eautiful 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 mistake not, you
have a request to make of me--_n'est-ce pas_?'

"`I felt such interest about you, madam, that I acknowledge, if it would
not be too painful to you, I should like to ask a question.'

"`Which is, How did I break my nose? Of course you want to know. And
as it is the only return I can make for past or future obligations to
you, you shall most certainly be gratified. I will not detain you now.
I shall expect you to supper. Adieu, monsieur.'

"I did not, of course, fail in my appointment; and after supper she
commenced:--

"`The question to be answered,' said she, `is, How did you break your
nose?--is it not? Well then, at least, I shall answer it after my own
fashion. So, to begin at the beginning, I am now exactly twenty-two
years old. My father was tambour-majeur in the Garde Imperiale. I was
born in the camp--brought up in the camp