I will just shew you, said the fair fille-dechambre, the little purse I have been making today 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. >> - I never bore expecta tion more quietly al last it was in her right pocket she pulled it out; it was of green taffetas, lined with a little bit of white quilted satin, and just big enough to hold the crown she put it into my hand - it was pretty; and I held it ten minutes with the back of 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 manoeuvre, I felt the laurels shake, which fancy had wreathed about my head. - - I 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 could not for my soul but fasten the buckle in return, and putting in the strap—and lifting up the other foot with it, when I had done, to see both were right-in doing it too suddenly—it unavoidably threw the fair fille-de-chambre off 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 stoics, great governor of Nature! said I to myselfWherever thy providence 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 -I will trust the issues to thy justice, for thou hast made us- - and not we ourselves. As I finished my address, I raised the fair fillede-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-the victory being quite decisive and not till then, one - I pressed my lips to her cheek, and, taking her by the hand again, led her safe to the gate of the hotel. LIII. THE MYSTERY. PARIS. Ir a man knows the heart, he will know it was impossible 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 music 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 him. It was a tall figure of a philosophic, 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 cane under his arm was dressed in a dark drab-coloured coat, waistcoat 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 pulling off his hat and his attitude of accosting a good many in his way, I saw he was asking charity; so I got a sous or two |