afternoon hour, orders wine, and
enters into conversation about indifferent matters, until he is able
delicately to broach the subject he has in view. He explains that he
wishes to meet with a quiet lady, whose secrecy he can rely upon, and
whom he can trust in every possible way. He intimates his preference for
an elegantly-formed, young and fairly good-looking acquaintance, and
would like her, in addition, to be vivacious, witty and a little gay.
The lady of the house listens complacently, and replies that she is
acquainted with a lady who will suit him to a nicety, and offers to send
a message for her at once, if he wishes; but he must take his chance of
her being at home. Should she be out, she intimates an appointment will
be made for next day. In the meantime, a messenger is dispatched to the
lady in question, and more wine is ordered and drank. When the lady
arrives, the introduction takes place, and the business is transacted,
as far as the procuress is concerned. Sometimes the gentleman pays the
professional fee, and sometimes the lady gives half the money she
receives from the patron to the madame of the house.

Not infrequently these procuresses will write to men of means of their
acquaintance, informing them in some cipher or slang phrase that they
have a new importation in their house awaiting eligible disposition.
Large sums are often paid under such circumstances, and the fresh
importation is usually sold in this way five or six times. In other
words, she is represented as a maid and imposed upon men as a virgin;
which fabrication, as it is difficult to disprove, is believed, more
especially if the girl herself be well instructed.

To the house up-town, to which reference has been made above, both
married and unmarried ladies repair, in order to meet with and be
introduced to gentlemen. This sort of clandestine meeting is greatly on
the increase in New York, as it is also in Paris and in London. Some
curious facts have come to us in a professional way, to which we can
only refer in a general manner here. The following is a case in point:

A brilliant and handsome lady, belonging to the best society in Gotham,
married to a man of wealth, found herself unhappy in his society, and
after some time unwillingly came to the conclusion that she had formed
an alliance that was destined to make her miserable. Her passions were
naturally strong and her education had not been of the kind calculated
to enable her t