world, if you can only spare me a little of your time—this very evening, perhaps?"

"I fear," said I, "I am engaged all the present week; but I long for nothing more than to cultivate an acquaintance, seemingly so exactly to my own taste."

Thornton's grey eyes twinkled.

breakfast with me on Sunday ?" said he.

"I shall be too happy," I replied.

" Will you

There was now a short pause. I took advantage of it. "I think," said I, "I have seen you once or twice with a tall, handsome man, in a loose great coat of very singular colour. Pray, if not impertinent, who is he? I am sure I have seen him before in England.”

I looked full upon Thornton as I said this; he changed colour, and answered my gaze with a quick glance from his small, glittering eye, before he replied. "I scarcely know who you mean, my acquaintance is so large and miscellaneous at Paris. It might have been Johnson, or Smith, or Howard, or any body, in short."

"It is a man nearly six feet high," said I, "thin, and remarkably well made, of a pale complexion, light eyes, and very black hair, mustachios and whiskers. I saw him with you once in the Bois de Boulogne, and once in a hell in the Palais Royal. Surely, now you will recollect who

he is ?"

Thornton was evidently disconcerted. "Oh!" said he, after a short pause, and another of his peculiarly quick, sly, glances—“ Oh, that man ; I have known him a very short time. What is his name? let me see!" and Mr. Thornton affected to look down in a complete rêverie of dim remembrances.

I saw, however, that, from time to time, his eye glanced up to me, with a restless, inquisitive expression, and as instantly retired.

"Ah," said I, carelessly, "I think I know who he is!"

"Who!" cried Thornton, eagerly, and utterly off his guard.

"And yet," I pursued, without noticing the in

terruption," it scarcely can be-the colour of the hair is so very different."

Thornton again appeared to relapse into his recollections.

"War-Warbur-ah, I have it now !" cried he, "Warburton-that's it-that's the name is it the one you supposed, Mr. Pelham ?”

“No,” said I, apparently perfectly satisfied. “I was quite mistaken. Good morning, I did not think it was so late. On Sunday, then, Mr. Thorntonau plaisir !"

"A d-d cunning dog!" said I to myself, as I left the apartments. "However, on peut être trop fin. I shall have him yet."

The surest way to make a dupe is to let your suppose that you are his.

victim

CHAPTER XXIV.

Voilà de l'érudition.

Les Femmes Savantes.

I FOUND, on my return, covered with blood, and foaming with passion, my inestimable valet— Bedos!

"What's the matter ?" said I.

"Matter!" repeated Bedos, in a tone almost inarticulate with rage; and then rejoicing at the opportunity of unbosoming his wrath, he poured out a vast volley of ivrognes and carognes, against our Dame du Château, of monkey reminiscence. With great difficulty, I gathered, at last, from his vituperations, that the enraged landlady, determined to wreak her vengeance on some one, had

L

sent for him into her apartement, accosted him with a smile, bade him sit down, regaled him with cold vol-au-vent, and a glass of curaçoa, and, while he was felicitating himself on his good fortune, slipped out of the room: presently, three tall fellows entered with sticks.

"We'll teach you," said the biggest of them— "we'll teach you to lock up ladies, for the indulgence of your vulgar amusement;" and, without one other word, they fell upon Bedos, with incre dible zeal and vigour. The valiant valet defended himself, tooth and nail, for some time, for which he only got the more soundly belaboured. In the meanwhile the landlady entered, and, with the same gentle smile as before, begged him to make no ceremony, to proceed with his present amusement, and when he was tired with the exercise, hoped he would refresh himself with another glass of curaçoa.

"It was this," said Bedos, with a whimper, "which hurt me the most, to think she should serve me so cruelly, after I had eaten so plentifully of