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tory of myself, which I could not die in peace, unless I left it as a legacy to the world: the profits arising out of it I bequeath to you for the pains of taking it from me; it is a story so uncommon, it must be read by all mankind; it will make the fortunes of your house."

The notary dipped his pen into his inkhorn.

"Almighty Director of every event in my life!" said the old gentleman, looking up earnestly, and raising his hands towards heaven; "Thou, whose hand has led me on through such a labyrinth of strange passages down into this scene of desolation, assist the decaying memory of an old, infirm, and broken-hearted man; direct my tongue by the spirit of Thy eternal truth, that this stranger may set down nought but what is written in that Book from whose records," said he, clasping his hands together, I am to be condemned or acquitted!"

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The notary held up the point of his pen betwixt the taper and his eye.

"It is a story, Monsieur le Notaire," said

the gentleman, "which will rouse up every affection in nature; it will kill the humane, and touch the heart of cruelty herself with pity."

-The notary was inflamed with a desire to begin, and put his pen a third time into his ink-horn; and the old gentleman, turning a little more towards the notary, began to dictate his story in these words :

:

-"And where is the rest of it, La Fleur?" said I, as he just then entered the room.

THE FRAGMENT, AND THE BOUQUET.

PARIS.

WHEN La Fleur came close up to the table, and was made to comprehend what I wanted, he told me there were only two other sheets of it, which he had wrapped round the stalks of a bouquet to keep it together, which he had presented to the demoiselle upon the boulevards.

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Then, prithee, La Fleur," said I, "step back to her, to the Count de B- -'s hotel, and see if thou canst get it."

"There is no doubt of it," said La Fleur; and away he flew.

In a very little time, the poor fellow came back quite out of breath, with deeper marks of disappointment in his looks than could arise from the simple irreparability of the fragment. Juste Ciel! in less than two minutes that the poor fellow had taken his last tender farewell of her, his faithless mis

tress had given his gage d'amour to one of the Count's footmen; the footman to a young sempstress; and the sempstress to a fiddler, with my fragment at the end of it.

Our misfortunes were involved together; I gave a sigh, and La Fleur echoed it back again to my ear.

"How perfidious ! cried La Fleur.
-"How unlucky!” said I.

"I should not have been mortified, monsieur," quoth La Fleur, "if she had lost it."

"Nor I, La Fleur," said I, "had I found it."

Whether I did or no, will be seen hereafter.

THE ACT OF CHARITY.

PARIS.

THE man who either disdains or fears to walk up a dark entry, may be an excellent good man, and fit for a hundred things; but he will not do to make a good Sentimental Traveller. I count little of the many things I see pass at broad noonday, in large and open streets. Nature is shy, and hates to act before spectators; but in such an unobserved corner, you sometimes see a single short scene of hers, worth all the sentiments of a dozen French plays compounded together; and yet they are absolutely fine; and whenever I have a more brilliant affair upon my hands than common, as they suit a preacher just as well as a hero, I generally make my sermon out of 'em and for the text, "Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia," is as good as any one in the Bible.

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