in that fituation-I wished to let them go; and all the time I held them, I kept arguing within myself against it-and ftill I held them on.In two minutes I found I had all the battle to fight over again and I felt my legs and every limb about me tremble at the idea.

The foot of the bed was within a yard and a half of the place where we were standing-1 had ftill hold of her hands and how it happened I can give no account, but I neither asked her nor drew her-nor did I think of the bed-but fo it did happen we both fat down.

--

I will just fhew you, faid the fair fille de chambre, the little purfe I have been making today to hold your crown. So the put her hand into her right pocket, which was next me, and i felt for it for fome time then into the left "She had loft it." I never bore expectation more quietly it was in her right pocket at last -fhe pulled it out; it was of green taffeta, lined with a little bit of white quilted fattin, and just big enough to hold the crown-she put it into my hand-it was pretty; and I held it ten minutes with the back of my hand refting upon her lap-looking sometimes at the purse, fometimes on one fide of it.

A ftitch or two had broke out in the gathers of my stock-the fair fille de chambre, without faying a word took out her little huffive, threaded small needle, and fewed it up. I forefaw it would hazard the glory of the day; and as she paffed her hand in filence acrofs and across my neck in the manœuvre, I felt the laurels fhake which fancy had wreathed about my head.

A ftrap had given way in her walk, and the buckle of her shoe was just falling off-See faid

the

I

the fille de chambre, holding up her foot-I could not for my foul but faften the buckle in return, and putting in the ftrap-and lifting up the other foot with it, when I had done to fee both were right in doing it too fuddenly — it unavoidably threw the fair fille de chambre off her centre and then

-

THE

YES

THE CONQUEST.

PARIS.

ES-and then-Ye whofe clay cold heads. and luke-warm hearts can argue down or mask your paffions-tell me what trespass is it that man fhould have them? or how his spirit ftands answerable to the father of spirits, but for his conduct under them?

If nature has fo wove her web of kindness, that fome threads of love and defire are entangled with the piece--must the whole web be rent in drawing them out? Whip me fuch ftoics, great Governor of nature! faid I to myself Wherever thy providence shall place me for the trials of whatever is my danger whatever is my fituation-let me feel the movements which rise out of it, and which belong to me as a man---and if I govern them as a good one---I will truft the flues to thy juftice, for thou haft made us. -and not we ourselves.

my

virtue

As I finished my addrefs, I raised the fair fille de chambre up by the hand, and led her out of the room The food by me till I locked the door and put the key in my pocket---and then--the victory being quite decifive -- and not till then, I preffed my lips to her cheek, and taking her by the hand again, led her safe to the gate of the hotel.

THE

I

THE MYSTERY.

PARIS.

F a man knows the heart, he will know it was impoffible to go back inftantly to my chamber---it was touching a cold key with a flat third to it, upon the clofe of a piece of mufic, which had called forth my affections---therefore when I let go the hand of the fille de chambre, I remained at the gate of the hotel for fome time, looking at every one who paffed by, and forming conjectures upon them, till my attention got fixed upon a fingle object which confounded all kind of reafoning upon him.

It was a tall figure of a philofophic, ferious, aduft look, which paffed and repaffed fedately along the street, making a turn of about fixty. paces on each side of the gate of the hotel---the man was about fifty-two---had a small cane under his arm--- was dreffed in a dark drab-colour'd coat, waistcoat, and breeches, which feemed to have seen some years fervice---they were still clean, and there was a little air of frugal proprete throughout him. By his pulling off his hat, and his attitude of accofting a good many in his way, I saw he was asking charity; so I got a fous or two out of my pocket ready to give him, as he took me in his turn---he paffed by me without afking any thing --- and yet did not go five steps further before he asked charity of a little woman I was much more likely to have given of the two-He had fcarce done with the woman when he pulled off his hat to another who was coming

S

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coming the fame way. An ancient gentleman came flowly and after him a young smart one He let them both pafs, and afked nothing: I ftood obferving him half an hour, in which time he had made a dozen turns backwards and forwards, and found that he invariably pursued the fame plan.

There were two things very fingular in this, which fet my brain to work, and to no purpose. the first was, why the man fhould only tell his story to the fex and fecondly what kind of story it was, and what fpecies of eloquence it could be, which softened the hearts of the women, which he knew it was to no purpose to pra&ife upon the men.

There were two other circumstances which entangled this mystery-the one was, he told every woman what he had to say in her ear, and in a way which had much more the air of a fecret than a petition the other was, it was always fuccessful he never stopped a woman, but the pulled out her purfe, and immediately gave him fomething.

I could form no fyftem to explain the phe

nomenon.

I had got a riddle to amufe me for the rest of the evening, so I walked up stairs to my cham

ber:

The