In a few minutes the Grisset came in with her box of lace-I will buy nothing, however, said I, within myself.

The Grisset would shew me every thing-I was hard to please:—she would not seem to see it ;—she opened her little magazine, and laid all her laces one after another before me-unfolded and folded them up again one by one with the most patient sweetness-I might buy-or not-she would let me have every thing at my own price--the poor crea ture seemed anxious to get a penny; and laid her. self out to win me, and not so much in a manner which seemed artful, as in one I felt simple and caressing.

If there is not a fund of honest cullibility in man, so much the worse-my heart relented, and I gave up my second resolution as quietly as the first. Why should I chastise one for the trespass of another?-If thou art tributary to this tyrant of an host, thought I, looking up in her face, so much harder is thy bread.

If I had not had more than four Louis d'ors in my purse, there was no such thing as rising up and shewing her the door, till I had first laid three of them out in a pair of ruffles.

--The master of the hotel will share the profit

with

with her-no matter then I have only paid, as

many a poor soul has paid before me, for an act he could not do, or think of.

THE RIDDLE.

WHEN

PARIS.

HEN La Fleur came up to wait upon me at supper, he told me how sorry the master of the hotel was for his affront to me in bidding me change my lodgings.

A man who values a good night's rest will not lie down with enmity in his heart, if he can help it-So I bid La Fleur tell the master of the hotel, that I was sorry on my side for the occasion I had given him ;-and you may tell him, if you will, La Fleur, added I, that if the young woman should call again, I shall not see her.

This was a sacrifice not to him, but to myself, having resolved, after so narrow an escape, to run no more risks, but to leave Paris, if it was possible, with all the virtue I entered it.

C'est deroger à noblesse, Monsieur, said La Fleur,

making me a bow down to the ground as he said it

Et encore, Monsieur, said he, may change his sentiments, and if (par hazard) he should like to amuse himself-I find no amusement in it, said I, interrupting him

Mon Dieu! said La Fleur-and took away.

In an hour's time he came to put me to bed, and was more than commonly officious-something hung upon his lips to say to me, or ask me, which he could not get off; I could not conceive what it was ; and indeed gave myself little trouble to find it out, as I had another riddle so much more interesting upon my mind, which was that of the man's asking charity before the door of the hotel-I would have given any thing to have got to the bottom of.it; and that, not out of curiosity-'tis so low a principle of enquiry in general, I would not purchase the gratification of it with a twosous piece-but a secret, I thought, which so soon and so certainly softened the heart of every woman you came near, was a secret at least equal to the philosopher's stone:-had I had both the Indies, I would have given up one to have been master of it.

I tossed and turned it almost all night long in my brains to no manner of purpose; and when I awoke in the morning, I found my-spirit as much

troubled with my dreams, as ever the king of Babylon had been with his; and I will not hesitate to affirm, it would have puzzled all the wise men of Paris, as much as those of Chaldea, to have given its interpretation.

LE DIMANCHE.

IT

PARIS.

T was Sunday-and when La Fleur came in, in the morning, with my coffee and roll and butter, he had got himself so gallantly arrayed, I scarce knew him.

I had covenanted at Montriul to give him a new hat with a silver button and loop, and four Louisd'ors, pour s'adoniser, when we got to Paris; and the poor fellow, to do him justice, had done wonders with it.

He had bought a bright, clean, good scarlet coat, and a pair of breeches of the same-They were not a crown worse, he said, for the wearingI wished him hanged for telling me they looked

so fresh, that though I knew the thing could not be done, yet I would rather have imposed upon my fancy with thinking I had bought them new for the fellow, than that they had come out of the Rue de Friperie.

This is a nicety which makes not the heart sore at Paris.

He had purchased, moreover, a handsome blue sattin waistcoat, fancifully enough embroideredthis was indeed something the worse for the services it had done, but it was clean scoured the gold had been touched up, and upon the whole was rather showy than otherwise-and as the blue was not violent, it suited with the coat and breeches very well-he had squeezed out of the money, moreover, a new bag and a solitaire ; and had insisted with the fripier upon a gold pair of garters to his breeches knees-He had purchased muslin ruffles, bien brodées, with four livres of his own money-and a pair of white silk stockings for five more-and to top all, nature had given him a handsome figure, without costing him a sous.

He entered the room thus set off, with his hair dressed in the first style, and with a handsome bouquet in his breast-In a word, there was that look of festivity in every thing about him, which