THE MYSTERY. PARI S. Fa 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 close of a piece of mufic, 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 fome time, looking at every one who paffed by, and forming conjectures upon them, till my attention got fixed upon a fingle object which confounded all kind of reafoning upon him. IT was a tall figure, of a philofophic, ferious, aduft look, which paffed and re VOL. II. F paffed paffed 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 coloured coat, waistcoat and breeches, which feemed to have seen some years fervice-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 accofting a good many in his way, I faw he was afking charity; fo I got a fous or two out of my pocket ready to give him, as he took me in his turn-he paffed by me without asking anything-and yet did not go five steps further before he asked charity of a little woman-I was much more like to have given of the two-He had fcarce done with the woman, when he pulled off his hat to another who was coming the fame way.-An ancient gentleman came flowly- and after him, a young fmart one-He let them both país, .and and afked nothing. I ftood obferving him half an hour, in which time, he had made a dozen turns backwards and forwards, and found that he invariably purfued the fame plan. THERE were two things very fingular in this, which fet my brain to work, and to no purpose the first was, why the man fhould only tell his story to the fair fex-and fecondly-what kind of ftory it was, and what fpecies of eloquence it could be, which foftened the hearts of the women, which he knew 'twas to no purpose to practise upon the men. THERE were two other circumstances which entangled this myftery- the one was, he told every woman what he had to fay in her ear, and in a way which had much more the air of a secret than a petition the other was, it was always fuccefsful F 2 fuccefsful -he never ftopped a woman, but she pulled out her purse, and immediately gave him fomething I COULD form no fyftem to explain the phænomenon. I HAD got a riddle to amufe me for the rest of the evening, fo I walked up ftairs to my chamber. THE THE CASE OF CONSCIENCE.. PARI S. I WA'S immediately followed up by the master of the hotel, who came into my room to tell me I must provide lodgings elsewhere.How fo, friend? faid I.He anfwered, I had a young woman locked up with me two hours that evening in my bed chamber, and 'twas against the rules of his houfe. Very well, faid I, we'll all part friends then--for the girl is no worfe -and I am no worfe and you will be just as I found you. -It was enough, he said, to overthrow the credit of his hotel.- Voyez vous, Monfieur, faid he, pointing to the foot of the bed we had been fitting upon. I own it had fomething of the appear |