prefs'd my lips to her cheek, and,

taking her by the

hand again,

led her fafe to the hotel.

gate of the

THE MYSTERY.

PARIS.

I

F a man knows the heart, he will know it was impoffible to go back instantly to my chamber—it was touching a cold key with a flat third to it, upon the close of a piece of mufick, which had call'd forth my affections therefore, when I let go the hand of the fille de chambre, I remain'd at the gate of the hotel for fome time, looking at every one who

pafs'd by, and

upon them, till

forming conjectures my attention got fix'd

H 4

upon

upon a fingle object which confounded all kind of reafoning upon him.

It was a tall figure of a philofophic, ferious, aduft look, which pafs'd and repafs'd fedately along the ftreet, making a turn of about fixty paces on each fide of the gate of the hotel-the man was about fifty-two

had a fmall cane under his armwas drefs'd in a dark drab-colour'd coat, waistcoat, and breeches, which feem'd to have feen fome years fervice-they were ftill clean, and there was a little air of frugal propertè throughout him. By his pulling off his hat, and his attitude of accofting a good many in his way, I faw he was afking charity; fo I got a fous or

two

two out of my pocket ready to give him, as he took me in his turn-he

pafs'd by me without asking any

thing-and

thing and yet did not go

five steps

further before he afk'd charity of a little woman-I was much

more

likely to have given of the two-He had scarce done with the woman, when he pull'd off his hat to another who was coming the fame way.-An ancient gentleman came flowly-and, after him, a young fmart one-He let them both pass, and afk'd 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

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 fecondlywhat kind of story it was, and what fpecies of eloquence it could be, which foften'd the hearts of the women, which he knew 'twas to no purpose to practise upon the men.

There were two other circumstances which entangled this mystery -the one was, he told every woman what he had to fay 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 fuccefsful -he never stopp'd a woman, but she

pull'd