Volume III Part 16 (2/2)
”I know that, and what is more I know the death I shall have to die; but for all that I am ready”
”What, then, is that death, madam?”
”It is by the same poison which killed Paracelsus”
”Do you think that Paracelsus obtained the hypostasis?”
”No, but I know the reason of his not doing so”
”What is the reason?”
”It is that he was neither man or woman, and a composite nature is incapable of the hypostasis, to obtain which one must be either the one or the other”
”Very true, but do you kno tois impossible without the aid of a salamander?”
”That may or may not be! I beseech you to enquire of the oracle whether there be anyone in Paris in possession of this potion”
It was easy to see that she thought herself in possession of it, so I had no hesitation in extracting her name from the oracular pyramid I pretended to be astonished at the answer, but she said boastfully,
”You see that all ant is a male child born of an immortal This, I am advised, will be provided by you; and I do not think you will be found wanting out of a foolish pity for this poor old body of mine”
At these words I rose and went to the here I stayed foron her infatuation When I returned to the table where she was seated she scanned my features attentively, and said, with much emotion, ”Can it be done, ”
I did not try to undeceive her, and, taking e, which was always at my disposal, was at the door, and I drove to the Boulevards, where I walked till the evening, wondering all the while at the extraordinary fantasies of the marchioness
My brother had been made a member of the Academy, on the exhibition of a battle piece which had taken all the critics by storm The picture was purchased by the Academy for five hundred louis
He had fallen in love with Caroline, and would have married her but for a piece of infidelity on her part, which so enraged him that in a week after he married an Italian dancer M de Sanci, the ecclesiastical coirl, and out of gratitude tohis friends, which paved the way to the large fortune and high repute which my brother afterwards attained
M Corne, spoke to reat dearth of money, and asked eneral
He told ht dispose of Government securities to an association of brokers at Ae the securities of any other country whose credit was higher than that of France, and that these securities could easily be realized I begged him to say no more about it, and promised to see what I could do
The plan pleased ht; and the next day I went to the Palais Bourbon to discuss the question with M de Bernis He thought the whole idea an excellent one, and advised o to Holland with a letter froue He thought that the first person I should consult with M de Boulogne, horound
”As you do not require et as many letters of recommendation as you like”
The saeneral, who approved of my plan, and told me that M le Duc de Choiseul would be at the Invalides the next day, and that I should speak to him at once, and take a letter he would write for me