|
||||||||
There were two things very singular in this, which set my brain to work, and to no purposethe first was, why the man should only tell his story to the sexand secondlywhat kind of story it was, and what species of eloquence it could be, which softened the hearts of the women, which he knew twas to no purpose to practise upon the men. There were two other circumstances which entangled this mysterythe one was, he told every woman what he had to say in her ear, and in a way which had much more the air of a secret than a petitionthe other was, it was always successfulhe never stoppd a woman, but she pulld out her purse, and immediately gave him something. I could form no system to explain the phænomenon. I had got a riddle to amuse me for the rest of the evening, so I walkd up stairs to my chamber. The Case of Conscience Paris I was immediately followed up by the master of the hôtel, who came into my room to tell me I must provide lodgings elsewhereHow so, friend? said IHe answerd, I had had a young woman lockd up with me two hours that evening in my bed-chamber, and twas against the rules of his houseVery well, said I, well all part friends thenfor the girl is no worseand I am no worseand you will be just as I found youIt was enough, he said, to overthrow the credit of his hôtelVoyez vous, Monsieur, said he, pointing to the foot of the bed we had been sitting uponI own it had something of the appearance of an evidence; but my pride not suffering me to enter into any detail of the case, I exhorted him to let his soul sleep in peace, as I resolved to let mine do that night, and that I would discharge what I owed him at breakfast. I should not have minded, Monsieur, said he, if you had had twenty girlsTis a score more, replied I, interrupting him, than I ever reckoned uponProvided, added he, it had been but in a morningAnd does the difference of the time of the day at Paris make a difference in the sin?It made a difference, he said, in the scandalI like a good distinction in my heart; and cannot say I was intolerably out of temper with the manI own it is necessary, reassumed the master of the hôtel, that a stranger at Paris should have the opportunities presented to him of buying lace and silk stockings and ruffles, et tout celaand tis nothing if a woman comes with a band-boxO my conscience, said I, she had one; but I never lookd into itThen, Monsieur, said he, has bought nothingNot one earthly thing, replied IBecause, said he, I could recommend one to you who would use you en conscienceBut I must see her this night, said IHe made me a low bow, and walkd down. Now shall I triumph over this maitre dhôtel, cried Iand what then?Then I shall let him see I know he is a dirty fellowAnd what then?What then!I was too near myself to say it was for the sake of othersI had no good answer leftthere was more of spleen than principle in my project, and I was sick of it before the execution. In a few minutes the Grisset came in with her box of laceI ll buy nothing however, said I, within myself. The Grisset would shew me every thingI was hard to please: she would not seem to see it; she opend her little magazine, laid all her laces one after another before meunfolded and folded them up again one by one with the most patient sweetnessI might buyor notshe would let me have every thing at my own pricethe poor creature seemd anxious to get a penny; and laid herself out to win me, and not so much in a manner which seemd artful, as in one I felt simple and caressing. If there is not a fund of honest cullibility in man, so much the worsemy heart relented, and I gave up my second resolution as quietly as the firstWhy should I chastise one for the trespass of another? if thou art tributary to this tyrant of an host, thought I, looking up in her face, so much harder is thy bread. |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Copyright: All texts on Bibliomania are © Bibliomania.com Ltd, and may not be reproduced in any form without our written permission. See our FAQ for more details. | ||||||||