I Feel A Damp Upon My Spirits, As I Am Going To Add, That In My
Last Return Through Calais,
Upon enquiring after Father Lorenzo, I
heard he had been dead near three months, and was buried, not in
his
Convent, but, according to his desire, in a little cemetery
belonging to it, about two leagues off: I had a strong desire to
see where they had laid him, - when, upon pulling out his little
horn box, as I sat by his grave, and plucking up a nettle or two at
the head of it, which had no business to grow there, they all
struck together so forcibly upon my affections, that I burst into a
flood of tears: - but I am as weak as a woman; and I beg the world
not to smile, but to pity me.
THE REMISE DOOR. CALAIS.
I had never quitted the lady's hand all this time, and had held it
so long, that it would have been indecent to have let it go,
without first pressing it to my lips: the blood and spirits, which
had suffered a revulsion from her, crowded back to her as I did it.
Now the two travellers, who had spoke to me in the coach-yard,
happening at that crisis to be passing by, and observing our
communications, naturally took it into their heads that we must be
MAN AND WIFE at least; so, stopping as soon as they came up to the
door of the Remise, the one of them who was the Inquisitive
Traveller, ask'd us, if we set out for Paris the next morning? - I
could only answer for myself, I said; and the lady added, she was
for Amiens. - We dined there yesterday, said the Simple Traveller. -
You go directly through the town, added the other, in your road to
Paris. I was going to return a thousand thanks for the
intelligence, THAT AMIENS WAS IN THE ROAD TO PARIS, but, upon
pulling out my poor monk's little horn box to take a pinch of
snuff, I made them a quiet bow, and wishing them a good passage to
Dover. - They left us alone. -
- Now where would be the harm, said I to myself, if I were to beg
of this distressed lady to accept of half of my chaise? - and what
mighty mischief could ensue?
Every dirty passion, and bad propensity in my nature took the
alarm, as I stated the proposition. - It will oblige you to have a
third horse, said Avarice, which will put twenty livres out of your
pocket; - You know not what she is, said Caution; - or what scrapes
the affair may draw you into, whisper'd Cowardice. -
Depend upon it, Yorick! said Discretion, 'twill be said you went
off with a mistress, and came by assignation to Calais for that
purpose; -
- You can never after, cried Hypocrisy aloud, show your face in the
world; - or rise, quoth Meanness, in the church; - or be any thing in
it, said Pride, but a lousy prebendary.
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