"he will honour us with his
agreeable company before to-morrow's sun has set."

She was right. From that day Farsetti became my determined enemy, and let
no opportunity slip of convincing me of his hatred.

After dinner we all went to Passy to be present at a concert given by M.
de la Popeliniere, who made us stay to supper. I found there Silvia and
her charming daughter, who pouted at me and not without cause, as I had
neglected her. The famous adept, St. Germain, enlivened the table with
his wild tirades so finely delivered. I have never seen a more
intellectual or amusing charlatan than he.

Next day I shut myself up to answer a host of questions that Esther had
sent me. I took care to answer all those bearing on business matters as
obscurely as possible, not only for the credit of the oracle, but also
for fear of misleading the father and making him lose money. The worthy
man was the most honest of Dutch millionaires, but he might easily make a
large hole in his fortune, if he did not absolutely ruin himself, by
putting an implicit trust in my infallibility. As for Esther, I confess
that she was now no more to me than a pleasant memory.

In spite of my pretence of indifference, my whole heart was given to
Mdlle. X. C. V., and I dreaded the moment when she would be no longer
able to hide her condition from her family. I was sorry for having spoken
about the aroph, as three days had gone by without her mentioning it, and
I could not very well reopen the question myself. I was afraid that she
suspected my motives, and that the esteem she professed for me had been
replaced by a much less friendly sentiment. I felt that her scorn would
be too much for me to bear. So humiliated was I that I could not visit
her, and I doubt if I should have seen her again if she had not
intervened. She wrote me a note, in which she said I was her only friend,
and that the only mark of friendship she wanted was that I should come
and see her every day, if it were but for a moment. I hasted to take her
my reply in my own person, and promised not to neglect her, assuring her
that at all hazards she might rely on me. I flattered myself that she
would mention the aroph, but she did not do so. I concluded that, after
thinking it over, she had resolved to think no more about it.

"Would you like me," I said, "to invite your mother and the rest of you
to dine with me?"

"I shall be delighted," she replied. "It will be a forbidden pleasure to