“It is not known;” went an M. d’O——­, laughing, “but everyone guesses that M. Calcoen, the same that wrote to me, let this friend of the French king’s know that he would be wanted at midnight, and that if he did not get the key of the fields he would be arrested.  He is not so foolish as to despise a piece of advice like that.  The Dutch Government has expressed its sorrow to M. d’Afri that his excellence did not demand the arrest of St. Germain sooner, and the ambassador will not be astonished at this reply, as it is like many others given on similar occasions.

“The wisdom of the oracle has been verified, and I congratulate myself on having seized its meaning, for we were on the point of giving him a hundred thousand florins on account, which he said he must have immediately.  He gave us in pledge the finest of the crown diamonds, and this we still retain.  But we will return it to him an demand, unless it is claimed by the ambassador.  I have never seen a finer stone.

“And now, my children, you see what I owe to the oracle.  On the Exchange the whole company can do nothing but express their gratitude to me.  I am regarded as the most prudent and most farseeing man in Holland.  To you, my dear children, I owe this honour, but I wear my peacock’s feathers without scruple.

“My dear Casanova, you will dine with us, I hope.  After dinner I shall beg you to enquire of your inscrutable intelligence whether we ought to declare ourselves in possession of the splendid diamond, or to observe secrecy till it is reclaimed.”

After this discourse papa embraced us once more and left us.

“Sweetheart,” said Esther, throwing her arms round my neck, “you have an opportunity for giving me a strong proof of your friendship.  It will cost you nothing, but it will cover me with honour and happiness.”

“Command me, and it shall be done.  You cannot think that I would refuse you a favour which is to cost me nothing, when I should deem myself happy to shed my blood for your sake.”

“My father wishes you to tell him after dinner whether it will be better to declare that they have the diamond or to keep silence till it is claimed.  When he asks you a second time, tell him to seek the answer of me, and offer to consult the oracle also, in case my answer may be too obscure.  Then perform the operation, and I will make my father love me all the better, when he sees that my knowledge is equal to yours.”

“Dearest one, would I not do for thee a task a thousand times more difficult than this to prove my love and my devotion?  Let us set to work.  Do you write the question, set up the pyramids, and inscribe with your own hand the all-powerful initials.  Good.  Now begin to extract the answer by means of the divine key.  Never was a cleverer pupil!”

When all this had been done, I suggested the additions and subtractions I wanted made, and she was quite astonished to read the following reply:  “Silence necessary.  Without silence, general derision.  Diamond valueless; mere paste.”