Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

I kept arguing within myself against itand fill I held them on. In two minutes I found I had all the battle 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 ftanding - I had still hold of her hands— and how it happened I can give no account, but I neither afked her nor drew her-nor did I think of the bed-but fo it did happen, we both fat down.

I will juft show you, said the fair fille de chambre, the little purfe 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 fome time-then into the left-"She had "loft it."-I never bore expectation more quietly—it was in her right pocket at last -fhe pulled it out; it was of green taffeta, lined with a little bit of white quilted fatin, and juft big enough to hold the crown-fhe put it into my hand; was pretty; and I held it ten minutes, with the back of my hand refting upon

it

her lap-looking sometimes at the purse, fometimes on one fide of it.

A ftitch or two had broke out in the gathers of my ftock—the fair fille de chambre, without faying a word, took out her little housewife, threaded a small needle, and fewed it upI forefaw it would hazard the glory of the day; and as she passed her hand in filence across and across my neck in the manoeuvre, I felt the laurels Thake which Fancy had wreathed about my head.

[ocr errors]

my

A ftrap had given way in her walk, and the buckle of her shoe was juft falling off-See, said the fille de chambre, holding up her foot. I could not for foul but faften the buckle in return, and putting in the ftrap- and lifting up the other foot with it, when I had done, to fee both were right—in doing it too suddenly-it unavoidably threw the fair fille de chambre off her centre - and then

THE CONQUEST.

PARIS.

YES and then-Ye, whofe 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 fpirits, but for his conduct under them.

If Nature has fo wove her web of kindnefs, that fame threads of love and defire are entangled with the piece — must the whole web be rent in drawing them out?-Whip me fuch ftoicks, great Governor of Nature! said I to myself- Wherever thy providence shall place me for the trials of my virtue-whatever is my danger whatever is my fituation-let me feel the movements which rife out of it, and which belong to me as a man- and if I govern them as a good one, I will truft the illues to thy juftice; for thou haft made us, and not we ourselves.

As I finished my addrefs, I raised the

fair fille de chambre up by the hand, and led her out of the room-she food by me till I locked the door and put the key in my pocket and then the victory being quite decifive- and not till then, I preffed my lips to her cheek, and, taking her by the hand again, led her fafe to the gate of the hotel.

THE MYSTERY.

PARIS.

--

[ocr errors]

IF a man knows the heart, he will know it was impoffible to go back inftantly to my chamber it was touching a cold key with a flat third to it, upon the clofe of a piece of mufick, 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 reafoning upon him.

It was a tall figure of a philofophick,

ferious, aduft look, which passed and repaffed fedately along the street, making a turn of about fixty paces on each side of the gate of the hotel—the man was about fifty-two-had a small cane under his arm- was dreffed in a dark drab-colour'd coat, waistcoat, and breeches, which feemed to have seen some years servicethey were ftill clean, and there was a little air of frugal propreté troughout him. By his pulling off his hat, and his attitude of accofting a good many in his way, I saw he was asking charity; so I got a fous or two out of my pocket, ready to give him, as he took me in his turn he palled by me without asking any thing and yet did not go five fteps farther before he afked charity of a little womanI was much more likely to have given of the two He had foarce done with the woman, when he pulled his hat off to another who was coming the same way.An ancient gentleman came flowly-and, after him, a young fmart one- He let them both pafs, and afked nothing: I food obferving him half an hour, in which time he had made a dozen turns back

[ocr errors]

« ZurückWeiter »