ginning to reconcile itself to its lofs-but a thousand other diftreffes might have traced the fame lines; I wished to know. what they had been—and was ready to inquire (had the fame bon ton of converfation permitted, as in the days of Efdras "What aileth thee? and why art thou difquieted? and why is thy understanding "troubled?"-In a word, I felt benevo lence for her; and refolved, fome way or other to throw in my mite of courtesyif not of fervice. - SUCH were my temptations-and in this difpofition to give way to them, was I left alone with the lady, with her hand in mine, and with our faces both turned clofer to the door of the Remife than what was abfolutely neceffary. THE THE REMISE DOOR. CAL A. I S.. TH HIS certainly, fair lady faid I, raifing her hand up a little lightly as I began, must be one of Fortune's whimsical doings: to take two utter strangers by their hands-of different fexes, and perhaps from different corners of the globe, and in one moment place them together in fuch a cordial fituation, as Friendship herself could fcarce have a chieved for them, had the projected it for a.month. AND reflections upon it, your fhews how much, Monfieur, she has em barraffed you by the adventure.-. WHEN WHEN the fituation is, what we would wish, nothing is fo ill-timed as to hint at the circumstances which make. it fo: you thank Fortune, continued the. you had reason. the heart knew it, and was fatisfied; and who but. an English philofopher would have sent. notices of it to the brain to reverse the judgment? IN faying this, fhe difengaged her hand with a look which I thought a fufficient. commentary upon the text. IT is a miferable picture which I an going to give of the weakness of my heart, by owning, that it fuffered a pain, which worthier occafions could not have inflicted ———————I was mortified with the lofs of her hand, and the manner in which. I had loft it carried neither oil nor wine to the wound: I never felt the pain of a fheepish fheepish inferiority fo miferably in my life. THE triumphs of a true feminine heart are fhort upon thefe difcomfitures. In a very few feconds fhe laid her hand upon the cuff of my coat, in order to finish her reply; fo fome way or other, God knows how, I regained my fituation. SHE had nothing to add. I FORTHWITH began to model a different converfation for the lady, thinking, from the fpirit as well as moral of this, that I had been mistaken in her character; but, upon turning her face towards me, the spirit which had animated the reply was fled the muscles re laxed, and I beheld the fame unprotected look of diftrefs which firft won me to her intereft melancholy! to fee fuch fprightlinefs the prey of forrow. I pi tied tied her from my foul; and though it may feem ridiculous enough to a torpid heart.-I could have taken her into my arms and cherished her, though it was in the open street, without blushing. THE pulfation of the arteries along my fingers preffing across hers, told her 'what was paffing within me; fhe looked down-a filence of fome moments followed. I FEAR, in this interval, I must have 'made fome flight efforts towards a clofer compreffion of her hand, from a subtle sentation I felt in the palm of my own -not as if she was going to withdraw hers but, as if the thought about it ————— and I had infallibly lost it a second time, had not instinct more than reason directed me to the laft refource in these dangers to hold it loosely, and in a manner |