ke's scullions
insisted upon shaving him; this sea-wit, turning to the boy, with a
waggish leer, "I suppose (said he) you don't understand the figure of
amplification so well as Monsieur your father." At that instant, one of
the nieces, who knew her uncle to be very ticklish, touched him under
the short ribs, on which the little man attempted to spring up, but
lost the centre of gravity. He overturned his own plate in the lap of
the person that sat next to him, and falling obliquely upon his own
chair, both tumbled down upon the floor together, to the great
discomposure of the whole company; for the poor man would have been
actually strangled, had not his nephew loosed his stock with great
expedition. Matters being once more adjusted, and the captain condoled
on his disaster, Mons. L--y took it in his head to read his son a
lecture upon filial obedience. This was mingled with some sharp
reproof, which the boy took so ill that he retired. The old lady
observed that he had been too severe: her daughter-in-law, who was very
pretty, said her brother had given him too much reason; hinting, at the
same time, that he was addicted to some terrible vices; upon which
several individuals repeated the interjection, ah! ah! "Yes (said Mons.
L--y, with a rueful aspect) the boy has a pernicious turn for gaming:
in one afternoon he lost, at billiards, such a sum as gives me horror
to think of it." "Fifty sols in one afternoon," (cried the sister).
"Fifty sols! (exclaimed the mother-in-law, with marks of astonishment)
that's too much--that's too much!--he's to blame-- he's to blame! but
youth, you know, Mons. L--y--ah! vive la jeunesse!"--"et l'amour!"
cried the father, wiping his eyes, squeezing her hand, and looking
tenderly upon her. Mr. B-- took this opportunity to bring in the young
gentleman, who was admitted into favour, and received a second
exhortation. Thus harmony was restored, and the entertainment concluded
with fruit, coffee, and liqueurs.

When a bourgeois of Boulogne takes the air, he goes in a one-horse
chaise, which is here called cabriolet, and hires it for half-a-crown a
day. There are also travelling chaises, which hold four persons, two
seated with their faces to the horses, and two behind their backs; but
those vehicles are all very ill made, and extremely inconvenient. The
way of riding most used in this place is on assback. You will see every
day, in the skirts of the town, a great number of females thus mounted