IspentanextremelypleasantfourmonthsatAugsburg，suppingtwiceorthriceaweekatCountLamberg’s。AtthesesuppersImadetheacquaintanceofaveryremarkableman——CountThuraandValsamina，thenapageintheprince—bishop’shousehold，nowDeanofRatisbon。Hewasalwaysatthecount’s，aswasalsoDr。Algardi，ofBologna，theprince’sphysicianandadelightfulman。
IoftensawatthesamehouseacertainBaronSellenthin，aPrussianofficer，whowasalwaysrecruitingforhismasteratAugsburg。Hewasapleasantman，somewhatintheGasconstyle，soft—spoken，andanexpertgamester。FiveorsixyearsagoIhadaletterfromhimdatedDresden，inwhichhesaidthatthoughhewasold，andhadmarriedarichwife，herepentedofhavingmarriedatall。IshouldsaythesameifIhadeverchancedtomarry。
DuringmystayatAugsburgseveralPoles，whohadlefttheircountryonaccountofthetroubles，cametoseeme。AmongstotherswasRzewuski，theroyalProthonotary，whomIhadknownatSt。PetersburgastheloverofpoorMadameLanglade。
\"Whatadiet！Whatplots！Whatcounterplots！Whatmisfortunes！\"saidthishonestPole，tome。\"Happyaretheywhohavenothingtodowithit！\"
HewasgoingtoSpa，andheassuredmethatifIfollowedhimIshouldfindPrinceAdam’ssister，Tomatis，andMadameCatai，whohadbecomethemanager’swife。IdeterminedtogotoSpa，andtotakemeasuressothatImightgotherewiththreeorfourhundredducatsinmypurse。TothisintentIwrotetoPrinceCharlesofCourland，whowasatVenice，tosendmeahundredducats，andinmyletterIgavehimaninfalliblereceiptforthephilosopher’sstone。Thelettercontainingthisvastsecretwasnotincypher，soIadvisedhimtoburnitafterhehadreadit，assuringhimthatIpossessedacopy。Hedidnotdoso，anditwastakentoPariswithhisorderpaperswhenhewassenttotheBastile。