“You are very kind; I shall be extremely obliged to you.”
“I have seen such things here, madam, that I could not refuse, for reasons which I may, perhaps, tell you to-morrow.”
“Why not to-day?”
“Because I ought to know the name of your familiar spirit before I tell you.”
“You know, then, that I have a familiar? You should have one, if it is true that you possess the powder of projection.”
“I have one.”
“Give me the oath of the order.”
“I dare not, and you know why.”
“Perhaps I shall be able to remove your fears by tomorrow.”
This absurd oath was none other than that of the princes of the Rosy Cross, who never pronounce it without being certain that each party is a Rosicrucian, so Madame d’Urfe was quite right in her caution, and as for me I had to pretend to be afraid myself. The fact is I wanted to gain time, for I knew perfectly well the nature of the oath. It may be given between men without any indecency, but a woman like Madame d’Urfe would probably not relish giving it to a man whom she saw for the first time.