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--But
my imagination went on,--I recalled her looks at that crisis of our
separation, when neither of us had power to say adieu! I look'd at
the picture she had tied in a black riband about my neck,--and
blush'd as I look'd at it.--I would have given the world to have
kiss'd it,--but was ashamed.--And shall this tender flower, said I,
pressing it between my hands,--shall it be smitten to its very
root,--and smitten, Yorick! by thee, who hast promised to shelter
it in thy breast?

Eternal Fountain of Happiness! said I, kneeling down upon the
ground,--be thou my witness--and every pure spirit which tastes it,
be my witness also, That I would not travel to Brussels, unless
Eliza went along with me, did the road lead me towards heaven!

In transports of this kind, the heart, in spite of the
understanding, will always say too much.


THE LETTER. AMIENS.


Fortune had not smiled upon La Fleur; for he had been unsuccessful
in his feats of chivalry,--and not one thing had offered to
signalise his zeal for my service from the time that he had entered
into it, which was almost four-and-twenty hours. The poor soul
burn'd with impatience; and the Count de L-'s servant coming with
the letter, being the first practicable occasion which offer'd, La
Fleur had laid hold of it; and, in order to do honour to his
master, had taken him into a back parlour in the auberge, and
treated him with a cup or two of the best wine in Picardy; and the
Count de L-'s servant, in return, and not to be behindhand in
politeness with La Fleur, had taken him back with him to the
Count's hotel. La Fleur's PREVENANCY (for there was a passport in
his very looks) soon set every servant in the kitchen at ease with
him; and as a Frenchman, whatever be his talents, has no sort of
prudery in showing them, La Fleur, in less than five minutes, had
pulled out his fife, and leading off the dance himself with the
first note, set the fille de chambre, the maitre d'hotel, the cook,
the scullion, and all the house-hold, dogs and cats, besides an old
monkey, a dancing: I suppose there never was a merrier kitchen
since the flood.

Madame de L-, in passing from her brother's apartments to her own,
hearing so much jollity below stairs, rung up her fille de chambre
to ask about it; and, hearing it was the English gentleman's
servant, who had set the whole house merry with his pipe, she
ordered him up.

As the poor fellow could not present himself empty, he had loaded
himself in going up stairs with a thousand compliments to Madame de
L-, on the part of his master,--added a long apocrypha of inquiries
after Madame de L-'s health,--told her, that Monsieur his master
was au desespoire for her re-establishment from the fatigues of her
journey,--and, to close all, that Monsieur had received the letter
which Madame had done him the honour--And he has done me the

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