othing but
uprightness, I let her know that I had no attraction for the manner of
life of the New Catholics, by reason of the intrigues from without.
Several things did not please me, because I wanted them to be upright
in everything. She signified that she did not consent to such things,
but because that ecclesiastic told her they were necessary to give the
house a credit in distant parts and to draw charities from Paris. I
answered that if we walked uprightly God would never fail us. He would
sooner do miracles for us. I remarked to her that when, instead of
sincerity, they had recourse to artifice, charity grew cold, and kept
herself shut up. It is God alone who inspires charity; how, then, is it
to be drawn by disguises?

Soon after, Father La Combe came about the retreats. This was the third
and last time that he came to Gex. This prioress, after she had been
tampering a good deal with me, having written him a long letter before
his coming, and received his answer, which she showed me, now went to
ask him whether she would one day be united to me at Geneva. He
answered with his usual uprightness, "Our Lord has made it known to me
that you shall never be established at Geneva." Soon after she died.
When he had uttered this declaration, she appeared enraged against both
him and me. She went directly to that ecclesiastic, who was in a room
with the house-steward; and they took their measures together, to
oblige me either to engage or retire. They thought that I would sooner
engage than retire, and they watched my letters.

With a design to lay snares for him, he requested Father La Combe to
preach. He did on this text "The King's daughter is beautiful within."
That ecclesiastic, who was present with his confidant, said that it was
preached against him, and was full of errors. He drew up eight
propositions, and inserted in them what the other had not preached,
adjusting them as maliciously as ever he could, then sent them to one
of his friends in Rome, to get them examined by the Sacred
Congregation, and by the Inquisition. Though he had very illy digested
them, at Rome they were pronounced good. That greatly disappointed and
vexed him. After having been treated in this manner, and opprobriously
reviled by him in the most offensive terms, the Father, with much
mildness and humility, told him that he was going to Annecy about some
affairs of the convent. If he had anything to write to the Bishop of
Geneva, he would ta