego,
I was touched to learn that you yourself intended to call out Grosscanard,
but pray don't trouble yourself on my account. As I said before, his memory
has suffered so terribly from the assaults of his years of riotous living
that I very much doubt that he will have any recollection of what you are
talking about.
It is true that his most recent letter casts unnecessary slurs upon your
intended, which you may feel compelled to pursue. Upon breaking with
Grosscanard, however, Nicole revealed to all that his prediliction
with this subject was merely bluster to cover his own inadequacies. In
taking this seriously you risk finding yourself to be merely a crutch for
the creature's fantasies about himself.
If a peasant were to hurl mud at my carriage whilst I was passing through
the countryside I would have two options. If I had the leisure to do so I
might stop the carriage and have my footmen teach the cur a little respect
for his betters. If I were en route to an important appointment I could
completely ignore the incident without having anyone think ill of me for
it - the doings of peasants are of little concern to gentlemen, and if every
low insult were to be severely punished, who would till the fields or tend
the vines?
This incident is similar in nature. For a creature who has 'gloried' in the
fact that he has no honour to defend for so long to suddenly find the need
to jump to its defence is amusing in the extreme - but I'm sure that no
gentleman would dream of taking his surprising claims with any seriousness.
Alain
