in nature.
the heart of cruelty herself with pity –

it will kill the humane, and touch

The notary was inflamed with a desire to begin, and put his pen a third time into his inkhorn and the old gentleman, turning a little more towards the notary, began to dictate his story in these words

And where is the rest of it, La Fleur? said I, as he just entered the room.

LIX.

THE FRAGMENT,

AND THE BOUQUET. *

PARIS.

WI HEN La Fleur came up close to the table, and was made to comprehend what I wanted, he told me there were only two other sheets of it, which he had wrapt round the stalks of a bouquet to keep it together, which he had presented to the demoiselle upon the boulevarts→ Then, prithee, La Fleur, said I, step back to her to the count de B-'s hótel, and see if thou canst get it-There is no doubt of it, said La Fleur and away le flew.

In a very little time the poor fellow came back quite out of breath, with deeper marks of disappointment in his looks than could arise from the simple irreparability of the fragment Juste * Nosegay.

ciel! in less than two minutes that the poor fellow had taken his last tender farewell of her his faithless mistress had given his gage d'amour to one of the count's footmen the footman to a young sempstress and the sempstress to a fiddler, with my fragment at the end of it — Our misfortunes were involved together - I gave a

and La Fleur echoed it back again to

sigh
my ear-

How perfidious! cried La Fleur-How unlucky! said I.

I should not have been mortified, Monsieur, quoth La Fleur, if she had lost it. - Nor I, La Fleur, said I, had I found it.

Whether I did or no will be seen hereafter.

LX THE ACT OF CHARITY.

PARIS.

THE man, who either disdains or fears to walk up a dark entry, may be an excellent good man, and fit for a hundred things; but he will not do to make a good sentimental traveller. I count little of the many things I see pass, at broad noon day, in large and open streets -Nature is shy, and hates to act before spectators; but in such an unobserved corner you sometimes see a single short scene of her's, worth all the sentiments of a dozen French plays compounded together · and yet they are absolutely fine-and whenever

I have a more brilliant affair upon my hands than common, as they suit a preacher just as well as a hero, I generally make my sermon out of them and for the text - << Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia *» — is as good as any one in the Bible.

There is a long dark passage issuing out from the opéra comique into a narrow street; it is trod by a few who humbly wait for a fiacre **, or wish to get off quietly on foot when the opéra is done. At the end of it, towards the théâtre, 'tis lighted by a small candle, the light of which is almost lost before you get half-way down, but near the door it is more for ornament than use you see it as a fixed star of the least magnitude; it burns-but does little good to the world, that we know of.

In returning along this passage, I discerned, as I approached within five or six paces of the door, two ladies standing arm in arm, with their backs against the wall, waiting, as I imagined, for a fiacre

as they were next the door, I thought they had a prior right; so edged myself up within a yard or little more of them, and quietly took my stand I was in black, and scarce seen. The lady next me was a tall lean figure of a woman, of about thirty-six; the other of the same size and make, of about forty; there was no

Pet. Ep. 1, c. I, V. I,

Hackney-coach,

mark of wife or widow in any one part of either of them they seemed to be two upright vestal sisters, unsapped by caresses, unbroke in upon by tender salutations; I could have wished to have made them happy-their happiness was destined, that night, to come from another quarter.

A low voice, with a good turn of expression and sweet cadence at the end of it, begged for a twelve-sous piece betwixt them, for the love of heaven. I thought it singular, that a beggar should fix the quota of an alms and that the sum should be twelve times as much as what is usually given in the dark. They both seemed astonished at il as much as myself. Twelve sous! said one A twelve-sous piece! said the other made no reply.

and

The poor man said, he knew not how to ask less of ladies of their rank; and bowed down his head to the ground.

Poo! said they we have no money.

The beggar remained silent for a moment or two, and renewed his supplication.

Do not, my fair young ladies, said he, stop your good ears against me— Upon my word, honest man! said the younger, we have no change Then God bless you, said the poor man, and multiply those joys which you can give to others without change! I observed the elder sister puț her hand into her pocket I will see, said she,

if I have a sous. --- A sous! give twelve, said the

supplicant; Nature has been bountiful to you, be bountiful to a poor man.

I would, friend, with all my heart, said the younger, if I had it.

My fair charitable! said he, addressing himself to the elder- -What is it but your goodness and humanity which makes your bright eyes so sweet, that they outshine the morning even in this dark passage? and what was it which made the marquis de Santerre and his brother say so much of you both as they just passed by?

The two ladies seemed much affected; and impulsively at the same time they both put their hands into their pockets, and each took out a twelve-sous piece.

cant was no more

The contest betwixt them and the poor suppli it was continued betwixt themselves, which of the two should give the twelve-sous piece in charity and to end the dispute, they both gave it together, and the man

went away.

I

LXI. THE RIDDLE, EXPLAINED.

PARIS.

STEPPED hastily after him it was the very man whose success in asking charity of the women before the door of the hotel had so puzzled me and I found at once his secret, or at least the basis of it it was flattery.