any visitors. I also warned him
that I should be away for two days, and that he must not leave my room a
moment till I came back. Having made these arrangements, I slipped away
unperceived and went to my mistress, resolved not to leave her till half
an hour before the arrival of the lay-sisters.

When she saw me and heard that I was not going to leave her till she went
away, she jumped for joy; and we conceived the idea of not having any
dinner that we might enjoy our supper the better.

"We will go to bed after supper," said she, "and will not get up till the
messenger brings the fatal news that the lay-sisters have started."

I thought the idea an excellent one, and I called the woman of the house
to tell her of our arrangements, and she promised to see that we were not
disturbed.

We did not find the time long, for two passionate lovers find plenty to
talk about since their talk is of themselves. And besides our caresses,
renewed again and again, there was something so mysterious and solemn in
our situation that our souls and our senses were engaged the whole time.

After a supper which would have pleased a Lucullus, we spent twelve hours
in giving each other proofs, of our passionate love, sleeping after our
amorous struggles, and waking only to renew the fight. The next day we
rose to refresh ourselves, and after a good dinner, mashed down by some
excellent Burgundy, we went to bed again; but at four the country-woman
came to tell us that the lay-sisters would arrive about six. We had
nothing now to look for in the future, the die was cast, and we began our
farewell caresses. I sealed the last with my blood. My first
M---- M---- had seen it, and my second rightly saw it also. She was
frightened, but I calmed her fears. I then rose, and taking a roll
containing fifty louis I begged her to keep them for me, promising to
come for them in two years, and take them from her hands through the
grating of her terrible prison. She spent the last quarter of an hour in
tears, and mine were only restrained lest I should add to her grief. I
cut off a piece of her fleece and a lock of her beautiful hair, promising
her always to bear them next my heart.

I left her, telling the country-woman that she should see me again the
next day, and I went to bed as soon as I got home. Next morning I was on
the way to Chamberi. At a quarter of a league's distance from Aix I saw
my angel slowly walking along. As soon as the lay-sisters we