M

So much the better: for when my views are direct, Eugenius, I care not if all the world faw me feel it.

I had counted twenty pulfations, and was going on faft towards the fortieth, when her husband coming unexpected from a back parlour into the shop, put, me a little out in my reckoning 'Twas no body but her husband, fhe faid fo I began a fresh score Monfieur is fo good. quoth fhe, as he pass'd by us, as to give himself the trouble of feeling my pulfe The hufband took off his hat, and making me a bow, faid, I did him too much honour and having faid that, he put on his hat and walk'd out.

Good God! faid I to myfelf, as he went out and can this man be the hufband of this woman?

Let it not torment the few who know what must have been the grounds of this exclamation, if I explain it to those who do not,

In

In London a fhopkeeper and a fhopkeeper's wife feem to be one bone and one flesh: in the feveral endowments of mind and body, fometimes the one, fometimes the other has it, fo as in general to be upon a par, and to tally with each other as nearly as man and wife need to do.

In Paris, there are fcarce two orders of beings more different: for the legislative and executive powers of the shop not refting in the hufband, he feldom comes there in fome dark and difmal room behind, he fits commerceless in his thrum night-cap, the fame rough fon of Nature that Nature left him.

The genius of a people where nothing but the monarchy is salique, having ceded t this department, with fundry others, totally to the women by a continual higgling with customers of all ranks and fizes from morning to night, like fo many rough pebbles fhook long together in a bag, by amicable collifions, they have worn down their afperities and fharp angles, and not only become round and smooth, but will receive, fome of them, a polifh like a brilliant Monfieur le Mari is little better than the stone under your foot

Surely

Surely man! it is not good for thee to fit alone -thou waft made for focial intercourfe

1

and gentle greetings, and this improvement of our natures from it, I appeal to, as my evidence,

And how does it beat, Monfieur? faid fhe. With all the benignity, faid I, looking quietly in her eyes, that I expected She was going to say something civil in return but the lad came into the

The beautiful Griffet rofe up when I faid this, and going behind the counter, reach'd down a parcel and untied it: I advanced to the fide over- against her: they were all too large. The beautiful Griffet meafured them one by one across my hand It would not alter the dimenfions She begg'd I would try a fingle pair, which feemed to be the leaft

She

my hand flipp'd into it at once --faid I, fhaking my head a little

doing the fame thing.

There are certain combined looks of fimple fubtlety where whim, and fenfe, and seriousness, and non

fenfe,

they

fenfe, are fo blended, that all the languages of Babel fet loofe together could not exprefs them are communicated and caught fo inftantaneously, that you can fcarce fay which party is the infecter. I leave it to your men of words to fwell pages about it it is enough in the present to fay again, the gloves would not do; fo folding our hands within our arms, we both loll'd upon the counter it was narrow, and there was just room for the parcel to lay between

us.

The beautiful Griffet look'd fometimes at the gloves, then fide - ways to the window, then at the gloves and then at me. I was not difpofed to I follow'd her example: fo I look'd at the gloves, then to the window, then at the gloves, and then at her and fo on alternately.

break filence

fhe

I found I loft confiderably in every attack had a quick black eye, and fhot through two fuch long and filken eye-lashes with fuch penetration, that fhe look'd into my very heart and reins It may feem strange, but I could actually feel fhe did

It is no matter, faid I, taking up a couple of the pairs next me, and putting them into my pocket.

I was fenfible the beautiful Griffet had not afk'd above a fingle livre above the price I wish'd she had

F 5

-

afk'd

afk'd a livre more, and was puzzling my brains how to bring the matter about Do you think, my dear Sir, faid fhe, miftaking my embaraffment, that I could afk a fous too much of a stranger and of a ftranger whofe politenefs, more than his want of gloves, has done me the honour to lay himself at my mercy? M'en croyez vous capable? Faith! not I, faid I, and if you were, you are welcome So counting the money into her hand, and with a lower bow than one generally makes to a shopkeeper's wife, I went out, and her lad with his parcel followed me.

There was no body in the box I was let into but a kindly old French officer. I love the character, not only because I honour the man whofe manners are foftened by a profeffion which makes bad men worse; but that I once knew one for he is no

more-se and why should I not rescue one page from violation by writing his name in it, and telling the world it was Captain Tobias Shandy, the dearest of my flock and friends, whofe philanthropy I never think

of