head, and let me fee the original- it was a face of about fix and twenty- of a clear tranfparent brown, fimply fet off without rouge or powder-it was not critically handsome, but there was that in it, which in the frame of mind I was in, attached me much more to itIt was interesting; I fancied it wore the characters of a widow'd look, and in that state of its declenfion, which had paffed the two first paroxyfins of forrow, and was quietly beginning to reconcile itself to its lofs-but a thousand other distresses might have traced the same lines; I wish'd to know what they had beenand was ready to enquire, had the fame bon ton of conversation permitted, as in the days of Efdras,—what aileth thee? and why art thou difquieted? and why is thy understanding troubled? - In a word, I felt benevolence for her; and refolved fome way or other to throw in my mite of courtesy-if not of fervice.

Such were my temptations-and in this disposition to give way to them, was I left alone with the lady with her hand in mine, and

with

with our faces both turned closer to the door of the Remife than what was abfolutely neceffary.

THE REMISE DOOR.

CALAI S.

THIS certainly, fair lady! said I, raifing her hand up a little lightly as I began, must be one of Fortune's whimsical doings: to take two utter strangers by their hands-of different fexes, and perhaps from different corners of the globe, and in one moment place them together in fuch a cordial fituation, as Friendship herself could fcarce have atchieved for them, had fhe projected it for a month

-And your reflection upon it, fhews how much, Monfieur, fhe has embarraffed you by the adventure.

1

When the fituation is, what we would wish, nothing is fo ill-timed as to hint at the circumftances which make it fo: you thank Fortune,

con

continued fhe-you had reafon-the heart knew it, and was fatisfied; and who but an English philofopher would have fent notices of it to the brain to reverse the judgment?

In faying this, fhe difengaged her hand with a look which I thought a fufficient commentary upon the text.

It is a miferable picture which I am going to give of the weakness of my heart, by owing, that it fuffered a pain, which worthier occafions could not have inflicted.-I was mortified with the lofs of her hand, and the manner in which I had loft it carried neither oil nor wine to the wound: I never felt the pain of a sheepish inferiority fo miferably in my life.

The triumphs of a true feminine heart are fhort upon these discomfitures. In a very few feconds fhe laid her hand upon the cuff of my coat, in order to finish her reply; fome way or other, God knows how, I regained my fituation. -She had nothing to add.

I forthwith began to model a different converfation for the lady, thinking from the fpirit

as

as well as moral of this, that I had been mistaken in her character; but upon turning her face towards me, the fpirit which had animated the reply was fled the muscles relaxed, and I beheld the fame unprotected look of diftrefs which first won me to her interest-melancholy! to fee fuch fprightlinefs the prey of forrow.-I pitied her from my foul; and though it may feem ridiculous enough to a torpid heart,-I could have taken her into my arms, and cherished her, though it was in the open street, without blufhing.

The pulfations of the arteries along my fingers preffing across hers, told her what was paffing within me: fhe looked down-a filence of fome moments followed.

I fear, in this interval, I must have made fome flight efforts towards a clofer compreffion of her hand, from a fubtle fenfation I felt in the palm of my own-not as if fhe was going to withdraw hers-but, as if fhe thought about it-and I had infallibly lost it a fecond time, had not inftinct more than reafon directed me

VOL. I.

C

to

to the last resource in thefe dangers-to hold it loosely, and in a manner as if I was every moment going to release it of myself; fo fhe let it continue, till Monfieur Deffein returned with the key; and in the mean time I fet myself to confider how Ifhould undo the ill impreffions which the poor monk's ftory, in cafe he had told it her, must have planted in her breast against me.

THE SNUFF-BOX.

CALAI S.

THE good old monk was within fix paces of us, as the idea of him crofs'd my mind; and was advancing towards us a little out of the line, as if uncertain whether he fhould break in upon us or no.-He flopp'd, however, as foon as he came up to us, with a world of franknefs; and having a horn fnuff-box in his hand, he prefented it open to me-You shall tafte mine-faid I, pulling out my box, which was a finall tortoife one, and putting it into his hand 'Tis moft excellent, faid the monk; Then