" said I,

"read Shak

"And does the Count de B-
spere?" "C'est un esprit fort," replied the bookseller; "he
loves English books, and what is more to his honour, monsieur,
he loves the English too." "You speak this so civilly," said I,
"that it is enough to oblige an Englishman to lay out a louis
d' or or two at your shop." The bookseller made a bow, and
was going to say something, when a young decent girl about
twenty, who by her air and address seemed to be fille de
chambre to some devout woman of fashion, came into the shop,
and asked for "Les Egarements du Coeur et de l' Esprit :" the
bookseller gave her the book directly; she pulled out a little
green satin purse run round with a riband of the same colour,
and putting her finger and thumb into it, she took out the
money and paid for it. As I had nothing more to stay me in
the shop, we both walked out at the door together.

" with

"And what have you to do, my dear," said I, 'The Wanderings of the Heart,' who scarce know yet you have one? nor, till love has first told you it, or some faithless shepherd has made it ache, canst thou ever be sure it is so." "Dieu m' en garde !" said the girl. "With reason," said I; "for if it is a good one, 't is pity it should be stolen; 't is a little treasure to thee, and gives a better air to your face, than if it was dressed out with pearls."

The young girl listened with submissive attention, holding her satin purse by its riband in her hand all the time.

"'Tis

a very small one," said I, taking hold of the bottom of it (she held it towards me), "and there is very little in it, my dear," said I; "but be but as good as thou art handsome, and heaven will fill it." I had a parcel of crowns in my hand to pay for Shakespere; and, as she had let go the purse entirely, I put a single one in; and, tying up the riband in a bow-knot, returned it to her.

The young girl made me a more humble courtesy than a low one: 't was one of those quiet, thankful sinkings, where the spirit bows itself down-the body does no more than tell it. I never gave a girl a crown in my life which gave me half the pleasure.

"My advice, my dear, would not have been worth a pin to you," said I, "if I had not given this along with it; but now, when you see the crown, you'll remember it so don't, my dear, lay it out in ribands."

Upon my word, sir," said the girl, earnestly, "I am incapable;" in saying which, as is usual in little bargains of honour, she gave me her hand: “En vérité, monsieur, je mettrai cet argent à part,” said she.

When a virtuous convention is made betwixt a man and a woman, it sanctifies their most private walks: so, notwithstanding it was dusky, yet, as both our roads lay the same way, we made no scruple of walking along the Quai de Conti together.

Barlow foulp

THE FILLE de CHAMBRE
And as she let go the Purse interdy, I put a
single Crown into it; and tying up the Ribband in a
Bow-knot returned it to hor

Published Oct 22 1793. kv G. Kearsley in Fleet Street.

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