nker received a letter from the Police Department,
instructing him to order the departure of his _commis_ from Paris within
24 hours, and from France within a month.

The same gentleman gave me a genuine edition of the celebrated story of
Sartine's stopping the travellers at the gates of Paris. It may amuse my
readers, although, I dare say, they have seen it before in other shapes.

A very rich lace merchant from Brussels, was in the habit of constantly
frequenting the fair of St Denis. On these occasions, he repaired to
Paris in the public diligence, accompanied by his trunks of lace. He
had apartments at an hotel in the Rue des Victoires, which he had for
many years occupied; and to secure which, he used always to write some
weeks before. An illness had prevented his visiting the fair during two
years; on the third, he wrote as usual to his landlord, and received an
answer, that the death of the landlord had occasioned a change in the
firm and tenants of the house; but that he was well known to them, and
that they would keep for him his former rooms, and would do their utmost
to give him satisfaction.

The merchant set out--arrived at the barrier of Paris; the diligence was
stopped, and a gentleman whom he had never seen before, accosted him by
name, and desired him to alight. The merchant was a good deal surprised
at this; but you may judge of his alarm, when he heard an order given to
the _conducteur_ to unloose numbers one, two, three--the trunks, in
which was contained his whole fortune. The gentleman desired he would
not be afraid, but trust every thing to him. The diligence was ordered
away, and the lace merchant, in a state of agony, was conveyed by his
new acquaintance to the house of Monsieur de Sartine. He there began an
enumeration of his grievances, but was civilly interrupted by M. de
Sartine--"Sir, you have not much reason to complain; but for your visit
to me here, you would have been murdered this night at twelve." The
minister then detailed to him the plan that had been laid for his
murder, and astonished him by shewing a copy, not only of the letter
which he had written to the landlord of the hotel, but also the answer
returned by the landlord. Monsieur de Sartine then begged that he would
place the most implicit confidence in him, and remain in his house until
he should recover himself from his fright. He would then return to the
coach in waiting, and would be attended to the hotel by one of his
e