Volume II Part 26 (2/2)
The duchess handed ht a wax-candle, and she went aith Camille I remained alone locked up in the room, and at the end of three hours, just as I had conac came for the parcel and I left the palace
The duchess de Chartres, daughter of the Prince of Conti, enty-six years of age She was endoith that particular sort of hich renders a woman adorable She was lively, above the prejudices of rank, cheerful, full of jest, a lover of pleasure, which she preferred to a long life ”Short and sweet,” were the words she had constantly on her lips She was pretty but she stood badly, and used to laugh at Marcel, the teacher of graceful deport She kept her head bent forward and her feet turned inside when dancing; yet she was a char dancer Unfortunately her face was covered with pireatly Her physicians thought that they were caused by a disease of the liver, but they came from impurity of the blood, which at last killed her, and frohout her life
The questions she had asked from my oracle related to affairs connected with her heart, and she wished likewise to kno she could get rid of the blotches which disfigured her My ansere rather obscure in such matters as I was not specially acquainted with, but they were very clear concerning her disease, and hness
The next day, after dinner, Caive up all other engagements in order to present myself at five o'clock at the Palais-Royal, in the same room in which the duchess had already received me the day before I was punctual
An elderly valet de chaive notice ofprincessme in a very complimentary manner, she drew all my answers froehness may be certain that I shall never have any more important business than to attend to your wishes”
”Very well; I do not intend to go out, and we can work”
She then shewed me all the questions which she had already prepared on different subjects, and particularly those relating to the cure of her pimples One circumstance had contributed to render my oracle precious to her, because nobody could possibly know it, and I had guessed it Had I not done so, I daresay it would have been all the same I had laboured h of a physician to be aware that to atteht kill the patient
I had already answered that she could not get rid of the pimples on her face in less than a week, but that a year of diet would be necessary to effect a radical cure
We spent three hours in ascertaining what she was to do, and, believing implicitly in the power and in the science of the oracle, she undertook to follow faithfully everything ordered Within one week all the ugly pie her slightly; I prescribed every day what she was to eat, and forbade the use of all cos with plantain water The modest oracle told the princess to make use of the same water for her ablutions of every part of her body where she desired to obtain the saiously
I went to the opera on purpose on the day when the duchess shewed herself there with a smooth and rosy shi+n After the opera, she took a walk in the great alley of the Palais-Royal, followed by the ladies of her suite and flattered by everybody She saw me, and honoured nac, and M de Melfort were the only persons who knew that I was the oracle of the duchess, and I enjoyed my success But the next day a few pimples reappeared on her beautiful complexion, and I received an order to repair at once to the Palais-Royal
The valet, who did not know htful boudoir near a closet in which there was a bath The duchess came in; she looked sad, for she had several small pimples on the forehead and the chin She held in her hand a question for the oracle, and as it was only a short one I thought it would give her the pleasure of finding the answer by herself
The nu transgressed the regi drunk so found that answer herself, and she could not understand how such an answer could result frolomeration of numbers At that moment, one of her women came in to whisper a feords to her; she told her to wait outside, and turning towardsone of your friends who is as delicate as discreet?”
With these words, she hastily concealed in her pocket all the papers which did not relate to her disease; then she called out
A man entered the room, whom I took for a stableboy; it was M de Melfort
”See,” said the princess to hiht me the cabalistic science”
And she shewed him the answer she had obtained herself The count could not believe it
”Well,” said the duchess toyour highness chooses”
She considered for one instant, and, drawing from her pocket a small ivory box, she wrote, ”Tell er any effect”
She forht her, and as she was ready to get the answer, I told her how to make the additions and subtractions which seem to come from the numbers, but which in reality are only arbitrary; then I told her to interpret the numbers in letters, and I left the rooht that she had completed her translation, and I found her wrapped in amazement
”Ah, sir!” she exclaiht one; but that will soht one, sir? It is divine! Here it is: That pomatum has no effect upon the skin of a wo extraordinary in that answer, madam”
”Very likely, sir, but it is because you do not know that the poo by the Abbe de Brosses; it cured me at that time, but it was ten ive anything in the world to be thoroughly acquainted with that sublime cabalistic science”