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letter in his pocket wrote by a drummer in his regiment to a
corporal's wife, which he durst say would suit the occasion.

I had a mind to let the poor fellow have his humour.--Then prithee,
said I, let me see it.

La Fleur instantly pulled out a little dirty pocket book cramm'd
full of small letters and billet-doux in a sad condition, and
laying it upon the table, and then untying the string which held
them all together, run them over, one by one, till he came to the
letter in question,--La voila! said he, clapping his hands: so,
unfolding it first, he laid it open before me, and retired three
steps from the table whilst I read it.


THE LETTER.


Madame,

Je suis penetre de la douleur la plus vive, et reduit en meme temps
au desespoir par ce retour imprevu du Caporal qui rend notre
entrevue de ce soir la chose du monde la plus impossible.

Mais vive la joie! et toute la mienne sera de penser a vous.

L'amour n'est rien sans sentiment.

Et le sentiment est encore moins sans amour.

On dit qu'on ne doit jamais se desesperer.

On dit aussi que Monsieur le Caporal monte la garde Mercredi:
alors ce cera mon tour.

Chacun a son tour.

En attendant--Vive l'amour! et vive la bagatelle!

Je suis, Madame,

Avec tous les sentimens les plus respectueux et les plus tendres,

tout a vous,

JAQUES ROQUE.


It was but changing the Corporal into the Count,--and saying
nothing about mounting guard on Wednesday,--and the letter was
neither right nor wrong: --so, to gratify the poor fellow, who
stood trembling for my honour, his own, and the honour of his
letter,--I took the cream gently off it, and whipping it up in my
own way, I seal'd it up and sent him with it to Madame de L-;--and
the next morning we pursued our journey to Paris.


PARIS.


When a man can contest the point by dint of equipage, and carry all
on floundering before him with half a dozen of lackies and a couple
of cooks--'tis very well in such a place as Paris,--he may drive in
at which end of a street he will.

A poor prince who is weak in cavalry, and whose whole infantry does
not exceed a single man, had best quit the field, and signalize
himself in the cabinet, if he can get up into it;--I say UP INTO
IT--for there is no descending perpendicular amongst 'em with a "Me
voici! mes enfans"--here I am--whatever many may think.

I own my first sensations, as soon as I was left solitary and alone
in my own chamber in the hotel, were far from being so flattering
as I had prefigured them. I walked up gravely to the window in my
dusty black coat, and looking through the glass saw all the world
in yellow, blue, and green, running at the ring of pleasure.--The
old with broken lances, and in helmets which had lost their
vizards;--the young in armour bright which shone like gold,
beplumed with each gay feather of the east,--all,--all, tilting at

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