up haftily from the table, complained of increased indifpofition, and retired. The indifpofition of Vallaton was not altogether feigned. He felt a sickness at his heart, which he perfuaded himself was occafioned by the unufual quantity of wine which he had swallowed, operating on an empty ftomach. The open air would diffipate these fumes, and a walk would, by fupper-time, reftore his appetite: he went out. With hafty steps he hurried along the ftreets without obferving which way he went, nor did any object attract his attention, till he found himself in the midst of La Place de Caroufal. He there looked up; but never were the energies of a philofopher put to a feverer trial than those Vallaton underwent, on beholding himfelf at the foot of the inftrument of death-the blood-stained guillotine! He started with horror, yet had he not the power of inftantly turning from it; he feemed arrested to the fpot; he gazed upon the fcaffold; he fancied he there beheld the placid countenance of the meek old man fmiling upon him, as when he preffed his hand at parting. Again he thought he faw his filver hairs grafped by the hand of the executioner, and the bloodftreaming head held up to his diftracted fight. His knees fmote againft each other, a chilly coldnefs crept along his whole frame, and his emotions became fo apparent, as to attract the notice of the paffengers. "My An honeft fans-culotte came up to him. good citizen," faid he, "I would have you remember, that this is no place to indulge your melancholy. You have, probably, had fome friend fent to heaven by this short bridge; but who, in Paris, has not? If you ftay here till your grief be taken notice of, it may create fome fufpicions of of incivism, which may get you into a disagreeable predicament." Vallaton thanked his monitor, and ufing his utmost endeavours to recollect himself, returned to his home. The inventions of prieftcraft had never implanted a prejudice in the breaft of Vallaton. He laughed at the terrors of fuperftition, and derided the folly of those who could believe in Yet would he now the exiftence of confcience. have given, not only the bag of gold which was contained in his portmanteau, but all which the wide world could furnish, to have been reftored to the fame tranquillity which, but a fortnight ago, he had enjoyed. Whether he fought the conversation of his friends, or mixed in the fcenes of revelry and riot; whether he bafked in the mid-day fun, or covered himself up in the darkness of night; ftill the trunklefs head of the old man purfued him. To his "mind's eye," in every place, in every fitIn this uation, the haggard vifion appeared. frame of mind, it may be believed, that he readily acquiefced in Myope's propofal of leaving Paris. All that happened to him from this period is fo interwoven with the hiftory of Mr. Myope, that it must ftill be fresh in the reader's recollection. Here, therefore, we fhall clofe this tedious chapter. CHAP. X. "Hard is the fortune that your fex attends! IT was a late hour before the philofophers, affembled at Mr. Glib's, thought of feparating; and long after Mrs. Botherim's ufual time of breakfast on the following morning, before Bridgetina iffued from her apartment. They had just began the repaft, which the fond mother had been at much pains to prepare, and to keep warm for her darling child, when Julia Delmond entered the parlour. The pallid countenance and languid air of their fair vifitor plainly spoke her want of reft; and the visible impatience with which he waited for the finishing of the tedious meal, evidently denoted the perturbed state of her spirits. No fooner had Mrs. Botherim left the room, than Julia, feizing the hand of her friend, faid fhe was extremely anxious for her opinion concerning an affair of fome moment, but could not have that fatisfaction without betraying the secrets of another, and feared it was not juftifiable to do fo. "Not justifiable !" returned Bridgetina, "furely you cannot have forgotten, that the facts with which you are acquainted are a part of your poffeffions, and that you are as much obliged, with C 2 refpect respect to them as in any other cafe, to employ Well, then,' faid Julia, I fhall tell you all. You must know, that laft night Mr. Vallaton gave me his whole history.' "How!" cried Bridgetina, "while he efcorted you home ?" For you No returned Julia, while a crimson blush overspread her countenance, not exactly as we were walking home, but afterwards. muft know,' continued fhe, blufhing ftill deeper than before, that having offended him by fomething I faid at Mr. Glib's, he told me, as we were going to my father's, he plainly faw that, instead of being enlightened by the principles of the philofophers, I was ftill the flave of prejudice. I denied the charge, and he retorted it. At length he faid he would pur me to the proof. If I had energy fufficient to dare to meet him in the arbour at the bottom of the garden, after the famiły were retired to reft, he would acknowledge his error, and adore me. I for fome time hesitated, but at length I could not bear the thought of appearing despicable in his eyes by my want of energy. I went. Think, Bridgetina, what an interview how extraordinary! how interesting !' "Ah! how charming !" exclaimed Bridgetina, heaving a deep figh; "ah! what a dear man Mr. Vallaton is !" • Dear, 1 Dear, indeed!' rejoined Julia, he is the moft amiable of men, and, alas! the most unfortunate. Had you but heard how feelingly he deplored the mystery that hung over his birth! "Good gracious!" cried Bridgetina, interrupting her, "a mystery over his birth! how delightful! how did it happen ?" drawing her chair ftill closer to Julia's, "Pray tell me all." • Why you must know,' proceeded Julia, that it was on a fine fummer's morning, in the month of July, that his dear deceafed patronefs (a lady of great family and fortune) being induced, by the beauty of the morning, to take a walk in the thick fhade of a fequeftered grove, heard the cries of an infant, and turning her eyes, beheld a white basket, lined with quilted pink fatin, and a covering of white peelong, richly embroidered, thrown lightly over it. She approached; and lifting up the covering, beheld a lovely boy, who fweetly fmiled in her face. She immediately refolved on taking the charming infant under her protection, and bringing him up as her own fon. As he grew up, her affection for him, as you may eatily imagine, increased; and her whole fortune would undoubtedly have been fettled upon him, had the not fuddenly died one morning without having made a will, fo that poor MF. Vallaton was left without any other provifion than two or three thoufand pounds, which the had put into the funds for his college expences. These circumstances, he faid, unfortunate as they might appear in the eyes of vulgar minds, were to him matter of great fatisfaction, till he faw me. His mind had fufficient energy to rife above every existing circumftance, but that of hopeless love. It was now that he first deplored thofe circumftances of his birth and fortune, which he knew |