do with me,
but sure of consolation from the fair Desarmoises.

I found her sitting on her lover's bed; his poor diet and the fever had
left him in a state of great weakness. She told me that she would sup in
my room to leave him in quiet, and the worthy young man shook my hand in
token of his gratitude.

As I had a good dinner at Magnan's I ate very little supper, but my
companion who had only had a light meal ate and drank to an amazing
extent. I gazed at her in a kind of wonder, and she enjoyed my
astonishment. When my servants had left the room I challenged her to
drink a bowl of punch with me, and this put her into a mood which asked
for nothing but laughter, and which laughed to find itself deprived of
reasoning power. Nevertheless, I cannot accuse myself of taking an
advantage of her condition, for in her voluptuous excitement she entered
eagerly into the pleasure to which I excited her till two o'clock in the
morning. By the time we separated we were both of us exhausted.

I slept till eleven, and when I went to wish her good day I found her
smiling and as fresh as a rose. I asked her how she had passed the rest
of the night.

"Very pleasantly," said she, "like the beginning of the night."

"What time would you like to have dinner?"

"I won't dine; I prefer to keep my appetite for supper."

Here her lover joined in, saying in a weak voice,--

"It is impossible to keep up with her."

"In eating or drinking?" I asked.

"In eating, drinking, and in other things," he replied, with a smile. She
laughed, and kissed him affectionately.

This short dialogue convinced me that Mdlle. Desarmoises must adore her
lover; for besides his being a handsome young man, his disposition was
exactly suitable to hers. I dined by myself, and Le Duc came in as I was
having dessert. He told me that the door-keeper's daughters and their
pretty cousin had made him wait for them to write to me, and he gave me
three letters and three dozen of gloves which they had presented me. The
letters urged me to come and spend a month with them, and gave me to
understand that I should be well pleased with my treatment. I had not the
courage to return to a town, where with my reputation I should have been
obliged to draw horoscopes for all the young ladies or to make enemies by
refusing.

After I had read the letters from Grenoble I went to the convent and
announced my presence, and then entered the parlour which M---- M---- had
indicated