In saying this she disengaged her hand with a look which I thought a sufficient commentary upon the text.

It is a miferable picture which I am going to give of the weakness of my heart, by owning 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 lost it carried neither oil nor wine to the wound: I never felt the pain of a sheepish inferiority so miferably in my life.

The triumphs of a true feminine heart are short upon these discomfitures. In a very few seconds she laid her hand upon the cuff of my coat, in order to finish her reply; so some way or other, God knows how, I regained my situation.

- She had nothing to add..

I forthwith began to model a different converfation for the lady, thinking from the spirit as well as moral of this, that I had been mistaken in her character; but upon turning her face towards me, the spirit which had animated the reply was fledthe muscles relaxed, and I beheld the fame unprotected look of distress which first won me to her interest-melancholy! to fee such sprightliness 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 blushing.

The pulsations of the arteries along my fingers preffing across her's, told her what was paffing within me: she looked down a filence of fome moments followed.

I fear, in this interval, I must have made fome flight efforts towards a closer compression of her hand, from a subtle sensation I felt in the palm of my own not as if she was going to withdraw hers- but as if she thought about it-and I had infallibly loft it a second time, had not instinct more than reason directed me to the last resource in these dangers - to hold it loofely and in a manner as if I was every moment going to releafe it, of myself; so she let it continue, till Monfieur Dessein returned with the key; and in the mean time I set myself to consider how I should undo the ill impressions which the poor monk's story, in cafe he had told it her, must have planted in her breast against me.

THE SNUFF-BOX.

CALAIS.

THE good old monk was within fix paces of

us, as the idea of him cross'd my mind; and was advancing towards us a little out of the line, as if uncertain whether he should break in upon us or no-He stopp'd, however, as foon as he came up to us with a world of frankness; and having a horn snuff-box in his hand he presented it open to me-You shall taste mine-faid I, pulling out my box (which was a small tortoise one) and putting it into his hand-'Tis most excellent, said the monk; Then do me the favor, I replied, to accept of the box and all, and when you take a pinch out of it, sometimes recollect it was the peace-offering of a man who once used you unkindly, but not from his heart.

The poor monk blush'd as red as scarlet. Mon Dieu! faid he pressing his hands together - you never ufed me unkindly. - I should think, faid the lady, he is not likely. I blush'd in my turn; but from what movements I leave to the few who feel to analyse - Excuse me, Madame, replied I treated him most unkindly; and from no provocations, 'Tis impossible, faid the lady. - My God! cried the monk, with a warmth of asseveration which seem'd not to belong to him

I

the fault was in me, and in the indifcretion of my zeal The lady opposed it, and I joined with her in maintaining it was impoffible, that a spirit so regulated as his, could give offence to any.

I knew not that contention could be rendered fo sweet and pleasurable a thing to the nerves as I then felt it. We remained filent without any sensation of that foolish pain which takes place, when in fuch a circle you look for ten minutes in one another's

faces without saying a word. Whilst this lasted, the monk rubb'd his horn box upon the sleeve of his tunick; and as foon as it had acquired a little air of brightness by the friction - he made a low bow, and faid, 'twas too late to say whether it was the weakness or goodness of our tempers which had involved us in this contest but be it as it would

he begg'd we might exchange boxes In faying this, he presented his to me with one hand, as he took mine from me in the other; and having kiffed it with a stream of good-nature in his eyes he put it into his bosom

and took his leave.

I guard this box, as I would the instrumental parts of my religion, to help my mind on to something better: in truth, I seldom go abroad without it: and oft and many a time have I called up by it the courteous spirit of its owner to regulate my own, in the justlings of the world; they had found full employment for his, as I learnt from his story, till about the forty-fifth year of his age, when upon some military services ill requited, and meeting at the fame time with a disappointment in the tenderest of paffions, he abandoned the sword and the sex together, and took fanctuary, not so much in his convent as in himself.

I feel a damp upon my spirits, as I am going to add, that in my last return through Calais, upon inquiring after Father Lorenzo, I heard he had been dead near three months, and was buried, not in his convent, but, according to his defire, in a little cemetery belonging to it, about two leagues off: I had a strong defire to fee where they had laid him - when, upon pulling out his little horn box, as I fat by his grave, and plucking up a nettle or two at the head of it, which had no business to grow there, they all struck together fo forcibly upon my affections, that I burst into a flood of tears but

I am as weak as a woman; and I beg the world not to fmile, but pity me.

THE REMISE DOOR.

CALAIS.

I 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 pressing it to my lips: the blood and spirits, which had fuffered a revulfion from her, crowded back to her, as I did it.

,

Now the two travellers, who had spoke to me in the coach-yard, happening at that crisis to be paffing by, and observing our communications naturally took it into their heads that we must be man and wife, at least; so stopping as foon as they came up to the door of the Remise, 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 myself I said; and the lady added, she was for Amiens We dined there yesterday, faid the fimple traveller-You go directly through the town, added the other, in your road to Paris.