upon the Commissaire's list, and my curiofity was much excited to know her story. We retired after paying Mr. De L all the compliments to which he was so justly entitled for his polite behaviour, and I accompanied her back to her lodgings.

THE STORY.

AFTER she had returned me repeated thanks for my kind interceffion, I entreated her to inform me by what accident she had come into that fituation of life, in which, according to the Commiffaire, she now unfortunately acted. A flood of tears prevented her immediate reply; but when she had recovered herself, she gave me the following account:

"The day after the visit I paid you at your Hotel, I was sent by Madame R-, my miftress, to present her compliments to you, and defire to know when you proposed waiting on her with the letter you were entrusted with for her from Amiens, being surprised you had not yet tranfmitted it to her, when I was informed you had fet out for the South of France, and it was uncertain when you would return. Having carried back this information to my mistress, she flew into a violent paffion for having omitted bringing it with me the day before, when I was

purposely fent for it, but then, by some unaccountable accident, we both forgot it. She hinted that she imagined something had passed between us of a very fingular nature; and went fo far as to say, it was no wonder we had not thought of her or the letter, when we were so differently engaged. Such an accusation, innocent as I was, greatly nettled me; and I believe I made her fome anfwer, which so much disgusted her as to order me immediately to quit her service. This fudden discharge greatly confused me; and as I had no relations in Paris, I applied to a milliner who used to serve Madame R, to recommend me to a lodging till I could get a place. She perceived my anxiety, and told me to make myself quite easy, as she at that time wanted a workwoman, and we should not difagree about terms. Accordingly I carried my clothes to her house, and from this instant was confidered as one of the family.

"My province was, in the forenoon to carry home the goods. As she worked chiefly for gentlemen, and particularly foreigners, she always cautioned me to dress myself to the best advantage upon these occasions, as she said the men always paid the most generously, when they met with a tidy milliner. She also recommended me to be very complaisant, and never to contradict them; And, continued she, I do not know a more

८८

comely fille in all the Rue St. Honorée, or any " that is more likely to make her fortune, if

"she minds her hits. For, added she, there

66

are but three female professions in Paris, which promise promotion: These are, opera dancers, pretty bar - keepers aux Caffés, and milliners; " but we have the advantage, being confidered

as the most modest, and the least exposed in " public.

Though I was not possessed of any great portion of vanity, I could not help being pleased to find my mistress thought I had fome claim to make my fortune; and as I had been a fille de chambre near four years without one tolerable offer being made me, except it was from a maître perruquier, in Rue Guenigaud, I began to think, that the lofs of Madame R-'s place might turn out a benefit to me."

I could not help interrupting her in this place, to inquire whether the maître perruquier had propofed honorable terms; and if so, whether it was pride, or personal distaste to him, which had made her refuse his offer.

"That

To this she very ingeniously replied, "the terms he offered were nothing less than marriage; that he was confidered as a man of opulence, and she thought him a very good "match; that as to his person, he was remarkably "handsome, having been valet de chambre to la "Ducheffe de L--, and obliged to quit that

lady's service, on account of a discovery made

" by

e

by Monfieur le Duc, who had been for fome " time before jealous of him; but that, upon his "difmiffion, his good lady, as an acknowledge"ment of past services, had given him a sum " of money to set him up as a master perruquier."

When she had got thus far in her narration, she was interrupted by an accident, equally aweful, alarming, and tremendous.

THE CONFLAGRATIΟΝ.

Fall the temporary misfortunes, calamities, and accidents of civil life, the greatest is that of fudden fire. Its effects are so rapid and astonishing, that they not only frequently deprive an alarmed neighbourhood of all their property, and reduce them to a state of beggary, but often difpoffefses them of their reafon, at least for the time, and render them incapable of affording themselves that assistance which they might otherwise have obtained.

At this instant all these horrors presented themselves to our view: the whole range of houses opposite to us feemed entirely furrounded by flames. Outcries, shrieks, confufion and tumult at once affailed our ears.

Oh! Eugenius, what would have been the

P

emotions of your sympathetic heart upon this occafion? - Might I judge by those of mine, they would have been too pungent for reason and philofophy to temper with prudence. I rushed into the midst of the populace, and was giving all the assistance that my feeble frame could permit

exerted far beyond its natural strength when perceiving at a two pair of stairs a female almost naked, just risen from bed, rending her hair, tearing her beautiful tresses, and imploring the clemency of heaven, - I flew to her affistance, and though the floor on which she lodged had already taken fire, brought her off without hurt. I conveyed her to the apartment from whence I issued, and there procured not only warm wine, and other restoratives, but also clothes to cover her; for at the time I conducted her thither, she had no other apparel than her shift. Her distresses had, however, made so strong an impression on her, that shame, which at another time, under such circumstances, would have overwhelmed her with blushes, crimfoned not her cheek, but left the lilly to prevail with the utmost force of its pallid hue: - Alas! too powerfully; nature funk beneath the oppreffion of calamity. I ran for fome drops, and by a speedy application, restored her to life, and to herself.

"Where am I? - Surely in another world. All things round me are strange. - Are you " inhabitants of the earth or spirits of departed