ing to be blown out, she had borrowed the centinel's match to light it-it gave a moment's time for the Gascon's blood to run cool, and turn the accident better to his advantage-'Tis an ill wind, said he, catching off the notary's castor, and legitimating the capture with the boatman's adage.

The poor notary crossed the bridge, and passing along the Rue de Dauphine into the fauxbourg of St. Germain, lamented himself as he walked along in this manner:

Luckless man, that I am! said the notary, to be the sport of hurricanes all my days-to be born to have the storm of ill language levelled against me and my profession wherever I go-to be forced into marriage by the thunder of the church to a tempest of a woman-to be driven forth out of my house by domestic winds, and despoiled of my castor by pontific ones-to be here bare-headed in a windy

night, at the mercy of the ebbs and flows. of accidents-where am I to lay my head? -miserable man!-what wind in the twoand-thirty points of the whole compass can blow unto thee, as it does to the rest of thy fellow-creatures, good!-

As the notary was passing on by a dark passage, complaining in this sort, a voice called out to a girl, to bid her run for the next notary-now the notary being the next, and availing himself of his situation, walked up the passage to the door, and passing through an old sort of a saloon, was ushered into a large chamber dismantled of every thing but a long military pike, a breast-plate, a rusty old sword, and bandolier, hung up equidistant in four different places against the wall.

An old personage, who had heretofore been a gentleman, and unless decay of fortune taints the blood along with it, was a gentleman at that time, lay support

ing his head upon his hand in his bed; a little table with a taper burning was set close beside it, and close by the table was placed a chair-the notary sat him down in it, and pulling out his ink-horn, and a sheet or two of paper which he had in his pocket, he placed them before him, and dipping his pen in his ink, and leaning his breast over the table, he disposed every thing to make the gentleman's last will and testament.

Alas! Monsieur le Notaire, said the gentleman, raising himself up a little, I have nothing to bequeath which will pay the expence of bequeathing, except the history of myself, which I could not die in peace unless I left as a legacy to the world-the profits arising out of it I bequeath to you for the pains of taking it from me-it is a story so uncommon, it must be read by all mankind-it will make the fortunes of your house-the notary dipped his pen into his ink-horn

Almighty Director of every event in my life! said the old gentleman, looking up earnestly and raising his hands towards. heaven-thou whose hand has led me on through such a labyrinth of strange passages down into this scene of desolation, assist the decaying memory of an old, infirm, and broken-hearted man-direct my tongue by the spirit of thy eternal truth, that this stranger may set down nought but what is written in that Book, from whose records, said he, clasping his hands together, I am to be condemned or acquitted!—The notary held up the point of his pen betwixt the taper and his eye

It is a story, Monsieur le Notaire, said the gentleman, which will rouse up every affection in nature-it will kill the humane, and touch the heart of cruelty herself with pity.

The notary was inflamed with a desire to begin, and put his pen a third time into his ink-horn--and the old gentleman

turning a little more towards the notary, began to dictate his story in these words— -And where is the rest of it, La Fleur? said I, as he just then entered the room.

THE FRAGMENT,

AND

THE BOUQUET*.

PARIS.

WHEN La Fleur came up close to the table, and was made to comprehend what I wanted, he told me there were only two other sheets of it, which he had wrapt round the stalks of a bouquet, to keep it together, which he had presented to the demoiselle upon the Boulevards— Then pr'ythee, La Fleur, said I, step

* Nosegay.