he trouble
of walking four leagues. Finding all opposition fruitless, Florian
remounted; and, with the assistance of her servant, the fair unknown was
soon seated behind him. Blushing and laughing at the necessity, she put
an arm around his waist to support herself, and then begged him to
proceed without delay, as she was anxious to reach home before night.

Conversing as they journeyed onward, their communications became every
moment more cordial and interesting; and as Florian felt the warm hand
of his lovely companion near his heart, he began to feel a soothing
sense of gratification, which cheered and elevated his perturbed
spirits. He had never before found himself in such near and agreeable
relation to a beautiful and lively woman; and whenever he turned his
head to speak or listen, he found the finest black eyes, and the most
lovely mouth he had ever seen, within a few inches of his own. So
potent, indeed, was the charm of her look and language, that he forgot,
for a time, the timid graces and less sparkling beauty of her he had
lost for ever, and was insensibly beguiled of all his fears and sorrows
as he listened to the lively sallies of this laughter-loving fair one.
Meanwhile they had quitted the cross-road in which he had discovered
her, and pursued, by her direction, the great road from Paris towards
eastern France. Here, however, he remarked, with surprise, that she
invariably drew the large hood of her cloak over her face when any
travellers passed them; and his surprise was converted into uneasiness
and suspicion, when, after commencing the last league of their journey,
she drew the hood entirely over her face; and her conversation, before
so animated and flowing, was succeeded by total silence, or by replies
so brief and disjointed as to indicate that her thoughts were intensely
preoccupied.

The sun had reached the horizon when they arrived within a short
half-league of the town before them, and here she suddenly asked her
conductor whether he intended to travel farther before morning. Florian,
hoping to obtain some clue to her name and residence, replied that he
was undetermined; on which she advised him to give a night's rest to his
jaded horse, and strongly recommended to him an hotel, the name and
situation of which she minutely described. He promised to comply with
her recommendations; and immediately, by a prompt and vigorous effort,
she threw herself from the horse to the ground. Hastily arrangi