Volume III Part 22 (1/2)

Next entlemanly man came with a letter of introduction from Therese, who told me that he would be useful in case I wanted any assistance in business His nao to fear as the enerally known, and that if I had business at the Hague I ht return there in perfect safety She said that my little Sophie talked of me all day, and that I should find ivehim that at the proper tierboos had gone, I got a short note froed me, in her father's name, to spend the day with her--at least, if I had no i a certain matter of which her father knew, I had no chiefer aim than to convince her that I desired a place in her heart, and that she ht be quite sure that I would not refuse her invitation

I went to M d'O---- at dinner ti over the method which drew reasonable answers out of a pyramid of nu how happy he was to possess a daughter capable of attracting me

”She will attract any man who has sufficient sense to appreciate her”

”You appreciate her, then?”

”I worshi+p her”

”Then embrace her”

Esther opened her arave the back all h all my business,” said M d'O----, ”and the rest of my day is at your disposal I have known from my childhood that there is such a science as the one you profess, and I was acquainted with a Jeho by its aid made an i the secret, it could only be co that at last it was too late, for a high fever carried him off in a few days I hope you will not do as the Jew did; but in the meanwhile allow me to say that if You do not draw a profit from this treasure, you do not knohat it really is”

”You call this knowledge of mine a treasure, and yet you possess one farat Esther as I spoke

”We will discuss that again Yes, sir, I call your science a treasure”

”But the answers of the oracle are often very obscure”

”Obscure! The answers hter received are as clear as day”

”Apparently, she is fortunate in the way she frames her questions; for on this the reply depends”

”After dinner ill try if I am so fortunate--at least, if you will be so kind as to help , as I consider father and daughter as one being”

At table we discussed other subjects, as the chief clerks were present--notably thefelloho had very evident aspirations in the direction of my fair Esther After dinner ent into M d'O 's private closet, and thereupon he dreo long questions out of his pocket In the first he desired to kno to obtain a favourable decision from the States-General in an important matter, the details of which he explained I replied in terms, the obscurity of which would have done credit to a professed Pythoness, and I left Esther to translate the answer into coard to the second answer I acted in a different manner; I was impelled to answer clearly, and did so M d'O asked what had beco had been heard

It was known to have started on the return voyage, and should have arrived two ave rise to the supposition that it had gone down M d'O---- wished to know if it were still above water, or whether it were lost, etc As no tidings of it had come to hand, the company were on the look-out for someone to insure it, and offered ten per cent, but nobody cared to run so great a risk, especially as a letter had been received frolish sea captain who said he had seen her sink

I h I did not do so to M d'O---- that with inexplicable folly I composed an answer that left no doubt as to the safety of the vessel, pronouncing it safe and sound, and that we should hear of it in a few days No doubt I felt the need of exalting my oracle, but this method was likely to destroy its credit for ever

In truth, if I had guessed M d'O----'s design, I would have curbed e su myself

The answer made him turn pale, and tremble with joy He told us that secrecy in the matter was of the last importance, as he had deterain At this, dreading the consequences, I hastened to tell hiht not be a word of truth in the oracle's reply, and that I should die of grief if I were the involuntary cause of his losing an enor on an oracle, the hidden sense of which ht be completely opposed to the literal translation

”Have you ever been deceived by it?”

”Often”