The Danger of the Smallest Devi¬ 
ation from Truth Illustrated. 
( Goucluded .) 
The chocolate was brought in; they raised 
the oups to their lips, but without drinking; 
and the toast, which they tried to eat, they 
were unable to swallow. Never were two 
persons so constrained and oppressed by 
each other’s society. 
To the great alleviation of both, a doctor, 
to whom I shall give the name of Tattle, 
came to inquire after the lady’s health. 
He was a polite little man, who was to be 
seen every where, who knew every thing, 
and laughed at every thing; in short, a 
living chronicle of all the scandal of the 
town, which caused him to be universally 
considered as an agreeable companion. No 
sooner did he remark that Laura was absent, 
and the count reserved, than he exerted 
all his art to cheer up their spirits, but 
without success. He felt Laura’s pulse. 
‘Rather feverish, madam,’ said he. ‘Very 
likely,’ was the reply—‘What ails you?’— 
‘Nothing.’—‘Oho !—nothing but a pretty 
whim, an amiable caprice. But do you 
know,’ continued he, with a roguish look, 
‘that it is in my power to change your whim 
into earnest?’—‘How so?’ ‘Why—the captain 
—’ ‘Well, what of the captain? What has 
he done ?—’ ‘That he best knows himself. 
For my part, I know no more than that I 
saw him half an hour ago in the park, not 
far from the keeper’s lodge, and in com¬ 
pany with a very handsome and elegant 
female.’ — ‘Very likely,’ rejoined Laura, 
with a tone designed to denote indifference, 
but which the glow of her cheeks proved 
to proceed from a very different sentiment. 
—‘Indeed!’ said the count, with an accent 
intended to express interrogation, but which 
betrayed the keenest vexation. 
Dr. Tattle began to imagine that he had 
made a discovery, and determined to ascer¬ 
tain the accuracy of his suspicions. ‘I hope, 
madam,’ said he, ‘that you will know how 
to take a joke; for though I was not near 
enough to recognize the lady with whom 
your husband was walking, still I could 
perceive that she was perfectly well dress¬ 
ed, and her whole manner showed that she 
was not of the common order.’ This was 
more than sufficient to aggravate the tor¬ 
ments of the count and Laura to the ut¬ 
most. Anxiety and rage were manifest in 
every movement. The lips were silent, 
but quivered convulsively. The doctor 
perceived that his company was super¬ 
fluous, and would have retired At this 
moment the captain entered. The presence 
of the doctor, lightly as it weighed, was 
nevertheless some restraint upon the count. 
In a tone that was meant for jocose, but 
that completely failed of its effect, he 
accosted the captain with, ‘What have you 
done with my wife?’ The captain perceived 
from the count’s look, that all was not right; 
the eyes of his wife betrayed the traces of 
tears; he conjectured the suspicions of both, 
and therefore thought it better to say noth¬ 
ing concerning the walk in the park. ‘I 
left Emily,’ replied he, ‘at her cousin’s, 
who is not well, and wished for her com¬ 
pany to breakfast. What has since become 
of her I don’t know.’ This was the sixth 
falsehood, and the honest captain could not 
pronounce it without stammering. The 
count was silent, though his bosom was 
convulsed with passion. He coldly took 
his leave and retired, accompanied by Dr. 
Tattle. When the captain and Laura were 
left to themselves, they soon came to a 
mutual explanation, in which the honest 
frankness of the former easily overcame 
all the suspicions of his wife. But he now 
learned, to his terror, that his walk in the 
park had been betrayed by Dr. Tattle; he 
saw what consequences might result from 
the deviation from truth which he had 
inconsiderately allowed himself. He en¬ 
treated his wife to hasten to Emily’s cousin, 
to concert with her the means of warning 
Emily of her danger, and, in particular, 
to advise her to conceal nothing from her 
husband. Laura drove immediately to the 
cousins’s. The count had already been 
there, and had learned, partly from the 
mistress, and partly from her servants, 
that Emily had not staid there above half 
an hour. With this confirmation of his 
torturing suspicions he had hastily depart¬ 
ed. Laura instantly sat down, and wrote 
the following note:— 
