have no nearer a profpect and as walking backwards and forwards in the faloon, without a foul to commune with, was for the time as bad as being in the Baftile itself, I instantly went back to my remife, and bid the coachman drive me to the cordon bleu, which was the nearest hotel.

I think there is a fatality in it—I feldom go to the place I fet out for.

LE PATISSE R.

VERSAILLES.

BEFORE I had got half-way

down the street, I changed my mind: as I am at Versailles, thought I, I might as well take a view of the town; fo I pull'd the cord, and ordered the coachman to drive round fome of the principal ftreets-I fuppofe the town is not very large, faid I. The coachmen begg'd pardon for fetting me right, and told me it was very fuperb, and that numbers of the firft dukes and marquifes and counts had hotels The Count de B****, of whom

whom the bookfeller at the Quai de Conti had spoke fo handfomely the night before, came inftantly into my mind. And why fhould I not go, thought I, to the Count de B**** who has fo high an idea of English books, and Englishmen- and tell him my ftory? fo I changed my mind a fecond time-In truth it was the third; for I had intended that day for Madame de R**** in the Rue St. Pierre, and had devoutly fent her word by her fille de chambre that I would affuredly wait upon her-but I am govern'd by circumstances-I cannot govern them: fo feeing a man flanding with a basket on the other fide of the street, as if he had fomething to fell, I bid La Fleur go up

to

to him and enquire for the Count's hotel.

La Fleur return'd a little pale; and told me it was a Chevalier de St. Louis felling patès-It is impoffible, La Fleur! faid I.-La Fleur could no more account for the phenomenon than myself; but perfifted in his ftory: he had feen the croix fet in gold, with its red ribband, he said, tied to his button-hole-and had look'd into the basket and feen the patès which the Chevalier was felling; fo could not be mistaken in that,

Such a reverfe in man's life awakens a better principle than curiofity: I could not help looking for fome time

at

at him as I fat in the remife-the more I look'd at him-his croix and his basket, the ftronger they wove themselves into my brain-I got out of the remife and went towards him.

He was begirt with a clean linen apron which fell below his knees, and with a fort of a bib went half way up his breaft; upon the top of this, but a little below the hem, hung his croix. His bafket of little patès was cover'd over with a white damafk napkin; another of the fame kind was spread at the bottom; and there was a look of propreté and neatness throughout; that one might have bought his patès of him, as much from appetite as fentiment.

VOL. II.

E

He