THE CONQUEST.

PARIS.

YES--and then---Ye whose clay-cold heads and lukewarm hearts can argue down or mask your passions-tell me, what trespass is it that man should have them? or how his spirit stands answerable to the Father of spirits, but for his conduct under them?

If Nature has so wove her web of kindness, that some threads of love and desire are entangled with the piece---must the whole web be rent in drawing them out?---Whip me such stoics, great Governor of nature? said I to myself---Wherever thy providence shall place me for the trials of my virtue--whatever is my danger---whatever is my situation--let me feel the movements which rise out of it, and which belong to me as a man ; and if I govern them as a good one, I will trust the issue to thy justice, for thou hast made us, and not we ourselves.

As I finished my address, I raised the fair fille de chambre up by the hand, and led her out of the -room---she stood by me till I locked the door, and put the key in my pocket--and then---the victory being quite decisive, and not till then, I pressed my lips to her cheek, and taking her by the hand again, led her safe to the gate of the hotel.

THE MYSTERY.

PARIS.

Ir a man knows the heart, he will know it was impossible to go back instantly to my chamber-it was touching a cold key with a flat third to it, upon the close of a piece of music, which had called forth my affections; therefore, when I let go the hand of the fille de chambre, I remained at the gate of the hotel for some time, looking at every one whe

passed by, and forming conjectures upon them, till my attention got fixed upon a single object which confounded all kind of reasoning upon him.

It was a tall figure, of a philosophic, serious adust look, which passed and repassed sedately along the street, making a turn of about sixty paces on each side of the gate of the hotel. The man was about fifty-two, had a small cane under his arm, was dressed in a dark drab-coloured coat, waistcoat and breeches, which seemed to have seen some years service---they were still clean, and there was a little air of frugal propreté throughout him. By his pulling off his hat, and his attitude of accosting a good many in his way, I saw he was asking charity; so I got a sous or two out of my pocket ready to give him as he took me in his turn---he passed by me without asking any thing, and yet did not go five steps further before he asked charity of a little woman--I was much more likley to have given of the two--He had scarce done with the woman, when he pulled off his hat to another who was coming the same way. An ancient gentleman came slowly, and after him a young smart one.---He let them both pass, and asked nothing: I stood observing him half an hour, in which time he had made a dozen turns backwards and forwards, and found that he invariably pursued the same plan.

There were two things very singular in this, which set my brain to work, and, to no purpose.--The first was, why the man should only tell his story to the sex;-and, secondly,---what kind of story it was, and what species of eloquence it could be, which softened the hearts of the women, which he knew it was to no purpose to practise upon the

men.

There were two other circumstances which en

tangled this mystery--the one was, he told every woman what he had to say in her ear, and in a way which had more the air of a secret than a petition; --the other was, it was always successful-he never stopped a woman, but she pulled out her purse, and immediately gave him something.

I could form no system to explain the pheno

menon.

I had got a riddle to amuse me for the rest of the evening, so I walked up stairs to my chamber.

THE CASE OF CONSCIENCE.

-PARIS.

I WAS immediately followed up by the master of the hotel, who came into my room to tell me I must provide lodgings elsewhere-How so, friend? said I.---He answered, I had had a young woman locked up with me two hours that evening in my bed-chamber, and it was against the rules of his house. Very well, said I, we will all part friends then, for the girl is no worse---And I am no worse ---and you will be just as I found you.--It was enough, he said, to overthrow the credit of his hotel.--Voyez vous, Monsieur, said he, pointing to the foot of the bed we had been sitting upon-I own it had something of the appearance of an evidence; but my pride not suffering me to enter into a detail of the case, I exhorted him to let his soul sleep in -peace, as i resolved to let mine do that night, and that I would discharge what I owed him at breakfast.

I should not have minded, Monsieur, said he, if you had had twenty girls--It is a score more, replied I, interrupting him, than I ever reckoned upon-provided, added he, it had been but in a morning. And does the difference of the time of the

day, at Paris, make a difference in the sin?--It made a difference, he said, in the scandal.---I like a good distinction in my heart; and cannot say I was intolerably out of temper with the man.-I own it is necessary, resumed the master of the hotel, that a stranger at Paris should have the opportunities presented to him of buying lace and silk stockings and rufles, et tout cela----and 'tis nothing if a woman comes with a band-box.---O' my conscience, said I, she had one: but I never looked into it ---Then Monsieur, said he, has bought nothing.--Not one earthly thing, replied 1.---Because, said he, I could recommend one to you who would use you en conscience.---But I must see her this night said I.He made me a low bow, and walked down.

Now shall I triumph over this maitre d'hotel, cried I--and what then?---Then I shall let him see I know he is a dirty fellow. And what then? What then!—I was too near myself to say it was for the sake of others.-I had no good answer left--there was more of spleen than principle in my project, and I was sick of it before the execution.

In a few minutes the Grisset came in with her box of lace-I will buy nothing, however, said 1, within myself.

The Grisset would shew me every thing I was hard to please: she would not seem to see it;-she opened her little magazine, and laid all her laces one after another before me---unfolded and folded them up again one by one with the most patient sweetness---I might buy---or not-she would let me have every thing at my own price-the poor creature seemed anxious to get a penny; and laid herself out to win me, and not so much in a manner which seemed artful, as in one I felt simple and caressing. If there is not a fand of honest cullibility in

man, so much the worse---my heart relented, and I gave up my second resolution as quietly us the first. -Why should I chastise one for the trespass of another?--If thou art tributary to this tyrant of an host, thought I, looking up in her face, so much harder is thy bread.

If I had not had more than four louis d'ors in my purse, there was no such thing as rising up and shewing her the door, till I had first laid three of them out in a pair of rufles.

--The master of the hotel will share the profit with her no matter-then I have only paid, as many a poor soul has paid before me, for an act he could not do, or think of.

THE RIDDLE.

PARIS.

WHEN La Fleur came up to wait upon me at supper, he told me how sorry the master of the hotel was for his affront to me in bidding ine change my lodgings.

A man who values a good night's rest will not lie down with enmity in his heart, if he can help it -So I bid La Fleur tell the master of the hotel, that I was sorry on my side for the occasion I had given him ;—and you may tell him, if you will, La Fleur, added I, that if the young woman should call again, I shall not see her.

This was a sacrifice not to him, but to myself, having resolved, after so narrow an escape, to run no more risks, but to leave Paris, if it was possible, with all the virtue I entered it.

C'est deroger à noblesse, Monsieur, said La Fleur, making me a bow down to the ground as he said it-Et encore, Monsieur, said he, may change his sentiments, and if (par hazard) he should like t