tartufish aunt, or nonfenfical old woman, to confult upon the occasion, as well as myself: fo not caring to interrupt the processe, and deeming it more gallant to take her at difcretion than by surprise, I faced about, and took a short turn or two before the door of the Remise, whilft the walked musing on one fide. IN IN THE STREET.. CALAIS.. H AVING, on first sight of the la-dy, fettled the affair in my fanсу, "that she was of the better order of "beings" and then laid it down as a.. second axiom, as indisputable as the first, that she was a widow, and wore a character of distress - I went no further; I got ground enough for the situation pleased me-and had she remained close beside my elbow till midnight, I should have held true to my system, and confi-dered her only under that general idea... SHE had fcarce got twenty paces diftant from me, ere something within me called; called out for a more particular inquiry -it brought on the idea of a further feparation--I might poffibly never fee her more the heart is for saving what.. it can; and I wanted the traces through which my wishes might find their way to her, in cafe I should never rejoin her myself: in a word, I wished to know her name--her family's--her condition; and, as I knew the place to which the was going, I wanted to know from whence she came: but there was no coming at all this intelligence; a hundred little delicacies stood in the way. I formed a score of different plans - There was no fuch thing as a man's asking her directly -the thing was impoffible. A LITTLE French debonaire captain, who came dancing down the street, shewod me it was the easiest thing in the world; for popping in betwixt us, just as the lady was returning back to the door of the Remise, he introduced himself to my acquaintance, and before he had well got announced, begged I would do him the honour to present him to the lady-I had not been presented myself-fo turning about to her, he did it just as well by afking her, if the had come from Paris?No: she was going that rout, she said.Vous n'etez pas de Londre? She was not, she replied. Then Madame must have come through Flanders. Apparemment vous etez Flammande? faid the French captain--The lady answered, she wasPeut-etre, de Lifle? added he-She faid, fhe was not of Lifle-Nor Arras?-nor Cambray ?-Nor Ghent?-nor Bruffels? She answered, she was of Brufsels. He had had the honour, he said, to be at the bombardment of it last war that it was finely situated pour cela-and full of noblesse when the Imperialists were driven out by the French (the lady made a a flight curtsy)-so giving her an account of the affair, and of the share he had in it-he begged the honour to know her name-fo made his bow. -Et Madame a fon Mari? - faid he, looking back when he had made two steps and without staying for an answer-danced down the street. HAD I served seven years, apprenticeship to good breeding, I could not have done as much. THE |