I held them on. In two minutes I found I had all the batile to fight over again and I felt my legs and every limb about me tremble at the idea.

The foot of the bed was within a yard and a half of the place where we were standing I had still hold of her hands and how it happened I can give no account, but I neither asked her nor drew her nor did I think of the bed but so it did happen, we both sat down.

=

Inever

I will just shew yon, said the fair fille de chams bre, the little purse I have been making to day to hold your crown. So she put her hand into her right pocket, which was next me, and felt for it for some time then into the left« She had lost it. bore expectation more quietly it was in her right pocket at last she pulled it out; it was of green tafs fetas, lined with a little bit of white quilted sattin, and just big enough to hold the crown she put it into my hand it was pretty; and I held it ten mis nutes with the back of f my hand resting upon her lap looking sometimes at the purse, sometimes on

one side of it.

A stitch or two had broke out in the gathers of my stock the fair fille de chambre, without saying a word, took out her little housewife, threaded a small needle, and sewed it up I foresaw it would hazard the glory of the day; and as she passed her hand in silence across and across my neck in the manouvre, I felt the laurels shake, which fancy had wreathed about my head:

A strap had given way in her walk, and the buckle of her shoe was just falling off = See, said the fille de chambre, holding up her foot=I could not for my soul but fasten the buckle in return, and put= ting in the strap and lifting up the other foot with

Ame

it, when I had done, to see both were right in doing it too suddenly it unavoidably threw the fair fille de chambre off her center and then

THE CONQUEST,

PARIS.

Yes and then Ye whose clay-cold heads, and lukewarm hearts, can argue down, or mask your passions tell me, what trespass is it that man should have them? or how his spirit stands answerable to the father of spirits,but for his conduct under them? If nature has so wove her web of kindness, that some threads of love and desire are entangled with the piece must the whole web be rent in drawing them out? Whip me such stoicks, great governor of nature! said I to myself Wherever thy provi= dence shall place me for the trials of my virtue ≈ whatever is my danger whatever is my situation= let me feel the movements which rise out of it, and which belong to me as a man and if I govern them as a good one I will trust the issues to thy justice, for thou hast made us and not we ourselves.

the

As I finished my address, I raised the fair fille de chambre up by the hand, and led her out of the room she stood by me till I locked the door and put the key in my pocket and then victory being quite decisive and, not till then, I pressed my lips to her cheek, and taking her by the hand again, led her safe to the gate of the hotel.

SORR. THE MYSTERY.

PARES. it

Ir a man knows the heart, he will know it was im possible to go back instantly to my chamber it was touching a cold key with a flat third to it, upon the close of a piece of musick, which had called forth my affections therefore, when I let go the hand of the fille de chambre, I remained at the -gate of the hotel for some time, looking at every one who passed by, and forming conjectures upon them, till my attention got fixed upon a single object, which confounded all kind of reasoning upon himee

It was a tall figure of a philosophick, serious, adust look, which passed and repassed sedately along the street, making a turn of about sixty paces on each side of the gate of the hotel the man was about fifty-two-had a small cané under his arm— was dressed in a dark drab-coloured coat, waist-coat and breeches, which seemed to have seen some years service they were still clean, and there was a little air of frugal propreté throughout him. By his pul= ling off his hat and his attitude of accosting a good. many in his way, I saw he was asking charity; so Į got a sous or two out of my pocket, ready to give him, as he took me in his turn He passed by me without asking any thing and yet did not go five steps further before he asked charity of a little wo man—I was much more likely to have given of the two He had scarce done with the woman, when he pulled off his hat to another who was coming the same way. An ancient gentleman came slowly = aud, after him, a young smart one = He let them

both pass, and asked nothing I stood observing him half an hour, in which time he had made a dozen turns backwards and forwards, and found that he invariably pursued the same plan.

There were two things very singular in this, which set my brain to work, and to no purpose the first was, why the man should only tell his story to the sex and secondly what kind of story it was, and what species of eloquence it could be, which soften= ed the hearts of the women, which he knew it was to no purpose to practise upon the men.

There were two other circumstances which entangled this mystery = the one was, he told every woman, what he had to say, in her ear, and in a way which had much more the air of a secret than a pe= tition the other was, it was always successful= he never stopped a woman, but she pulled out her purse, and immediately gave him something.

I could form no system to exlpain the phenome

non.

I had got a riddle to amuse me for the rest of the evening, so I walked up stairs to my chamber.

I

THE CASE OF CONSCIENCE.

PARIS.

was immediately followed up by the master of the hotel, who came into my room to tell me I must provide lodgings elsewhere How so, friend? said I.

He answered, I had had a young woman locked up with me two hours that evening in my bed-chamber, and it was against the rules of his house. Very well, said I, we will all part friends then for the girl is no worse—and I am no worse and you will be just as I found you. It was enough, he said, to

overthrow the credit of his hótel. Voyez-vous, monsieur, said he, pointing to the foot of the bed we had been sitting upon. I own it had something of the appearance of an evidence; but my pride not suffering me to enter into any detail of the case, I exhorted him to let his soul sleep in peace, as I re= solved to let mine do that night, and that I would discharge what I owed him at break-fast.

I should not have minded, monsieur, said he, if you had had twenty girls It is a score more, re= plied I, interrupting him, than I ever reckoned upon Provided, added he, it had been but in a morning. And does the difference of the time of the day at Paris make a difference in the sin ? It made a difference, he said, in the scandal. I like a good distinction in my heart; and cannot say I was into lerably out of temper with the man. I own it is ne cessary, re-assumed the master of the hotel, that a stranger at Paris should have the opportunities presented to him of buying lace and silk stockings and ruffles, et tout cela and it is nothing if a woman comes with a band-box. O' my conscience, said I, she had one; but I never looked into it. Then, monsieur, said he, has bought nothing. Not one earthly thing, replied I. Because, said he, I could recommend one to you who would use you en con= science. But I must see her this night, said I.= He made me a low bow, and walked down.

Now shall I triumph over this maître d'hôtel, cried I and what then?Then I shall let him see I know he is a dirty fellow. And what then? What then! I was too near myself to say it was for the sake of others. I had no good answer left = there was more of spleen than principle in my project, and I was sick of it before the execution.

In a few minutes the grisette came in with her box