Volume III Part 46 (1/2)

Next day I took Esther to the concert, and while ere there she toldshe would not leave her roo married without fear of interruption This was the last day of the year 1759

CHAPTER XI

I Undeceive Esther--I set out for Geromaster's Wife; My Conquest of Her--Ball at Bonn--Welcone--Breakfast at Bruhl--First Inti Asked at General Kettler's I ane--The Toscani -- The Jewel--My Arrival at Stuttgart

The appointment which Esther had made with me would probably have serious results; and I felt it due to er, even were it to cost me my happiness; however, I had some hope that all would turn out well

I found her in bed, and she told hout the day I approved, for in bed I thought her ravishi+ng

”We will set to work,” said she; and her governess set a little table by her bed, and she gaveto convince me that before I married her I should communicate to her my supposed science All these questions were artfully conceived, all were so worded as to force the oracle to orderso I saw the snare, and all h I pretended to bethe questions I could not make the oracle speak to please Esther, and I could still less make it pronounce a positive prohibition, as I feared that she would resent such an answer bitterly and revenge herself on me

Nevertheless, I had to assuot ood-humoured papa cahter to stay in bed on the condition that she was to do noherself so intently she would increase her headache She proht, that he should be obeyed, but onat her bedside I let her sleep on

When she awoke she said she would like to read a little; and as if by inspiration, I chanced to take up Coiardeau's 'Heroides', and we infla the letters of Heloise and Abelard The ardours thus aroused passed into our talk and we began to discuss the secret which the oracle had revealed

”But, Esther dear,” said I, ”did not the oracle reveal a circumstance of which you knew perfectly well before?”

”No, sweetheart, the secret was perfectly unknown to me and would have continued unknown”

”Then you have never been curious enough to inspect your own person?”

”However curious I may have been, nature placed that mole in such a position as to escape any but the most minute search”

”You have never felt it, then?”

”It is too small to be felt”

”I don't believe it”

She allowed ers felt all the precincts of the teh to fire the chastest disposition I could not find the object ofto stop short at so vain an enjoyment, I was allowed to convince myself with my eyes that it actually existed There, however, her concessions stopped short, and I had to content ain all those parts which aze

Satiated with bliss, though I had not attained to the utmost of enjoyment, which she wisely denied me, after two hours had been devoted to those pasti, I resolved to tell her the whole truth and to shew her how I had abused her trust in er would be roused

Esther, who had a large share of intelligence (indeed if she had had less I could not have deceived her so well), listened to er or astonish and sincere confession to an end, she said,

”I know your love for reat as mine for you; and if I am certain that what you have just said cannot possibly be true, I am forced to conclude that if you do not communicate to me all the secrets of your science it is because to do so is not in your power Let us love one another till death, and say no more about this matter”

After a moment's silence, she went on,--