ut of the
diligence.

"'Yes,' replied she. 'And you--'

"'I remain here, certainly; but I hope you do not intend to remain
always veiled. It is too cruel of you.'

"'I must go to my room now and make myself a little more comfortable;
after that, Mons l'Anglais, I will speak to you. You are going over in
the packet, I presume?'

"'I am: by to-morrow's packet.'

"'I shall put myself under your protection, for I am also going to
London.'

"'I shall be most delighted.'

"'_Au revoir._'

"About an hour afterwards a message was brought to me by the _garcon_,
that the lady would be happy to receive me in No. 19. I ascended to the
second floor, knocked, and was told to come in.

"She was now without a veil; and what do you think was her reason for
the concealment of her person?"

"By the beard of Mokhanna, how can I tell?"

"Well, then, she had two of the most beautiful eyes in the world; her
eyebrows were finely arched; her forehead was splendid; her mouth was
tempting--in short, she was as pretty as you could wish a woman to be,
only she had _broken her nose_--a thousand pities, for it must once have
been a very handsome one. Well, to continue, I made my bow.

"'You perceive, now, sir,' said she, 'why I wore my veil down.'

"'No, indeed,' replied I.

"'You are very polite, or very blind,' rejoined she: 'the latter I
believe not to be the fact. I did not choose to submit to the
impertinence of my own countrymen in the diligence: they would have
asked me a hundred questions upon my accident. But you are an
Englishman, and have respect for a female who has been unfortunate.'

"'I trust I deserve your good opinion, madam; and if I can be in any way
useful to you----'

"'You can. I shall be a stranger in England. I know that in London there
is a great man, one Monsieur Lis-tong, who is very clever.'

"'Very true, madam. If your nose, instead of having been slightly
injured as it is, had been left behind you in Africa, Mr Liston would
have found you another.'

"'If he will only repair the old one, I ask no more. You give me hopes.
But the bones are crushed completely, as you must see.'

"'That is of no consequence. Mr Liston has put a new eye in, to my
knowledge. The party was short-sighted, and saw better with the one put
in by Mr Liston, than with the one which had been left him.'

"'_Est-il possible? Mais, quel homme extraordinaire!_ Perhaps you will
do me the favour to sit with me, monsieur; and, if I