with this affair. You agree that I received the bill from you, since you
cashed it; that is enough for me. I should be glad to be of service to
you, but I really don't see what I can do. The best advice I can give you
is to make a sacrifice of the rascally sharper who gave you the forged
bill, and if you can't do that I would counsel you to disappear, and the
sooner the better, or else you may come to the galleys, or worse."

He got into a rage at this, and turning his back on me went out, saying I
should be sorry for what I had said.

My Spaniard followed him down the stair and came back to tell me that the
signor had gone off threatening vengeance, and that, in his opinion, I
would do well to be on my guard.

"All right," said I, "say no more about it."

All the same I was really very grateful for his advice, and I gave the
matter a good deal of thought.

I dressed myself and went to see Esther, whom I had to convince of the
divinity of my oracle, a different task with one whose own wits had told
her so much concerning my methods. This was the problem she gave me to
solve,

"Your oracle must tell me something which I, and only I, know."

Feeling that it would be impossible to fulfil these conditions, I told
her that the oracle might reveal some secret she might not care to have
disclosed.