back to my room and had shut the door, I drew the Undine out of her place
of concealment. She undressed, and as she knew that I should be obliged
to husband my forces, she turned her back on me, and we passed the night
without giving each other a single kiss, for a spark would have set us
all ablaze.

Next morning, before summoning Clairmont, I gave her her breakfast, and
then replaced her in the cupboard. Later on, I gave her her instructions
over again, telling her to do everything with calm precision, a cheerful
face, and, above all, silence.

"Don't be afraid," said she, "I will make no mistakes."

As we were to dine at noon exactly, I went to look for the marchioness,
but she was not in her room, though the bath was there, and the bed which
was to be our altar was prepared.

A few moments after, the marchioness came out of her dressing-room,
exquisitely painted, her hair arranged with the choicest lace, and
looking radiant. Her breasts, which forty years before had been the
fairest in all France, were covered with a lace shawl, her dress was of
the antique kind, but of extremely rich material, her ear-rings were
emeralds, and a necklace of seven aquamarines of the finest water, from
which hung an enormous emerald, surrounded by twenty brilliants, each
weighing a carat and a half, completed her costume. She wore on her
finger the carbuncle which she thought worth a million francs, but which
was really only a splendid imitation.

Seeing Semiramis thus decked out for the sacrifice, I thought it my
bounden duty to offer her my homage. I would have knelt before her and