Deldimopulo's oracle. "It is nothing else but regular cheating," he said,
"but it is very difficult to put a stop to it; it is an old custom."

A short time afterwards, Madame F---- whispered a few words to the
general, who turned to me and said that he would be glad to hear me
relate what had occurred to me in Constantinople with the wife of the
Turk Yusuf, and at another friend's house, where I had seen bathing by
moonlight. I was rather surprised at such an invitation, and told him
that such frolics were not worth listening to, and the general not
pressing me no more was said about it. But I was astonished at Madame
F----'s indiscretion; she had no business to make my confidences public.
I wanted her to be jealous of her own dignity, which I loved even more
than her person.

Two or three days later, she said to me,

"Why did you refuse to tell your adventures in Constantinople before the
general?"

"Because I do not wish everybody to know that you allow me to tell you
such things. What I may dare, madam, to say to you when we are alone, I
would certainly not say to you in public."

"And why not? It seems to me, on the contrary, that if you are silent in
public out of respect for me, you ought to be all the more silent when we
are alone."

"I wanted to amuse you, and have exposed myself to the danger of
displeasing you, but I can assure you, madam, that I will not run such a
risk again."