at down
once more and asked again for the bills of exchange:

"I have not got them; my daughter keeps them."

"Call her."

The two maids said that whilst I was breaking the china she had escaped
by the street door, and that they did not know what had become of her.
Then the mother and aunts began to shriek, weep, and exclaim,--

"My poor daughter alone in the streets of London at midnight! My dear
niece, alas! alas! she is lost. Cursed be the hour when you came to
England to make us all unhappy!"

My rage had evaporated, and I trembled at the thought of this young
frightened girl running about the streets at such an hour.

"Go and look for her at the neighbours' houses," I said to the servants,
"no doubt you will find her. When you tell me she is safe, you shall have
a guinea apiece."

When the three Gorgons saw I was interested, their tears, complaints, and
invectives began again with renewed vigor, while I kept silence as much
as to say that they were in the right. I awaited the return of the
servants with impatience, and at last at one o'clock they came back with
looks of despair.

"We have looked for her everywhere," said they, "but we can't find her."

I gave them the two guineas as if they had succeeded, whilst I sat
motionless reflecting on the terrible consequences of my anger. How
foolish is man when he is in love!

I was idiot enough to express my repentance to the three old cheats. I
begged them to seek for her everywhere when dawn appeared, and to let me
know of her return that I might fall at her feet to beg pardon, and never
see her face again. I also promised to pay for all the damage I had done,
and to give them a full receipt for the bills of exchange. After these
acts, done to the everlasting shame of my good sense, after this apology
made to procuresses who laughed at me and my honour, I went home,
promising two guineas to the servant who should bring me tidings that her
young mistress had come home. On leaving the house I found the watchman
at the door; he had been waiting to see me home. It was two o'clock. I
threw myself on my bed, and the six hours of sleep I obtained, though
troubled by fearful dreams, probably saved me from madness.

At eight o'clock I heard a knock at the door, and on opening the window
found it was one of the servants from the house of my foes. I cried out
to let her in, and I breathed again on hearing that Miss Charpillon had
just arrived in a sedan-chair in a pi