26 



An Irishman's Notes 



Every one looked willing. The waiter 

 ■was summoned, — the coffee ordered ; 

 and this Mercury of messengers (by- 

 the-byc, I have not met an apter fellow 

 than Tortoni's chief,) was about to 

 vanish towards quick service, when 

 Mr. Bull cries, " An' let's have enough, 

 d'ye mind; and some brandy: I'll 

 have some brandy," — as I supposed 

 to cool the coffee. 'Fie! dear, (ex- 

 claimed his easy rib,) no brandy here, 

 pray ;' and the girls added ' Oh !' with 

 altered looks, and the young men 

 eyed the polished floor. " Yes, but 1 

 will though, (lustily continued the 

 son of Britain:) I tell you, dear, 'tis 

 the fashion here. Why, look ye 

 there at that soldier with the black 

 mustaches ; don't you see, that 's bran- 

 dy he's got." 'But he calls that a 

 petty vere, love.' — "Well, then, let me 

 have a pettu vere .'" Again the waiter 

 bowed to the ground, and, with an in- 

 stinct the perfection of wonder, pro- 

 mised " Monsieur le petit vere aussi." 

 I presented my compliments for a 

 'good laugh, and left Monsieur Bif- 

 ttech et sa yrande famille over coffee 

 after ice. 



Up stairs every chair was also press- 

 ed : I asked for a cream of morasqnin, 

 and leaned against the wall, until po- 

 liteness or rotation should present 

 more convenience. " Well," said a 

 musical voice at the table near me, 

 "well, — the black cat was upon the 

 little boy's back last night." ' Boy, — 

 cat,' repeated a man by her side, 

 whom I recognized for my Irish friend 

 O'Tallan, • Boy,— cat : I don't under- 

 stand.'—" I like that— (continued the 

 lady ;) I like to see a little gentleman 

 presume to take pique at a lady." ' I 

 assure you, Louisa, I neither know 

 who offended, or who presumed.' This 

 was most seriously declared, and she 

 looked full upon him, with such an air, 

 and a manner so exquisite ! her head 

 hung a little aside, her eyes swelling 

 brightly, and a half-smiling lip of such 

 winning art! What would not I have 

 dared for such a regard ' Gentle wo- 

 man, there have been moments when, 

 unknown and in sorrow, I have gazed 

 upon thy charms in contemplative 

 extasy, and my spirit has imbibed 

 consolation,— deemed thy fair face a 

 ■volume of sweet wonders, and envied 

 every form on which your eye wan- 

 dered. I felt so then most fixedly; 

 and proudly beat my heart as I looked 

 around the room, and marked the su- 

 periority of English beauty. The lady 

 1 



on Paris, No. III. [Feb. 1, 



caught my intense regard, and, doubt- 

 less, understood its expression,— for 

 she instantly dropped her head, with 

 a blush. This drew O'Tallan's obser- 

 vation, and he came up to me : either 

 Countenance explained that we thought 

 together. *' Weil, what do you tiiink? 

 (he asked, as he shook my hand,) that's 

 Louisa." ' You're a lucky lellow, 

 Ned,' and I returned the pressure. — • 

 "But come, (said he,) you'll sit down, 

 and judge for yourself. That's my 

 gran, — poor gran, very good, and very 

 helpless. Come: Mrs. — , Mr. ■ — ; 

 Mr. — , Mrs. — ; Miss — , Mr. — ;" 

 and so on, through the repetitions of a 

 formal introduction to the party. 



As is usual upon such occasions, 

 conversation ceased for the moment : 

 O'Tallan, however, soon relieved tho 

 party, and remarked, that in this gay 

 city notiiing surprised him more than 

 its endless variety. " Morn, noon, and 

 night, (said he,) since I got iiere, have 

 I walked about in curiosity, and still I 

 roam, and still am pleased with novel- 

 tj'. Now and again, indeed, I meet 

 the same face ; but upon each occasion 

 there is sure to be a new grimace upon 

 it, to exhilarate the misfortunes of tho 

 wearer." 'At home, (I observed,) 

 habitually wc do not look at half that 

 comes before us ; here wc set our eyes 

 at a double stare on every thing we 

 meet. The contrarieties of life, though 

 not greater, are at least more hu- 

 mourously displayed on this side of 

 the water.' O'Tallan here whispered, 

 I was learned, and an author; and the 

 ladies very kindly adjusted themselves 

 in a position that seemed to promise 

 attention, in case I j)roceedcd to mo- 

 ralize : but I held my tongue, and ho 

 went on. — " 1 had lounged upon Cob- 

 lentz, sauntered along the shady Tuil- 

 leries, admired elegance on the one, 

 and beauty on the other, — I mean 

 English beauty, — French I have seen 

 none ; and I daily go to see how our's 

 does abroad. But, of the promenade 

 on the Boulevard du Temple, and 

 theJardin 'J'urque, I had no concep- 

 tion. I went there last night. You 

 must all go there, by all means, and 

 you'll not find, in its difference from 

 the present scene, your narrowest 

 source of pleasure. An easy crowd 

 revolved in sober enjoyment : the gait 

 of each domestic party informed me 

 tliey came for relaxation, and the 

 countenance bespoke that it was 

 found. Oh! blessed occupation, said 

 I to myself; ajmost sacred business ; 

 would 



