se on Esther, I extracted
the reply, beginning with the fourth key, D. The oracle ran as follows:

"The friend disavows. The order is signed. They grant. They refuse. All
vanishes. Delay."

I pretended to think the reply a very obscure one, but Esther gave a cry
of astonishment and declared that it gave a lot of information in an
extraordinary style. M. d'O----, in an ecstasy of delight, exclaimed,

"The reply is clear enough for me. The oracle is divine; the word 'delay'
is addressed to me. You and my daughter are clever enough in making the
oracle speak, but I am more skilled than you in the interpretation
thereof. I shall prevent the thing going any further. The project is no
less a one than to lend a hundred millions, taking in pledge the diamonds
of the French crown. The king wishes the loan to be concluded without the
interference of his ministers and without their even knowing anything
about it. I entreat you not to mention the matter to anyone."

He then went out.

"Now," said Esther, when we were by ourselves, "I am quite sure that that
reply came from another intelligence than yours. In the name of all you
hold sacred, tell me the meaning of those four letters, and why you
usually omit them."

"I omit them, dearest Esther, because experience has taught me that in
ordinary cases they are unnecessary; but while I was making the pyramid
the command came to me to set them down, and I thought it well to obey."

"What do they mean?"

"They are the initial letters of the holy names of the cardinal
intelligences of the four quarters of the world."

"I may not tell you, but whoever deals with the oracle should know them."

"Ah! do not deceive me; I trust in you, and it would be worse than murder
to abuse so simple a faith as mine."

"I am not deceiving you, dearest Esther."

"But if you were to teach me the cabala, you would impart to me these
holy names?"

"Certainly, but I cannot reveal them except to my successor. If I violate
this command I should lose my knowledge; and this condition is well
calculated to insure secrecy, is it not?"

"It is, indeed. Unhappy that I am, your successor will be, of course,
Manon."

"No, Manon is not fitted intellectually for such knowledge as this."

"But you should fix on someone, for you are mortal after all. If you
like, my father would give you the half of his immense fortune without
your marrying me."

"Esther! what is it that you have said? Do you think tha