登陆注册
25527900000533

第533章

I went out about ten o'clock and called on M. d'O , who welcomed me in the friendliest manner and reproached me for not having alighted at his house. When he heard that I had given up business he congratulated me on not having removed it into Holland, as I should have been ruined. I did not tell him that I had nearly come to that in France, as I considered such a piece of information would not assist my designs. He complained bitterly of the bad faith of the French Government, which had involved him in considerable losses; and then he asked me to come and see Esther.

I was too impatient to embrace her to stay to be asked twice; I ran to greet her. As soon as she saw me she gave a cry of surprise and delight, and threw herself in my arms, where I received her with fondness equal to her own. I found her grown and improved; she looked lovely. We had scarcely sat down when she told me that she had become as skilled in the cabala as myself.

"It makes my life happy," said she, "for it gives me a power over my father, and assures me that he will never marry me to anyone but the man of my choice."

"I am delighted that you extract the only good that can proceed from this idle science, namely, the power to guide persons devoid of strength of will. But your father must think that I taught you the secret?"

"Yes, he does; and he said, one day, that he would forgive me any sacrifices I might have made to obtain this precious secret from you."

"He goes a little further than we did, my dearest Esther."

"Yes, and I told him that I had gained it from you without any sacrifice, and that now I was a true Pythoness without having to endure the torments of the tripod; and I am sure that the replies you gave were invented by yourself."

"But if that were so how could I have known where the pocket-book was, or whether the ship was safe?"

"You saw the portfolio yourself and threw it where it was discovered, and as for the vessel you spoke at random; but as you are an honest man, confess that you were afraid of the results. I am never so bold as that, and when my father asks me questions of that kind, my replies are more obscure than a sibyl's. I don't wish him to lose confidence in my oracle, nor do I wish him to be able to reproach me with a loss that would injure my own interests."

"If your mistake makes you happy I shall leave you in it. You are really a woman of extraordinary talents--, you are quite unique."

"I don't want your compliments," said she, in a rather vexed manner, "I want a sincere avowal of the truth."

"I don't think I can go as far as that."

At these words, which I pronounced in a serious way, Esther went into a reverie, but I was not going to lose the superiority I had over her, and racked my brains to find some convincing prediction the oracle might make to her, and while I was doing so dinner was announced.

There were four of us at table, and I concluded that the fourth of the party must be in love with Esther, as he kept his eyes on her the whole time. He was her father's favourite clerk, and no doubt her father would have been glad if she had fallen in love with him, but I

soon saw that she was not likely to do so. Esther was silent all through dinner, and we did not mention the cabala till the clerk was gone.

"Is it possible," said M. d'O , "for my daughter to obtain the answers of the oracle without your having taught her?"

"I always thought such a thing impossible till to-day," I answered, "but Esther has convinced me that I was mistaken. I can teach the secret to no one without losing it myself, for the oath I swore to the sage who taught me forbids me to impart it to another under pain of forfeiture. But as your daughter has taken no such oath, having acquired it herself, she may be for all I know at perfect liberty to communicate the secret to anyone."

Esther, who was as keen as a razor, took care to say that the same oath that I had taken had been imposed on her by the oracle, and that she could not communicate the cabalistic secret to anyone without the permission of her genius, under pain of losing it herself.

I read her inmost thoughts, and was rejoiced to see that her mind was calmed. She had reason to be grateful to me, whether I had lied or not, for I had given her a power over her father which a father's kindness could not have assured; but she perceived that what I had said about her oracular abilities had been dictated merely by politeness, and she waited till we were alone to make me confess as much.

Her worthy father, who believed entirely in the infallibility of our oracles, had the curiosity to put the same question to both of us, to see if we should agree in the answer. Esther was delighted with the idea, as she suspected that the one answer would flatly contradict the other, and M. d'O having written his question on two sheets of paper gave them to us. Esther went up to her own room for the operation, and I questioned the oracle on the table at which we had had dinner, in the presence of the father. Esther was quick, as she came down before I had extracted from the pyramid the letters which were to compose my reply, but as I knew what to say as soon as I saw her father read the answer she gave him I was not long in finishing what I had to do.

M. d'O---- asked if he should try to get rid of the French securities he held in spite of the loss he would incur by selling out.

Esther's oracle replied, "You must sow plentifully before you reap. Pluck not up the vine before the season of the vintage, for your vine is planted in a fruitful soil."

Mine ran as follows:--

"If you sell out you will repent, for there will be a new comptroller-general, who will pay all claims before another year has elapsed."

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 现代养殖实用技术

    现代养殖实用技术

    随着改革开放,中国养殖业不管是畜禽饲养量还是畜牧业产品产量以及人均占有量都有了稳定的发展。
  • 莫忘初衷

    莫忘初衷

    好人?坏人?这是他问自己最多的问题,是现实所逼还是人生原本如此。平淡小人物的奢华人生,从低层的渺小不惊到功成名就的盖世无双,职员、兵者、枭雄、这些一切的一切都让他的人生不断变化。天下之大人才辈出,江山亦能一日无君,看他指点江山莫忘初衷。
  • 无敌是为了爱美女

    无敌是为了爱美女

    一开始就无敌于天下,木有无聊的小喽啰喷主角让主角的爸妈背黑锅比如:(你妈的,你小妞不错啊,跟哥们玩玩再还给你,哈哈!)我们主角的远大梦想是泡遍全宇宙的各色美女,地球人类,天使,恶魔,仙女,制服美女,外星猫耳娘,狗耳娘,狼女。好吧,说实话作者我有点缺爱,我是主角就要让美女来爱我,不过不搞强迫。有一样志愿的同志们让我们的梦想飞起来。
  • 穿越:天才医妃

    穿越:天才医妃

    傲看天下,只为你。只因一个不小心穿越成丞相大小姐,没事,姐同样给你个奇迹。天赋,妖孽到底,丹药,随你取,驭兽,姐姐有神兽大军。在他人眼里冷血无情,可谁知她为一个男人愿意毁天灭地。在别人面前宛如冰山,可遇见她一切改变,为她可以牺牲自己,只为她的一世无忧,可终究得不到他的爱。但为她愿意成为配角。是一部有些虐的哦妖孽王爷挚爱你一生,还有何不满足。
  • 梦里寻根

    梦里寻根

    故事的主人翁八零后洪晓宇,出生在一个偏远的小山村。高中毕业以后,他跟大多数青年一样,在他乡打工漂泊流浪。在这些漂泊流浪的日子里,他几乎每天晚上都会做梦,梦见山村里生活的乡亲父老。于是他开始思考,这些梦跟自己有什么关系?直到有一天,他看见一颗枝叶繁茂的大树,又他想起爷爷说过树大根深的道理。终于想明白了乡亲父老就是他的根。正是他们的勤劳、善良、平凡、包容深深影响了自己。若是没有他们的教养,或许自己正与野兽为伍,过着饮血茹毛的生活。于是,他决定把他们的故事一件件写下来。
  • 清穿之回眸嫣然

    清穿之回眸嫣然

    遭遇不测而魂穿的女主,来到了清朝,她小心翼翼地生存,命运的齿轮让她和几位阿哥有了千丝万缕的爱恨情仇……知晓历史轨迹的她,能否淡然地面对这一切的发展?
  • 斗罗大陆之青羽梦蝶

    斗罗大陆之青羽梦蝶

    她,名花珞蝶,是一只小小的花灵,诞生于一朵白色的勿忘我中。她喜爱这个世界,每到黎明时,她都会从花中飞出,坐在花朵上,看着耀眼的朝阳冉冉升起。再一次玩耍中,她偶然认识了从天界下凡来历练的仙族太子冷穆霜,与他相依相随、度过许多劫难。他将她带回了天界,希望能得到天帝的准许,娶她为妻。但是,在婚礼前一天,他,却亲手将她推下了往生台。阴差阳错之下,她来到了一个全新的世界。他再次遇见了她,但那时早已物是人非。“可逆风不解,挟雨伴雪,催梅折枝去。”
  • 影子变:暗影魔君

    影子变:暗影魔君

    黑暗中的一抹影子经过血月的洗礼出世了。影子拥有控制黑暗的力量,能量的来源来自于人人畏惧的黑暗。只要世界上拥有一丝黑暗,自己就可以从黑暗中得知自己想要的一切。如果你想逃过暗影,除非你自己本身没有影子,除非这个世界没有黑暗。
  • 全职护美高手

    全职护美高手

    七煞、贪狼、破军现世,天下必将大乱?我拥有紫微命格,天生帝王之相,就必须当带头大哥?关我屁事!作为花楼之主,哥只想做个安静的美男子,护护花、踩踩草、逍遥快活而已……PS:这是一个不断被扑倒的故事!
  • 爱上腹黑皇帝:我的皇后生涯

    爱上腹黑皇帝:我的皇后生涯

    一场跨越千年的邂逅,一段苦苦隐忍的爱情。二十一世纪的女盗墓贼在一次盗墓行动中灵魂被牵引到了一个没有历史记载的王朝,附身在刚自尽而亡的皇后身上。原以为可以大肆享受一番,没想到整日除了要处理三宫六院的繁杂琐事以外,还要面对‘绿茶婊’的各种装逼做作无下限。好吧,兵来将挡,水来土掩。只是,原来最最奇葩的还是那个皇帝,一边宠着绿茶婊,一边又对她深情款款。她甚至都怀疑这皇帝是不是得了精神分裂症?