me: she looked down-a silence of some moments followed.

I fear, in this interval, I must have made some slight efforts towards a closer comprehension of her hand, from a subtle sensation I felt in the palm of my own-not as if she was going to withdraw her'sbut as if she thought about it—and I had infallibly lost it a second time, had not instinct more than reason directed me to the last resource in these dangers -to hold it loosely, and in a manner as if I was every moment going to release it of myself; so she let it continue till Monsieur 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 case he had told it her, must have planted in her breast against me.

THE SNUFF-BOX.

CALAIS,

THE good old monk was within six paces of us, as the idea of him crossed 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 stopped however, as soon 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 minesaid 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 favour, 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 blushed as red as scarlet. Mon Dieu! said he, pressing his hands together-you never used me unkindly.-I should think, said the lady, he is not likely.-I blushed in my turn; but from what movements I leave to the few who feel to analyze-Excuse me, Madame, replied I; I treated him most unkindly; and from no provocations.— 'Tis impossible, said the lady.-My God! cried the monk, with a warmth of asseveration which seemed not to belong to him, the fault was in me, and in the indiscretion of my zeal.-The lady opposed it, and I joined with her in maintaining it was impossible that a spirit so regulated as his could give offence to any.

I knew not that contention could be rendered so sweet and pleasurable a thing to the nerves as I then felt it. We remained silent without any sensation of that foolish pain which takes place, when in such a circle you look for ten minutes in one another's faces without saying a word. Whilst this lasted, the monk rubbed his horn box upon the sleeve of his tunic: and as soon as it had acquired a little air of brightness by the friction, he made a low bow, and said,

was 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 begged we might exchange boxes.-In saying this, he presented his to me with one hand, as he took mine from me in the other; and having kissed it with a stream of goodnature 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 the owner to regulate my own, in the jostlings of the world. They had found full employment for his, as I learnt from his story, 'till about this the forty-fifth year of his age, when upon some military services ill requited, and meeting at the same time with a disappointment in the tenderest of passions, he abandoned the sword and the sex together, and took sanctuary, 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 own convent, but, according to his desire, in a little cemetry belonging to it, about two leagues off. I had a strong desire to see where they had laid him-when, upon pulling out his little horn box, as I sat 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 so 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 smile, but pity me.

THE REMISE DOOR.

CALAIS.

I HAD never quitted the lady's hand all this time; and 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 suffered a revulsion 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 passing by,

and observing our communications, naturally took it into their heads that we must be man and wife, at least; so stopping as soon as they came up to the door of the remise, the one of them, who was the inquisitive Traveller, asked us, if we set 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, said the simple Traveller-You go directly through the town, added the other, in your road to 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 snuff, I made them a quiet bow, and wished them a good passage to Dover-They left us alone

Now where would be the harm, said I to myself, if I was to beg of this distressed lady to accept of half of my chaise ?--and what mighty mischief could ensue?

Every dirty passion and bad propensity in my nature took the alarm as I stated the proposition-It will oblige you to have a third horse, said Avarice, which will put twenty livres out of your pocket-You know not what she is, said Caution-Or what scrapes the affair may draw you into, whispered Cowardice

Depend upon it, Yorick! said Discretion, 'twill be said you went off with a mistress, and came by assignation to Calais for that purpose.

-You can never after, cried Hypocrisy aloud, shew 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, said I-and as I generally act

from the first impulse, and therefore seldom listen to these cabals, which serve no purpose, that I know of, but to encompass the heart with adamant-I turned instantly about to the lady

-But she had glided of unperceived, as the cause was pleading, and had made ten or a dozen paces down the street, by the time I had made the determination; so I set off after her with a long stride, to make her the proposal with the best address I was master of; but observing she walked with her cheek half resting upon the palm of her hand-with the slow, short-measured step of thoughtfulness, and with her eyes, as she went step by step, fixed upon the ground, it struck me she was trying the same cause herself. God help her! said I, she has some mother-in-law, or Tartuffish aunt, or nonsensical old woman, to consult upon the occasion as well as myself: so not caring to interrupt the processe, and deeming it more gallant to take her at discretion than by surprise, I faced about, and took a short turn or two before the door of the remise, while she walked musing on one side.

IN THE STREET.

CALAIS.

HAVING, on first sight of the lady, settled the affair in my fancy, that she was of the better order of beings'-and then laid it down as a second axiom, as indisputable as the first, that she was a widow, and wore a character of distress-I went no further; I got ground enough for the situation which pleased meand had she remained close beside my elbow till midnight, I should have held true to my system, and considered her only under that general idea.