I thought the way in which she brought in the word “futurity” almost sublime. Hedvig was loudly applauded, and her uncle went all round the table to kiss her. I had a very natural objection on the tip of my tongue, which she might have found difficult to answer, but I wanted to get into her good graces and I kept my own counsel. M. d’Harcourt was urged to ask her some questions, but he replied in the words of Horace, ‘Nulla mihi religio est’. Then Hedvig turned to me and asked me to put her some hard question, “something difficult, which you don’t know yourself.” “I shall be delighted. Do you grant that a god possesses in a supreme degree the qualities of man?” “Yes, excepting man’s weaknesses.” “Do you class the generative power as a weakness?” “No.” “Will you tell me, then, of what nature would have been the offspring of a union between a god and a mortal woman?” Hedvig looked as red as fire. The pastor and the other guests looked at each other, while I gazed fixedly at the young theologian, who was reflecting. M. d’Harcourt said that we should have to send for Voltaire to settle a question so difficult, but as Hedvig had collected her thoughts and seemed ready to speak everybody was silent. “It would be absurd,” said she, “to suppose that a deity could perform such an action without its having any results. At the end of nine months a woman would be delivered a male child, which would be three parts man and one part god.” At these words all the guests applauded, M. de Ximenes expressed his admiration of the way the question had been solved, adding,-- “Naturally, if the son of the woman married, his children would be seven-eighths men and one-eighth gods.” “Yes,” said I, “unless he married a goddess, which would have made the proportion different.” “Tell me exactly,” said Hedvig, “what proportion of divinity there would be in a child of the sixteenth generation.” “Give me a pencil and I will soon tell you,” said M. de Ximenes. “There is no need to calculate it,” said I; “the child would have some small share of the wit which you enjoy.” Everybody applauded this gallant speech, which did not by any means offend the lady to whom it was addressed. This pretty blonde was chiefly desirable for the charms of her intellect. We rose from the table and made a circle round her, but she told us with much grace not to pay her any more compliments. I took Helen aside, and told her to get her cousin to choose a ring from my casket, which I gave her, and she seemed glad to execute the commission. A quarter of an hour afterwards Hedvig came to shew me her hand adorned with the ring she had chosen. I kissed it rapturously, and she must have guessed from the warmth of my kisses with what feelings she had inspired me.