. Our carriage broke as we were coming out of it.
Had it happened a little sooner, we would have perished.

We arrived at Annecy on Magdalene's eve, 1681. On Magdalene's day the
Bishop of Geneva performed divine service for us, at the tomb of St.
Francis de Sales. There I renewed my spiritual marriage with my
Redeemer, as I did every year on this day. There also I felt a sweet
remembrance of that saint, with whom our Lord gives me a singular
union. I say union, for it appears to me that the soul in God is united
with saints, the more so in proportion as they are conformable to Him.
It is a union which it pleases God sometimes to revive after death, and
awaken in the soul for His own glory. At such times departed saints are
rendered more intimately present to that soul in God; and this revival
is as it were an holy intercourse of friend with friend, in Him who
unites them all in one immortal tie.

That day we left Annecy, and on the next went to prayers at Geneva. I
had much joy at the communion. It seemed to me as if God more
powerfully united me to Himself. There I prayed to Him for the
conversion of that great people. That evening we arrived late at Gex,
where we found only bare walls. The Bishop of Geneva had assured me
that the house was furnished; undoubtedly he believed it to be. We
lodged at the house of the sisters of charity, who were so kind as to
give us their beds.

I was in great pain of mind for my daughter, who visibly lost weight. I
had a strong desire to place her with the Ursulines at Tonon. My heart
was so affected on her behalf, that I could not forbear weeping in
secret for her. Next day I said, "I would take my daughter to Tonon,
and leave her there, till I should see how we might be accommodated."
They opposed it strongly, after a manner which seemed very hard-hearted
as well as ungrateful, seeing she was a skeleton. I looked upon the
child as a victim whom I had imprudently sacrificed. I wrote to Father
La Combe, entreating him to come and see me, to consult together about
it. I thought I could not in conscience keep her in this place any
longer. Several days passed without my having any answer. In the
meantime I became resigned to the will of God, whether to have succor
or not.

CHAPTER 2

Our Lord took pity on the lamentable condition of my daughter, and so
ordered it, that the Bishop of Geneva wrote to Father La Combe, to come
as speedily as possible to see us, and to console us.