CHAPTERXIX
IGiveMyPortraittoM。M。——APresentFromHer——IGototheOperaWithHer——ShePlaysAttheFaroTableandReplenishesMyEmptyPurse—
—PhilosophicalConversationWithM。M。——ALetterFromC。C。——SheKnowsAll——ABallAttheConvent；MyExploitsIntheCharacterofPierrot——C。C。ComestotheCasinoInsteadofM。M。——ISpendtheNightWithHerInAVerySillyWay。
MydearM————M————hadexpressedawishtohavemyportrait，somethingliketheoneIhadgiventoC————C————，onlylarger，towearitasalocket。Theoutsidewastorepresentsomesaint，andaninvisiblespringwastoremovethesaintedpictureandexposemylikeness。Icalledupontheartistwhohadpaintedtheotherminiatureforme，andinthreesittingsIhadwhatIwanted。HeafterwardsmademeanAnnunciation，inwhichtheangelGabrielwastransformedintoadark—hairedsaint，andtheHolyVirginintoabeautiful，light—complexionedwomanholdingherarmstowardstheangel。ThecelebratedpainterMengsimitatedthatideainthepictureoftheAnnunciationwhichhepaintedinMadridtwelveyearsafterwards，butIdonotknowwhetherhehadthesamereasonsforitasmypainter。Thatallegorywasexactlyofthesamesizeasmyportrait，andthejewellerwhomadethelocketarrangeditinsuchamannerthatnoonecouldsupposethesacredimagetobethereonlyforthesakeofhidingaprofanelikeness。
TheendofJanuary，1754，beforegoingtothecasino，IcalleduponLauratogiveheraletterforC————C————，andshehandedmeonefromherwhichamusedme。Mybeautifulnunhadinitiatedthatyounggirl，notonlyintothemysteriesofSappho，butalsoinhighmetaphysics，andC————C————hadconsequentlybecomeaFreethinker。