"Fair and discreet Esther, no one knows that at the entrance of the
temple of love you have a mole precisely like that which appears on your
chin."

While I was working at my calculations, Esther was leaning over me and
following every movement. As she really knew as much about the cabala as
I did she did not want it to be explained to her, but translated the
numbers into letters as I wrote them down. As soon as I had extracted all
the combinations of numbers from the pyramid she said, quietly, that as I
did not want to know the answer, she would be much obliged if I would let
her translate the cypher.

"With pleasure," I replied. "And I shall do so all the more willingly as
I shall thereby save your delicacy from sharing with me a secret which
may or may not be agreeable. I promise you not to try to find it out. It
is enough for me to see you convinced."

"I shall be convinced when I have verified the truth of the reply."

"Are you persuaded, dearest Esther, that I have had nothing to do with
framing this answer?"

"I shall be quite sure of it if it has spoken the truth, and if so the
oracle will have conquered, for the matter is so secret a one that even I
do not know of it. You need not know yourself, as it is only a trifle
which would not interest you; but it will be enough to convince me that
the answers of your oracle are dictated by an intelligence which has
nothing in common with yours."