little cemetery belonging to it, about two leagues off: I had a strong desire to see where they had laid him-when, upon pulling out his little horn box, as I sat by his grave, and plucking up a nettle or two at the head of it which had no business to grow there, they all struck together so forcibly upon my affections that I burst into a flood of tears -but I am as weak as a woman: and I beg the world not to smile, but pity me.

I HAD never quitted the lady's hand all this

time; and had held it so long, that it would have been indecent to have let it go, without first pressing it to my lips: the blood and spirits, which had suffered a revulsion from her, crowded back to her, as I did it.

Now the two travellers who had spoke to me in the coach yard, happening at this crisis to be passing by, and observing our communication, naturally took it into their heads that we must be man

and

and wife at least; so stopping as soon as they came up to the door of the Remise, the one of them, who was the inquisitive traveller, asked us, if we set out for Paris the next morning?—I could only answer for myself, I said; and the lady added, she was for Amiens.—We dined there yesterday, said the simple traveller-You go directly through the town, added the other, in your road to Paris. I was going to return a thousand thanks for the intelligence, that Amiens was in the road to Paris; but upon pulling out my poor monk's little horn box to take a pinch of snuff, I made them a quiet bow, and wishing them a good passage to Dover-they left us alone.

Now where would be the harm, said I to myself, if I was to beg of this distressed lady to accept of half of my chaise? and what mighty mischief could ensue?

Every dirty passion, and bad propensity in my nature, took the alarm, as I stated the proposition -It will oblige you to have a third horse, said AVARICE, which will put twenty livres out of your pocket. You know not who she is, said CAUTION, or what scrapes the affair may draw you into, whispered COWARDICE

Depend upon it, Yorick said DISCRETION,

'twill be said you went off with a mistress, and came by assignation to Calais for that purpose.

You can never after, cried HYPOCRISY aloud, shew your face in the world-or rise, quoth MEANNESS, in the church-or be any thing in it, said PRIDE, but a lousy prebendary.

But 'tis a civil thing, said I—and as I generally act from the first impulse, and therefore seldom listen to these cabals, which serve no purpose, that I know of, but to encompass the heart with adamant-I turned instantly about to the lady.

But she had glided off unperceived, as the cause was pleading, and had made ten or a dozen paces down the street, by the time I had made the determination so I set after her with a long stride, to make her the proposal with the best address I was master of; but observing she walked with her cheek half resting upon the palm of her hand, with the slow, short-measured step of thoughtfulness, and with her eyes, as she went step by step, fixed upon the ground, it struck me, she was trying the same cause herself. God help her! said I, she has some mother-in-law, or tartuffish aunt, or nonsensical old woman, to consult upon the occasion, as well as myself: so not caring to interrupt the processe, and deeming it more gallant to take her at discre

tion

tion than by surprise, I faced about, and took a

short turn or two before the door of the Remise, while she walked musing on one side.

IN THE STREET.

HA

CALAIS.

AVING, on the first sight of the lady, settled the affair in my fancy, "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 which pleased me-and had she remained close beside my elbow till midnight, I should have held true to my system, and considered her only under that general idea.

She had scarce got twenty paces distant from me, ere something within me called out for particular enquiry-it brought on the idea of a further separation-I might possibly never see 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 case I should never rejoin her my.

self: in a word, I wished to know her name— her family's her condition; and as I knew the place to which she 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 different plans. There was no such thing as a man's asking her directly-the thing was impossible.

A little French debonaire captain, who came dancing down the street, shewed 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-so turning about to her, he did it just as well by asking her if she had come from Paris? No: she was going that route, she said. Vous n'etez pas de Londre? --she was not, she replied.

Then Madame must
Apparement vous etez

have come through Flanders. Flammande? said the French captain. The lady answered, she was. Peutétre de Lisle? added he

-she said she was not of Lisle. Nor Arras? nor Cambray? nor Ghent? nor Brussels ?—she answered she was of Brussels.

He