What can any one, but a man of business, who has nine hours
for his counting-house and one for his dinner, ever possibly want to
know the time for? An assignation, you will say: true, but (here I
played with my best ringlet) if a man is worth having, he is surely
worth waiting for!"

Miss Paulding opened her eyes, and Mr. Aberton his mouth. A pretty
lively French woman opposite (Madame D'Anville) laughed, and immediately
joined in our conversation, which, on my part, was, during the whole
dinner, kept up exactly in the same strain.

"What do you think of our streets?" said the old, yet still animated
Madame de G--s. "You will not find them, I fear, so agreeable for
walking as the trottoirs in London."

"Really," I answered, "I have only been once out in your streets, at
least a pied, since my arrival, and then I was nearly perishing for want
of help."

"What do you mean?" said Madame D'Anville.

"Why, I fell into that intersecting stream which you call a kennel, and
I a river. Pray, Mr. Aberton, what do you think I did in that dangerous
dilemma?"

"Why, got out again as fast as you could," said the literal attache.

"No such thing, I was too frightened: I stood still and screamed for
assistance."

Madame D'Anville was delighted, and Miss Paulding astonished. Mr.
Aberton muttered to a fat, foolish Lord Luscombe, "What a damnation
puppy,"--and every one, even to the old Madame de G--s, looked at me six
times as attentively as they had done before.

As for me, I was perfectly satisfied with the effect I had produced,
and I went away the first, in order to give the men an opportunity of
abusing me; for whenever the men abuse, the women, to support alike
their coquetry and the conversation, think themselves called upon to
defend.

The next day I rode into the Champs Elysees. I always valued myself
particularly upon my riding, and my horse was both the most fiery
and the most beautiful in Paris. The first person I saw was Madame
D'Anville. At that moment I was reining in my horse, and conscious,
as the wind waved my long curls, that I was looking to the very best
advantage, I made my horse bound towards her carriage, which she
immediately stopped, and speaking in my natural tone of voice, and
without the smallest affectation, I made at once my salutations and my
court.

"I am going," said she, "to the Duchesse D--g's this evening--it is her
night--do come."

"I don't know her," said I.

"Tell me your hotel,