“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 that to possess you would be a disagreeable condition in my eyes?” After a happy day--I think I may call it the happiest of my life--I left the too charming Esther, and went home towards the evening. Three or four days after, M. d’O---- came into Esther’s room, where he found us both calculating pyramids. I was teaching her to double, to triple, and to quadruple the cabalistic combinations. M. d’O---- strode into the room in a great hurry, striking his breast in a sort of ecstasy. We were surprised and almost frightened to see him so strangely excited, and rose to meet him, but he running up to us almost forced us to embrace him, which we did willingly. “But what is the matter, papa dear?” said Esther, “you surprise me more than I can say.”