I brought Madame d'Urfe the box, and having made all the necessary
arrangements for the consecrations, I received an order from the oracle
to go into the country and sleep there for seven nights in succession, to
abstain from intercourse with all mortal women, and to perform ceremonial
worship to the moon every night, at the hour of that planet, in the open
fields. This would make me fit to regenerate Madame d'Urfe myself in case
Querilinthos, for some mystic reasons, might not be able to do so.

Through this order Madame d'Urfe was not only not vexed with me for
sleeping away from the hotel, but was grateful for the pains I was taking
to ensure the success of the operation.

The day after my arrival I called on Madame Audibert, and had the
pleasure of finding my niece wail pleased with the efforts her friend was
making in her favour. Madame Audibert had spoken to her father, telling
him that his daughter was with her, and that she hoped to obtain his
pardon and to return to his house, where she would soon become the bride
of a rich Genoese, who wished to receive her from her father's hands. The
worthy man, glad to find again the lost sheep, said he would come in two
days and take her to her aunt, who had a house at St. Louis, two leagues
from the town. She might then quietly await the arrival of her future
husband, and avoid all occasion of scandal. My niece was surprised that
her father had not yet received a letter from the young man, and I could
see that she was anxious about it; but I comforted her and assured her
that I would not leave Marseilles till I had danced at her wedding.

I left her to go to Marcoline, whom I longed to press to my heart. I
found her in an ecstasy of joy, and she said that if she could understand
what her maid said her happiness would be complete. I saw that her