have no nearer a prospect and as walking backwards and forwards in the saloon, without a soul to commune with, was for the time as bad as being in the Bastile itself, I instantly went back to my remise, and bid the coachman drive me to the cordon bleu, which was the nearest hotel. I think there is a fatality in it:-I seldom go to the place I set out for. LE PATISSER VERSAILLES BEFORE I had got half way down the street, I changed my mind: as I am at Versailles, thought I, I might as well take a view of the town; so I pulled the cord, and ordered the coachman to drive round some of the principal streets.—I suppose the town is not very large, said I. The coachman begged pardon for setting me right, and told me it was very superb, and that numbers of the first dukes and marquisses and counts had hotels. The Count de B-, of whom the bookseller at the Quai de Conti had spoken so handsomely the night before, came instantly into my mind.—And why should I not go, thought I, to the Count de Bwho has so high an idea of English books and Englishmen,—and tell him my story? So I changed my mind a second time.-In truth, it was the third; for I had intended that day for Madame de R―, in the Rue St. Pierre, and had devoutly sent her word by her fille de chambre that I would assuredly wait upon her —but : I am governed by circumstances-I cannot govern them so seeing a man standing with a basket on the other side of the street, as if he had something to sell, I bid La Fleur go up to him, and enquire for the Count's hotel. La Fleur returned, a little pale; and told me it was a Chevalier de St. Louis selling patés.—It is impossible, La Fleur, said I.—La Fleur could no more account for the phenomenon than myself; but persisted in his story: he had seen the croix set in gold, with its red ribband, he said, tied to his button-hole; and had looked into the basket, and had seen the patés which the Chevalier was selling; so could not be mistaken in that. Such a reverse in a man's life awakens a better principle than curiosity: I could not help looking for some time at him, as I sat in the remise. The more I looked at him, his croix, and his basket, the stronger they wove themselves into my brain.-I got out of the remise and went towards him. He was begirt with a clean linen apron, which fell below his knees, and with a sort of a bib went half way up his breast. Upon the top of this, but a little below the hem, hung his croix. His basket of little patés was covered over with a white damask napkin : another of the same kind was spread at the bottom; |