parted with her husband, she was for nearly the whole of the evening in the highest spirits; but at length she became quite overcome with fatigue, and a sort of sad presentiment for which she could not account, seemed to weigh down her spirits. Absorbed in these gloomy ideas, she threw herself into her carriage. and was for some moments so lost in thought, that she did not perceive a man seated opposite to her, and with his eyes fixed intently upon her. He was young, handsome, and very fashionably dressed. In a moment all the consequences of her folly presented themselves to her mind; nearly sinking with affright, she exclaimed in a tone, in which dignity mingled with terror, Good Heavens !-what audacity!"

"I acknowledge it, Madame," replied the incognito coolly; "the boldness of my enterprise can only be excused by my ardent wish for its success!"" Bat, sir," replied the horror-struck Madame S 66 your attempt is most infa mous! I beg-I insist upon your leaving me-I will call my

servants!

"It will be useless Madame, they are my servants-they will not answer your call."

"Into what hands then have I tallen?" cried Madame S.- " bursting into tears,-" Oh, how cruelly my folly punished!"

"It is true," said the stranger, " you will be punished for enjoying a night's pleasure without the consent of your hus. band; but console yourself with the idea that he will know nothing of it; he sleeps calinly in the belief that you are quietly reposing near him. But why do you terrify your self so Madame? you have nothing, I swear to you, to dread from my indiscretion; but you know there is no fault however slight, which we must not expiate." The cruel irony of this speech completed the despair of poor Madame S ; trembling, and bathed in tears, she attempted to throw herself at the feet of the wretch, but hastily preventing her, he seated he respectfully at his side and said, in a tone of extreme softness, "Good heavens! Madame, what is it then that you fear from me? It is true that I am an admirer of your charms, should be most happy to gain your favour, but I would scorn to employ any unworthy means of obtaining it. Do more justice, I beseech you Madame, to my morals

and believe my assurance, that I am here with quite another intention than that of offending your virtue."

"I understand you, sir,-charged by my husband to observe my conduct, you are come

"Stop Madam! Insult not the dignity of my character, by supposing that I should so degrade myself: I am not a spy, Madame

"But tell me then, in the name of heaven, and for pity's sake, what brought you here! What do you mean to do? Who are you?

"I am a robber, Madame."

At these words the unfortunate woman nearly fainted; but her imperturbable neighbour drawing out a bottle of salts, soon brought her to herself. "Don't alarm yourself," said be in a most persuasive tone, "we shall finish this little affair quietly, and without slander for either of us; I shall set you down at your own house in a few minutes. In the mean time, permit me to take out this aigrette of diamonds; hair so beautiful as yours has no need of it. You see I have taken care to provide myself with scissars, that I might take the agraffes from your robe without damaging the blond. If you replace these jewels by bouquets of flowers, your toilette will serve you again on Saturday for the Ambassador's ball, and I shall have the pleasure to see you there looking quite as attractive as you did to-night."

While he spoke, he loosed the jewels, and put them up without Madame S-- uttering a word, so completely was she petrified. Just then the carriage stopped at her door; the robber got out, presented his hand to the lady, politely wished her a good night, and before her door was opened, he entered the carriage and drove off like lightning. Although nearly distracted, Madame S still cherished a hope of being able to trace the thief through the servant who had hired the carriage; but there is no doubt that he was his confederate, as he disappeared that night, and has not been heard of since. The affair preyed so upon the mind of poor Madame S- that by the next night she was in a violent fever, from which she is but just recovered; the robber is now the nine days wonder of our salons.

FROM OUR PARIS CORRESPONDent.

MANIAC.

A troop of comedians were travelling from Rome just as the mal aria had begun to render that imperial city uninhabitable. They were hastening to Naples to join the company of the Theatre San Carlos for the ensuing season. Lighthearted, as players always are, and as much more so as the laughing sky and bland air of Italy could make them, they journeyed like people who had nothing to do in the world but laugh, and to gather enjoyments from everything that presented itself to them. Some of the females were in a travelling coach, old and clumsy in itself, and infinitely more cumbrous from its being loaded with musical instruments, packages, theatrical dresses, and properties, as they are called here. Two lean horses, driven by a vetturino, who was in no hurry, dragged the crazy vehicle. Some of the men were mounted on such horses as they had been trusted with, and to close the cortege came a calêche, in which the principal singer and his young wife travelled. They had been married only a few weeks. He was a person of some conL.35. 1.

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sideration in the little society of which he was a member; she was the prima ballerina ; and, in the ballets, enjoyed as great a celebrity as he had achieved in the operas. The marriage was one of pure affection, and they were as happy as folks in their situation may be imagined to be,

There was not indeed a sad heart in the whole company. Poor they were, for the greater part, but jocund and gay, as if they had lands and revenues, and homes and hopes; while-God help them!-saving their good spirits and care. lessness, they possessed neither money nor money's worth. The singer and his bride should be excepted from this latter qualification; but, in respect of mirth, they were not the least distinguished of the company.

Laughing, and singing, and jesting, this merry cavalcade had proceeded for some leagues, when the road began to assume a wilder and more desolate appearance. A rugged pass between rocks, the tops of which were covered with thick shrubs and bushes, with occasionally a spiral cypress rearing its pointed head between, presented itself.

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By the blood of San Januarius," cried a little fat man, who was the buffo of the company, this would make a capital scene for a melo-drama."

"And for a brigand," said another, "thou, Ruffo,would'st top the part."

As he spoke, the discharge of muskets was heard, and bullets were perceived to whistle over the heads of the speakers. The women shrieked, the vetturino drew up to the side of the road, the men pulled in their horses, and every one was filled with the deepest anxiety. They knew very well that this was an attack from the redoubted Fra Diavolo, a bandit, who, with his gang, infested this part of the road. The players had believed that their poverty, and their profession, would have protected them from any such attack. Ariosto was let pass unmolested by the famous robber of the Appenines; and they thinking, with truly theatrical modesty, that they deserved no less consideration, did not believe they had aught to fear from Fra Diavolo. So at least they flattered themselves; perhaps, if the truth were to be strictly told, their real security arose from their poverty, which they took to be as well known to the Capo dei Briganti as to the rest of the world. Little time was, however, given to them for

deliberation. Immediately after the charge some ill-looking fellows made their appearance, and, cutting the traces of the vehicles, began to ransack them with as much cool indifference as if they had been custom-house officers, instead of being less privileged thieves. There was little found to repay the trouble they were so good as to give themselves. Diadems of operatic monarchs, as gorgeous as coloured glass and tinsel could make them-muskets and pistols, wholly innocent of gunpowder-pointless daggers-robes, with fictitious lace plenty of musical scores and instruments - some ouge and spangles-were all that the treasures of the dramatic troop afforded them; and the thieves knew their trade too well to encumber themselves with such trash.

They would perhaps have vented their disappointment in some hard words, and have left the players to make the best of their way, without any other dainage than the disarrangement of their properties, but that at this moment their leader made his appearance. He was a person of slight figure, and, saving his great ugliness, he looked as little like a leader of banditti as possible. He had been intended for a monastic life, and had actually taken orders, and made the vows which belong to such a state. The discipline of his convent, however, by no means suited the liberal notions of Fra Nazzaro, as he was then called. Frequent irregularities brought down the censure of his superiors; his discontent at these rebukes soon broke into open rebellion; and, to save himself from the punishment which his disgraceful and disorderly conduct would have incurred, the holy brother took to the mountains one fine morning, and changed his religious function for the more liberal one of plundering travellers. From a feeling of audacity and perverseness which had always distinguished him, he scorned to adopt any disguise, or even to assume a dress better fitted to his new occupation. In the dress of a Franciscan friar, his loins girt about with the rope of the erder, and his head always scrupulously trimmed with the usual clerical tousure, but wearing at the same time pistols and poniard, and carrying always a heavy rifle, the renegado churchman levied contributions throughout the surrounding districts. His courage was of the most dauntless kind, his ingenuity and skill far greater than were commonly possessed by persons of his profession, and his habits dissolute and