hundred absurdities, such as might be expected from people otherwise
vexed by the knowledge that we had come to withdraw from error those
who were willing.

A violent cough, however, remained, and those Sisters of themselves
told me to go to my daughter, and take milk for a fortnight, after
which I might return. As soon as I set out, Father La Combe, who was
returning and was in the same boat, said to me, "Let your cough
cease."

It at once stopped, and although a furious gale came down upon the
lake which made me vomit, I coughed no more at all. This storm
became so violent that the waves were on the point of capsizing the
boat. Father La Combe made the sign of the cross over the waves, and
although the billows became more disturbed, they no longer came
near, but broke more than a foot distant from the boat--a fact
noticed by the boatmen and those in the boat, who looked upon him as
a saint. Thus I arrived at Thonon at the Ursulines, perfectly cured;
so instead of adopting remedies as I had proposed, I entered on a
retreat which I kept up for twelve days.

One of the Sisters I had brought, who was a very beautiful girl,
became connected with an ecclesiastic who had authority in this
place. He inspired her from the first with an aversion to me,
judging well that, if she had confidence in me, I would not advise
her to allow his frequent visits.

She undertook a retreat. I begged her not to enter on it until I was
there; for it was the time I was making my own. This ecclesiastic
was very glad to let her make it, in order to get entirely into her
confidence, for it would have served as a pretext for his frequent
visits. The Bishop of Geneva had assigned Father La Combe as
director of our House without my asking, so that it came purely from
God. I then begged this girl, as Father La Combe was to conduct the
retreat, she would wait for him. As I was already commencing to get
an influence over her mind, she yielded to me against her own
inclination, which was willing enough to make it under that
ecclesiastic. I began to speak to her of prayer, and to cause her to
offer it. Our Lord therein gave her such blessing that this girl, in
other respects very discreet, gave herself to God in earnest and
with all her heart. The retreat completed the victory. Now as she
apparently recogn