them before him upon the table,-by jingling and rubbing one against another for seventy years together in one body's pocket or another's, they are become so much alike you can scarce distinguish one shilling from another.

The English, like ancient medals, kept more apart, and passing but few people's hands, preserve the first sharpness which the fine hand of Nature has given them; they are not so pleasant to feel,—but, in return, the legend is so visible, that, at the first look, you see whose image and superscription they bear. But the French, Mons. le Compte, added I (wishing to soften what I had said), have so many excellences, they can the better spare this; they are a loyal, a gallant, a generous, an ingenious, and a good-tempered people, as is under Heaven;-if they have a fault, they are too serious.

Mon Dieu! cried the Count, rising out of his chair. Mais vous plaisantez, said he, correcting his exclamation.I laid my hand upon my breast, and, with earnest gravity, assured him it was my most settled opinion.

-The Count said he was mortified he could not stay to hear my reasons, being engaged to go that moment to dine with the Duc de C-.

But, if it is not too far to come to Versailles to eat your soup with me, I beg, before you leave France, I may have the pleasure of knowing you retract your opinion, or in what manner you support it. But if you do support it, Mons. Anglois, said he, you must do it with all your powers, because you have the whole

world against you. I promised the Count I would do myself the honour of dining with him before I set out for Italy ;-so took my leave,

THE TEMPTATION.

PARIS.

сов

WHEN I alighted at the hotel, the porter told me a young woman with a band-box had been that moment inquiring for me.I do not know, said the porter, whether she is gone away or not. I took the key of my chamber of him, and went upstairs; and, when I had got within ten steps of the top of the landing before my door, I met her coming casily down.

It was the fair fille de chambre I had walked along the Quai de Conti with: Madame de R- had sent her upon some commission to a merchante des modes within a step or two of the hotel de Modene; and, as I had failed in waiting upon her, had bid her inquire if I had left Paris; and, if so, whether I had not left a letter addressed to her.

As the fair fille de chambre was so near my door, she returned back, and went into the room with me for a moment or two, whilst I wrote a card.

It was a fine still evening in the latter end of the month of May,—the crimson window-curtains (which were of the same colour as those of the bed) were drawn close,—the sun was setting, and reflected through them so warm a tint into the fair fille de chambre's face,I thought she blushed;-the idea of it made me blush

inyself; we were quite alone, and that superinduced a second blush before the first could get off.

There is a sort of a pleasing half-guilty blush, where the blood is more in fault than the man;-'tis sent impetuous from the heart, and virtue flies after it,—not to call it back, but to make the sensation of it more delicious to the nerves. It is associated

But I'll not describe it;—I felt something at first within me which was not in strict unison with the lesson of virtue I had given her the night before :—I sought five minutes for a card; I knew I had not one. I took up a pen,-I laid it down again,-my hand trembled :—the devil was in me.

I know as well as any one he is an adversary, whom, if we resist, he will fly from us; but I seldom resist him at all, from a terror that, though I may conquer, I may still get a hurt in the combat; so I give up the triumph for security; and, instead of thinking to make him fly, I generally fly myself.

The fair fille de chambre came close up to the bureau, where I was looking for a card,-took up first the pen I cast down, then offered to hold me the ink; she offered it so sweetly, I was going to accept it, but I durst not;I have nothing, my dear, said I, to write upon.—Write it, said she, simply, upon anything.

-I was just going to cry out, Then I will write it, fair girl, upon thy lips!

—If I do, said I, I shall perish; so I took her by the hand, and led her to the door, and begged she would not forget the lesson I had given her. She said, indeed, she would not, and as she uttered it with

some earnestness, she turned about, and gave me both her hands, closed together, into mine; it was impossible not to compress them in that situation;-I wished to let them go; and all the time I held them, I kept arguing within myself against it,—and still I held them on. In two minutes I found I had all the battle to fight over again;-and I felt my legs and every limb about me tremble at the idea.

The foot of the bed was within a yard and a half of the place where we were standing.-I had still hold of her hands (and how it happened, I can give no account); but I neither asked her, nor drew her, nor did I think of the bed ;-but so it did happen, we both sat down.

I'll just show you, said the fair fille de chambre, the little purse I have been making to-day to hold your crown. So she put her hand into her right pocket, which was next me, and felt for it some time; ;-then into the left.- "She had lost it."- -I never bore expectation more quietly;—it was in her right pocket at last; she pulled it out; it was of green taffeta, lined with a little bit of white quilted satin, and just big enough to hold the crown:-she put it into my hand: it was pretty; and I held it ten minutes, with the back of my hand resting upon her lap, looking sometimes at purse, sometimes on one side of it.

the

A stitch or two had broke out in the gathers of my stock; the fair fille de chambre, without saying a word, took out her little housewife, threaded a small needle, and sewed it up. I foresaw it would hazard the glory of the day, and, as she passed her hand in silence across