those who broke in upon the thread of her discourse, and whom he loft, after all, by uttering a few fentences before she could recover her breath after a fit of fneezing. In most people's difcourfe, added he, a fneeze paffes for a full ftop. "Mais dans

"le Caquet eternel de cette femme ce n'est qu'un virgule."

I then enquired after my friends Dubois and Fanchon.-He told me, that his mother had settled them at her house in the country, where the herself chofe, of late, to pass at least one half of the year; that Dubois was of great service to her, in the quality of steward, and she had taken a strong affection for Fanchon, and that both husband and wife were loved and efteemed by the whole neighbourhood. "I once," continued the Marquis, proposed to Fanchon, en badinant, to make a trip to Paris, for "The must be tired of fo much folitude." "Have I not my husband?" faid the, "Your husband is not company," rejoined

66

I, « your husband, you know, is yourself. "What do you think was her answer?" "Elle m'a répondu," continued the Marquis, "Ah, Monfieur le Marquis, plus on "s'éloigne de foi-même, plus on s'écarte "du bonheur."

He

In the progrefs of our conversation, I enquired about the lady to whom he was to have been married, when the match was fo abruptly broken off by her father. told me, the old gentleman's behaviour was explained a short time after our departure from Paris, by his daughter's marriage to a man of great fortune; but whose taste, character, and turn of mind were effentially different from thofe of the young lady. "I fuppofe then," said I, "The appeared "indifferent about him from the begin"Pardonnez moi," replied the

❝ing."

Marquis,

au commencement elle joua la "belle paffion pour fon mari, jusqu'à fcan

"dalifer le monde, peu

à

peu elle devint

"plus raisonnable, et fur cet article les deux

" époux jouèrent bientôt à fortune égale, "à préfent ils s'amufent à fe chicaner de

petites contradictions qui jettent plus "d'amertume dans le commerce que de σε torts décidés."

"Did you ever renew your acquaint❝ance?"

Je ne pouvois faire autrement, elle a marqué quelques petits regrets de m'avoir "traité fi cruellement."

"And how did you like her," faid I, on farther acquaintance ?"

Je lui ai trouvé," anfwered he, "tout "ce qu'on peut fouhaiter dans la femme "d'un autre."

The Marquis, feeling himself a little cold, and rifing from the fopha to ring for fome wood, had a view of the street. "O "ho," cried he, looking earnestly through the window, "C regardez, regardez cet "homme"-" Quel homme?" faid I. "Cet

I

" hommie

"homme à gros ventre," faid he; and

་

while he spoke, his teeth began to chatter.

Ah, Diable, voilà mon chien d'accés-cet "homme qui marche comme un Di"Di-Dindon, c'est l'aumonier du regi"ment." I begged he would allow himfelf to be put to bed, for by this time he was all over shivering with the violence of the ague.

"Non, non, ce n'eft rien," said he, "il "faut abfolument que je vous conte cette "hiftoire. Cet homme qui l'engraiffe en

66

nettoy-nett-et-et-en nettoyant l'ame "de mes foldats, faifoit les yeux doux à la "femme d'un Ca-Ca-Caporal-Diantre je n'en peux plus. Adieu, mon ami, c'est "la plus plaifante hift-fis-pefte! de"mandez mes gens."

He was put to bed directly. I found the court below full of foldiers, who had come to enquire after their Colonel. Before I had reached the ftreet, the Marquis's Valet-deChambre overtook me, le ris fur la bouche,

ęt

et les larmes aux yeux, with a meffage from his master.

The foldiers crowded about us, with anxiety on all their countenances. I affured them, there was no danger; that their Colonel would be well within a very few days. This was heard with every mark of joy, and they difperfed, to communicate the good news to their comrades.

"Ah, Monfieur," faid the Valet, addreffing himself to me, "il eft tant aimé de "ces braves Garçons! et il merite fi bien "de l'être!"

Next day he looked better, and was in his ufual fpirits; the day following, he was still better; and having taken a proper quantity of the bark during the interval, he had no return of the fever. As he has promised to continue the use of the bark, in fufficient dofes, for fome time, and as relapses are not frequent at this feason of the year, I am perfuaded the affair is over,

and