Volume IV Part 65 (2/2)
The syndic having pronounced my name, she said,--
”Ah! then, you, sir, are the person who discussed soular questions with hted to make your acquaintance”
”I am equally pleased to ainst h opinion of you”
”I a to dine with her to-morrow, and I shall take care to thank her”
”To-morrow! I should like to be there, for I enjoy philosophical discussions though I never dare to put a word in”
The syndic praised her discretion and wisdom in such a manner that I was convinced he was in love with her, and that he had either seduced her or was trying to do so Her na ladies if Helen was their sister The eldest replied, with a sly smile, that she was a sister, but as yet she had no brother; and with this explanation she ran up to Helen and kissed her Then the syndic and I vied with each other in paying her co her that we hoped to be her brothers She blushed, but gave no answer to our gallantries I then drew forth irls were enchanted with the rings, I told the Helen imitated their example, and repaid me with a modest kiss
Soon after she left us, and ere once ood cause to shew for his love of Helen She was not , she was made to inspire a violent passion However, the three friends had no hope ofher join in their pleasures, for they said that she had invincible feelings of modesty where men were concerned
We supped ain, the syndic re as usual a mere looker-on, and well pleased with his part I treated each of the three ny theht we broke up, and the worthy syndic escortedI went to the pastor's and found a nust others M d'Harcourt and M de Ximenes, who told me that M de Voltaire knew that I was at Geneva and hoped to see , the pastor's niece, complimented me, but I was still better pleased to see her cousin Helen
The theologian of twenty-tas fair and pleasant to the eyes, but she had not that 'je ne sais quoi', that shade of bitter-sweet, which adds zest to hope as well as pleasure However, the evident friendshi+p between Hedvig and Helen gave ood hopes of success with the latter
We had an excellent dinner, and while it lasted the conversation was restricted to ordinary topics; but at dessert the pastor begged M
de Xi his ide reputation, I expected hieometry, but he only asked whether a lie could be justified on the principle of areplied that there are cases in which a lie is necessary, but that the principle of a mental reservation is always a cheat
”Then how could Christ have said that the time in which the world was to co the truth; it was not known to Him”
”Then he was not God?”
”That is a false deduction, for since God norant of an event in futurity”
I thought the way in which she brought in the word ”futurity” al was loudly applauded, and her uncle went all round the table to kiss her I had a very natural objection on the tip of ht have found difficult to answer, but I wanted to get into her good graces and I kept ed to ask her some questions, but he replied in the words of Horace, 'Nullaturned todifficult, which you don't know yourself”
”I shall be delighted Do you grant that a God possesses in a supre enerative power as a weakness?”
”No”
”Will you tellof a union between a God and a mortal woman?”