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126

CHAP.

XII.

FEMALE BRAVERY.

pistol in each hand, and, overwhelmed with suppressed agony
and agitation, she soundly slept till she was called by her
servants, two hours after these wretches had left the house.
He related also another instance of that resolution which is
not unfrequently exhibited by women, when those generous
affections, for which they are so justly celebrated, are menaced
with danger. About the same period, two of the children
of Monsieur O were in Paris at school: A rumour had
reached him, that the teachers of the seminary in which
they were placed, had offended the government, and were
likely to be butchered, and that the carnage which was ex-
pected to take place, might, in its undistinguishing fury, ex-
tend to the pupils. Immediately upon receiving this intelli-
gence, Monsieur O— ordered his carriage, for the purpose
O-
Madame O—— implored of him to

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of proceeding to town.
permit her to accompany him; in vain did he beseech her
to remain at home; the picture of danger which he painted,
only rendered her more determined. She mounted the car-
riage, and seated herself by the side of her husband. When
they reached Paris, they were stopped in the middle of the
street St. Honoré, by the massacre of a large number of
prisoners who had just been taken out of a church which
had been converted into a prison. Their ears were pierced
with screams. Many of the miserable victims were cut down,
clinging to the windows of their carriage. During the dread-
ful delays, which they suffered in passing through this street,
Madame O-discovered no sensations of alarm, but sted-
fastly fixed her eyes upon the back of the coach box, to avoid,

as

FEMALE BRAVERY.

as much as possible, observing the butcheries which were perpetrating on each side of her.

Had she been observed to close her eyes, or to set back in the carriage, she would have excited a suspicion, which, no doubt, would have proved fatal to her. At length she reached the school which contained her children, where she found the rumour which they had received was without foundation; she calmly conducted them to the carriage, and during their gloomy return through Paris, betrayed no emotions; but as soon as they had passed the barrier, and were once more in safety upon the road to their peaceful chateau, the exulting mother, in an agony of joy, pressed her children to her bosom, and in a state of mind wrought up to frenzy, arrived at her own house, in convulsions of ghastly laughter. Monsieur

— never spoke of this charming woman, without exhibiting the strongest emotions of regard. He said, that in sickness she suffered no one to attend upon him but herself, that in all his afflictions she had supported him, and that she mitigated the deep melancholy which the sufferings of his country, and his own privations, had fixed upon him, by the well-timed sallies of her elegant fancy, or by the charms of her various accomplishments.

I found myself a gainer in the article of delight, by leaving the gayest metropolis that Europe can present to a traveller, for the sake of visiting such a family.

127

CHAP.

XII.

CHAP.

CHAP.
XIII.

CHAPTER XIII.

Breakfast. Warmth of French Expression.-Rustic Eloquence.-
Curious Cause assigned for the late extraordinary Frost. - Madame
R. -Paul I.- Tivoli.- Frescati.

R

IN the morning we breakfasted in the drawing room, in which the murderous myrmidons of Robespierre had been regaled. It was beautifully situated. Its windows looked into a grove which Monsieur O had formed of valuable american shrubs. His youngest daughter, a beautiful little girl of about five years of age, rather hastily entered the room with a pair of tame wood pigeons in her hands, which, in her eagerness to bring to her father, she had too forcibly pressed, who very gently told her, it was cruel to hurt her little favourites, more particularly as they were a species of bird which was remarkable for its unoffending innocence. The little creature burst into tears, 66 my little Harriet, why "do you weep?" said her father, kissing her white forehead, and pressing her to him. Why do you rebuke me?" said the little sufferer, "when you know I love you so much that I "could kiss your naked heart."

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I mention this circumstance, to show how early in life, the french children imbibe the most charming expressions, by which their more mature conversation is rendered so peculiarly captivating. During our repast, a circumstance occurred, which produced an unusual vivacity amongst all the party,

and

WARMTH OF FRENCH EXPRESSION.

O

and afforded a specimen of the talent and pleasantry of the french country people. The gardener entered, with the paper, and letters of the day. Amongst them, was a letter which had been opened, appeared very much disordered, and ought to have been received upon the preceding day. Monsieur seemed much displeased, and called upon his man to explain the matter. The gardener, who possessed a countenance which beamed with animation and good humour, made a low bow, and without appearing to be, in the least degree, disconcerted, proceeded to unfold the affair, with the most playful ingenuity. He stated that, the dairy maid was very pretty, that she made every body in love with her, and was very much in love herself, that she was accustomed to receive a great number of billet doux, which, on account of her education having been very far below her incomparable merits, she was not able to understand, without the assistance of Nicolene, the groom, who was her confident, and amanuensis; that on the day before, he gave her the letter in question, with directions to carry it to his master, that under the influence of that, thoughtful absence which is said to attend the advanced stages of the tender passion, she soon afterwards conceived that it was no other than a customary homage from one of her many admirers, upon which she committed the supposed depositary of tender sighs and brittle vows, to the warm custody of her glowing bosom, than which, the gardener, (who at this moment saw his master's eyes were engaged by the sullied appearance of the letter), declared that nothing was fairer; he again proceeded, by observing,

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129

СНАР.

XIII.

130

CHAP.
XIII.

RUSTIC ELOQUENCE.

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that in the course of the preceding evening, as she was stooping to adjust her stool in the meadow, the cow kicked, and the epistle tumbled into the milk pail, that she afterwards dried it by the kitchen fire, and gave it, for the reasons before assigned, to her confidential friend to explain to her, whe soon discovered it to be a letter of business, addressed to his master, instead of an impassioned love ditty for the tender Marie; that, finally, all the principals concerned in this unhappy affair were overwhelmed with distress, on account of the sad disaster, and that the kitchen had lost all its vivacity ever since. No advocate could have pleaded more eloquently. All the family, from its chief, to little Harriet, whose tears were not yet dried, were in a continued fit of laughing. The gar dener, whose face very largely partook of the gaiety which he had so successfully excited, was commissioned, by his ami able master, to tell the distressed dairy maid, that love always carried his pardon in his hand for all his offences, and that he cheerfully forgave her, but directed the gardener, to prevent a recurrence of similar accidents, not again to trust her with his letters until the tender disease was radically removed. The rustic orator gracefully bowed; and left us to finish our breakfast with increased good humour, and to carry forgiveness and consolation to poor Marie and all her condoling friends in the kitchen. Before we had completed our repast, a little deformed elderly lady made her appearance, whose religion had been shaken by the revolution, into a crazy and gloomy superstition. She had scarcely seated herself, before she began a very rapid and voluble comment upon the change of the

times,

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