I might have informed her that the calculation which enabled me to decipher the manuscript furnished me also with the key, but the whim took me to tell her that a spirit had revealed it to me.  This foolish tale completed my mastery over this truly learned and sensible woman on everything but her hobby.  This false confidence gave me an immense ascendancy over Madame d’Urfe, and I often abused my power over her.  Now that I am no longer the victim of those illusions which pursued me throughout my life, I blush at the remembrance of my conduct, and the penance I impose on myself is to tell the whole truth, and to extenuate nothing in these Memoirs.

The wildest notion in the good marchioness’s brain was a firm belief in the possibility of communication between mortals and elementary spirits.  She would have given all her goods to attain to such communication, and she had several times been deceived by impostors who made her believe that she attained her aim.

“I did not think,” said she, sadly, “that your spirit would have been able to force mine to reveal my secrets.”

“There was no need to force your spirit, madam, as mine knows all things of his own power.”

“Does he know the inmost secrets of my soul?”

“Certainly, and if I ask him he is forced to disclose all to me.”

“Can you ask him when you like?”

“Oh, yes! provided I have paper and ink.  I can even ask him questions through you by telling you his name.”

“And will you tell it me?”

“I can do what I say; and, to convince you, his name is Paralis.  Ask him a simple question in writing, as you would ask a common mortal.  Ask him, for instance, how I deciphered your manuscript, and you shall see I will compel him to answer you.”

Trembling with joy, Madame d’Urfe put her question, expressed it in numbers, then following my method in pyramid shape; and I made her extract the answer, which she wrote down in letters.  At first she only obtained consonants, but by a second process which supplied the vowels she received a clear and sufficient answer.  Her every feature expressed astonishment, for she had drawn from the pyramid the word which was the key to her manuscript.  I left her, carrying with me her heart, her soul, her mind, and all the common sense which she had left.

CHAPTER IV

Absurd Ideas of Madame D’Urfe on My Supernatural Powers—­Marriage of My Brother—­I Conceive a Plan on His Wedding Day—­I Go to Holland on a Financial Mission—­The Jew Boaz Gives Me a Lesson—­M. d’Afri—­Esther—­Another Casanova—­I Find Therese Imer Again

By the time that the Prince du Turenne had recovered from the small-pox and the Count de la Tour d’Auvergne had left him, the latter, knowing his aunt’s taste for the occult sciences, was not surprised to find me become her confident and most intimate friend.

I was glad so see him and all the relations of the marchioness at dinner, as I was delighted with the courtesy with which they treated me.  I am referring more especially to her brothers mm. de Pont-Carre and de Viarme who had lately been chosen head of the trade companies, and his son.  I have already spoken of Madame du Chatelet, the marchioness’s daughter, but an unlucky lawsuit separated them, and she no longer formed one of the family circle.