To Citizen Sophie Boisson, Cahors, Lot
Tilh, 14th January 1800
So I am two letters in debt to you, my dear friend! I shall try to believe it, since you tell me it is so, but am also convinced that you forgot to put your letters in the post. I blame this on the servants, scolding them mightily for not having sent me a letter which their charming mistress did not give them. I cannot pardon them this negligence and I assure you that, if they were in my employ, they would be gone within the day.
Seriously, my dear Sophie, trust me: if you did write to me, your two letters would not have gone astray. I foresee that you will acknowledge your misdeeds, so I forgive you, and beg that you forward me these two delightful trifles and receive a hundred affectionate kisses.
Last
June we had some troops
assigned here to enforce the departure of our young men! Among the
officers was one from Cahors, who happened to visit us. I wasted
no time in finding out if he knew
the Boisson family. He told me he had left you just fifteen
days before, that his country house
was very near yours, and that he was a close friend of your brother,
almost
always at your house. I can't tell you how wonderful it was for me to
talk about you with this young man. He answered
all our questions with a readiness (which, in truth, has no great
merit) for which I shall always be grateful.
So I was well informed about your situation, your health, about
everything to do with you. He told us what we perhaps knew before him:
that the amiable Sophie was sweetness itself, the delight of her
family, the ornament of society,
that she had a superior heart, a tender heart... tender, my dear
friend! Frankly, we had certain
suspicions, but I do not want to penetrate this mystery. So, what shall
we say? Are you going to tell me you really don't know what I am
talking about? He is a young man of some thirty or so years, height
above middling, light brown hair. He was sad to leave Rampoux, his
father whom he loved so much, where the garrison had been quartered for
six months,
forcing him to return to service... If, after all I have
just told you, you cannot see what is under your nose, I really know
not what
to do.
I take a great interest in the hope you must have of seeing all your family reunited, and sincerely share in the joy you must be feeling. I am counting on events taking a happy turn. Give me, dearest, news of all your loved ones. Present my respects to your papa, my love and a warm embrace to Fanny2, Mama sends you a thousand blessings.
Farewell my dearest Sophie! I hope you will no longer feel obliged to respect my silence and will make haste to reply. But, in the meantime, be confident of my perfect friendship.
Mimi
I leave the pen to my sweet little Tata!3
Mimi desires, my charming Sophie, I should aver to you that she has not received the two letters of which you speak. I am sure you will take her at her word. But, to placate her, I assure you that this is the exact truth. I would also like to say, on my own behalf, that I have read with great pleasure your kind expressions of affection and that I return your feelings wholeheartedly.Pay my respects to your father, and then give a great hug to dear Fanny for me. Goodbye, my dear Sophie! I wish you a Happy New Year, even though it is a fortnight old. Take care of your health. Mine, for which you show some concern, is better than it has been for a long time. I am, in every sense of the word, your fond Tata.
