At this his wife came in and began to take her part in the dispute, and on the arrival of the count’s man, a very cut-threat, Rigerboos took hold of me by the arm and drew me forcibly away. “Follow me,” said he, when we were outside, “and let me see to this business myself.” He took me to a fine-looking man, who turned out to be the lieutenant of police, and after he had heard the case he told me to give him the bill of exchange and to say where I was going to dine. I told him I should be at M. d’O——‘s, and saying that would do he went off. I thanked Rigerboos, and went to Esther, who reproached me tenderly for not having been to see her the evening before. That flattered me, and I thought her a really charming girl.
“I must take care,” said I, “not to see you every day, for your eyes have a sway over me that I shall not be able to resist much longer.”
“I shall believe as much of that as I choose, but, by-the-by, have you thought of any way of convincing me?”
“What do you want to be convinced about?”
“If it be true that there is in your cabala an intelligence distinct from your own you ought to be able to find some way of proving it to me.”
“That is a happy thought; I will think it over.”
At that moment her father came in from the Exchange, and we sat down to dinner.
We were at dessert when a police official brought me five hundred florins, for which I gave him a receipt.
When he had gone I told my entertainers what had happened the evening before and in the morning, and the fair Esther reproached me for preferring such bad company to her. “By way of punishment,” said she, “I hope you will come with me to the theatre this evening, though they are going to give a Dutch play, of which you will not understand a word.”
“I shall be near you, and that is enough for me.”