Balsamogavehimthegoodadvicetoleavethephilosopher’sstoneforthepresentundiscovered，andmakegoldoutoftheirflax。Theadvicewastaken，andtheyproceededtogethertoAlexandriatotrade，withalargestockofthatarticle。TheystayedfortydaysinAlexandria，andgainedaconsiderablesumbytheirventure。TheyafterwardsvisitedothercitiesinEgypt，andwereequallysuccessful。TheyalsovisitedTurkey，wheretheysolddrugsandamulets。OntheirreturntoEurope，theyweredrivenbystressofweatherintoMalta，andwerehospitablyreceivedbyPinto，theGrandMasteroftheKnights，andafamousalchymist。Theyworkedinhislaboratoryforsomemonths，andtriedhardtochangeapewter-platterintoasilverone。Balsamo，havinglessfaiththanhiscompanions，wassoonerwearied；andobtainingfromhishostmanylettersofintroductiontoRomeandNaples，helefthimandAltotastofindthephilosopher’sstoneandtransmutethepewter-platterwithouthim。
HehadlongsincedroppedthenameofBalsamoonaccountofthemanyuglyassociationsthatclungtoit；andduringhistravelshadassumedatleasthalfascoreothers，withtitlesannexedtothem。HecalledhimselfsometimestheChevalierdeFischio，theMarquisdeMelissa，theBarondeBelmonte，dePelligrini，d’Anna，deFenix，deHarat，butmostcommonlytheCountdeCagliostro。UnderthelattertitleheenteredRome，andneverafterwardschangedit。InthiscityhegavehimselfoutastherestoreroftheRosicrucianphilosophy；
saidhecouldtransmuteallmetalsintogold；thathecouldrenderhimselfinvisible，curealldiseases，andadministeranelixiragainstoldageanddecay。HislettersfromtheGrandMasterPintoprocuredhimanintroductionintothebestfamilies。Hemademoneyrapidlybythesaleofhiselixirvitae；and，likeotherquacks，performedmanyremarkablecuresbyinspiringhispatientswiththemostcompletefaithandrelianceuponhispowers；anadvantagewhichthemostimpudentcharlatansoftenpossessovertheregularpractitioner。
WhilethusinafairwayofmakinghisfortunehebecameacquaintedwiththebeautifulLorenzaFeliciana，ayoungladyofnoblebirth，butwithoutfortune。Cagliostrosoondiscoveredthatshepossessedaccomplishmentsthatwereinvaluable。Besidesherravishingbeauty，shehadthereadiestwit，themostengagingmanners，themostfertileimagination，andtheleastprincipleofanyofthemaidensofRome。ShewasjustthewifeforCagliostro，whoproposedhimselftoher，andwasaccepted。Aftertheirmarriage，heinstructedhisfairLorenzainallthesecretsofhiscalling-taughtherprettylipstoinvokeangels，andgenii，sylphs，salamanders，andundines，and，whenneedrequired，devilsandevilspirits。Lorenzawasanaptscholar:
shesoonlearnedallthejargonofthealchymistsandallthespellsoftheenchanters；andthusaccomplishedthehopefulpairsetoutontheirtravels，tolevycontributionsonthesuperstitiousandthecredulous。
TheyfirstwenttoSleswigonavisittotheCountdeSt。Germain，theirgreatpredecessorintheartofmakingdupes，andwerereceivedbyhiminthemostmagnificentmanner。Theynodoubtfortifiedtheirmindsforthecareertheyhadchosen，bythesagediscourseofthatworshipfulgentleman；forimmediatelyaftertheylefthim，theybegantheiroperations。TheytravelledforthreeorfouryearsinRussia，Poland，andGermany，transmutingmetals，tellingfortunes，raisingspirits，andsellingtheelixirvitaewherevertheywent；butthereisnorecordoftheirdoingsfromwhencetodrawamoreparticulardetail。ItwasnotuntiltheymadetheirappearanceinEnglandin1776，thatthenamesoftheCountandCountessdiCagliostrobegantoacquireaEuropeanreputation。TheyarrivedinLondonintheJulyofthatyear，possessedofpropertyinplate，jewels，andspecietotheamountofaboutthreethousandpounds。TheyhiredapartmentsinWhitcombe-street，andlivedforsomemonthsquietly。InthesamehousetherelodgedaPortuguesewomannamedBlavary，who，beinginnecessitouscircumstances，wasengagedbytheCountasinterpreter。
Shewasconstantlyadmittedintohislaboratory，wherehespentmuchofhistimeinsearchofthephilosopher’sstone。Shespreadabroadthefameofherentertainerinreturnforhishospitality，andlabouredhardtoimpresseverybodywithasfullabeliefinhisextraordinarypowersasshefeltherself。ButasafemaleinterpreteroftherankandappearanceofMadameBlavarydidnotexactlycorrespondwiththeCount’snotionseitherofdignityordecorum，hehiredapersonnamedVitellini，ateacheroflanguages，toactinthatcapacity。Vitelliniwasadesperategambler；amanwhohadtriedalmosteveryresourcetorepairhisruinedfortunes，includingamongtherestthesearchforthephilosopher’sstone。ImmediatelythathesawtheCount’soperations，hewasconvincedthatthegreatsecretwashis，andthatthegoldengatesofthepalaceoffortunewereopentolethimin。WithstillmoreenthusiasmthanMadameBlavary，heheldforthtohisacquaintance，andinallpublicplaces，thattheCountwasanextraordinaryman，atrueadept，whosefortunewasimmense，andwhocouldtransmuteintopureandsolidgold，asmuchlead，iron，andcopperashepleased。Theconsequencewas，thatthehouseofCagliostrowasbesiegedbycrowdsoftheidle，thecredulous，andtheavaricious，alleagertoobtainasightofthe“philosopher，“ortoshareintheboundlesswealthwhichhecouldcallintoexistence。
UnfortunatelyforCagliostro，hehadfallenintoevilhands；
insteadofdupingthepeopleofEnglandashemighthavedone，hebecamehimselfthevictimofagangofswindlers，who，withthefullestrelianceonhisoccultpowers，onlysoughttomakemoneyofhim。Vitelliniintroducedtohimaruinedgamblerlikehimself，namedScot，whomherepresentedasaScottishnobleman，attractedtoLondonsolelybyhisdesiretoseeandconversewiththeextraordinarymanwhosefamehadspreadtothedistantmountainsofthenorth。
Cagliostroreceivedhimwithgreatkindnessandcordiality；and“Lord“
ScotthereuponintroducedawomannamedFry，asLadyScot，whowastoactaschaperonetotheCountessdiCagliostro，andmakeheracquaintedwithallthenoblefamiliesofBritain。Thusthingswentswimmingly。“Hislordship，“whoseeffectshadnotarrivedfromScotland，andwhohadnobankerinLondon，borrowedtwohundredpoundsoftheCount；theywerelentwithoutscruple，soflatteredwasCagliostrobytheattentionstheypaidhim，therespect，nay，venerationtheypretendedtofeelforhim，andthecompletedeferencewithwhichtheylistenedtoeverywordthatfellfromhislips。
Superstitious，likealldesperategamesters，Scothadoftentriedmagicalandcabalisticnumbers，inthehopeofdiscoveringluckynumbersinthelottery，orattheroulettetables。Hehadinhispossessionacabalisticmanuscript，containingvariousarithmeticalcombinationsofthekind，whichhesubmittedtoCagliostro，withanurgentrequestthathewouldselectanumber。Cagliostrotookthemanuscriptandstudiedit；but，ashehimselfinformsus，withnoconfidenceinitstruth。Hehoweverpredictedtwentyasthesuccessfulnumberforthe6thofNovemberfollowing。Scotventuredasmallsumuponthisnumber，outofthetwohundredpoundshehadborrowed，andwon。Cagliostro，incitedbythissuccess，prognosticatednumbertwenty-fiveforthenextdrawing。Scottriedagain，andwonahundredguineas。Thenumbersfifty-fiveandfifty-sevenwereannouncedwithequalsuccessforthe18thofthesamemonth，tothenosmallastonishmentanddelightofCagliostro，whothereuponresolvedtotryfortuneforhimself，andnotforothers。ToalltheentreatiesofScotandhisladythathewouldpredictmorenumbersforthem，heturnedadeafear，evenwhilehestillthoughthimalordandamanofhonour。
Butwhenhediscoveredthathewasamereswindler，andthepretendedLadyScotanartfulwomanofthetown，heclosedhisdooruponthemandonalltheirgang。
HavingcompletefaithinthesupernaturalpowersoftheCount，theywereinthedeepestdistressathavinglosthiscountenance。Theytriedbyeverymeanstheiringenuitycouldsuggest，topropitiatehimagain；theyimplored，theythreatened，andendeavouredtobribehim。
Butallwasvain。Cagliostrowouldneitherseenorcorrespondwiththem。Inthemeantimetheylivedextravagantly；andinthehopeoffuture，exhaustedalltheirpresentgains。Theywerereducedtothelastextremity，whenMissFryobtainedaccesstotheCountess，andreceivedaguineafromherontherepresentationthatshewasstarving。MissFry，notcontentedwiththis，beggedhertointercedewithherhusband，thatforthelasttimehewouldpointoutaluckynumberinthelottery。TheCountesspromisedtoexertherinfluence，andCagliostrothusentreated，namedthenumbereight，atthesametimereiteratinghisdeterminationtohavenomoretodowithanyofthem。Byanextraordinaryhazard，whichfilledCagliostrowithsurpriseandpleasure，numbereightwasthegreatestprizeinthelottery。MissFryandherassociatesclearedfifteenhundredguineasbytheadventure；andbecamemorethaneverconvincedoftheoccultpowersofCagliostro，andstrengthenedintheirdeterminationnevertoquithimuntiltheyhadmadetheirfortunes。Outoftheproceeds，MissFryboughtahandsomenecklaceatapawnbrokersforninetyguineas。
Shethenorderedarichlychasedgoldbox，havingtwocompartments，tobemadeatajeweller’s，andputtingthenecklaceintheone，filledtheotherwithafinearomaticsnuff。ShethensoughtanotherinterviewwithMadamediCagliostro，andurgedhertoaccepttheboxasasmalltokenofheresteemandgratitude，withoutmentioningthevaluablenecklacethatwasconcealedinit。MadamediCagliostroacceptedthepresent，andwasfromthathourexposedtothemostincessantpersecutionfromalltheconfederates，Blavary，Vitellini，andthepretendedLordandLadyScot。Theyflatteredthemselvestheyhadregainedtheirlostfootinginthehouse，andcamedayafterdaytoknowluckynumbersinthelottery；sometimesforcingthemselvesupthestairs，andintotheCount’slaboratory，inspiteoftheeffortsoftheservantstopreventthem。Cagliostro，exasperatedattheirpertinacity，threatenedtocallintheassistanceofthemagistrates；
andtakingMissFrybytheshoulders，pushedherintothestreet。
FromthattimemaybedatedthemisfortunesofCagliostro。MissFry，attheinstigationofherparamour，determinedonvengeance。HerfirstactwastoswearadebtoftwohundredpoundsagainstCagliostro，andtocausehimtobearrestedforthatsum。Whilehewasincustodyinasponginghouse，Scot，accompaniedbyalowattorney，brokeintohislaboratory，andcarriedoffasmallbox，containing，astheybelieved，thepowderoftransmutation，andanumberofcabalisticmanuscriptsandtreatisesuponalchymy。Theyalsobroughtanactionagainsthimfortherecoveryofthenecklace；andMissFryaccusedbothhimandhisCountessofsorceryandwitchcraft，andofforetellingnumbersinthelotterybytheaidofthedevil。ThislatterchargewasactuallyheardbeforeMr。JusticeMiller。TheactionoftroverforthenecklacewastriedbeforetheLordChiefJusticeoftheCommonPleas，whorecommendedthepartiestosubmittoarbitration。InthemeantimeCagliostroremainedinprisonforseveralweeks，tillhavingprocuredbail，hewasliberated。HewassoonafterwaiteduponbyanattorneynamedReynolds，alsodeepintheplot，whoofferedtocompromisealltheactionsuponcertainconditions。Scot，whohadaccompaniedhim，concealedhimselfbehindthedoor，andsuddenlyrushingout，presentedapistolattheheartofCagliostro，swearinghewouldshoothiminstantly，ifhewouldnottellhimtrulytheartofpredictingluckynumbers，andoftransmutingmetals。Reynoldspretendingtobeveryangry，disarmedhisaccomplice，andentreatedtheCounttosatisfythembyfairmeans，anddisclosehissecrets，promisingthatifhewoulddoso，theywoulddischargealltheactions，andofferhimnofurthermolestation。Cagliostroreplied，thatthreatsandentreatieswerealikeuseless；thatheknewnosecrets；andthatthepowderoftransmutationofwhichtheyhadrobbedhim，wasofnovaluetoanybodybuthimself。Heoffered，however，iftheywoulddischargetheactions，andreturnthepowderandthemanuscripts，hewouldforgivethemallthemoneytheyhadswindledhimoutof。Theseconditionswererefused；andScotandReynoldsdeparted，swearingvengeanceagainsthim。