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Calais 2 I Perceived that something darkend the passage more than myself, as I steppd along it to my room; it was effectually Mons. Dessein, the master of the hôtel who had just returnd from vespers, and, with his hat under his arm, was most complaisantly following me, to put me in mind of my wants. I had wrote myself pretty well out of conceit with the Desobligeant; and Mons. Dessein speaking of it, with a shrug, as if it would no way suit me, it immediately struck my fancy that it belongd to some innocent Traveller, who, on his return home, had left it to Mons. Desseins honour to make the most of. Four months had elapsed since it had finishd its career of Europe in the corner of Mons. Desseins coach yard; and having sallied out from thence but a vamptup business at the first, though it had been twice taken to pieces on Mount Sennis, it had not profited much by its adventuresbut by none so little as the standing so many months unpitied in the corner of Mons. Desseins coach yard. Much indeed was not to be said for itbut something mightand when a few words will rescue misery out of her distress, I hate the man who can be a churl of them. Now was I the master of this hôtel, said I, laying the point of my forefinger on Mons. Desseins breast, I would inevitably make a point of getting rid of this unfortunate Desobligeantit stands swinging reproaches at you every time you pass by it Mon dieu! said Mons. DesseinI have no interestExcept the interest, said I, which men of a certain turn of mind take, Mons. Dessein, in their own sensationsIm persuaded, to a man who feels for others as well as for himself, every rainy night, disguise it as you will, must cast a damp upon your spiritsYou suffer, Mons. Dessein, as much as the Machine I have always observed when there is as much sour as sweet in a compliment, that an Englishman is eternally at a loss within himself, whether to take it, or let it alone: a French man never is; Mons. Dessein made me a bow. Cest bien vrai, said heBut in this case I should only exchange one disquietude for another, and with loss: figure to yourself, my dear Sir, that in giving you a chaise which would fall to pieces before you had got half way to Parisfigure to yourself how much I should suffer, in giving an ill impression of myself to a man of honour, and lying at the mercy, as I must do, dun homme desprit. The dose was made up exactly after my own prescription; so I could not help taking itand returning Mons. Dessein his bow, without more casuistry we walked together towards his remise, to take a view of his magazine of chaises. In The Street Calais It must needs be a hostile kind of a world, when the buyer (if it be but of a sorry post-chaise) cannot go forth with the seller thereof into the street to terminate the difference betwixt them, but he instantly falls into the same frame of mind, and views his Conventionist with the same sort of eye, as if he was going along with him to Hyde-park corner to fight a duel. For my own part, being but a poor swords man, and no way a match for Monsieur Dessein, I felt the rotation of all the movements within me, to which the situation is incidentI lookd at Monsieur Dessein thro and throeyd him as he walked along in profilethen, en facethought he lookd like a Jewthen a Turkdisliked his wigcursed him by my godswished him at the devil And is all this to be lighted up in the heart for a beggarly account of three or four Louis-dors, which is the most I can be over-reached in?Base passion! said I, turning myself about, as a man naturally does upon a sudden reverse of sentimentbase, ungentle passion! thy hand is against every man, and every mans hand against theeHeaven forbid! said she, raising her hand up to her forehead, for I had turned full in front upon the lady whom I had seen in conference with the monkshe had followed us unperceivedHeaven forbid indeed! said I, offering her my ownshe had a black pair of silk gloves |
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