Finding I had made some impression upon Madame Rambouillet in her favour, I told her story to the best advantage. She was greatly surprised at the turpitude of her milliner; and in her passion, though a paragon of decency, could not refrain from uttering.

"Ah! la villaine bou-gresse!".

Now was my time: her passions were set on float; her pity began to move; and, if her compassion were once under sail, I hoped I should quickly bring her to anchor in the harbour of forgiveness. The port was in view, and a favourable gale sprung up.

THE PENITENT.

It is certainly true, there is more joy on earth, as well as in heaven, at bringing back one strayed sheep, than keeping in order the rest of the fold.

Madame Rambouillet agreed to restore Miss Laborde to her favour, on condition she would unfold all the misdeeds of her milliner, and depose them before a Commissaire, that she might be dealt with according to law. This she was easily prevailed upon to perform; and Madame la Roche's house was the next day beset by the Archers.

THE BICETRE.

A DEPOSITION upon oath, of a woman's carrying on the profession of a procuress, is sufficient to entitle her to a place in the Bicetre. In consequence, therefore, of Mademoiselle Laborde's declaration, Madame la Roche, and three of her pupils, were conducted thither, where I shall leave them to their own reflections, and the Police.

CUL DE SAC DE L'ORATOIRE.

I BEG leave, in this place, to correct a mistake which slipt into the first volume of my Sentimental Journey, as it relates to a matter of chronology and geography; in which a traveller, and particularly a sentimental one, ought to be very correct. The passage is this :

" Madame de Rambouillet, after an acquaintance " of about six weeks with her, had done me the hon" our to take me in her coach about two leagues out "of town. Of all women, Madame de Rambouil"let is the most correct; and I never wish to see " one of more virtues and purity of heart. In our "return back, Madame de Rambouillet desired me "to pull the cord: I asked her if she wanted any "thing? Rien que pisser, said Madame de Rambouil"let.".

The fact is certain, and therefore remains in its full force; but the time when, and the place where, require some amendment.

It was only one week after I first met her in the Tuilleries; and the circumstance happened in the Cul de Sac de l'Oratoire,

This will also rectify the anachronism of my first acquaintance with Madame de Rambouillet; which should not have been placed till after my return from the South of France.

THE PET EN L'AIR.

THE Pet en l'Air is once more a fashionable dress among the English ladies, and therefore requires no definition; its etymology will be set forth in this chapter.

Madame Pompadour riding through le Cul de Sac de l'Oratoire, the first day she wore this dress (which was invented by her, and had not yet been christened,) in company with Mademoiselle la Tour, one of her waiting maids, or rather servile companions, by some accident gave vent to some confined air, according to Hudibras, the natural way. The ludicrousness of the accident occasioned her to burst into a loud laugh, and exclaim, " that shall be the "name of my new dress;" and from that time a short sack and petticoat were called a Pet en l'Air.

A similarity of circumstances produces a similarity of sentiments. When Madame de Rambouillet alighted rein que pisser, she was better than her word; and, upon resuming her seat, with a laugh, said, "C'est ne pet pas en l'air, mais dans le Cul de "Sac de l'Oratoire."

Such critical justness, in so light a conceit, must certainly set her judgment in the most favourable point of light; and though the thought might be originally Madame de Pompadour's, this lady's improvement upon it is at least equal to the primitive sentiment.

Three learned doctors of the Sorbonne, being informed of the event, pronounced this sentence.

THE CONCATENATION.

I DARE say the reader was not a little disappointed, upon Mademoiselle Laborde's resuming her story, to find that the concatenation was entirely destroyed, and that no mention was made of her lover the Peruquier, who had proposed a connubial connection in the most honourable and serious way, and who was so well situated in business, and so agreeble a man, that he seemed every way qualified to render the marriage state completely happy.

To own the truth, I did perceive a kind of chasm in this part of her narration; but being unwilling to interrupt her, I let her proceed her own way.

"Pray, Mademoiselle," said I, as we were sitting together at Madame Rambouillet's during her absence, " à propos," (though by-the-bye, it was no more à propos than any one thing the most foreign in the world, that might have been lugged in head and shoulders) " à propos, Miss Laborde; you nev" er told me what became of your lover the Peruquier ?

"Good heavens! no more I did: I quite forgot " him. I was so taken up with the Italian Marquis, " and lord Spindle, he never once entered my head. "Poor man! Heigh-ho!"

" What makes you sigh and call him poor man ? "I thought he was in very good circumstances."

"Yes, his circumstances were very well, for the " matter of that; but he was very imprudent. He " was twice cited to appear before the company of "barber-surgeons, and mulcted for not being li"cenced; and yet he was so indiscreet as set them "at defiance, and the third time was committed to " prison, where I believe he still remains.

"What, could not the duchess his patroness re"lieve him ?"

"She did not choose to appear in such an affair "publickly. Besides, I believe by this time she had " pretty well forgot him and his services. An Irish " colonel had for some time supplied his place so ef"fectually, that there were some hopes of an heir "to that noble family, after her grace had been "married eleven years without issue."

"And so the poor fellow is to rot in jail, because "the Irish colonel has so effectually served this no" ble family! forbid it, justice! forbid it, mercy !"

THE INTERCESSION.

THE next morning having intelligence of the place of confinement of Le Sieur Tournelle, I wrote to the master of the company of barber-surgeons, proposing to pay all the expenses attending his imprisonment, and to find sureties for his never trespassing again. In this letter I mentioned the Count de B's name, to whom I also communicated the affair; and received a very polite answer, in which I was informed, Tournelle's confinement was more owing to his obstinacy, in not submitting to the concessions prescribed him, than to any incapacity of paying the fees, or taking up a license.

I now waited upon Tournelle, whom I found in very good spirits, relying upon the duchess's protection, upon her return from the country, where he had been informed she had resided for some time