r; for the
gallery in which the ladies sit, pensioners, as well as those who have
taken the veil, are so closely grated, that it is impossible for those
below to distinguish any object.

He was almost distracted when he had been there three or four days
without being able to find any expedient which he could think likely to
succeed:--he knew not what to resolve on;--time pressed him to pursue
his journey;--every day, every hour that he lost from prosecuting the
glorious hopes he had in view, struck ten thousand daggers to his
soul:--but then to go without informing the dear object of his wishes
how great a part she had in inspiring his ambition,--without assuring
her of his eternal constancy and faith, and receiving some soft
condescensions from her to enable him to support so long an absence as
he in all probability must endure.--All this, I say, was a shock to
thought, which, had he not been relieved from, would have perhaps abated
great part of that spirit which it was necessary for him to preserve, in
order to agree with the recommendatory letters he carried with him.

He was just going out of the chapel full of unquiet meditations, when
passing by the confessional, a magdalen curiously painted which hung
near it attracted his eyes: as he was admiring the piece, something fell
from above and hit against his arm; he stooped to take it up, and found
it a small ivory tablet: he looked up, but could see the shadow of
nothing behind the grate: imagining it only an accident, and not knowing
to whom to return it, he put it in his pocket, but was no sooner out of
the chapel than curiosity excited him to see what it contained, which he
had no sooner done than in the first leaf he found these words:

"As I imagine you did not come this long journey
without a desire to see me, it would be too ungrateful
not to assist your endeavours:--come a little before
vespers, and enquire of the portress for mademoiselle
du Pont;--say you are her brother, and leave the rest to me."

There was no name subscribed; but the dear characters, tho' evidently
wrote in haste and with a pencil, which made some alteration in the
fineness of the strokes, convinced him it came from no other than
Charlotta; and never were any hours so tedious to him as those which
past between the receiving this appointment, and that of the
fulfilling it.

At length the wish'd-for time arrived, and he repaired to the gate,
where telling the portress, as he was