in the evening, I came to wish Emilia good night. I thought I perceived a tear on her cheek, and would have ftaid, but for the fhame of not going. The company perceived my want of gaiety, and Delaferre was merry on the occafion. Even my friend the Colonel threw in a little raillery on the subject of marriage. 'Twas the first time I felt fomewhat awkward at being the only married man of the party.

We played deeper and fat later than formerly; but I was to fhew myself not afraid of my wife, and objected to neither. I loft confiderably, and returned home mortified and chagrined. I faw Emilia next morning, whose spirits were not high. Methought her looks reproached my conduct, and I was enough in the wrong to be angry that they did fo. Delaferre came to take me to his house to dinner. He obferved as we went, that Emilia looked ill. "Going to the 66 country will re-establish her," faid I.-" Do 66 you leave Paris?" faid he." In a few days." "Had I fuch motives for remaining in it as « you have."-"What motives?"-"The attachment of fuch friends; but friendship is a "cold word: the attachment of fuch a woman << as de Trenville." I know not how I looked, but he preffed the fubject no farther; perhaps I was lefs offended than I ought to have been.

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We went to that Lady's house after dinner. She was dreffed moft elegantly, and looked more beautiful than ever I had feen her. The party was more numerous than ufual, and there was more vivacity in it. The converfation turned upon my intention of leaving Paris; the ridicule of country-manners, of country-opinions, of the infipidity of country-enjoyments, was kept up with infinite fpirit by Delaferre, and most of the younger members of the company. Madame de Trenville did not join in their mirth, and fometimes looked at me as if the fubject was too serious for her to be merry I was half ashamed and half forry that I was going to the country; lefs uneafy than vain at the preference that was fhewn me.

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N° 84. SATURDAY, September 9, 1768.

Conclusion of the Story of Father Nicholas.

I Was a coward, however, in the wrong as well as in the right, and fell upon an expedient to fereen myfelf from a discovery that might have faved me. I contrived to deceive my wife, and to conceal my vifits to Madame de Trenville's, under the pretence of fome perplexing incidents that had arisen in the management of thofe affairs with which I was intrufted. Her mind was too pure for suspicion or for jealousy. It was eafy even for a novice in falfehood, like me, to deceive her. But I had an able affiftant in Delaferre, who now refumed the afcendency over me he had formerly poffeffed, but with an attraction more powerful, from the infatuated attachment which my vanity and weakness, as much as her art and beauty, had made me conceive for Madame de Trenville.

It happened that just at this time a young man arrived from our province, and brought letters for Emilia from a female friend of her's

in the neighbourhood of Santonges. He had been bred a miniature-painter, and came to town for improvement in his art. Emilia, who doted on her little boy, proposed to him to draw his picture in the innocent attitude of his fleep. The young painter was pleafed with the idea, provided fhe would allow him to paint the child in her arms. This was to be concealed from me, for the fake of furprising me with the picture when it should be finished. That she might have a better opportunity of effecting this little concealment, Emilia would often hear, with a sort of satisfaction, my engagements abroad, and encourage me to keep them, that the picture might advance in my abfence.

She knew not what, during that absence, was my employment. The flave of vice and of profufion, I was violating my faith to her, in the arms of the most artful and worthlefs of women, and lofing the fortune that should have fupported my child and her's, to a fet of cheats and villains. Such was the fnare that Delaferre and his affociates had drawn around me. It was covered with the appearance of love and generofity. De Trenville had art enough to make me believe, that fhe was every way the victim of her affection for me. My firft great loffes at play fhe pretended to reimburse from her own private fortune, and then threw her

felf

felf upon my honour, for relief from those diftreffes into which I had brought her. After having exhausted all the money I poffeffed, and all my credit could command, I would have ftopped fhort of ruin: but when I thought of returning in disgrace and poverty to the place I had left refpected and happy, I had not refolution enough to retreat. I took refuge in defperation, mortgaged the remains of my estate, and ftaked the produce to recover what I had loft, or to lose myself. The event was such as might have been expected.

After the dizzy horror of my fituation had left me power to think, I hurried to Madame de Trenville's. She gave me fuch a reception as fuited one who was no longer worth the deceiving. Conviction of her falfehood, and of that ruin to which fhe had been employed to lead me, flashed upon my mind. I left her with execrations, which the received with the coolness of hardened vice, of experienced seduction. I rushed from her house, I knew not whither. My steps involuntarily led me home. At my own door I ftopped, as if it had been death to enter. When I had fhrunk back fome paces, I turned again; twice did I attempt to knock, and could not; my heart throbbed with unfpeakable horror, and my knees fmote each other. It was night, and the street was dark

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