of seeing M. de Boulogne.

In high glee at this happy chance, less from vanity than policy I made M.
de Calsabigi read the letter, and I was pleased to see him opening his
eyes as he read it.

"You can force Du Vernai himself to accept the lottery," he said, "and
your fortune is made if you are not too rich already to care about such
matters."

"Nobody is ever rich enough to despise good fortune, especially when it
is not due to favour."

"Very true. We have been doing our utmost for two years to get the plan
accepted, and have met with nothing beyond foolish objections which you
have crushed to pieces. Nevertheless, our plans must be very similar.
Believe me it will be best for us to work in concert, for by yourself you
would find insuperable difficulties in the working, and you will find no
'intelligent machines' in Paris. My brother will do all the work, and you
will be able to reap the advantages at your ease."

"Are you, then, not the inventor of the scheme which has been shewn me?"

"No, it is the work of my brother."

"Shall I have the pleasure or seeing him?"

"Certainly. His body is feeble, but his mind is in all its vigour. We
shall see him directly."

The brother was not a man of a very pleasing appearance, as he was
covered with a kind of leprosy; but that did not prevent him having a
good appetite, writing, and enjoying all his bodily and intellectual
faculties; he talked well and amusingly. He never went into society, as,
besides his personal disfigurement, he was tormented with an irresistible
and frequent desire of scratching himself, now in one place, and now in
another; and as all scratching is accounted an abominable thing in Paris,
he preferred to be able to use his fingernails to the pleasures of
society. He was pleased to say that, believing in God and His works, he
was persuaded his nails had been given him to procure the only solace he
was capable of in the kind of fury with which he was tormented.

"You are a believer, then, in final causes? I think you are right, but
still I believe you would have scratched yourself if God had forgotten to
give you any nails."

My remarks made him laugh, and he then began to speak of our common
business, and I soon found him to be a man of intellect. He was the elder
of the two brothers, and a bachelor. He was expert in all kinds of
calculations, an accomplished financier, with a universal knowledge of
commerce, a good historian, a wit, a poet, and