THE REMISE DOOR.

IHAI

CALAIS.

HAD never quitted the lady's hand all this time; and had held it so long, that it would have been indecent to have let it go, without first preffing it to my lips: the blood and fpirits, which had fuffer'd a revulfion from her, crouded back to her, as I did it.

Now the two travellers who had spoke to me in the coach-yard, happening at that crifis to be paffing by, and obferving our communications, naturally took it into their heads that we must be man and wife at leaft; fo flopping as foon as they came up to the door of the Remife, the one of them, who was the inquifitive traveller, afk'd us, if we fet out for Paris the next morning?-I could only answer for myfelf, I faid; and the lady added, she was for Amiens. We dined there yefterday, faid the fimple traveller-You go directly through the town, added the other, in your road to

Paris.

Paris. I was going to return a thousand thanks for the intelligence, that Amiens was in the road to Paris; but, upon pulling out my poor monk's little horn box to take a pinch of fnuff I made them a quiet bow, and wishing them a good paffage to Dover- they left us alone

-Now where would be the harm, faid I to myself, if I was to beg of this diftreffed lady to accept of half of my chaife-and what mighty mischief could enfue?

Every dirty paffion, and bad propensity in my nature, took the alarm, as I ftated the propofition- It will oblige you to have a third horse, said AVARICE, which will put twenty livres out of your pocket-You know not who fhe is, faid CAUTION-or what fcrapes the affair may draw you into, whisper'd

COWARDICE

Depend upon it, Yorick! faid DISCRE TION, 'twill be faid, you went off with a mistress, and came by affignation to Calais for

that purpose

C 4

-You

-You can never after, cried HYPOCRISY aloud, fhew your face in the world—or rise, quoth MEANNESS, in the church-or be any thing in it, said PRIDE, but a lousy prebendary.

But 'tis a civil thing, faid I- and as I generally act from the firft impulfe, and therefore feldom liften to thefe cabals, which serve no purpose, that I know of, but to encompass the heart with adamant—I turn'd inftantly about to the lady

-But she had glided off unperceived, as the caufe was pleading, and had made ten or a dozen paces down the street, by the time I had made the determination; fo I fet off after her with a long ftride, to make her the proposal with the best addrefs I was mafter of; but observing she walk'd with her cheek half refting upon the palm of her hand- with the flow, fhort-meafur'd step of thoughtfulness, and with her eyes, as she went ftep by step, fix'd upon the ground, it ftruck me, fhe was trying the fame cause herself.— God help her! faid I, she has fome mother-in-law, or tartufish aunt, or non

fenfical

fenfical old woman, to confult upon the occafion, as well as myfelf: fo not caring to interrupt the proceffe, and deeming it more gallant to take her at discretion than by furprize, I faced about, and took a fhort turn or two before the door of the Remife, whilst she walk'd mufing on one fide.

IN THE STREET.

Having,

CALAIS.

on first fight of the lady, fettled the affair in my fancy, that fhe was of the better order of beings and then laid it down as a fecond axiom, as indisputable as the first, That fhe was a widow, and wore a character of diftrefs-I went no further; got ground enough for the fituation which pleased me--and had fhe remained close befide my elbow till midnight, I should have held true to my system, and confidered her only under that general idea. She had fcarce got twenty paces diftant from me, ere fomething within me called out

for

for a more particular inquiry-it brought on the idea of a further feparation- I might poffibly never fee her more the heart is for faving what it can; and I wanted the traces thro' which my wishes might find their way to her, in cafe I fhould never rejoin her myself: in a word, I wish'd to know her name-her family's her condition; and as I knew the place to which fhe was going, I wanted to know from whence the came: but there was no coming at all this intelligence: a hundred little delicacies flood in the way. I form'd a fcore different plans-There was no fuch thing as a man's afking her directly- the thing was impoffible.

A little French debonaire captain, who came dancing down the ftreet, fhewed me, it was the cafieft thing in the world; for popping in betwixt us, juft as the lady was returning back to the door of the Remife, he introduced himfelf to my acquaintance, and before he had well got announced, begg'd I would do him the honour to present him to the lady- I had not been presented myself-so turning about to her,

he