answer and question disarmed the suspicions of Jean Jacques, who
was about to reply, but stopped himself, as if afraid of uttering a
falsehood, and contented himself with smiling and casting down his eyes.
Taking courage from his silence, I ventured to add,--"The M. de Rousseau
who composed this pretty air has written much beautiful music and many
very clever works. Should I ever know the happiness of becoming a mother
I shall owe to him the proper care and education of my child." Rousseau
made no reply, but he turned his eyes towards me, and at this moment
the expression of his countenance was perfectly celestial, and I could
readily imagine how easily he might have inspired a warmer sentiment
than that of admiration.

Whilst we were conversing in this manner, a female, between the age of
forty and fifty, entered the room. She saluted me with great affectation
of politeness, and then, without speaking to Rousseau, went and seated
herself familiarly upon a chair on the other side of the table: this was
Therese, a sort of factotum, who served the master of these apartments
both as servant and mistress. I could not help regarding this woman with
a feeling of disgust; she had a horrible cough, which she told us was
more than usually troublesome on that day. I had heard of her
avarice; therefore to prevent the appearance of having called upon an
unprofitable errand, I inquired of Jean Jacques Rousseau how much the
music would cost.

"Six sous a page, madam," replied he, "is the usual price."

"Shall I, sir," asked I, "leave you any cash in hand for the purchase of
what paper you will require?"

"No, I thank you, madam," replied Rousseau, smiling; "thank God! I
am not yet so far reduced that I cannot purchase it for you. I have a
trifling annuity--"

"And you would be a much richer man," screamed Therese, "if you would
insist upon those people at the opera paying you what they owe you."
These words were accompanied with a shrug of the shoulders, intended to
convey a vast idea of her own opinion.

Rousseau made no reply; indeed he appeared to me like a frightened child
in the presence of its nurse; and I could quickly see, that from the
moment of her entering the room he had become restless and dejected,
he fidgeted on his seat, and seemed like a person in excessive pain.
At length he rose, and requesting my pardon for absenting himself, he
added, "My wife will have the honour to entertain you whilst I am away."
With t