at this time to be found in the study of
Madame B----. When we left her, Madame B----asked me what I thought of
her; I candidly made the above remark to her, "Ah!" said she, "you
should have seen her about a month since, she was then the prettiest
creature in all France;" how so, has she suffered from indisposition?
"oh no," replied Madame B----, smilingly, "but a _month_, you know,
makes a considerable difference upon the face of beauty."

I was much obliged to Madame B---- for the remark, which is greatly
within an observation which I have frequently made, on the evanescent
nature of youthful beauty. Madame B----'s calculations of the given
progress of decay, were eighteen times more swift than mine. The subject
of our conversation, and the busts by which we were surrounded,
naturally led us to talk of the french ladies, and they reminded us,
though _slightly_, of their present _dress_. Madame B----entered into a
particular account of the decorations of a lady of fashion in France. I
have not patience enough to enumerate them here, except that the wife of
a fournisseur will not hesitate paying from three to four hundred pounds
for a Cachemire shawl, nor from four to five hundred pounds for a laced
gown, nor a much larger sum for diamonds cut like pearls, and threaded.
In this costly manner, does the ingenuity of art, and the prodigality of
wealth do homage to the elegance of nature. The entrance to Madame
B----'s apartments seemed at first, a little singular and unsuitable,
but I soon found that it was no unusual circumstance, after groping
through dirty passages, and up filthy staircases to enter a noble hall
and splendid rooms.

Upon leaving Madame B---- I passed the Place de Carousel, and saw the
ruins of the houses, which suffered by the explosion of the infernal
machine, which afforded so much conversation in the world at the time,
by which the first consul was intended to have been destroyed in his way
to the National Institute of Music. This affair has been somewhat
involved in mystery. It is now well known that Monsieur Fouche, at the
head of the police, was acquainted with this conspiracy from its first
conception, and by his vigilant agents, was informed of the daily
progress made in the construction of this destructive instrument, of the
plan of which he had even a copy. The conspirators proceeded with
perfect confidence, and as they thought with perfect security. Three
days before it was quite completed,