ely
pretty woman who was waiting for her carriage in the doorway, noticed my
distress, and said that if I lived anywhere near Whitehall, she could
take me home. I thanked her gratefully, and told her where I lived. Her
carriage came up, her man opened the door, and she stepped in on my arm,
telling me to sit beside her, and to stop the carriage when it got to my
house.

As soon as we were in the carriage, I burst out into expressions of
gratitude; and after telling her my name I expressed my regret at not
having seen her at Soho Square.

"I was not in London," she replied, "I returned from Bath to-day."

I apostrophised my happiness in having met her. I covered her hands with
kisses, and dared to kiss her on the cheek; and finding that she smiled
graciously, I fastened my lips on hers, and before long had given her an
unequivocal mark of the ardour with which she had inspired me.

She took my attentions so easily that I flattered myself I had not
displeased her, and I begged her to tell me where I could call on her and
pay my court while I remained in London, but she replied,--

"We shall see each other again; we must be careful."

I swore secrecy, and urged her no more. Directly after the carriage
stopped, I kissed her hand and was set down at my door, well pleased with
the ride home.

For a fortnight I saw nothing of her, but I met her again in a house
where Lady Harrington had told me to present myself, giving her name. It
was Lady Betty German's, and I found her out, but was asked to sit down
and wait as she would be in soon. I was pleasantly surprised to find my
fair friend of Ranelagh in the room, reading a newspaper. I conceived the
idea of asking her to introduce me to Lady Betty, so I went up to her and
proffered my request, but she replied politely that she could not do so
not having the honour to know my name.

"I have told you my name, madam. Do you not remember me?"

"I remember you perfectly, but a piece of folly is not a title of
acquaintance."

I was dumbfounded at the extraordinary reply, while the lady calmly
returned to her newspaper, and did not speak another word till the
arrival of Lady Betty.

The fair philosopher talked for two hours without giving the least sign
of knowing who I was, although she answered me with great politeness
whenever I ventured to address her. She turned out to be a lady of high
birth and of great reputation.

Happening to call on Martinelli, I asked him who