STUDY XIII. 197 



lief gown and neck handkerchief were fo com- 

 pletely darned over, that you would have faid the 

 fpiders \iad fpun the threads. I approached her 

 with the refpeâ: which is due to the miferable ; I 

 bowed to her, and (he returned my falute with an 

 air of gentility, but with referve. I then endea- 

 voured to engage her in converfation, by talking 

 of the wind and the weather : her replies confided 

 of monofyllables only. At length, I ventured to 

 afk if (he had come abroad for the pleafure of en- 

 joying a walk in the country : upon this (he began. 

 to fob and weep, without uttering a (ingle word. 

 I fat down by her, and infifted, with all po(îîble 

 circumfpedlion, that (lie would difclofe to me the 

 caufe of her diftrefs. She faid to me; ** Sir, my 

 *' hufband has juft been involved in a bankruptcy 

 *' at Paris, to the amount of five thoufand livres 

 *' (;^.2o8 6s, Sd.) y I have been giving him a con- 

 ** voy as far as Neuilly : he is gone, on foot, a 

 •' journey of (ixty leagues hence, to try to recover 

 *' a little money which is due to us. I have given 

 '* him my rings, and all my other little trinkets, 

 ** to defray the expenfe of his journey; and all 

 ** that I have left in the world, to fupport myfelf 



•* and my child, is a (ingle fliilling piece." 



" What parifh do you belong to, Madam ?'* faid 

 I.—" St. Euftache," replied (he.—" The Redor," 

 I fubjoined, " palles for a very charitable, good 

 " man." — " Yes, Sir," faid (he, " but you need 



03 " not 



