Shakespeare; and as she had let go the purse entirely, I put a single one into it; and tying up the ribbon in a bow-knot, returned it to her. The young girl made me more an humble courtesy than a low one-it was one of those quiet, thankful sinkings, where the spirit bows itself down-the body does no more than tell it. I never gave a girl a crown in my life which gave me half the pleasure. My advice, my dear, would not have been worth a pin to you, said I, if I had not given this along with it: but now, when you see the crown, you will remember it. So do not, my dear, lay it out in ribbons. Upon my word, Sir, said the girl earnestly, I am incapable-in saying which, as is usual in little bargains of honour, she gave me her hand-En verité, Monsieur, je mettrai cet argent apart, said she. When a virtuous convention is made betwixt man and woman, it sanctifies their most private walks; so notwithstanding it was dusky, yet as both our roads lay the same way, we made no scruple of walking along the Quai de Conti together. She made me a second courtesy in setting off, and before we got twenty yards from the door, as if she had not done enough before, she made a sort of a little stop to tell me again-she thanked me. It was a small tribute, I told her, which I could not avoid paying to virtue, and would not be mistaken in the person I had been rendering it to for the worldbut I see innocence, my dear, in your face -and foul befal the man who ever lays a snare in its way! The girl seemed affected some way or other with what I said she gave a low sigh. I found I was not empowered to enquire at all after it-so said nothing more till I got to the corner of the Rue de Nevers, where we were to part. -But is this the way, my dear, said I, to the hotel de Modene? she told me it was-or, that I might go by the Rue de Gueneguault, which was the next turn.Then I will go, my dear, by the Rue de Gueneguault, said I, for two reasons; first, I shall please myself, and next, I shall give you the protection of my company as far on your way as I can. The girl was sensible I was civil, and said, she wished the hotel de Modene was in the Rue de St. Pierre. - You live there? said I-She told me she was fille de chambre to Madame R***. Good God! said I, it is the very lady for whom I have brought a letter from Amiens. The girl told me that Madame R***, she believed, expected a stranger with a letter, and was impatient to see him-so I desired the girl to present my compliments to Madame R***, and say I would certainly wait upon her in the morning. We stood still at the corner of the Rue de Nevers whilst this passed. We then stopped a moment whilst she disposed of the Egarements du Cœur, &c. more commodiously than carrying them in her handthey were two volumes; so I held the second for her, whilst she put the first into her pocket; and then she held her pocket, and I put in the other after it. It is sweet to feel by what fine-spun threads our affections are drawn together. We set off afresh, and as she took her third step, the girl put her hand within my arm-I was just bidding her-but she did it of herself, with that undeliberating simplicity, which shewed it was out of her head that she had ever seen me before. For my own part, I felt the conviction of consanguinity so strongly, that I could not help turning half round to look in her face, and see if I could trace out any thing in it of a family likenessTut! said I, are we not all relations? When we arrived at the turning up of the Rue de Gueneguault, I stopped to bid her adieu for good and all: the girl would thank me again for my company and kindness-She bid me adieu twiceI repeated it as often; and so cordial was the parting between us, that had it happened any where else, I am not sure but I should have signed it with a kiss of charity, as warm and holy as an apostle. But in Paris, as none kiss each other but the men-I did, what amounted to the same thing-I bid God bless her. |