ry little
pleased by the significant glances exchanged over his right shoulder,
and, at last, under pretence of screening her from the draught of the
open window, placed himself exactly between us. This, however ingenious,
did not at all answer his expectations; for he had not sufficiently
taken into consideration, that I also was endowed with the power
of locomotion; accordingly I shifted my chair about three feet, and
entirely defeated the countermarch of the enemy.

But this flirtation did not last long; the youth and the old woman
appeared very much of the same opinion as to its impropriety; and
accordingly, like experienced generals, resolved to conquer by a
retreat; they drank up their orgeat--paid for it--placed the wavering
regiment in the middle, and left me master of the field. I was not,
however, of a disposition to break my heart at such an occurrence, and
I remained by the window, drinking my lemonade, and muttering to myself,
"After all, women are a great bore."

On the outside of the cabaret, and just under my window, was a bench,
which for a certain number of sous, one might appropriate to the entire
and unparticipated use of one's self and party. An old woman (so at
least I suppose by her voice, for I did not give myself the trouble of
looking, though, indeed as to that matter, it might have been the
shrill treble of Mr. Howard de Howard) had been hitherto engrossing this
settlement with some gallant or other. In Paris, no women are too old to
get an amant, either by love or money. In a moment of tenderness, this
couple paired off, and were immediately succeeded by another. The first
tones of the man's voice, low as they were, made me start from my seat.
I cast one quick glance before I resumed it. The new pair were the
Englishman I had before noted in the garden, and the female companion
who had joined him.

"Two hundred pounds, you say?" muttered the man; "we must have it all."

"But," said the woman, in the same whispered voice, "he says, that he
will never touch another card."

The man laughed. "Fool," said he, "the passions are not so easily
quelled--how many days is it since he had this remittance from England?"

"About three," replied the woman.

"And it is absolutely the very last remnant of his property?"

"The last."

"I am then to understand, that when this is spent there is nothing
between him and beggary?"

"Nothing," said the woman, with a half sigh.

The man laughed again, a