Holland and Germany | Page 7

"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