thought I: had not the action been too uncivil I could have stopped my ears with my fingers in terror of the thrill. Nothing happens as we expect: listen for a coo or a murmur; it is then you will hear a cry of prey or pain. Await a piercing shriek, an angry threat, and welcome an amicable greeting, a low, kind whisper. M. Paul spoke gently:—
"Friends", said he, "do not quarrel for a word. Tell me, was it I or ce grand fat d'Anglais" (so he profanely denominated Dr. Bretton), "who made your eyes so humid, and your cheeks so hot as they are even now?"
"I am not conscious of you, monsieur, or of any other having excited such emotion as you indicate", was my answer; and in giving it, I again surpassed my usual self, and achieved a neat, frosty falsehood.
"But what did I say?" he pursued, "tell me: I was angry: I have forgotten my words; what were they?"
"Such as it is best to forget!" said I, still quite calm and chill.
"Then it was my words which wounded you? Consider them unsaid: permit my retractation; accord my pardon".
"I am not angry, monsieur".
"Then you are worse than angry—grieved. Forgive me, Miss Lucy".
"M. Emanuel, I do forgive you".
"Let me hear you say, in the voice natural to you, and not in that alien tone, 'Mon ami, je vous pardonne'".
He made me smile. Who could help smiling at his wistfulness, his simplicity, his earnestness?
"Bon!" he cried. "Voilà que le jour va poindre! Dites donc, mon ami".
"Monsieur Paul, je vous pardonne".
"I will have no monsieur: speak the other word, or I shall not believe you sincere: another effort—mon ami, or else in English,—my friend!"
Now, "my friend" had rather another sound and significancy than "mon ami", it did not breathe the same sense of domestic and intimate affection: "mon ami" I could not say to M. Paul; "my friend", I could, and did say without difficulty. This distinction existed not for him, however, and he was quite satisfied with the English phrase. He smiled. You should have seen him smile, reader; and you should have marked the difference between his countenance now, and that
